Sausage Breakfast Casserole

I was craving a breakfast casserole with sausage and found this. So delicious. You could really throw in anything you want - any veggies or any meat that you like. It calls for a 9x13 pan but since I added a little more of almost everything, I used an 11x14 glass dish and it was perfect. 

Ingredients

1 stick or 1/2 c. salted butter - melted

1 30 oz. package frozen shredded hash brown potatoes

(could use cubed but shredded are better)

salt and pepper

1 pound breakfast sausage

1/2 green pepper - diced

1/2 red pepper - diced

1/2 small onion - diced

1 1/2 c. shredded monterey jack cheese 

1 1/2 c. shredded sharp cheddar 

8 large eggs

1 1/3 c. half and half, evaporated milk or whole milk

1 tsp. seasoned salt (like Lawry's)

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. dry mustard (optional)

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Make the potato layer.

  Add a 30 ounce package of frozen hash browns to your dish. You don't have to thaw them first. Spread them out evenly. 
• Melt 1/2 cup butter in a small bowl in the microwave and pour the butter over the hash browns. Melted butter + frozen potatoes = not melted butter. Just mix as best as you can so they're coated. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 
• Place the pan in the oven and bake at 400 for 30-35 minutes, until the potatoes are mostly cooked and some are starting to lightly brown. Remove from the oven. Lower the oven temperature to 350.
• Prepare the sausage layer. Meanwhile, chop up 1/2 a green pepper and 1/2 a red pepper. Chop half of a small onion. Make sure all the veggies are chopped small. (If you want, you can skip all the vegetables entirely! No need to make any adjustments.) Add 1 pound breakfast sausage (I used Jimmy Dean in a tube- easier than cutting single sausages open) and all of the veggies to a skillet set over medium high heat. Break up the sausage and sauté for 5-7 minutes, until the sausage is browned and the onion is getting soft. Drain the grease if there is any.  Add the cooked sausage mixture on top of the baked hash browns. You can spread it a layer on top of the potatoes, or you can stir it in so everything is evenly distributed. (I like it to be all mixed up.)
• Add cheese. Sprinkle 1 and 1/2 cups Monterey Jack and 1 and 1/2 cups cheddar cheese over the top. 
• Make the egg mixture.

  In a large bowl or stand mixer (or you can use a blender!), use a whisk to stir together 8 eggs, 1 and 1/3 cups half and half, 1 teaspoon seasoned salt, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard. 
• Pour the egg mixture over the casserole, making sure to distribute evenly.
• Bake at 350 (remember to lower the oven temperature) for about 35-45 minutes, until the edges are browned and bubbly, and the center doesn't jiggle a lot when you shake the pan. 
• Take out of the oven and let set for 5 minutes before serving. 
• Store leftovers in the fridge. They will keep for about 5 days.
• You can freeze individual sliced pieces and then pop them out, warm and eat. 
  PRINTABLE RECIPE