This morning I woke up, and the first thought in my head was that I wanted to make breakfast for my wife. I've been wanting to try a breakfast casserole. I've had some awesome breakfast casseroles in the past. They are definitely a favorite for weekend retreats, usually because you can prepare them in advance, and they are portable. Just send along a few pans full of awesomeness, and business is taken care of!
When I set out on my breakfast casserole mission, I wanted to focus on making the best one I possibly could. I believe that there are big flavor, good texture, and making it a little more healthy. You know though, there's really no way to make a breakfast casserole healthy, unless you use tofu, egg whites, and take out the salt. But, this recipe kind of meets at a middle ground with some mindful moves, including using a few lower-in-fat ingredients.
Matt’s Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients:
1 lb bag of shredded potatoes or sweet potatoes
½ Onion (sweet or Vidalia)
6 Eggs
½ roll of Jimmy Dean Maple Sausage
1 cup Wegman’s All-Natural Creamy Mushroom Soup (in the box)
½ cup 2% milk
1 tsp Smart Balance
½ cup Parmesan Cheese, grated.
½ cup Shredded Cheddar/Monterey Jack Cheese
2 slices Cooper White Cheddar, diced
2 slices Velveeta American Cheese, diced
1 tsp House Seasoning (equal parts Salt, Garlic Powder, & Black Pepper)
½ tsp Onion Powder
¼ tsp Emeril’s Essence
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Cook ½ roll of maple sausage on med heat. While sausage is cooking finely dice the ½ onion. When sausage is browned, move to a bowl lined with 3 paper towels to absorb the grease.
Using the same pan with minimal sausage drippings, sauté the diced ½ onion on med heat. Add in a few random pinches of House Seasoning. When the onions become translucent and slightly browned, add in the 1 lb bag of shredded potatoes. Add a little Smart Balance so the potatoes don’t stick to the pan. Allow them to cook and slightly brown for about 5 mins, tossing occasionally.
While the potatoes and onions are cooking, crack 6 eggs into a med-sized mixing bowl; add milk, mushroom soup, Emeril’s Essence, House Seasoning, Onion Powder, and cheeses. Whisk ingredients together.
Take potatoes and onions and spread them out loosely into a cooking-sprayed 3qt casserole dish/pan. Take the crumbled, blotted maple sausage, and spread it out evenly over the potatoes and onions. Then, take the egg-mixture in the mixing bowl and pour it over the potatoes/onions and sausage, making sure to evenly distribute the cheeses, using a batter spatula as the mixture pours.
Cover the casserole dish/pan with aluminum foil.
Put the casserole into a 350ºF oven, and cook for 1 hour.
When casserole is done, allow to cool for 5 mins, and then serve!
If you wanted to go a step further in the health factor, you could go for some low-fat cheeses, and use turkey or chicken sausage. I tend to think that low-fat cheese is a little artificial tasting and rubbery, so take that as an option, but not really as a recommendation! Although, turkey and/or chicken sausage can be pretty flavorful if you get the right brand and flavor option (jalapeño, apple, sweet italian, etc). There are some good ones out there, and I'm thinking as I write this that I may give those a shot in the future.
I hope you enjoy this breakfast casserole, a solid breakfast for all walks.
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