Tator Tot Casserole with Sausage

Having our family home for the machinery sale gave me the perfect excuse to try a new recipe for a breakfast casserole. 

I still use my cookbooks on occasion. However, during my Covid cleaning spree, I cleared out shelves worth of cookbooks and took them to our church's book sale. I seem to find more recipes on blogs or via recommendations from Jill or Susan these days. I found this particular recipe as I was wasting time on Facebook. (Yes, I am not immune from Facebook scrolling.)

Butter with a Side of Bread blog's link to Facebook arrived at the right time for a brunch meal before all our family returned home on Sunday. 

It used ingredients I usually have in my fridge, freezer or pantry. The next time I make it, I'll probably try using tater rounds, which are thinner versions of tator tots. I like the crunch they provide. 

The casserole was a hit, and it will likely make its way onto a family breakfast or brunch table again. 

I only ended up with one photo this time (and it wasn't that good. Oh well!) After a busy weekend, I guess I'm lucky I got that much! (So much for setting up a photo shoot in natural light by the dining room window.)
 

Tator Tot Breakfast Casserole with Sausage

Adapted from Butter with a Side of Bread blog

 

32 oz. tater tots or tater rounds, frozen

1 lb. ground sausage

1/3 cup bacon bits

1/3 cup chopped onions

1/3 cup chopped red pepper

1/3 cup chopped yellow pepper

2 cups shredded milk Cheddar cheese 

2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese

6 large eggs

1 cup milk

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. celery seed

1/8 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9- by 13-inch casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside. 

Chop bell peppers into small pieces; set aside for later use.

In a medium-size pan, over medium heat, heat up chopped onion, red pepper, yellow pepper and bacon bits until softened up and the onion becomes translucent. Add the ground sausage and cook until the sausage is fully cooked and no longer pink. Set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk eggs, milk, garlic powder, celery seeds, salt and ground pepper. Mix until all combined. Add approximately 1 cup cheese and mix until all ingredients are blended. 

Pour the cooked sausage mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared casserole. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of cheese on top.

Pour the egg mixture over the sausage and spread evenly. 

Place the frozen tater tots on top. Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese on top. 

Cook in a preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes until nice and golden. Serve immediately.

Cooking Up A Surprise

 

 

No one who cooks, cooks alone. 

Even at her most solitary, a cook in the kitchen

 is surrounded by generations of cooks past,

 the advice and menus of cooks present,

 the wisdom of cookbook writers.

Laurie Colwin, writer

I've been "cooking" up a surprise for Susan and Brent. And I finally got to share the results at Susan's latest bridal shower.

 

I compiled two volumes of recipes from family and friends and presented the cookbooks as my shower gift. I had done something similar for Jill and Eric a dozen years ago. But even in that short time, many of us have shifted how we approach cooking. Instead of pulling down a community cookbook from our kitchen shelf at mealtime, we click on a link on Facebook or Instagram. 

 

So, before I began this months-long project, I asked Jill whether she thought it was still something I should do. And even though she's the "queen" of pulling up recipes on her phone or computer, she encouraged me to do it.

 

Jill's & Eric's cookbook - still in use after 12+ years!

Jill still uses the two-volume cookbook I compiled for them. And, interestingly enough, one of the recipes she contributed to Susan's and Brent's book was a breakfast recipe she received in her homemade cookbook for a Sausage and Grits Casserole. (See recipe at the end of this post. Jill actually served it to Randy and me when we stayed at her house before the shower. And, no, we didn't arrange that ahead of time!)

Susan's mom, Becky, also thought the project was worthwhile. She helped by sharing names and addresses of family members, her friends and important people in Susan's life. One of Susan's friends, Mallory, supplied names and addresses, as did one of Brent's friends, Ben, and his wife, Tori. 

I had to laugh when I opened the envelope with Becky's recipes. On the top was a recipe for Bar-B-Cups.

 

That was a recipe that also appeared on Brent's childhood table. (I still make them and so does Jill.) My mom started making them when the recipe was a winner in the Pillsbury Bakeoff back in the day. (A quick internet search revealed that, yes indeed, the recipe was entered in the 1968 Bake-Off!)

On the back of the card, Becky wrote: "I get the urge to make these every February 16 - no matter where you are!" Those were often Susan's childhood birthday menu request. 

 

 

Even the youngest members of the family got involved. Brooke and Kinley both contributed favorite recipes. 

 

 

I figure it will be fun to look back and see their handwriting from their 1st and 4th grade 

years. 

 

This would have been a project that Randy's mom, Marie, would have loved. And she's not left out. I had a Chocolate Oatmeal Chippers cookie recipe written in Marie's own hand in my own recipe box. I included it in the cookbook. And Becky had a recipe for Susan's Grandma Welch's Toffee Dip, also in her hand, which is nestled in the Appetizer pages. 

