Sausage Potato Brunch Casserole

Here's another recipe that I would imagine serving if I ran a bed and breakfast.  We have frequent overnight guests, so sometimes it does feel like a bed and breakfast around here!  This is a great one to serve to guests because you can whip it up the night before.  That means in the morning you get to spend more time in conversation around cups of coffee and not whipping yourself into a short-order-cook-syle-breakfast-making-frenzy.  It covers all the bases in one dish: eggs, meat, cheese, vegetables, potatoes...it'll really leaving you feeling satisfied.  Feel free to substitute diced ham for a more "Denver-omelet" style breakfast casserole. 

Sausage Potato Brunch Casserole
4 cups (about 16 oz) frozen diced potatoes ("Country Style Hash browns"), thawed
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pound bulk ground breakfast sausage (or links, casings removed)
1 small onion, finely diced
1/2 green pepper, finely diced
1/4 red bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 cup white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
10 eggs
3/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (i.e. Tobasco), optional
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salsa or ketchup for serving, optional

Grease a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.  Spread potatoes in an even layer across dish.  Sprinkle surface evenly with garlic powder and season with salt and pepper.  Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, brown sausage until cooked through.  Crumble and sprinkle evenly over potato layer.  In the same skillet, saute onion until softened, about 5 minutes.  Remove from skillet and set aside.

Return skillet to heat and saute peppers and mushrooms until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add pepper-mushroom mixture to onions, stir together and spread evenly over sausage and potatoes.  Layer 1/2 cup shredded cheese over top.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs until well combined.  Stir in milk, hot pepper sauce and additional salt and pepper.  Pour egg mixture over top of casserole.  Top with remaining shredded cheese.  At this point, casserole can be covered and refrigerated overnight.

When time to bake, remove from fridge for about 15 minutes.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour or until eggs are set, cheese is melted and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Remove from oven and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Adapted from: Easy Breakfast Casserole Recipe with Sausage and Potatoes

Summer Lasagna and Menu

Happy Birthday, Open Fridge!  Today marks the One Year Anniversary of my first post.  My goodness, how time flies.  I feel like I've learned a lot in the last year and hope that some of those smarts have been passed on--at the very least, a bit of my photography has improved!  I've really enjoyed keeping record of things that have come out of my kitchen and have been so touched and humbled by your kind and encouraging feedback.  Thank you. Thank you. 

Today's recipe is a reminder of how much I love this time of year.  It never ceases to make me happy thinking of (and using!) the abundance of produce available in the summer. Confession, here's how much of a weirdo I am: it's only July, and I am already shuddering to think of every day bringing us closer to day light savings time...seriously, Lauren, stop and just enjoy the moment, will you?  This delicate lasagna is rife with the flavors of summer--fresh tomatoes, zucchini, basil and just the thing to bring me back to reality that I can currently enjoy abundant sunshine and freshly-picked vegetables that have not trotted the globe.  Make it as a main dish or as a starring player in the menu suggested below and then go outside and enjoy those balmy evenings (hopefully, more mosquito-free than we seem to be experiencing these days!)!


Menu:
Summer Lasagna
Grilled Italian Sausages (I used Chicken Basil flavored and they were yummy!)
Green Salad with Easy Balsamic Vinaigrette (try it with Toasted Walnut Oil!)
and Homemade Croutons
Angel Food Cake with Strawberries and Whipped Cream (or peach cobbler would be fantastic right now)

Summer Lasagna
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 cup basil pesto
salt and pepper to taste
9 lasagna noodles, cooked "al dente" to package directions
3-4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 small zucchini
1 small yellow (crookneck or zucchini) squash
4 garlic cloves, minced and divided
1-2 pints grape tomatoes, halved

fresh torn basil leaves for garnish

Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions.  Drain and set aside. 
While noodles are cooking, make ricotta mixture.  In a small bowl, stir together ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese and pesto.  Season to taste with salt and pepper, set aside.  
Thinly slice zucchini and yellow squash.  Place 1/3 of minced garlic and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saute pan.  Over medium high heat, stir frequently until garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.  Add half of zucchini and squash slices, season with salt and pepper and saute just until tender, 3-5 minutes.  Remove from pan, place in small bowl and repeat with remaining half of squash slices.  After zucchini has been sauteed, add remaining garlic, olive oil and tomatoes to pan.  Cook over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until tomatoes begin to break down.  Remove from heat and set aside.

To assemble: Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.  Lay down 3 lasagna noodles.  Top with a layer of zucchini (using about 1/3).  Spread a layer of half of the ricotta mixture over top (you can also just place small dollops evenly over surface).  Top with a layer of tomato mixture (about 1/3 of the tomatoes).  Repeat with a second layer.  Top with lasagna noodles, remaining zucchini and tomatoes.  Sprinkle with reserved 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and bake, just until heated through--20-30 minutes.  Garnish with fresh basil leaves, slice into pieces and serve.

Variation: The original recipe does not bake the lasagna.  Each noodle is cut into thirds and the lasagna is assembled on each individual plate.  This makes for a gorgeous presentation and will avoid heating up your kitchen from turning on the oven.  The lasagna will be served much closer to room temperature (which is still a delicious thing!).

Adapted from: Martha Stewarts' No Bake Summer Lasagna 

Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball Dip

What can I say?  Miniature chocolate chips are really good.  They made an appearance in the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles and since I had quite a few leftover, I felt the need to recreate a recipe for a chocolate chip cheese ball that my dear friend, Angie, had introduced me to over the holidays.  In my mind, chocolate chips = good, and chocolate chips + cream cheese = great!  Really, what isn't improved by the addition of cream cheese?  I put this together for my baby's First Birthday and it was a hit!  * A quick note, you can adjust the amount of powdered sugar and butter depending on if you prefer a less sweet, more dip-like consistency (that would be me, especially on a day I knew I would be eating ) or if you would like to be able to form it into an indulgent, traditional-looking cheese ball.

Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball Dip
12 oz (1 1/2 packages) reduced fat (Neufchatel) cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons softened butter (go crazy and use up to a 8 tablespoons for a richer taste and sturdier consistency)
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4-1/2 cup powdered sugar (to taste, see note above*)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup miniature chocolate chips
 If you're rolling the cheese ball, 1 cup finely ground pecans or crushed chocolate graham cracker or cookie crumbs

For dipping, graham or animal crackers (chocolate are especially good--I found a HUGE bag of Stauffer's brand chocolate animal crackers for $1.99!), pretzel sticks or apple slices

Directions:
In a medium mixing bowl, combine butter and cream cheese and beat until light and fluffy.  Add vanilla extract and brown sugar and mix until well-combined.  Slowly add powdered sugar in small increments, beating after each addition and tasting for desired sweetness.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to chill thoroughly.  Can spoon it into a bowl and serve with dippers at this point.

-or-

If you would like to form it into a ball, place cookie crumbs or ground nuts on a large plate.  Use well-greased hands to form chocolate chip mixture into a ball (it may still be soft and messy, but that's okay).  Transfer to plate and roll around in the crumbs (can also pat them on) until well covered.  Move the cheeseball to a serving plate and keep chilled until ready to serve. 

And, because who doesn't love a picture of a baby enjoying Birthday cake (ok, maybe that's just me...):

Happy 1st Birthday, Judah Bubba Doo!