This is one of my “go-to” breakfast recipes. It’s everything you want for breakfast all in one dish. I call it my Breakfast Casserole.

If you’ve learned anything about me, you know I love all kinds of fresh salsas like Pico de Gallo.

So what you have, with this dish, are layers of the food you love to eat for breakfast, topped with Pico de Gallo. I ask you, what could be better?

First, I’m taking a little help from the grocery store so I can make this wonderful Breakfast Casserole as quickly as possible.

The scrambled eggs are mixed with half-and-half for richness and chives for a mild onion flavor. Finished by topping with Goat cheese for a little tang.

Prep time: 15 minutes (includes prepping the vegetables and making Pico de Gallo)
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yields: 6 servings
Equipment: 1 (9 x 11) baking dish, 1 (12-inch) non-stick sauté pan, 1 (10-inch) cast-iron skillet, 1 large mixing bowl, whisk, chef’s knife, cutting board, rubber spatula

Ingredients:
1 20-ounce package of Simply Potatoes shredded hashbrowns (available in the refrigerated section)
5 tablespoons of butter, unsalted, 1 tablespoon for sautèing the pepper and onions, 4 tablespoons for the hashbrowns
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
1 (32-ounce) package of frozen Banquet original breakfast sausage links, sliced 1/2-inch thick (substitute turkey)
1 (4-ounce) package of goat cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons of chives, minced
1/4 cup of half-and-half (substitute whole milk or heavy cream)
12 large eggs beaten (link to my “Perfect Scrambled Eggs” recipe is below)
1 1/2 tablespoons of kosher salt (1/2 a tablespoon for the hash browns)
2 teaspoons of black pepper, freshly-ground (1 teaspoon of black pepper for the hash browns)
4 cups of  homemade Pico de Gallo (link to my recipe is below)

Instructions:
Spray a 9 x 11 baking dish with a non-stick cooking spray.

Start with prepping all the vegetables and making the Pico de Gallo. Place the Pico in the refrigerator to chill.

To start, in a cast-iron skillet on medium heat, melt unsalted butter. Add diced onions and diced red and yellow bell peppers, and cook until soft, tender, and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Next, add the remaining butter, melt, then add the shredded hash browns. Stir the peppers, onion, and potatoes together, allowing the butter to coat the ingredients. Season with 1/2 tablespoon of kosher salt and 1 teaspoon of freshly-ground black pepper.

Adjust the heat to medium-high. Using a spatula, press the potatoes into an even layer. Cook until light golden brown on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Flip the potatoes with the spatula and brown on the other side for another 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Transfer the hash brown mixture into the greased 9 x 11-inch baking dish for the bottom layer.

In the same pan, on medium-high heat, add the sliced breakfast links. Cook for 3-5 minutes until browned on all sides. Add the cooked breakfast sausage as the next layer on top of the hash brown mixture. Spread evenly over the potatoes.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, kosher salt, and freshly-ground black pepper. Whisk for at least 5 minutes to incorporate as much air as possible into the eggs. You want to see foam bubbles forming at the top of the egg mixture.

Using a large 12-inch non-stick sauté pan, add the egg mixture over medium-low heat. As the eggs begin to set, gently pull them across the pan with a rubber spatula to form large soft curds. Continue cooking, pulling, lifting, and folding the eggs until they are thickened, and no visible liquid egg remains. Do not rush this process; times may vary slightly, approximately 10 minutes.

Add the scrambled eggs with chives over the top of the sausage. Spread the scrambled eggs out evenly to cover. Top the eggs with crumbles of softened Goat cheese.

Finally, spoon on the Pico de Gallo for that burst of color and flavor.

There you have it, my Breakfast Casserole.

Note:
1) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through a preferred online nutritional calculator of your choice. Calories and values can vary depending on the brands you choose.

https://lindalouhamel.com/2019/07/10/summer-time-flowers-and-herbs/

https://lindalouhamel.com/2014/08/05/pico-de-gallo-two-ways/

https://lindalouhamel.com/2016/06/13/perfect-scrambled-eggs/