Step 1: Prepare Your Oven and Pan Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray. This ensures easy serving and cleanup later.

Step 2: Cook the Sausage to Perfection In a skillet over medium heat, cook the crumbled breakfast sausage until browned and fully cooked, about 8-10 minutes. Break up any large chunks with a wooden spoon for even distribution throughout the casserole. Drain any excess fat on paper towels and set aside.

Step 3: Create Your Flavorful Custard In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt until well combined and slightly frothy. This creates the rich binding mixture that will transform into a luscious custard during baking.

Step 4: Prepare the Waffles Cut the frozen waffles into quarters. This size is perfect for easy eating and allows better absorption of the egg mixture while maintaining structure. No need to thaw them first—using them frozen actually helps maintain better texture in the final dish.

Step 5: Create the First Layer Arrange half of the waffle quarters in the greased baking dish, slightly overlapping to create a solid base. Sprinkle half of the cooked sausage evenly over the waffles, ensuring good distribution in every future serving.

Step 6: Begin the Absorption Process Pour half of the egg mixture over the layered waffles and sausage, ensuring even coverage. Allow it to seep down between the waffle pieces for a minute or two before proceeding.

Step 7: Complete the Layers Repeat the layering process with the remaining waffle quarters and sausage. Pour the remaining egg mixture evenly over the top, making sure all waffle pieces are moistened.

Step 8: Add the Cheese Topping If desired, sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the top of the casserole. The cheese will create a beautiful golden crust with stretchy, melty pockets throughout the top layer.

Step 9: Bake to Golden Perfection Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the egg is completely set and the top is golden brown. You can test doneness by inserting a knife in the center—it should come out clean with no wet egg mixture.

Step 10: Rest and Serve Allow the casserole to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. This resting period lets the layers set slightly for easier serving. Drizzle individual portions with additional warm maple syrup if desired.