Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole

Sheri in Georgia's Note:

This is an awesome breakfast casserole that is prepared ahead. It is easy and different. I found it in the December 2003 Southern Living magazine. We have had it for Christmas morning breakfast two years running. It's a hit at our house!

• Total Time: 1 hrs 15 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 1 lb ground sausage ("hot" or "sage" flavored)
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 2 1/2 cups frozen cubed hash brown potatoes
• 5 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese (2 cups)
• 1 3/4 cups milk
• 1 cup baking mix
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

1. Cook sausage and onion in large frying pan over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until meat crumbles.
2. Stir in hash browns, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until sausage is no longer pink and hash browns are lightly browned.
3. Drain mixture well on paper towels.
4. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
5. A stoneware baking dish works really well.
6. Stir together the lightly beaten eggs, shredded cheese, milk, baking mix, salt and pepper.
7. Pour evenly over sausage/hashbrown mixture.
8. Stir well.
9. Cover and chill for 8 hours.
10. Bake covered with foil at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
11. Uncover and bake 10 to 15 more minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
12. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes.
13. You can also keep the casserole warm until you are ready to eat by covering it with foil and putting it in a 200 degree oven.
14. Optional toppings: sour cream, favorite sauce of your choice (picante, hot sauce) You can also garnish it with parsley.

Reviews

[eljays]

This breakfast casserole was a hit at a recent brunch I hosted. Everyone raved and I agree. I added 1/2 a green bell pepper (diced) that was in the fridge and needed to be used. I'm glad I did. I might even add more veggies (spinach? mushrooms?) next time. I used hash browns instead of cubed potatoes, and because I used the entire package, I added an extra egg and used a very generous cup of the baking mix. It ended up feeding 10 comfortably with no leftovers. I also used the "Heart Healthy" Bisquick to try and reduce the fat. Next time I might also use Eggbeaters instead of whole eggs to make it more healthy. One of my guests was disappointed when he arrived and saw I hadn't made my usual bread-based breakfast casserole -- he left saying he liked this one even better. Thanks for a yummy recipe I know we'll be making again and again!

[sugarlovinmom]

I got this recipe from my MIL - we love it for any meal, with chili sauce or salsa. We also mix it up with whatever meat we have - ham or bacon also work well, or a mixture of meat is great. I use regular shredded hash browns, dried onions and dried green peppers, and I don't cook the hashbrowns beforehand in a pan - also mix the cheese in with the hashbrowns instead of with the baking mix, and then add more cheese on the top when I take off the foil towards the end.

[newspapergal]

I made this back in May when some awesome friends were visiting, and I'd forgotten to review. I liked the hashbrowns instead of using bread as a change of pace.