Sausage & Egg Breakfast Casserole

 A great many years ago, I attended a slumber party at a friend's home.  For breakfast the next morning, her mom served us this foreign (to me) dish called a breakfast pizza.  I don't remember anything about it except the eggs...lots and lots of eggs.  It was saturated with them.  I thought it was horrible.  I left her house that morning feeling absolutely sick to my stomach and, in my young girl naivety, sure that I was allergic to eggs.  I wouldn't eat eggs for years and even as a young adult, got nauseous even thinking about that breakfast pizza.  Then I met my husband who was an egg lover, and though for awhile I still maintained that I was an egg hater, I found myself sneaking bites of his scrambled eggs topped with cheese every now and again.  It took me awhile, but I found that I actually do really enjoy scrambled eggs with melted cheese and I can also do a sunny-side-up egg on a breakfast sandwich.  However, I still can't do anything that I find to be too egg-y...even french toast is hard for me.  So when I went to a brunch at a friend's house and she was serving a breakfast casserole, as the main dish, I started feeling a bit squeamish thinking about eating it.  After one bite though, I was in love!  Strange thing, considering my supposed dislike of not only eggs, but sausage as well.  But it really was delicious and I even went back for seconds.  I had to have the recipe and this is it!  Thanks to the addition of the hash browns, there is enough substance and heartiness that it isn't egg-y at all...if you know what I mean.  I am totally sold on this recipe.  I even made it for dinner the other night and served it along side this orange juice fruit salad.  It was a perfect dinner (if you love breakfast for dinner..which I think is pretty much the best thing ever!)!

Sausage & Egg Breakfast Casserole

1 26 ounce bag shredded hash browns

1/2 cup butter

12 ounces grated cheese (I used a mix of cheddar and monterey jack)

1 small can diced green chiles

2 cups cooked sausage (I have used pork and turkey sausage before, both with good results)

6 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x13 inch pan.  In a large bowl, combine hash browns, grated cheese, diced chiles and cooked sausage.  Spread into greased pan.  Cut butter into small slices and place all over the top of the casserole.  In a medium size bowl, combine eggs, milk and salt.  Whisk until eggs are beaten.  Pour into the pan over the hash brown mixture.  Place in oven and bake for 1 hour.  Serve warm.

Recipe Source:  Adapted from a recipe contained in an old church recipe book sent to me by a friend

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