Our Breakfast Casserole and the Danish Dough Whisk - Recipe and Product Review

We've only been making this casserole for about a year, but it's in our monthly rotation. The great thing about this breakfast casserole (for us) is that it heats beautifully. A couple of minutes in the microwave or crumble it up in a skillet for a few minutes. The eggs don't get overcooked and it's a great blast of protein. It also works great if you put it together the night before, then refrigerate and bake in the morning. Munch on some fruit while the casserole is baking and you've got a full meal. Wrap up the leftovers and freeze to add to work meals later.

I received the Danish Dough Whisk in exchange for my inspection and unbiased review. I became a fan. I've always kept a variety of balloon whisks in the kitchen, so this was a new tool for me. It's design helps break up the lumps in pancake or muffin batter quickly, so you don't have to over-mix, causing tunnels and bubbles. Our first batch of pancakes using it were super fluffy! And, the Danish Dough Whisk also works great beating large quantities of eggs.

The handle of the Danish Dough Whisk fits both of our hands well and it is very sturdy. I've also incorporated it into our bread-baking now that I am experimenting with biga. It's also very easy to clean. You can find the whisk at Amazon if you follow this link.

Back to the breakfast casserole:

It took a little experimenting to get the right proportion of all the ingredients for our tastes. I'm not an omelette fan because I don't like snotty eggs, but this breakfast casserole cooks completely through. You might like a couple more eggs, or different veggies, or maybe ham. We like pork sausage, but feel free to use turkey or chicken sausage - whatever YOU like!

Breakfast Casserole - Serves 10

1 pound bulk sausage, browned, drained, cooled
10 eggs, beaten well
1 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced sweet pepper
1 20-ounce bag refrigerated hash browns (we LOVE the Southwest flavor)*
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

You'll want to cool the sausage prior to adding to the eggs - the eggs will start to set if they get too hot. I usually put it in a paper-towel lined bowl (to absorb the grease) and then set the bowl in a sink partially filled with water to speed up the process.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs well. Then, add the veggies, hash browns, and cheese, then mix well. Add the cooled sausage and mix well.

Spray a 9 x 13 casserole dish with non-stick spray and pour the mixture in. Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour, until a knife inserted near the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting to serve.

*You can use your own fresh-shredded potatoes, also. If you'd like to assemble the breakfast casserole the night before baking, you can blanch your shredded potatoes for about 3 minutes in boiling water, then drain and shock with cold water. This will keep the potatoes from turning to mush overnight.