Hearty Hash Brown Egg Bake

Well hello there.

Been a little silent around here hasn’t it?

December definitely got the best of me this year!  I’ve been working closer to full time (instead of part) helping the school kids get ready for the Christmas play (it was on Thursday – it was beautiful!  It was very biblical and stressed the true meaning of Christmas!  It was one of the best plays yet!) Added to that, I was playing the duet part for Dude’s piano recital (I had to practice extensively – I don’t play piano very often!) Plus I had to get all of my final projects finished for my graduate classes.  Plus holiday baking.  Plus I’ve been bumming a bit about Sarah Catherine (her 4^th birthday is on Monday).

But now that the play, and the recital, and finals are done, I can finally focus on blogging again!  Yay!

So remember that ham?  I cooked a ginormous ham for 4 people and had copious amounts of leftovers so I had to get creative.  We had lots of ham sandwiches and chef salads.  I froze the hambone, crockpot juices, and some ham to make ham & bean soup sometime later.  I made Creamy Ham, Swiss, and Potato Soup.  And I made this amazing egg bake!

Usually egg bakes are all carbs and protein and cheese.  So I got to thinking about my Hearty Meat and Veggie Lasagna (so delicious) and thinking that I could probably apply the same idea to egg bake!

So I did and it was amazing!  I loved the flavor profile I got by adding the vegetables, plus it felt a little healthier!  This is definitely going to be my go to egg bake recipe from now on!

Hearty Hash Brown Egg Bake

½ pound bacon, cut in 1-inch pieces

1 carrot, peeled and diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 cups beet greens (or spinach or kale)

1 clove garlic, minced

Salt & pepper

2 cups diced ham

32 oz hash brown potatoes, thawed

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

8 eggs

1 ½ cups lowfat milk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.

Place the bacon in a skillet, and cook until crisp.  Set aside.

Drain off most of the bacon drippings.  Add the carrots, celery, onion, bell pepper, beet greens and garlic.  Cook until tender, about 5 minutes.  Set aside to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, combine the thawed hash browns, ham, 1 cup cheese, vegetable mixture, and salt & pepper.  Stir to mix, then pour into the prepared baking dish.

In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs.  Add the milk and stir to mix.  Pour the egg mixture evenly over the hash brown mixture.  Add more pepper to top.

Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes or until eggs begin to set.  Sprinkle remaining cheese and bacon over the top.  Return to oven for another 10 minutes or until eggs are completely set and cheese is melted.

Allow the egg bake to set for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

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Hearty Hash Brown Egg Bake

by Amy's Cooking Adventures December-16-2017

This hearty egg bake is sure to please a crowd at Sunday brunch! Hearty Hash Brown Egg Bake

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound bacon
• 1 carrot
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 onion
• 2 cups beet geens
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 clove garlic
• dash salt & pepper
• 2 cups ham
• 32 ounces hash browns
• 2 cups cheddar cheese
• 8 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups lowfat milk

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish. Place the bacon in a skillet, and cook until crisp. Set aside. Drain off most of the bacon drippings. Add the carrots, celery, onion, bell pepper, beet greens and garlic. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly. In a large bowl, combine the thawed hash browns, ham, 1 cup cheese, vegetable mixture, and salt & pepper. Stir to mix, then pour into the prepared baking dish.In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add the milk and stir to mix. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the hash brown mixture. Add more pepper to top. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes or until eggs begin to set. Sprinkle remaining cheese and bacon over the top. Return to oven for another 10 minutes or until eggs are completely set and cheese is melted. Allow the egg bake to set for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 1 hour Total time: 1 hour 15 mins Yield: 16 servings