Hash brown, Egg and Sausage Breakfast Casserole

With a layer of shredded hash browns on the bottom, this simple and easy breakfast casserole was a hit the two times I've made it so far for family and friends. As with most casseroles you can change it up to incorporate whatever you like in your eggs. We used turkey sausage but chopped veggies would also be delicious!

Hash brown, Egg and Sausage Breakfast Casserole
Modified From Allrecipes.com
Printable Version
Ingredients
2 pound package of frozen shredded hash browns, thawed
1 pound sausage
8 eggs
1/2 cup milk 
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
12 ounces shredded cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 2 quart baking dish or 9X13 pan. Place the has browns in the bottom of the dish. Heat a skillet over medium and cook sausage until it is crumbly and evenly browned. Drain. Meanwhile whisk together the eggs, milk and spices. Pour over the potatoes. Layer half the cheese and sausage and then the remaining cheese. 

Cover with aluminum foil. Bake in the oven for 1 hour. Remove foil and return casserole to the oven. Bake for about 10 more minutes until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

French Toast Casserole

This yummy breakfast casserole is perfect for lazy weekends, when you have company for breakfast, or your next brunch. I made it for a ladies' get together a few weeks ago so I could try it out. It was a tad dry, so I definitely recommend serving it hot with a drizzle of maple syrup. 

This would also be excellent with a fruit topping and some whip cream, but I didn't get that decadent this time! 

French Toast Casserole
From Allrecipes.com
Printable Version
Ingredients
5 cups bread cubes
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup white sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon margarine or butter, softened and cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter an 8X8 baking pan. Line the pan with the bread cubes. In a large bowl beat together the eggs, milk, 2 tablespoons of sugar, salt, and vanilla. Pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes. Dot with the butter and let stand for 10 minutes to allow bread to soak up the egg mixture. Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar with the cinnamon and sprinkle over the top. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Serve with maple syrup. 

The World's Easiest Egg Casserole

My family has a go to egg casserole recipe that is exceptionally good. The only problem is that when you're invited in the morning to a potluck brunch in just a couple hours, an overnight egg casserole isn't even an option. This new egg casserole can be whipped up and baked in less than an hour! To top it off it's really fluffy and filling. I added bacon into mine but sausage or veggies would also be yummy. If you find yourself in a breakfast bind or just want a new easy egg casserole you must give this one a try! It'd be great for brinner (breakfast for dinner) too!


The World's Easiest Egg Casserole
Printable Version
Ingredients
8 whole eggs
1 can evaporated milk 
2 cups shredded cheese
1 teaspoon dry mustard 
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 teaspoon pepper 
A few dashes of Herbs de Provence (optional) 
8 slices of bacon, chopped

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9X13 baking pan. Combine eggs, evaporated milk, and spices. 

Whisk until eggs are beaten. Stir in bacon and one cup of cheese. 

Pour into baking pan. Bake for 35 minutes, then take out of oven and top with remaining cheese. Return to oven and bake an additional five minutes. Cool for five minutes before cutting into squares and serving. (I also grated fresh Parmesan cheese on top at this point). 

Chicken, Pasta, and Mixed Vegetable Bake

Okay, I know I'm not fooling anyone, this dish is actually a casserole. But I grew up eating waaaaay too many casseroles (sorry, Mom) so I have a problem calling anything I make a casserole. I hope that you will just humor me and play along and call this a "bake". Thank you! :) 

I made this the first week we were in our new house because I was short on time but hubby and I were hungry from all the manual labor of painting rooms and hauling boxes. We both enjoyed the creamy combinations of pasta, diced chicken, and veggies along with the breaded topping. It made a big serving so that we could both have the leftovers for lunch the next day. 

Chicken, Pasta, and Mixed Vegetable Bake
From allrecipes.com
Printable Version
Ingredients
1 cup dry pasta (any kind will do but I'm partial to bow tie)
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 chicken tenderloins cut into chunks (or 2 small chicken breasts)
2 stalks of celery, diced
1 tablespoon minced onion (I omitted this)
salt and pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
2 cups frozen vegetables (fresh would work too!)
1 cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons butter, melted


Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a medium baking dish. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place chicken  and the celery in the skillet and season with the onion, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook until chicken juices run clear, about 5 minutes.

Mix in the cooked pasta along with the soups and mixed vegetables. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. 

In a small bowl combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and butter.

Spread evenly over the casserole. Bake for 30 minutes until bubbly and lightly browned.

Cheesy Potato Casserole

The best way to describe this cheesy potato casserole is that is utter comfort. It's golden, cheesy, bubbly, and creamy. It can accompany any meal you make and is excellent for large groups. The original recipe   called for cornflakes and butter as the topping, but we had some potato chips so I used those instead. It was a very good decision. 

Cheesy Potato Casserole
From My Mom :)
Printable Version
Ingredients
2 pound shredded or diced hash browns (you can use frozen but be sure to unthaw first)
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 pint sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 tablespoons onions (either fresh or dried)
2 cups shredded cheese
2 cups crushed potato chips or 2 cups crushed cornflakes mixed with 1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients except potato chips or cornflakes in a large bowl.

Scoop into a 9X13 casserole dish.

Sprinkle potato chips or cornflakes on top of casserole. Bake for 1 hour or until golden and bubbly.