Donna’s Breakfast Casserole with Chicken-Apple Sausage

27 March 2016:  Happy Easter!  The weekend before, I was in Michigan for my daughter's baby shower and she created a delicious breakfast casserole.  I adapted her recipe by adding spinach, bacon, peppers, and a homemade chicken sausage with apples.  I hope you like this as much as we did!  Best, Donna:

Donna’s Breakfast Casserole with Chicken-Apple Sausage

(Inspired by daughter Tara’s Breakfast Casserole)

 Ingredients:

For Chicken Sausage:

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 pound ground chicken

1 small sweet onion, chopped

1 small green bell pepper, chopped

1 small red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 red apple, chopped

1 teaspoon fennel seed

1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

For Casserole:

One 20 ounce package Simply Potatoes hash browns, Southwestern flavor 

10 ounce package frozen spinach, thawed

1-1/2 cups cottage cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1-3/4 + 1/4 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

12 large eggs, beaten

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.   Heat olive oil in large pan on medium-high heat and cook chicken until no longer pink.  Remove from pan; add additional olive oil and sauté onion, peppers, apple and seasonings.  Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix together the potatoes, spinach, cottage cheese, salt, pepper 1-3/4 cups Cheddar cheese and eggs.  Place in 9 x 13 inch baking pan that has been lined with foil and sprayed with cooking oil and top with remaining 1/4 cup Cheddar cheese.  Bake for 45 minutes.

Serves 8.

Copyright 2016.