Speedy Sausage and Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole

Speedy Sausage and Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole 4 to 6 hash brown patties, slightly thawed 1 cup of shredded cheddar 1 cup of cooked crumbled breakfast sausage (like Jimmy Dean) or cooked, diced ham 1 tablespoon of finely diced yellow onion 2 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped 1-1/2 cups of milk 4 large eggs 1/4 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning (like Slap Ya Mama), or to taste, optional 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, or to taste 1/2 teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper, or to taste Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the hash brown patties from the freezer to allow them to begin to thaw, while you prep the remaining ingredients. Spray a 9 x 9 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside. If using raw sausage and bacon, cook both until browned. Chop up the bacon and set aside. Layer the baking dish starting with the hash brown patties. On top of that, add the shredded cheese, then the sausage, onion, and bacon. Beat together the milk, eggs, Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper and slowly pour over the entire dish. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes to one hour, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to set about 5 minutes before slicing. Double for a 9 x 13 inch casserole. Notes: Add in a mixture of sweet green, red, yellow and/or orange bell peppers and/or hot peppers, seeds and membrane removed and diced with the onion; saute until tender. I prefer to use hash brown patties for this casserole because they perform much better than the loose ones in a casserole and they are usually preseasoned. You may substitute frozen tater tots, though I recommend crisping them up a bit before building the casserole. May also top with additional cheese the last few minutes until cheese is melted. Substituting Frozen Hash Browns: You may also substitute about 2-1/2 cups of loose, frozen shredded hash browns (or enough to cover the bottom of the dish), thawed and squeezed of any excess water. Anytime you substitute frozen hash browns in any casserole form, it is best to thaw them so that they will release any excess water. Then wrap them in paper towels and squeeze the water out so it doesn't release in your casserole. You will also need to season loose hash browns, unless they are preseasoned.