Sunday Brunch, "Paula's Hashbrown Casserole"

I am not generally a viewer or follower of Oprah, although I think she is sincere, generous, and a good person in general.  I do have a couple of Paula Deen's cookbooks and generally like her but don't watch her on TV very often.  I think she has gotten way over exposed of late.  All this being said my interest peeked one day last week when I was channel surfing and saw Paula cooking on Oprah.

TO BE PERFECTLY HONEST...........

I was looking for an excuse, any excuse to just sit after I had worked my second of two days in the local school systems lunch room!  To be clear.  My sister Linda had interviewed for a position in her local schools lunch room program and gotten the idea they thought it was real hard physical labor and she was probably too old to do it.  WELL they didn't tell me!!!  OR  I was too dumb to figure it out initially!! Plus my sister is 5, yes 5 years YOUNGER than I am!!!!!

I AM HERE TO TELL YOU I AM TOO OLD TO WANT TO DO IT.  WAY TOO OLD TO WANT TO DO IT. (NOTICE I DIDN'T SAY I CAN'T DO IT.  WOULD NOT CONSIDER THAT ADMISSION.)

Anyway......I watched Paula Deen make this casserole on Oprah and tried it so here is my version.  We liked it but when I make it again will use more salt and pepper on the potato layer and add a bit of hot sauce to the custard mixture.   Probably a good tablespoon or so to take it up a notch.  Might also add mushrooms....ummmm that does sound good.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray a deep 9" x 13" deep, or larger if it isn't deep casserole with cooking spray. 





Assemble these ingredients:

3 T. butter
1 onion chopped
4 C. frozen hash brown potatoes
1 pound bulk pork sausage of your likeing
2 1/4 C. whole milk
8 large eggs
1 1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper
2 T. Dijon mustard
8 C. cubed french bread, crusts removed
2 C. grated cheddar cheese
2 C. grated Parmesan cheese
Diced Green onions for garnish

Melt the butter in a large frying pan and saute the onions over medium heat for about 5 minutes until softened.  Add the hash browns, breaking them apart, and saute another 5 minutes seasoning them with 1/2 t. of the salt and 1/4 t. of the pepper.

Place the potato mixture evenly across the bottom of the prepared casserole dish.  Break apart the sausage into the empty potato skillet and brown the sausage over medium heat.  While this is browning spread the bread cubes over the potato layer.  When the sausage is done use a slotted spoon and layer it over the bread cubes.  

Using a batter bowl or other larger bowl, combine the milk, eggs, remaining salt and pepper, nutmeg, and mustard stirring briskly to blend well.  Pour the egg mixture over the casserole evenly.  Add the Parmesan as the next layer and lastly add 2/3 of the cheddar reserving the last third to add the last 10 minutes of baking.

Bake the casserole 45-50 minutes, until puffed and golden brown.  Garnish with fresh green onions.

I want to add that I had been trying to come up with something different for Brian's breakfast before he goes to work.  There are several casseroles like this I have made in the past and they are great microwaved a few seconds and reheat very well.

I wrapped single portions in parchment paper and slid them into zip lock bags to store in the refrigerator for next week.