Nothing sums up winter food better than a hot-from-the-oven-bubbly-cheese casserole. How about trying this one first thing in the morning to get your day started? There are several variations of this recipe. I just put the ingredients together depending on what I have–sometimes I use left-over ham from a family dinner or use O’Brien potatoes or add some chopped peppers. I’ve substituted a pound of cooked sausage for the ham, and I’ve added crumbled bacon to the top. I don’t always have evaporated milk, but regular milk works fine too. If I don’t have monterey jack cheese, I use whatever I do have. I’ve even used sliced cheddar and just covered the whole thing with slices. Use the basic recipe or customize it to your own tastes. We like to eat ours with biscuits and butter, but toast would be good too.
Ingredients
3 cups frozen hash browns or tator tots (One 20-30 oz package works well if you don’t want to measure them. Just make sure the bottom of the dish is completely covered with a good layer of potatoes.)
3⁄4 cup shredded monterey jack pepper cheese
1 cup cubed cooked ham
1⁄4 cup green onion, well chopped
4 well beaten eggs
1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
Directions
Generously grease or spray a 2 quart baking dish or 9X13 cake pan. Arrange potatoes evenly on bottom of baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese, ham, and onions. Combine milk and eggs and seasonings and pour over the whole thing.
Cover with foil and refrigerate over night.
Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes until set. Uncover and cook until the top is browned, about 5-10 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
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