OVERNIGHT CHEESY SAUSAGE, HASHBROWN, PEPPER, AND ASPARAGUS BREAKFAST BAKE

Brunch|Casseroles|Ciao Bella|Gluten-free|Pork

Ingredients

6 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, chopped

1 pound bulk breakfast sausage (such as Jimmy Dean or Johnsonville)

1 pound frozen shredded hash browns, thawed

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon Dish off the Block Ciao Bella Italian Spice Blend

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 pound asparagus spears, 3″ of woody ends discarded and stalks chopped into 1″ pieces

1, 4 ounce package goat cheese

8 eggs

1 cup heavy cream

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

Melt the butter in a large deep skillet over medium high heat and add the onions. Cook until soft and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the breakfast sausage to the skillet and cook, breaking the sausage up with a spatula into small pieces, until the sausage is mostly cooked through.

Add hash browns to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes begin to lightly brown. Note – to get a great golden brown crisp on the potatoes, press them firmly into the bottom of the pan and let sear for 2-3 minutes at a time before mixing again.

Add the salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning to the pan. Cook for another 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the hash browns are browned and crispy. Add the red peppers and asparagus to the pan and stir to combine.

Spread the hash brown mixture evenly in a 9” x 13” baking dish that has been coated with non-stick cooking spray. Let cool for 20-30 minutes. Crumble the goat cheese evenly over the top of the hash brown and sausage mixture.

Whisk the eggs with heavy cream in a large bowl. Add the cheddar cheese to the eggs and pour the whole mixture over the top of the casserole. Make sure the cheese is evenly spread throughout the eggs. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Remove the casserole from the fridge and bring to room temperature for 30-40 minutes before cooking. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the casserole for 35-45 minutes until set in the middle. Cut into squaresand garnish with parsley.