Breakfast Casserole Inquiry- Boxed Hash Browns???

Crafty_camper123
Crafty_camper123 Posts: 1,440 Member
edited September 2018 in Recipes
I'm hoping on hearing from someone who may have tried this before. I have two boxes of those dried hash browns that you add water and milk to and bake in the oven. I also have ham and eggs I want to use up. I have been scouring the interwebs for a breakfast casserole that involves using some form of boxed potatoes (scalloped, hash, julienned, etc.) and can't find a single one. (Except one using freeze dried potatoes). Literally every search result involves a bag of frozen hash browns. So what I'm trying to do here, is either uncommon, or impossible. I feel like it can be done though, I'm just unsure of the technique. So I'm wondering what you MFPer's might think?

I'm guessing I would just cook the potatoes according to the box in the oven, except reduce my liquid (half?) and only bake half way. Then, pull out of oven, add my ham, eggs, cheese and other goodies, and then bake until eggs are done and cheese is bubbly.
The other way it could work is to assemble the ingredients in a casserole dish, minus some liquid ( and no eggs). Allow to soak in the fridge for a few hours, then finish assembling and bake in oven.

Am I on to something here? Or am I headed towards a failed kitchen experiment and pizza delivery? :lol:

ETA: I want to get those potatos out of my panty as well, as they are expired and need to be used before they get too expired. It would not serve my purpose of cleaning my pantry to go out and buy frozen potatos..

Replies

  • Editme12
    Editme12 Posts: 71 Member
    edited September 2018
    I say go for it. Cook like your first suggestion. Reducing by half might be too much. What style are the potatoes? Just hash browns? I'd probably follow them exactly. Bake mostly, then add the other stuff
  • Crafty_camper123
    Crafty_camper123 Posts: 1,440 Member
    edited September 2018
    Editme12 wrote: »
    I say go for it. Cook like your first suggestion. Reducing by half might be too much. What style are the potatoes? Just hash browns? I'd probably follow them exactly. Bake mostly, then add the other stuff

    Technically they're the Betty Crocker "julienned" ones. But they're basically hash browns. I think you're right. Half might be too much, but I saw that on some blog somewhere that wasn't even doing what I am intending on doing, lol. It had a bunch of unnecessarily complicated steps for something I feel should be simple and straight forward. Usually after my internet scouring I find enough recipes and techniques that I can confidently create something of my own design. But this seems to be uncharted territory. I will try for the masses and report back, lol!
  • nanfunk58
    nanfunk58 Posts: 1 Member
    What about this recipe. You could substitute the scalloped potatoes for the julienned potatoes.

    2 boxes scalloped potatoes – reduce the water by 1 cup
    8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
    9 eggs
    salt and pepper
    1/2 cup half and half
    1 pound breakfast sausage, cooked and drained

    Bake the potatoes (minus the 1 cup of water) for only 20 minutes. Pull out of oven and allow to set. Then whisk the eggs, salt and pepper and half and half and scramble over medium heat. Layer the cooked sausage over the potatoes. Layer the eggs over the sausage, then cover with cheese. Cover casserole with foil and bake at 325 for about 15 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

    Or I found this recipe. Just copy the URL.

    https://successfulhomemakers.com/quick-and-easy-christmas-breakfast-casserole-and-paypal-cash-giveaway/.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    I used fresh potatoes, cut them up and cooked them until tender the night before using in my last breakfast casserole. I proceeded to use a recipe that used frozen hasbrowns. I did not adjust liquid or cooking times for the recipe. It was fine.
    My recipe actually instructed cooking the frozen hashbrowns before putting in the caseerole dish and dumping egg and cheese on top and baking anyway.

