Hash Brown Quiche

Oh my heavens was this good!! I asked my husband what he wanted for supper yesterday and he said "something with eggs." I wanted to do something more than just scrambled eggs, so I thought about a quiche. We're not fans of pastry crust, so this recipe was perfect for us! I invited my parents over to join us and there was not one piece left at the end.

Hash Brown Quiche:

Courtesy of Paula Deen

3 cups shredded frozen hash browns, thawed and drained

4 Tbsp. butter, melted

3 large eggs, beaten (I used 4 eggs)

1 cup half-and-half

3/4 cup diced cooked ham

1/2 cup diced green onions (I omitted)

1 cup shredded Cheddar

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Gently press the drained hash browns between paper towels to dry them as best as possible. In a 9-inch pie plate, toss the hash browns with the melted butter into the plate. Press them into the bottom and up the sides to form a crust. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and starting to crisp.

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. When the hash brown crust is ready, pour the egg mixture over it and return to the oven.

Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for about 30 minutes until the quiche is light golden brown on top and puffed.

Smoked Sausage Hash

This is one of my family's favorite easy weeknight meals. It's tasty and fairly quick.

Smoked Sausage Hash:

Adapted from Allrecipes

1 package turkey smoked sausage

6 potatoes

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. onion powder

2 Tbsp. butter

6 oz. cheddar cheese - shredded

Sprinkle sausage with garlic and onion powders and brown in a deep skillet. Once browned, remove to a bowl.

While sausage is cooking, peel and dice the potatoes into small cubes. Pour into skillet once sausage has been removed. Add the butter and turn often until the potatoes are cooked and starting to brown.

Add sausage back to skillet and stir to incorporate. Sprinkle cheese over top and mix to combine cheese throughout.

Au Gratin Potatoes

I had some potatoes to use up and I was already making ham for my main course. Au gratin potatoes came to mind. I had all the ingredients, so I decided to go for it. I didn't allow enough time in the oven, but otherwise they came out really well.

Au Gratin Potatoes:

My own recipe

4 medium potatoes

6 Tbsp. butter

8 Tbsp. flour

2 cups milk

1 tsp. garlic salt

12 oz. colby jack cheese

Melt butter in a saucepan. Add flour and garlic salt to form a roux. Add milk and whisk until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and stir in colby jack cheese.

Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and slice into thin slices. Layer them in a greased casserole dish. Pour completed sauce over potatoes. Cover and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 1 1/2 hours. (I only had about an hour, so I finished them in the microwave)

Macaroni & Cheese

I had a craving for some creamy macaroni & cheese tonight, but it's just me, so I didn't want to make an entire pan of it. I decided to just make a single serving. I boiled up about 1/4 quarter of a box of penne (it's what I had on hand) and made a cheesy sauce to pour over it.

3 Tbsp. butter

4 Tbsp. flour (I use heaping tablespoons because I like my sauce very thick)

1 cup milk

6 oz. American cheese

Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour. Stir for a little while to cook the flour taste out. Pour in the milk and stir often until it starts to thicken. Make sure to pull the flour/butter paste in from the sides of the pan. Once it begins to thicken, add the American cheese and remove from the heat. Stir until cheese melts. Pour over cooked pasta.

This made enough cheese sauce for a couple of more dishes as well. I just refrigerated it and will use it tomorrow on something. So good!!!