Now that it is springtime and the days are longer, my hens are once again producing eggs. I have an extraordinary amount of eggs in my refrigerator. I pawn them off on friends, family, and the friends of friends and family, but I have more eggs than I know what to do with or wish to eat. My girls lay beautiful eggs. Their eggs range in color from blue to dark brown, dark brown with speckles, green, and beige. Looking at my egg-gathering basket filled with colorful eggs makes me happy. However, looking at a refrigerator overflowing with lovely eggs in cartons makes me wish I had more friends.
Not only do I have an extraordinarily large amount of eggs, but I also have a large chest freezer and a half filled with The Bibbed Wonder's pasture-raised pork. The pork is delicious, and nothing pairs better with eggs than pork products, but one tires of sausage and eggs fairly quickly. I know there are far worse problems to have than an overabundance of delicious, farm-fresh food. Finding new and creative ways to utilize this delicious, farm-fresh food has become somewhat of a mission.
Our family enjoys an "egg-based" meal at least twice a week. I have made baked eggs, egg sandwiches, eggs benedict, bacon and eggs, eggs in a nest, quiche, frittatas, and omelets. The Bean has decided eggs have gone the same path as soup, and she is beginning to protest egg-based meals in earnest. Sigh. I am indeed going to have to make more friends to give eggs to in order to keep my child happy. However, until that happens, we will eat a steady diet of eggs.
This week, I made a recipe that received compliments and a smile, and, most rewardingly, my kid ate a second helping of the dish. Although I was given a backhanded compliment about the dish, I consider it a win. I made a breakfast casserole with a hashbrown base, sausage, and eggs. The Bean informed me, "This is good mom. I don't usually like eggs or casseroles, but this is really good." See, I told you it was a backhanded compliment. The proof, however, was when she served herself a second generous helping and didn't complain while she was eating it. Ah, life with teenagers.
My inspiration for this dish is Jordan's appetite for hashbrowns. Of course, the child loves anything with potatoes and deep-fried. I had hashbrowns, sausage, eggs, and cheese on hand, so I thought I could do something with it all. It turned out to be an easy meal—definitely not one pan, but still easy. My recipe is as follows:
Hashbrown and Sausage Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients:
-1 bag of frozen hashbrown potatoes
-1 dozen eggs
-2 cups of milk
-1 tsp. garlic powder
-1 tsp. onion powder
-1 green onion, chopped
-1 lb. loose sausage (I like salt and pepper sausage)
-2 cups of shredded cheese (I used Havarti)
-salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
-Brown and crumble the sausage; drain the fat and set aside
-In the same skillet, brown the hashbrowns ( you may need to add a drizzle of olive oil to the pan)
-Prepare a 9 x 13 baking dish with oil or non-stick cooking spray
-When the hashbrowns are brown and crisp, add them to the baking dish
-Top the hashbrowns with the cooked sausage
-In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, spices, and green pepper
-Pour the egg mixture over the hashbrowns and sausage
-Top with the cheese and salt and pepper to taste
-Bake uncovered in a 350 degrees preheated oven for 30-40 minutes
-Let stand for five minutes before serving
I served this with a simple fruit salad to round out the meal.
In our house, we eat breakfast for dinner regularly. Although it feels like too much effort to create elaborate meals most mornings, breakfast dishes make quick, easy, and delicious dinners. This recipe is a delightful way to use up a dozen eggs quickly. Unfortunately for The Bean, egg-based meals will be a staple of our menu until the hens once again slow down in their egg production or her introverted mother makes more egg-eating friends. My money is on a steady diet of eggs (insert a wink and a smile here).
On this beautiful, sunny day, stay safe, be smart, enjoy simple and delicious food, don't cook tomorrow, and come see us at 493 Tonkin Road, Indiana, PA. for a Frank's Red Rocket Burger. And, of course, keep washing your hands.
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