COMFORT FOOD

POTATO, BROCCOLI & PEPPER JACK EGG CASSEROLE

POTATO, BROCCOLI & PEPPER JACK EGG CASSEROLE
Easter is only a week away and in the next few days, I am going to be sharing with you some of my family’s favorite Easter traditions. I thought I would start with Brunch. Our family’s Easter Brunch is something that everyone looks forward to. After celebrating mass on Easter Sunday each year, we gather together at either my house or my mother’s house. My four young children are always very eager to begin looking for hidden eggs filled with little toys or treats while the women of our family get busy cooking in the kitchen.
After my family enjoys our big Easter Brunch together, we usually get comfy in the living room and just relax. It a great time to just sit and reflect and not let the busy world in. Our children usually take a little break before they start running around again and sometimes we watch a movie together and eat some Easter candy or dessert. How do you spend Easter with your family? Do you make any special dishes? I would love for you to share your family’s #OreidaHashbrown recipes with me! You can even leave a link in the comment section if you would like. 🙂 Have a wonderful Easter!

Ingredients
  • 1 (30 oz.) bag Ore-Ida Shredded Hash Brown Potatoes, thawed completely
  • 1 (14 oz.) bag broccoli florets, thawed completely
  • 1/2 lb. good quality deli ham, chopped small
  • 1/2 large red pepper, chopped small
  • 1/2 large onion, chopped small
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • 2 cups of shredded Pepper Jack cheese, divided
  • 2 cups of shredded Sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 12 eggs
  • 3/4 cup 2 % fat or higher milk
  • 3/4 cups sour cream
  • 1 Tbsp. dried parsley
  • 1 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. black pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Saute the red pepper, onion and garlic in 2 Tbsp. butter until softened about 5 minutes.
  3. Set aside.
  4. In an extra large mixing bowl, combine the potatoes, ham and 1 1/2 cups of each of the cheeses.
  5. Evenly spread half of the potato mixture into a lightly greased 11 x 15 (5 qt.) baking dish.
  6. If you do not have a casserole dish that large, you may divide it into two separate dishes.
  7. Top the potato layer with the broccoli and then the red pepper mixture.
  8. Cover the vegetables with the remaining potato mixture.
  9. In the same mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, sour cream and salt and pepper.
  10. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the casserole.
  11. Sprinkle with dried parsley and top with the remaining cheese (1 cup total).
  12. Bake covered with foil loosely for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 30-35 minutes until the casserole is browned around the edges and the casserole does not appear to be runny.
  13. *Cooking time will vary depending on the size and shape casserole dish you use. I love to use a pretty round dish for special occasions, but it makes the casserole thicker- sometimes requiring at least 20 more minutes of cooking time, so use your judgement.
  14. Remove from the oven and let cool and set for 10 minutes before serving.
  15. May be served hot or at warm at about room temperature.
  16. Store any left over casserole in the refrigerator.
  17. Serves 10-12.
  18. *If you are making this ahead of time, prepare the casserole, cover and store in the refrigerator up to 24 hours. until you are ready to bake it. May require a few more minutes of baking time straight from the refrigerator.
  19. Enjoy!