Cheesy Sausage, Egg & Potato Casserole

Eggs are very popular with my kids. I have modified a crockpot recipe that a friend gave me & come up with a casserole. It is perfect for a special breakfast or brunch. The ingredients can be put into the crockpot at night before bed & it will be ready to eat in the morning, or the more popular version at my house gets cooked in the oven in an 11X13 baking dish. This recipe can easily be halved & cooked in an 8X8 pan to feed 4 adults.

Ingredients

2 lbs ground breakfast sausage

2 lbs frozen diced hash browns

1 dozen eggs

1 1/2 cups milk (2 cups if cooking in crockpot)

1t dry mustard

salt & pepper

small chopped onion (optional)

4 cups grated cheddar cheese

Brown the sausage in a frying pan. Spray the 11X13 baking dish (or crockpot insert) with non-stick spray. Spread the frozen diced hash browns evenly in the bottom. Drain the grease off the cooked sausage. Spread Sausage over the frozen hash browns. In a medium size bowl, scramble the eggs, add milk (1 1/2 cups for baking dish, or 2 cups if using crockpot), spices & onion (optional), mix well. Pour over hash browns & sausage.

If cooking in baking dish, cover with foil, cook in oven at 400 for 50 minutes. Remove foil & add grated cheddar cheese over the top. Cook for an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted & golden brown. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

If cooking in crockpot, add cheese, cook on low for 8 to 10 hrs.

Apples and Oatmeal Breakfast Casserole

This is something I came up with while tweaking a recipe from the Lots of Kid's recipe page.

Ingredients
4 cups rolled oats
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
pinch of ground clove
pinch of all spice
3 t cinnamon
1 1/2 cups milk
4 eggs
1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 apples cored & sliced thin
1 t vanilla extract

Measure the oats into a large bowl, add the baking powder & spices, set aside. In another bowl mix the milk, eggs, apple sauce & brown sugar. When the sugar is dissolved well, add the apple slices. Slowly pour the liquid mixture into the oat mixture, add the vanilla. Stir until everything is well mixed being careful not to smash the apple slices. Pour into a 9 x 11 greased baking dish.

Bake in a 350 oven until the top is golden...approx 45 minutes. Serve hot with milk like traditional oatmeal or let it cool & slice into squares to be eaten like a snack cake.