52 in 52 #31 - Loaded Baked Potato Casserole

Our friends Jim and Tracy made this amazing twice baked potato casserole for us when we visited them for dinner one night.  I had always heard rumors of this delicious dish but had never tasted it until that night.  It was amazing.  Creamy, cheese-y, and utterly amazing.  I mean, who doesn't love anything with bacon and cheese? 

I found this recipe for a Twice Baked Potato Casserole and decided to give it a try for myself. 

Twice Baked Potato Casserole
Prep time: 25 mins
Cook time: 30 mins

Ingredients:
5 lb potatoes, peeled and diced
1 cup sour cream
10 slices bacon, cooked, drained and chopped into small pieces
1/2 cup melted butter
8 ounces cream cheese
2 cups shredded cheese
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
chopped green onions

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Boil peeled and diced potatoes until fork tender.  Drain potatoes and put in stand mixer.  Add butter, sour cream, and cream cheese.  Mix until completely combined.  Add 1 and 1/2 cups shredded cheese, salt, pepper, and 1/2 bacon.  Mix well.  Press into well greased 13x9 pan and top with remaining cheese.  Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and potatoes are heated through.  Garnish with remaining bacon and serve warm. 

Enjoy! 

Easy Breakfast Casserole

I have read different recipes from every corner of the Internet claiming to offer an easy, healthy breakfast option to the consumer.  Most of those, after careful inspection, are lackluster in flavor, substance, or are not really as easy as they claim to be.  When it comes to making breakfast, the easier the better, for me.  I don't want a 900 step recipe to follow in the morning when I shouldn't even be trusted to find my own shoes. 

Luckily for our family, I found a recipe for an easy breakfast casserole years ago.  Over time, we have adapted it to fit our new tastes and diet.  Honestly, other than pouring a bowl of cereal, I don't know that you could cook a recipe that was more simple than this in the morning.  This meal also fills you up enough to be a good substitute for dinner.  Who doesn't love breakfast foods for dinner every once in a while? 


Easy & Healthy Breakfast Casserole
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 45 mins

6 eggs - we use the Aldi brand of Egg Beaters and they are awesome. 
1 lb of turkey sausage, crumbled
1 package of low calorie crescent rolls
8 oz low calorie Colby Jack cheese

Preheat your over to 350 degrees. 

Brown the sausage.  Sometimes we buy the patties and crumble them up and sometimes we buy in bulk.  The calorie count is pretty similar, so I just work with what we have on hand.  Drain the fat from the sausage.  This is an important step or else you end up with grease elsewhere in your dish and that is less than ideal.

Press the crescent rolls into the bottom of a well-greased 13 x 9 pan.  I am emphasizing well-greased for a reason.  If you decide to skip that step, you will run the risk of not being able to eat any of the crust that forms on this meal because it will be horribly stuck to the pan.  Don't ask how I know. 

Once you have the crescent rolls pressed out into a flat layer in the bottom of your pan, pour the drained sausage crumbles over the layer of crescent rolls. 

Pour the beaten eggs over the sausage evenly and top with the shredded cheese. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 mins until the crescent roll layer is browned and crispy on the edges, the cheese is melty and the eggs are set. 

Enjoy!