Bacon Lovers Breakfast Casserole

I am not much of a breakfast casserole guy. But I love to cook up a hearty breakfast. I was looking for a good recipe for an Easter brunch, and not finding exactly what I want, I took the best of three and came up with this. What I really like about this is that you don’t need to refrigerate it overnight and it will still turn out good.

Cheezy Hash Brown Egg Casserole

Serves 8

1 package (30 oz) of Mrs. Dell’s shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed.

½ cup onion, finely diced

1 ½ pound thick cut bacon

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (divided)

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

6 eggs

1 ½ cups milk

1 tablespoon flour

1 can cream of mushroom soup

Paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9” X 13” casserole dish.

Cut all but 4 strips of the bacon in to 1” X 1” squares and cook until firm. Cut the remaining 4 strips in half and cook the same way.  Be careful not to get it too crisp. Transfer the bacon as it is cooked to paper towels to reduce the grease, and allow to cool.

In a large bowl, combine the hash browns, onion, bacon, 1/3 cup of cheese, salt and pepper. Transfer to the casserole dish.

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, soup, and flour until creamy. Pour over the hash brown mixture. Sprinkle the top with 1/3 cup of the shredded cheese. Spoon the soup from the can to the casserole, evenly covering the top. Place the 8 bacon strips on top. (Evenly spaced, these will define your 8 servings.) Sprinkle the top with paprika, and pinch of salt and pepper. Bake for 1 hour.

Bake for 45 - 60 mins, or until it starts to brown and the bacon begins to crisp.

Remove from the oven, cover with the remaining cheese, and cook for additional 15 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes prior to serving. Enjoy!

Italian Veggie Soup

On the weekends, I like to make up a big pot of soup or chili for quick lunches, especially if I know it's going to be a crazy week. I had a hankering for a ham and veggie soup, and looking through some recipes, I threw this together. Most recently I substituted 3 cups each of chicken stock and beef stock. Surprisingly, it works very, very well.

Italian Vegetable Soup (Or Zuppa di T-Dawg)

Makes 12 approximately servings

6 cups vegetable broth
1 clove garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
1 bag (16 oz) frozen Tuscan Vegetable blend
1 fennel bulb, finely diced
28 ounces canned diced tomatoes
16 oz Ham steak, deboned and diced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon italian parsley
1 teaspoon basil

Salt and Pepper (to taste)

In a large pot over medium high heat, combine the broth and garlic, and bring to a boil. Add the onions, frozen vegetables, fennel, tomatoes and red pepper flakes. Cover and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and add thyme, oregano, parsley, basil, salt, pepper, and ham. Cover and simmer an additional 30 minutes. Serve with warm Tuscan or Italian bread.