Alea's Meat Lover's Hashbrown Casserole

Submitted by ElizabethKnicely

"Alea Milham says, "As I was getting ready to make my breakfast casserole, I suddenly had the impulse to make it healthier by adding vegetables. I asked my kids what vegetable they though I should add and my oldest son replied "Bacon!" My son't transcripts from college indicated that he is quite bright, so I am pretty sure he knows bacon isn't a vegetable. I think bacon is just his default answer to most questions. I have discovered that if you ask male college students what you should add to any recipe the most common answer is bacon. Don't believe me? Try it for yourself. Bacon is more expensive per pound than most of the meat I buy, so when it goes on sale I stock ip and freeze it for later use. I also cook up a batch and crumble it and use it sparingly in recipes to add flavor rather than using it as a side dish. Whether you make the hashbrowns from scratch or use frozen hashbrowns that have thawed, be sure to squeeze out all of the excess liquid. Removing the excess liquid is essential to prevent the casserole from becoming runny. You can make this with whatever meat you have on hand. I usually make my hashbrown casserole with ham, but sausage works well too. And a combination of both ham and sausage is always a hit. No matter what meat you use, cut it into very small pieces. This allows you to get a nice meaty flavor throughout the casserole while using as much meat of other casseroles.""

 

• Ready In: 1hr 15mins
• Ingredients: 13
• Yields: 1 13x9-inch casserole
• Serves: 12

ingredients

• 6 cups fresh hash brown potatoes (about 30 ounces) or 6 cups frozen hash brown potatoes (about 30 ounces)
• 8 eggs
• 2 cups cottage cheese
• 6 -8 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 1⁄2 cups cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 1⁄2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided
• 2 cups diced ham or 2 cups sausage
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper
• 1⁄4 cup bacon, crumbles (optional)
• 1 -2 tablespoon parsley

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F Grease a 13x9-inch pan.
2. In a medium bowl, beat eggs.
3. Add cottage cheese and spices to eggs and stir to combine.
4. In a large bowl, combine hash browns, 1 cup cheddar cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, ham or sausage (or a combination of both), and onions.
5. Pour egg mixture over the hash brown mixture and stir to combine.
6. Spoon hash brown mixture into the greased casserole.
7. Sprinkle remaining cheese, bacon, and parsley over the top.
8. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour or until an inserted knife comes out clean.
9. Let sit for 5-10 minutes to set before serving.
10. I usually make my hash brown casserole for Sunday brunch. I serve it with fresh fruit. If my son gets his way, I will also serve it with a side of bacon.

Reviews

[MarLyn]

I made this for a bunch of teenages for an early morning scripture study class. Only had one student out of six not like it, and she "doesn't eat eggs". One boy liked it so much he asked for the recipe. It's really hearty, warm, and protein-packed. I also love how easy it is to make and take to feed a crowd. I'll do it again for sure.

 

[Lori Mama]

Thoroughly enjoyed. I used frozen shredded hash browns that needed to be used up, ham and Jack cheese. Since I like the flavor of fresh parsley, I used it at the end of the cooking time. Made for New Kids on the Block Tag Game. :)