Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole

• 6 cups hashbrown potatoes, thawed (I use Ore Ida brand, the shredded variety)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 stick butter, melted

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the crust. Turn into a
9 x 13-inch greased pan. Use your fingers to press hashbrowns onto the bottom and slightly up the sides of the pan to form a crust.

Bake about 25 minutes. You want the crust to be very crispy so cook it longer if it needs it but watch it so it does not burn. Take out then reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

• 2 cups mild cheddar cheese, shredded
• 6 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups half and half
• 1-1/2 cups meat or veggies (try any combo)
• 6 green onion tops (discard most of the white. It is too strong.)
• 1/2 tsp pepper or hot sauce
• Salt to taste, depending on ingredients

Mix together and pour over crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Great served with fruit and muffins.

Alter the Size and Ingredients

This recipe is easily altered for any kind of party you are hosting or attending.

Cut the recipe in half and cook it in a pie plate for smaller occasions. For large gatherings, I have a huge casserole dish that I make it in (double the recipe).

The combination of ingredients you can use is endless. Just use 2 cups of any cheese, 1-1/2 cups of meat or veggies and something to replace the green onions, like 1/4 cup of shallots. Here are some of my favorites:

• Swiss cheese, bacon and green onions
• Monterey Jack cheese, broccoli and white onion
• Gruyere cheese, roasted red peppers, shallots
• Feta cheese, fresh spinach leaves, vidalia onion

See what I mean? It's easy to get creative and put your own stamp on this one. It is hard to mess it up.

NOTE: To make it in advance, bake the crust. Prepare the filling but keep it in a separate container (you don't want the crust to get soggy). When you are ready to serve, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and warm up the crust for 10 minutes, pour the filling on top, then bake for 30 minutes.

For more Recipes For Brunch, click here.