Listen, we love a big breakfast featuring all the usual suspects—fluffy scrambled eggs, crispy hash browns, a plate of breakfast sausage, and a pile of sautéed spinach for good measure. (Popeye would approve.) But it requires a lot of work, not to mention A LOT of dishes. Enter this egg & hash brown casserole, which delivers all those classic breakfast foods in one single dish (plus a hefty layer of melted cheddar on top, to boot). Though it makes for a great breakfast on its own, this casserole would be delicious as the centerpiece of a laid-back brunch, paired with fruit salad and mimosas.
TIME & SERVINGS
INGREDIENT
1 lb. loose pork or turkey breakfast sausage
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded, finely chopped
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
10 c. (packed) baby spinach (from 2 [5-oz.] containers)
1 (20-oz.) bag frozen shredded hash browns
8 large eggs
3/4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 c. sour cream
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. hot sauce
8 oz. shredded cheddar (about 2 c.), divided
INSTRUCTIONS(STEPS)
1.Preheat oven to 375º. Grease a 13"-by-9" baking dish with cooking spray.
2.In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tbsp. oil. Cook sausage, breaking up with a wooden spoon into small bits, until browned and cooked through, about 3 minutes. Drain any excess oil in skillet, then transfer sausage to a large bowl.
3.Return skillet to medium heat and heat 1 tbsp. oil. Cook onion, bell pepper, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of black pepper, stirring occasionally, until veggies are softened and light golden, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add spinach by large handfuls, tossing and wilting in between each addition, until all spinach is incorporated and wilted, about 3 minutes more. Scrape vegetable mixture into bowl with sausage.
4.Return skillet to medium heat and heat remaining 2 tbsp. oil. Cook hash browns, stirring a few times, until golden brown and crisp, about 12 minutes. Scrape hash browns into bowl with sausage and vegetables.
5.In another large bowl, whisk eggs, broth, sour cream, mustard, hot sauce, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. black pepper until smooth and well combined. Stir in 1 c. cheese. Fold hash brown mixture into egg mixture, then pour into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1 c. cheese.
6.Bake until eggs are just set, about 30 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then slice and serve.