This Turkey Sausage Hash Brown Casserole is a favorite in my family. Perfect for weekend brunch, it's a great recipe to have on hand as the holidays approach. Easy and delicious, this casserole is perfect for a small or large group.
The History
Casseroles first gained popularity during the Depression due to their frugality. By the 1950's the introduction of lightweight oven proof cookware and Campbells Soup created a cooking revolution. Today casseroles are such an integral part of our lives we can't imagine our life without them.
My Story
Pakistani food is as far removed from casseroles as possible and until I moved to the United States of America the only casserole I had ever made was probably lasagne. As time passed, I added Shepherds Pie (A great way to use leftover mashed potatoes), Moussaka and eventually my ultimate favorite that's featured here on my website the best-ever-sweet-potato-casserole.
Some years ago I was tasked with making a breakfast casserole for a Christmas Brunch at one of my kids schools. Completely clueless as to what a breakfast casserole entails I asked a friend of mine, Heather, if she could help me with a recipe.
She gave me her go to recipe for Ham and Cheese Brunch Squares. I switched up the ham for Turkey sausage as I don't eat any pork products and over the years I've made a few more changes to the original recipe. But no matter what I add or minus it turns out amazing every single time and is always a crowd pleaser!
The Turkey Sausage Hash Brown Casserole Recipe
A basic rule for a good casserole is to have five main ingredients; a protein, a starch, a vegetable, some form of liquid and cheese. This casserole has all these elements!
The crumbled hash brown patties and cheddar cheese make a delicious crispy crust. This makes the base for the fluffy egg and cream cheese mixture.
While the crust is baking, I prep the vegetables and the egg and cheese mixture. SInce raw vegetables tend to sweat, I like to cook them down a little bit before adding them to my casserole. This prevents the eggs from being runny.
It's important to have everything ready and on hand. As soon as the hash browns are crispy, remove them from the oven. Spread the cooked sausage and vegetables on top of the hash browns in an even layer.
Pour the egg mixture on top and sprinkle with the cheese. Add a dash of pepper and green onions and place back in the oven to finish cooking.
The hash browns and cheese make a crispy crust which is the perfect base for the soft and fluffy egg and cheese mixture that goes on top. The Turkey Sausage lends a delicious smoky taste and the vegetables add both fibre and texture.
You have a healthy, nutritious meal that's super easy to make. it's perfect for a large group and reheats even better the next day for leftovers. I love eating this Turkey Sausage hash Brown Casserole for breakfast, lunch and even dinner at times!
Turkey Sausage Hash Brown Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups mild cheddar cheese
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 8 eggs
- 5 frozen hash brown patties
- 6 turkey sausage patties
- ¼ red bell pepper
- ¼ orange bell pepper
- ¼ green bell pepper
- ½ cup mushrooms
- 4 green onions
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp crushed red chilies
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Take your casserole dish and lightly grease it.
- Break the hash brown patties into pieces and spread in the dish.
- Sprinkle 1 cup of the cheddar cheese on top of the potatoes and mix well.
- Press the potato cheese mixture firmly into the bottom of the dish and into the sides so it lines the dish.
- Bake in the oven for 15 minutes till a crispy crust forms
- Finely dice the sausage patties and saute in a non stick pan using a nonstick spray if needed till they're nicely browned and set aside for later.
- Dice and saute the mushrooms in about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and set aside.
- Finely dice the peppers and green onions and saute slightly in 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Beat the Cream Cheese with an electric beater till lightly fluffy and add in the black pepper and eggs one at a time, beating until you have a creamy and well blended mixture.
- As soon as you pull out the potato crust, add the sausage and vegetables, layering evenly and pour the egg mixture on top.
- Sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup of cheddar and the Red Chili Flakes and bake for another 15 minutes until the center is fully cooked. Check with your knife and make sure it comes out clean and the eggs are fully cooked.
Notes
Nutrition
Happy Cooking! I hope you like this recipe. Drop a comment below to tell me how it went!
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