Egg & Hash Brown Casserole
Inspired by Food Network Kitchen
This dish is not only delicious and always requested by friends and family, but it can also be made a day ahead and reheated for a post-holiday breakfast. It's nice to have one less thing to do on Christmas! Don't hesitate to make this your own and add whatever ingredients you wish - green and red bell peppers make it look a little more festive, and adding ham or bacon is another way to enhance this recipe.
Ingredients:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 small onion, finely diced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
2 cups shredded mild Cheddar
One 30-ounce bag frozen shredded hash browns, thawed
*Helpful hint: Sam's Club dried hashbrowns are really easy to hydrate and don't get soggy - and very good!
Instructions:
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter.
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Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic powder, onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of pepper, and cook until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and cook, whisking, until sizzling all over and light golden, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the half-and-half and chicken broth, return to a simmer, and cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream and 1 1/2 cups of the Cheddar. Add the hash browns and toss until coated in the sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.
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Transfer the hash brown mixture to the prepared baking dish, then top with the remaining 1/2 cup of Cheddar. Bake until browned and bubbling at the edges, about 45 minutes. Raise the oven temperature to 475 degrees F and continue to bake until the top is crisp and browned all over, about 5 minutes.
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