Breakfast.

*Sigh*

My favorite meal, especially on the weekends!  Just the thought of a good breakfast on Saturday or Sunday morning makes me instantly happy.  This time of year it makes me think of warm pajamas, slippers, a hot cup of coffee, cartoons playing in the background, and a delicious aroma filling the house.

During the winter months we take advantage of any Saturday and/or Sunday morning that we’re able to make a good, hearty breakfast.  Our Saturday and Sunday mornings during the summer are usually spent on the golf course, and the earlier the better.  Of course, that time has been pushed back a little since T.J. came along.  We used to be known to be on the course around 5:30am with 18 holes played by 8:30, when most people were just arriving.  These days its more like 7 or 7:30 by the time we tee off.  How many days until summer? 🙂

Anyway, back to breakfast…

So during the winter months we take advantage of staying nice and cozy in our house on weekend mornings, even trying to go to 4pm Mass on Saturday whenever possible so we can do the same on Sunday mornings.  We do an assortment of things for our weekend breakfast from coffee cakes and muffins to omelets and toast.

Recently, my mother and father-in-law came to visit.  Usually when we have visitors I put a little more effort into breakfast than I do when it is just the three of us.  This time I took all the things we love from our favorite breakfast – eggs, sausage, and hashbrowns – and combined them into one casserole.  The result was pure deliciousness!  If you’re looking for a breakfast recipe for the weekend, this Sausage & Hashbrown Casserole is sure to please all those hungry mouths you’ll be feeding!

Here is what you’ll need on your grocery list:

**This recipe will make enough to serve 6-8 people**

30 oz bag Frozen Hashbrowns, thawed

1 lb Sausage

1/2 Onion, chopped

8 Eggs

1/2 cup Milk

2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large skillet, brown sausage over medium-high heat.  Add onion in once sausage has started to brown slightly and cook the rest of the way with the sausage.

Meanwhile, spray another large skillet with cooking spray and brown hashbrowns over medium-high heat.  If you don’t have a skillet large enough, you may have to split it into two.  You can skip this step and just put the hashbrowns straight into the baking dish, but I think it gives the hashbrowns a nicer flavor if they are browned, and it doesn’t take long.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk,  1 cup of shredded cheese, salt, and pepper.

Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.  Spread browned hashbrowns into bottom of dish.

Spread cooked sausage on top of hashbrowns.

Pour egg mixture on top of sausage and hasbrowns.

Sprinkle the remaining cup of cheese on top.

Cover with aluminum foil and Bake for 30 minutes.

Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes.  I turned on my broiler for the last minute or two to brown the top just a little.

This casserole was a hit with the in-laws and with Mike and T.J.  My tummy was pretty happy, as well!  As I was typing this up, it seemed like a lot of steps, but don’t let that scare you.  It really only took me about 15-20 minutes to put together and then the oven took care of the rest while I enjoyed my coffee and good company.

Enjoy!

For another easy breakfast idea you can put together the night before and cook in the slow cooker as you sleep, check out my Crock Pot Egg Bake.  Another tasty option that requires no preparation in the morning…well, besides serving and devouring it 🙂