Deli Brunch Bake

(A Make-Ahead Recipe)

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Murder

## Sandwich Ingredients:

* 1 loaf rye bread without seeds ***(You will need 12 slices in all.)***
* 1/2 cup salted butter ***(one stick, 4 ounces, 1/4 pound)***, softened to room temperature
* 1/2 pound sliced pastrami
* 1 Tablespoon brown mustard ***(I used Stone Ground Gulden's.)***
* 4 deli pickles, thinly sliced
* 12 slices cheddar or American cheese
* 1/2 pound sliced corned beef
* 1/2 cup coleslaw, drained and paper toweled dry
* 2 small cans sliced black olives ***(drained)***
* 8 ounces shredded Havarti cheese

## Sauce Ingredients:

* 8 eggs, beaten
* 2 cups light cream ***(half-and-half)***
* 1 teaspoon Kosher salt ***(sea salt***)
* 1/2 teaspoon seasoned pepper
* 1 additional stick of salted butter ***(4 ounces, 1/4 pound)*** before baking in the morning

## Directions:

* **Prepare** your pan by spraying the inside of a 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan with **Pam** or another nonstick baking spray.
* **Lay out** 12 slices of **rye bread** on your kitchen counter. Get set to make 6 very fat sandwiches from the bread. Fit the bread together as if you're making a sandwich.
* **Butter** the inside of your bread sandwich and keep the two halves or your sandwich together.
* **Separate** the top of each sandwich from the bottom, but place them close together so that you know which sandwich top goes with which sandwich bottom.

* **You should have** used approximately half of your butter by now. Put the rest of the stick of **butter** in a microwave-safe cup and **melt it** in the microwave. **Pour** the melted butter in your cake pan and tip it from top to bottom and side to side until the bottom of your cake pan is covered with a film of butter.

* **Divide** your **pastrami** into 6 equal piles, one for each sandwich. Place the slices of pastrami on one side of  your sandwich.
* Spread the stone **ground mustard** over the top of the pastrami.
* Cut your **deli pickles** into thin slices and divide the slices into 6 piles. Place one pile of pickle slices on top of the mustard.
* **Place** 2 slices of **American or cheddar cheese** on top of the pickles.

* Divide the **corned beef** slices into 6 equal piles. Place one pile of corned beef on top of the American or cheddar cheese slices.
* **If  you haven't** done so already, put the **coleslaw** in a strainer in the sink. Let the slaw **drain** for a minute or two and then tear off several pieces of paper toweling and press the coleslaw down into the strainer. Move the coleslaw around in the strainer so that you can paper towel dry the slaw. Divide the **coleslaw** into 6 equal piles. Distribute each pile evenly over the corned beef.

* Open the cans of **black olive slices** and drain them in the same strainer you used for the coleslaw. Paper towel **dry** the black olive slices. Divide the olive slice into 6 piles. Distribute the black olive slices evenly over the coleslaw.
* **Top** your deli sandwiches with the remaining slices of rye bread. **Cut** your sandwiches in half horizontally.
* Pick up each half sandwich and **place** them in your prepared cake pan. Try to space them apart as evenly as you can. **Do not overlap the pieces**.
* Sprinkle the shredded **Havarti cheese** over the top of your half sandwiches.

## Make the Sauce:

* In a large bowl or an electric mixer, crack open the **eggs** and beat them together.  Start by using LOW speed on the mixer and then gradually increase the speed until the eggs are light and fluffy.
* Mix in the **light cream** on LOW speed. Beat until everything is thoroughly combined.
* Add the **salt** and the **seasoned pepper**. Beat it in on LOW speed until everything is combined.
* **Pour** the egg and cream mixture over the top of your half deli sandwiches. If there is too much liquid to use all of it, wait a few minutes for it to soak in. Rye bread doesn't absorb liquid as fast as white bread does.

* When all of your egg mixture is in the cake pan, **press down** on the half sandwiches with a metal spatula.
* **Cover** the cake pan tightly with aluminum foil and let it **sit** on the counter for at least **20 minutes.** This is to make sure that the liquid has been completely absorbed.
* **Place** your pan of Deli Brunch Bake on a shelf in your **refrigerator overnight**.
* **An hour** or so before you want to serve breakfast in the morning, **preheat** your oven to **350 degrees F**., and make sure the rack is in the middle position.

## Before Baking:

* **Melt** the extra additional stick of **salted butter** in the microwave.
* **Pour** the melted butter over the tops of your half sandwiches.
* **Cover** the pan tightly with aluminum foil again.
* **When** **your oven** comes up to temperature, place your pan inside and **bake** your creation for at least **45 minutes** or until the top is nicely browned.
* **Let** the pan **cool** on a wire rack or a cold stovetop burner for at least ten minutes.

**To Serve:** Place a half sandwich on each plate to start. It's almost a forgone conclusion that your guests will ask for a second half. **A nice accompaniment to this breakfast** is chilled melon slices or any seasonal fruit. Make sure you have plenty of hot, strong coffee as this breakfast dish is very rich.