A quick and easy breakfast
casserole with some great tips, perfect for the holidays. Delicious
and even pretty enough to serve to guests.. this one will let you spend time
with those guests and still serve a great breakfast.
TIPS
You can make the breakfast
sausage ahead.... cook, crumble and drain on paper towels and store in an
airtight container in the fridge. This
will help time wise and clean-up time.
You may notice the sausage
does cause some grease to accumulate on the top… don’t worry … the topping you
add about 15 minutes before the end will use it to crisp up some of the bread crumbs.
Speaking of the topping… it
really does add a nice touch.. the cheesy taste on top and the breadcrumbs add
a slight crunch… I use panko crumbs, which by the way, now come in large
easy-to-use containers like other bread crumbs.
Quantities for the topping and cheese in the casserole are slightly flexible... like it really cheesy, add more cheese... like the extra crunch.. add a little more bread crumbs.
I use shredded cheddar cheese
or a shredded Mexican cheese mix with this recipe.. both work extremely well.
You can use either frozen
hashbrowns or refrigerated ones. You don’t
need to thaw the frozen ones ahead. If
you are using refrigerated hash browns or you thaw the potatoes, just bake the
casserole for 35-40 minutes... be sure to add the topping at 25 minutes…and start
checking it at 35 minutes... it's done when a knife inserted in the center
comes out dry (not wet with the egg/milk mixture) and the top is lightly
browned.
I know some people layer the
ingredients in breakfast casseroles, I
like to put the ingredients in a bowl and mix them.. this way everything is
pretty evenly distributed...I personally think it makes a better casserole.
The recipe calls for
evaporated milk... I do use it.. but this recipe would work well with fat free
half and half or regular half and half also
.. the consistency is the about the same..
Use both the green and white
parts of the green onion.
This can be assembled the
night before and stored in the fridge overnight .. but honestly it goes
together so quickly I don't think it's necessary.. in the time it takes your
oven to pre-heat.. you can have it assembled.
The recipe calls for a 2 quart
baking dish… you can check your baking dish by measuring out 2 quarts of water and pouring it into your
baking dish. If it fills it to the top,
you have a 2 quart dish. It can be
slightly bigger also.. that’s okay.
I used my oven-proof Le Creuset
skillet. It was a little bigger than 4
cups. I DO NOT recommend you make
the sausage in a skillet and then mix the ingredients and bake it in the
skillet. While the idea sounds good,
especially for clean-up, it will have too much grease in it for your casserole.
You can use an oven-proof skillet… take
out the cooked sausage and drain on paper towels and then clean out the skillet…
follow the directs and use the skillet as a baking dish, but be sure to clean it
well.
If using a round baking dish
or oven-proof skillet, cut the casserole into wedges to serve.
Remember if you use a smaller
dish to bake it in.. then the casserole will be thicker... and you will need to
adjust your baking times... not too big a deal.. just make sure you test by
inserting a knife into the center .. when it comes out dry.. it's done.
If the top started to get too brown... then lay a piece of foil loosely over
the top.
This will serve six.... don't
let the serving of the casserole fool you.. it's filling....
If you're looking for
something to serve with it... toasted English muffins... biscuits or muffins...
even toast.. all would be perfect and easy to serve with this.
I cut the leftovers into
portions and stored them in the fridge... a quick nuke in the microwave made
for another quick and easy breakfast on another day.
Try this delicious breakfast..
the family will love it.
Recipe: Potato Sausage Egg and Cheese Breakfast Casserole
All you need:
3 cups frozen or refrigerated hash
browns *See TIPS
spray
All you need to do:
Pre-heat the oven to 350
degrees F.
Spray a 2 quart casserole dish
with cooking spray (butter flavor preferred).
Place the frozen hash browns,
shredded cheese, cooked and drained breakfast sausage, and green onion in a
large bowl. Toss to mix completely. Dump it into the prepared
baking dish.
Wipe out the bowl.. and beat
the eggs then add the evaporated milk and whisk to combine. Pour the
mixture over the ingredients in the baking dish.
***NOTE:
About 15 minutes before the required baking time (see below), sprinkle
the cheese for the topping on the casserole.
Continue baking until the
cheese melts (about 5 minutes).. then take the casserole out of the oven…
sprinkle the panko crumbs on top… give it a quick spray with butter flavored
cooking oil spray and put it back into the oven.
Continue baking for 10
minutes, then start checking for doneness by inserting a knife in the center to
see if it comes out dry.
Baking
Times: Bake for 35-45
minutes if using thawed or refrigerated hash browns or 45-55 minutes for frozen
hash browns (or until a knife inserted in the center comes out dry).
Allow to stand for 5-10
minutes. Cut into squares or wedges and
serve.
