OVERNIGHT CHEESY HASHBROWN & EGG CASSEROLE

Yes, that's right, I said overnight breakfast. You know what that means? You get to wake up, pop this in the oven & serve a great breakfast with zero morning time prep work. It is so easy to put this together the day or night before you want to bake it and get all your prep work and dishes out of the way so you can just enjoy your morning. I particularly love this recipe for holiday mornings. You've got enough to worry about on holidays like focusing on your main meal of the day and spending time with family so anything you can do the day before is always helpful! I also love overnight breakfasts because let's be honest, if you're having any sort of party out or at your house, a stress free comfort food breakfast will be real nice to wake up to, especially if you had one too many cocktails the night before. Whatever your occassion this is sure to be a family favorite.... I mean what's not too love about cheesy egg & potato all combined together?!

I have a zit on my chin right now, and my 2-year-old Valentine keeps poking her finger at it. “Whazzat mommy, whazzat?” It’s a pimple honey. “Oh, hippo, mommy?” No, child, but it’s about the size of one.

I don’t know what it is with my face breaking out like a 13 year old’s, maybe it’s because I’m 31 now and my body switched up the numbers on my age?? What is the deal?

In less awkward news, I am here today to introduce you to my favorite easy breakfast casserole of all time. I posted this recipe back in 2012, when my blog was still just a baby. I started with all my greatest recipes, and this is definitely one of the greats. Easy? check. Feeds a crowd? check. Tons of flavor? check. CHEESE??? Hello.

Up until now, I had a roster of breakfast casserole recipes that I considered to be very good. Then I pulled this one from the oven.

This is the golden ticket of egg casseroles. It treats you to all the best parts of the breakfast plate in a single bite. In many ways it’s the only recipe I really need and want in my breakfast casserole lineup. Not only does it take well to customization (you can use any meat or cheese as a mix-in), but the egg base is also super creamy — thanks to a secret ingredient.

INGREDIENTS

• Cooking spray or oil
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound uncooked breakfast sausage, casings removed
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1 (20-ounce) bag frozen shredded potatoes (do not thaw)
• 10 large eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup whole or 2% milk
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (about 6 ounces)
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 375°F. Lightly coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or oil; set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until browned and no longer pink, 6 to 8 minutes.
3. Add the onion, bell pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to the baking dish, add the potatoes, stir to combine, and spread into an even layer.
4. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Add the sour cream, milk, mustard, cheese, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper and whisk to combine. Pour over the vegetable mixture.
5. Bake until the top is light golden-brown and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before slicing.

RECIPE NOTES

• Make ahead: The casserole can be assembled, covered, and stored in the refrigerator overnight. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before baking.
• Storage: Leftovers can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

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