 

Randy's sister, Kathy, also used Marie's go-to shower gift as her gift - a pizza pan and other utensils and ingredients needed to make homemade pizza. Kathy used one of her cards to include the same recipe that Marie also always included with her gift.  

Several family members from Brent's side of the family attended. They all shared recipes, too.

 

To get the recipes, I wrote a note to friends and relatives from both sides of the family. I enclosed matching recipe cards and asked them to send two of their favorite recipes. After I sent the letters, I loved going to the mailbox and discovering recipe cards and notes tucked among the bills and newspapers. It was like getting Christmas cards and letters, but it lasted longer since I'd given people plenty of time to respond. Once I had the cards back, I compiled the recipes into two volumes.

 

 

Like I'd done with Jill's book, I had a Hutchinson shop engrave metal labels to affix to the cookbook spines, noting that Volume I had soups, salads, vegetables and main dishes and Volume II had baked goods, desserts, appetizers, beverages and holiday. 

I could have typed them all or sent the requests for recipes out by email, but I liked having each friend or family member write out the recipe card in their own hand. It seemed more personal that way. 

 

 

Remember that favorite recipe from Jill's own wedding cookbook that I mentioned earlier? She has served it to the family - including to Susan and Brent - at several holiday brunches. It was from Wanda Morrison, who has since passed away. But the recipe lives on in Susan's and Brent's cookbooks. And I guess that's the whole point, isn't it?  

Country Grits & Sausage Casserole

From Jill's and Eric's Wedding Cookbook

2 lbs. ground sausage

4 cups water

1 1/4 cups quick cooking grits, uncooked

4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup milk

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

4 large eggs

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown sausage in a large skillet. Drain fat and set aside. Bring water to boil in a large saucepan; stir in grits. Return to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; add cheese and next three ingredients, stirring until cheese melts. Stir in sausage and eggs to grits mixture.

 

Spoon mixture into a lightly-greased 13- by 9-inch pan. Sprinkle with paprika, if desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until golden brown and thoroughly heated. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Serves 8-10.

 

Note: Casserole may be prepared the day before. Do not bake until morning. 

 

Jill's note: This is one of our favorite recipes we got in our wedding cookbook and wanted to pass it along! It was from Wanda Morrison.  

 

***

And here was a recipe from Randy. It just makes me laugh. And I hope it does the same for Susan and for Brent, who went on many a Ninnescah fishing expedition with his dad.

Fried Catfish

Randy Fritzemeier

After a successful day of fishing on the Ninnescah, bring fish home and filet them. Start cutting behind the ribs to the tail. Then flip piece of fish over and cut off skin. Clean off pieces of fish with fresh water and put in a bowl of water. Add salt and seasonings; let soak for an hour.

Heat pan of oil to frying temperature.

Shake water from fish. Roll fish in Louisiana Fish Fry Mix. Drop in frying oil for 3 to 4 minutes. Don't overload pan. Put in basket with paper towels in bottom to soak up excess oil.

Then eat.

Biscuit & Gravy Bake

 

Does anyone else have a "to-be-tried" recipe pile? Don't tell Jill, but mine is in danger of an avalanche.

Jill likes recipes just as much as I do. She just isn't a fan of all my paper. I think she's envisioning having to clean out my house some day. She would much rather pull up the recipes on her phone or her laptop.

And, in the rush to get dinner on the table, I often ignore the burgeoning pile and make something I've already made a million times. (OK, probably not a million, but you get the idea.)

But every so often, I add to the pile anyway. As I'm scrolling through Facebook, something invariably looks tempting. And if it's shared by a Facebook friend, the temptation grows.

I delved into my "to-be-tried" recipe file recently and found a winner. (Thanks Julie Christie!) This Biscuit & Gravy Bake was a big hit with Randy. That's not a big surprise, since biscuits and gravy are often his choice on a restaurant breakfast menu. I liked it, too.

Though I initially made it for dinner (our 12 noon meal), it later became a rerun at breakfast for Randy. (The whole "dinner" vs. "lunch" vs. "supper" debate rages on with Jill's sibling.) But no matter the meal, Randy definitely wasn't complaining about leftovers. It really could be served morning, noon or night.

Whether you save this recipe by printing it out ... or pulling it up on your phone ... you won't be sorry you tried it! Enjoy!

Biscuit and Gravy Bake

Adapted from Tasty.com

12 oz. canister refrigerated biscuits

6 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. salt

1 lb. browned sausage

1 cup shredded cheese

Gravy:

4 tbsp. butter

1/4 cup flour

Salt to taste

Pepper, to taste

2 cups milk

Cut each biscuit into 8 pieces. Set aside. 

