This is a great, old-fashioned, back-of-the-box kind of recipe, but it’s actually quite yummy and is great for cold mornings when you want a hearty breakfast. It’s a super recipe for when you have company staying with you and you need to make an easy breakfast for a crowd. Add a fruit salad, some OJ, (maybe some muffins or bagels, if your crowd isn’t too carb-conscious) and you’re all set!
Girl and her cousin enjoying some casserole
Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole
3 cups water
2 packages boxed, dried hash brown potatoes (see note below)
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese (mild or sharp, your choice)
2 cups milk
10 beaten eggs
2 cups chopped, smoked ham (see note below)
1 cup thinly sliced green onion (see note below)
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Pour into an ungreased 13 X 9 inch pan. Spread to make sure that potatoes, ham and cheese are evenly distributed in liquid.
Casserole, ready to go in the oven
(At this point, casserole can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight, if desired. Pull out of the refrigerator and bake as usual the next morning. This is what we always do on Christmas morning – the casserole cooks as the kids empty their stockings.)
Bake, uncovered, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean (about 60 minutes or maybe a TAD more) and the top is lightly browned. Let stand for about 2 minutes before cutting into serving pieces. This recipe can easily be halved (bake in a small square dish – 8 X 8 or so).
Note on hash browns:
I use B*tty Cr*cker brand – they’re a little hard to find, but I think Safeway/Randall’s/Von’s carries them pretty regularly. They will be next to the boxed, scalloped potatoes mix (ick!). Try Giant, if you’re on the East coast.
Note on ham:
When you buy the ham from your store’s deli, have them cut it REALLY thick, tell them “for cubing” or “chef salad style”. Bring it home and cut the dark “rind” off of it, then cut the ham into 1/2 inch strips, then cut the other direction, into 1/2 inch dice. Feed the rind to your dog, if you have one. He will LOVE you for it. I like nitrite-free Black Forest ham. It’s expensive, but if you watch for it to go on sale, you can cut it up and freeze it. 3/4 lb. will yield about 2 cups chopped, with a little bit left over after you remove the rind. Save any that you have left over to toss into a Denver omelet later (or a frittata, of course!). Watch for more great recipes soon that also use this thick-cut chopped ham: Baked Homemade Mac and Cheese with Ham and Peas and Wild Rice Soup with Ham.
Chopping ham, removing rind
Note on green onions:
I wasn’t able to find any green onions yesterday that looked decent. They all looked old and slimy, so I’m leaving them out this morning. It’s really better with the green onions in it, but I’ve left them out before (if the kids have a buddy to sleep over and I’m not sure if the buddy likes them) and it’s OK. Of course, when I heard the news of the great “Green Onion E-coli Panic of Ought-6”, I was glad that I hadn’t purchased any.