We all know casseroles are an excellent way to feed a crowd. That's why this Sausage, Egg, & Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole is my pick for Christmas morning (with kuchen, of course). Instead of endless sweets, offering a hearty casserole will keep everyone full while avoiding the sugar crash!
It's hard to beat a casserole like this. A layer of sausage and egg provides a sturdy base. Top that off with a hefty portion of spinach for a pop of nutrition. Then finish it off with a béchamel sauce, hashbrowns, and raw cheddar (optional) mixture...which is the real star of the show.
Sure, casseroles take a bit of work to initially put together. But this casserole can be prepped and mostly cooked in advance... then just pop it in the oven in the morning to finish cooking.
A word of caution, though: if you're using a glass casserole dish, never put it directly from the fridge into a hot oven. Instead, take it out of the fridge while the oven preheats and let it sit on the counter. That way, the glass will be closer to room temperature when you put it in the oven.
Cooking exhilarates me, but anxiety creeps in when I share my kitchen creations with friends and family. Creating meals that satisfy my man spouse and me is easy enough, but expanding the circle means accounting for different tastes.
I'm confident in what I cook, but I don't want to leave anyone unsatisfied (especially if they're eating in front of me). Still, I try to challenge these anxieties... which is why I made this casserole for Thanksgiving morning with no backup plans. If my family didn't like it? Well, you're SOL until dinner.
I shouldn't have been worried. The whole family gobbled it up, with my mom and sister asking how to make the creamy béchamel sauce and tangy onions that tie this casserole together. I would make this again for Christmas morning in a heartbeat!
I'm feeling very lukewarm about my pictures, though. Casseroles aren't an easy subject!
But with Christmas so close, I wanted to push out this post. I mean, there are just too many sweets percolating around the internet. I want to throw something a little more nutritious out into the world. So here you go, amateur pictures and all!
Sausage, Egg, & Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole
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Sausage, Egg, & Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 48 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: casserole
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ghee or butter
- 3 tablespoons arrowroot powder
- ¾ cup bone broth or low-sodium chicken broth
- ½ cup coconut milk
- ½ teaspoon sea salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound ground sugar free breakfast sausage
- 10 large eggs
- 2 cups spinach
- 1 ½ cups yellow onions, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 pounds russet potatoes (about 3 large)
- 3 ounces raw sharp cheddar, shredded (1 cup) - OPTIONAL
- 6 scallions (green onions) chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F with rack in upper third of oven.
- Make the béchamel sauce: Melt ghee/butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in arrowroot powder and cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly. Slowly add broth and coconut milk and bring just to a boil, continuing to whisk until thickened. Stir in ¼ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Remove from heat.
- Brown the sausage: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook sausage for about 5 minutes, breaking up large pieces with a spatula. Transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish, scattering evenly.
- Cook the veggies: Reduce heat to medium and add onions to the skillet. Season with remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and cook for about 7 minutes, until browned and softened. Add vinegar and cook for 30 seconds more while scraping up browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Stir in spinach. Spoon evenly over sausage in baking dish.
- Crack the eggs into a large bowl and whisk until frothy. Pour over the sausage and veggies in the baking dish.
- Make the top layer: Shred the potatoes using the large holes of a box grater or the shredding blades on a food processor. You don’t want to shred potatoes too far in advance of using them, because they brown quickly when exposed to oxygen! In a large bowl (the same one you used for the eggs, if you wish), combine potatoes, cheese (if using), scallions, and béchamel sauce. Add to baking dish in an even layer.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and turn oven to broil. Cook for about 8 minutes, watching closely, until top is well browned. Serve warm.
Keywords: Sausage egg hashbrown casserole
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