OKAY, SO THE LADY WHO FIRST SERVED ME THIS wonderful dish was a Yankee living on Cape Cod. Her recipe came from a vintage cookbook that was as Southern as pecan pie. Curiously, since then, I’ve encountered similar renditions, on a luncheon buffet in Nashville and at a barbecue cook-off in Vienna, Georgia, so I conclude that the combination must be classic. Do buy the best-quality pork sausage (I’m lucky to have a steady supply of Southern whole-hog sausage, but Jimmy Dean, available nationwide, is respectable enough), and, yes, fresh corn kernels scraped from the cobs (their milk included) do make a difference. I like to serve the casserole at summer deck lunches and brunches.

Makes 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 5 large hard-boiled eggs, sliced
• 1 pound bulk pork sausage
• 4 tablespoons (1⁄2 stick) butter
• 1⁄4 cup all-purpose flour
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 2 cups fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels
• 1 cup soft bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 1 1⁄2-quart casserole dish and arrange half of the sliced eggs over the bottom.
2. In a large skillet, break up the pork sausage and fry it over moderate heat until it is well cooked and crumbly. Drain the cooked sausage on paper towels.
3. In a large, heavy saucepan, melt the butter over moderate heat.
4. Add the flour to the melted butter and season with salt and pepper. Stir for 1 minute.
5. Pour the half-and-half into the saucepan and whisk constantly until the sauce becomes bubbly and thickened.
6. Stir the cooked sausage and the corn kernels into the sauce.
7. Pour the sauce mixture over the eggs in the casserole dish.
8. Arrange the remaining sliced eggs over the top of the sauce.
9. In a small mixing bowl, combine the bread crumbs and melted butter. Spoon the mixture evenly over the top of the casserole.
10. Bake the casserole in the preheated oven until the topping turns golden brown, which takes about 30 minutes.
11. Serve the dish hot.