Ham & Cheddar Hashbrown Bake

I am participating in another monthly challenge this month called Healthy Every Week. This challenge is hosted by the Healthy Eats food blog on FoodNetwork.com. The challenge for week 1 of January was to eat breakfast every day. I ate a lot of oatmeal, but luckily there are a lot of different flavors and it's the perfect time of year to be eating oatmeal. I had been having a craving for a good egg bake and I found the recipe in my Christmas cookbook. It's really easy to make, especially since you don't have to let it sit in the fridge overnight like most egg bakes. I'm looking forward to eating the leftovers for breakfast this week. I hope everyone is have a fabulous beginning to the new year. ENJOY!

Ingredients:
3 c. frozen shredded hashbrowns, thawed
1/3 c. butter, melted
1 c. cooked ham, diced
1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 c. green pepper, chopped
2 eggs
1/2 c. milk
salt and pepper to taste

I also added chopped mushrooms and diced onions, just to add more flavor to the dish. I also used 4 eggs instead of 2 because I like eggs and really wanted to be able to taste them.

Directions:
Press hashbrowns between paper towels to remove excess moisture. Press into the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9" round baking pan; drizzle with butter. Bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes. Combine the ham, cheese and green pepper (mushroom and onion); spoon over baked crust. In a small bowl, beat eggs, milk, salt and pepper; pour over ham mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until center tests done. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. If you use 4 eggs, the casserole will need to bake for about 45 minutes in order for the eggs to be completely cooked.

On another note, I also made liver and onions for my wonderful husband tonight. He turned 29 on the 6th and he loves this dish. This just goes to show how much I love him, because liver is not my cup of tea. I bought the liver at Moo Roo a local store that is connected to a local dairy. Luke said the liver was cooked perfectly and that it had really good texture. So I guess, if you ever want to try liver and onions, come to our house this time next year, because I will only make this dish once a year. :) Happy Birthday, Luke!