    I'd just prepare your potatoes as instructed on the box and then add them to the casserole.
  • Crafty_camper123
    Crafty_camper123 Posts: 1,440 Member
    @nanfunk58 I do remember coming across that recipe, thank you. I was kind of hoping to not have to scramble the eggs in a separate pan. The idea was to get dinner on the table using as few dishes as humanly possible. :sunglasses: Lazy, I know. But I just got my kitchen clean, and have more house cleaning to do. (I spring clean in the fall, lol) I'm kind of liking the idea of putting my ham, potatoes and whatever else I find to put in there sans eggs. Cook to instructions on box until almost done. Make wells for eggs, and put whole right on top. (cracked obv.) Cook until desired doneness of eggs... I have done this with success on the stovetop, I would imagine it should work for the oven as well... Thanks for the input guys! Unless the hubs has different ideas for dinner and this plan goes out the window I'll report back with my findings, lol.
  • musicfan68
    musicfan68 Posts: 1,143 Member
    I would prepare the hash browns however it says on the box. They aren't runny when done using the amount of water called for, so they need the amount of water it calls for to properly cook. Then pour the eggs, etc over the top.
  • Crafty_camper123
    Crafty_camper123 Posts: 1,440 Member
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  • Crafty_camper123
    Crafty_camper123 Posts: 1,440 Member
    edited September 2018
    Okay. So here's what I did.
    2 boxes Betty Crocker Jullienne potatoes
    3 cups boiling water
    1 cup milk
    1/4c cream cheese
    1 packet onion soup mix
    1 cup diced bell peppers
    1 cup diced ham
    1 cup shredded cheese (in 2 parts)
    1/4 c shredded parmesan
    6 large eggs
    Mix all "dry" ingredients in a 9x11 casserole dish.
    Whisk together milk and cream cheese (may need to warm up a bit) and get water boiling.
    Whisk in seasoning packets into boiling water. Pour water, and milk into casserole dish and stir.
    Bake at 450 for 15 min.
    Take out of oven and make wells for eggs. Crack eggs into wells and bake 15-20 min, or until eggs are set and cheese is browned.

    For 1/6th of the casserole it comes out to about 460 calories.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,092 Member
    musicfan68 wrote: »
    I would prepare the hash browns however it says on the box. They aren't runny when done using the amount of water called for, so they need the amount of water it calls for to properly cook. Then pour the eggs, etc over the top.

    I second the idea of using the amount of liquid called for by the box. You could, I suppose, beat your eggs in a measuring cup and substitute them for an equal volume of the liquid called for by the box recipe, but if I were trying for a breakfast casserole, I would want something with more of a quiche or souffle texture, and you would need to add the eggs in addition to the volume called for on the box to do that. I would just dice the ham, stir into the beaten eggs with the liquid called for in the box recipe (I'd say one egg for every serving of casserole you're trying to create), and pour over the dry potatoes. Cook as directed on the box. Check. Cook some more if the eggs aren't done.

    Or if you don't want a quiche/souffle style casserole, I'd mix the potatoes with the ham and the liquids called for on the box, cook as directed (maybe pulling out 10 minutes early), then break the eggs on top (like you were frying) and bake another 10 minutes or so until the eggs set.
  • emcclure013
    emcclure013 Posts: 231 Member
    Looks amazing and tasty!
  • Crafty_camper123
    Crafty_camper123 Posts: 1,440 Member
    musicfan68 wrote: »
    I would prepare the hash browns however it says on the box. They aren't runny when done using the amount of water called for, so they need the amount of water it calls for to properly cook. Then pour the eggs, etc over the top.

    The reason I did omit 1 cup of water from the box directions was due to the added moisture content from the cream cheese, ham and bell peppers, and then from the eggs when I added those. I think I would have found that the casserole didn't set up well. This may have to do with living at a high altitude though? I usually have to add flour to certain baked goods or they are too soft/runny/ don't set, and I have to add an extra 20-30 minutes to store bought casseroles or they aren't cooked through.

    Next time though, I think I will cook for the full 20 minutes per the box, add my eggs in and then cook for about 15 min. Just because I like runny yolks, and my yolks did not run. And maybe omit or halve the onion soup mix. It added great flavor, but it was a bit salty for my tastes. Other people might not notice. (husband didn't)

    @lynn_glenmont I like the quiche idea… May have to try that with the box of scalloped potatoes I need to get rid of.

    Thanks for playing and helping me make up my mind guys!
  • FrostysHouse
    FrostysHouse Posts: 20 Member
    Looks like that worked out nicely!

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