In a bowl, mix the eggs, milk, pepper and salt. Set aside.

For the gravy, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in flour and seasonings and stir until well combined and bubbly. Slowly add the 2 cups of milk.  Increase to medium-high, bring to a simmer, stirring until gravy is thickened.

In a greased 9- by 13-inch glass baking dish, layer the biscuits, sausage, cheese, egg mixture and gravy.
Bake at 350°F for 35-45 min, until the eggs are cooked.

 

Serve with fresh fruit. 

 

Notes: 

• Make sure your 9- by 13-inch pan is deep enough. I had some spillage in my oven.  Just beware!
• If you are browning your sausage as you make the recipe, you could substitute sausage fat from the bottom of your skillet for some of the butter for the gravy. (I happened to have browned extra sausage at Thanksgiving as I was making my dressing and had it in the freezer, so I used the butter called for in the recipe.) 
• You could certainly make your own biscuit dough if you have the time and inclination. The refrigerated biscuits were a fast alternative on a busy day.
  

Breakfast of Champions

Our usual breakfast when growing up consisted of opening the "cereal cabinet" next to the table and making a selection from a wide variety of cold cereals found next to the stash of napkins. In the winter, the options might include hot oatmeal or Cream of Wheat with chopped-up dates adding sweetness to a few lucky bites.

On the other hand, Randy grew up eating hot breakfasts the majority of the time. I got him converted in no time at all - ha!

I love eating an occasional breakfast out at a restaurant. In fact, it's one of my favorite meals to eat outside the home. And, at the Ladd B & B, where we often stay before or after K-State games, a hot breakfast is sometimes on the menu plan. This past weekend, Jill was already feeding a crowd after the homecoming parade Friday night with yummy slow cookers full of chili and chicken and rice soup. When I volunteered to bring food of some sort, she suggested Saturday breakfast.

I sometimes bring banana bread (and I did this time, too). But with an 11 AM start time for the game, I wanted to add a substantial start to our day ... and try to avoid spending a bundle at the stadium concession stand at the same time.

What did we do before we could go to a search engine, type in "breakfast casserole, sausage, eggs, hash browns" and get a list of possible ways to combine those tasty ingredients? Well, we used the shelves of cookbooks I have cluttering my kitchen, but the typing method is usually faster.

This time, I found a simple recipe at The Country Cook, a food blog. While it's not a blog I normally read, I definitely qualify as a "country cook," and the recipe qualified on the ingredients I wanted to use. I made a few modifications, and we ended up with a tasty, pre-game breakfast. (Check out the recipe below). 

Our whole family was able to sit together at the game this time, which was a lot of fun. 

After a week of rain, it was a perfect fall day. 

 And K-State even won the game vs. Oklahoma State with some help from this cute fan club!

Yes, Kinley was able to eat the breakfast casserole ... even with her current lack of front teeth.

Uncle Brent and Eric got to answer plenty of questions about the whys and where-fors of football games.

The girls actually made it the whole game, though they did take a brief time out to play with their cousins on "the hill."

We arrived in Manhattan in time for the Friday evening homecoming parade. The girls enjoyed hanging out with their cousins and a Sunday School friend.

 Who doesn't love a parade? (OK. Don't ask Brent that question. He's not a big fan.)

We saw Willie ... (Brooke hid from him) ...

... and the marching band ...

... and got a head start on Halloween candy. 

After all the candy collected, let's get back to that recipe, shall we? Besides a tasty breakfast, it would make a great breakfast for supper choice. Enjoy!

Breakfast Casserole

(Hash Browns, Eggs, Sausage)

Adapted from The Country Cook blog

2 lb. bag frozen hash browns, thawed
1 lb. pork sausage (you choose the spiciness level)
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 sweet red, yellow or green pepper (or equivalent of mini peppers), finely chopped
8 eggs
1/2 cup cream or half and half
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 13- by 9-inch baking pan with baking spray. Set aside.

Cook sausage, onions and peppers in skillet until the meat is browned and vegetables are softened. Drain any excess fat.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, 1 cup of cheese, salt and pepper, mixing well.

In the prepared baking dish, spread out the thawed hash browns. Put cooked sausage mixture evenly on top. Pour egg mixture evenly over the sausage layer. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese on top.

Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Take foil off, and bake for additional 10 minutes, checking to make sure the cheese doesn't become overly brown. Serve with fruit, etc.

Note: I put the casserole together the night before and refrigerated it. Because it started out cold, I baked it at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes before removing the foil and baking for 10 minutes more. I started in a cold oven so I wouldn't break my glass baking dish.