Southwestern Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole

When Steph, over at Plain Chicken, posted her recipe for Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole, it went to the top of my try-soon-list and with Eric and Ann visiting for the weekend, it was the perfect time to try it out.  Since Jenn, over at Jenn’s Food Journey has been killing me lately with her various dishes using chorizo I’d bought some the other day just to have on hand. 

I decided to adapt Steph’s recipe (check her site for the original) using the chorizo, and I added a couple of other items to end up with this:

Southwestern Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole

1 lb. raw chorizo

¼ c. onion, finely chopped (Recipe calls for onion flakes)

1 small can diced green chiles

2 ½ c. cubed boiled waxy 4 potatoes (Recipe calls for frozen cubed hash browns)

5 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1 ¾ c. milk

1 c. Bisquick

 1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

1 t. Aleppo pepper powder

1 T. chopped fresh cilantro

1. Cook sausage, green chiles, and onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until meat crumbles and most moisture is evaporated from the onion and chiles.

2. Stir in potatoes, and cook 5 to 7 minutes or until sausage is no longer pink and potatoes are lightly browned.

3. Drain and cool mixture on paper towels then spoon into a greased 13" x 9" baking dish.
4. Stir together eggs, cheese, and next six ingredients and pour evenly over the sausage mixture, stirring well.
4. Cover and chill 8 hours or overnight.
5. Bake, covered with non-stick foil, at 350° for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 to 15 minutes more or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Remove from oven, and let stand 5 minutes. Serve with desired toppings.

 We served it with a slice of melon and a warm flour tortilla.

While it was baking, I whipped up an easy green chili sauce using the recipe for Mexi-Sauce from Kathy at A Spoonful Of Thyme.  I made half of the recipe below. 

Mexi-Sauce

1/2 cup onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 tsp chili powder, cumin, sugar and salt (I omitted the sugar)

2 (4 oz) cans green chilies, drained

1 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Saute 1/2 cup chopped onion and 2 chopped garlic cloves in a skillet over medium-low heat in a tablespoon or two of vegetable oil.  Add the chili powder, cumin, sugar and salt; cook 30 seconds.  Stir in the green chilies and cook 2 minutes.  Add 1 cup chicken broth and simmer until thickened, then puree.  Stir in 1/4 cup chopped cilantro.  (I forgot to puree it).

The verdicts:

Everyone thought the sauce was delicious and the casserole was good.

I thought the casserole was very good, but needed the sauce.  Bev said she would have preferred Steph’s pork breakfast sausage version.  Eric and Ann thought the potato cubes were too big and it could use more flavors.

I was hesitant to use more spices as I thought the chorizo would provide plenty, so for next time to get it up above “just good”, I’ll add a tsp. of my chili powder, another tsp of the Aleppo pepper, double or triple the cilantro, and either use the frozen hash brown cubes or cut mine the same size as them. Thanks Steph for the inspiration.

All photos can be enlarged by clicking on them.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

One year ago:  Chicken And Tomatoes Ala Mary

Two years ago: Leftover Grilled Ratatouille

Larry