Sausage and Peppers Brunch Bake

Name: Sausage and Peppers Brunch Bake
Yield: 15 servings
Ingredients: 1 pkg (22.5 oz/640 g) frozen toaster hash brown patties, thawed (10 patties); 1 jar (12 oz/350 g) roasted red peppers, drained and patted dry; 1 medium onion; 1 lb. (450 g) hot Italian turkey sausage, casings removed; 6 oz. (175 g) reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel), softened; ¾ cup (175 mL) milk; 12 eggs; ¼ tsp (1 mL) ground black pepper; Optional garnish: fresh parsley, chopped

This hearty egg dish features zesty Italian sausage and a layer of hash browns for a little bit of everything in each bite.

Ingredients

1 pkg (22.5 oz/640 g) frozen toaster hash brown patties, thawed (10 patties)
1 jar (12 oz/350 g) roasted red peppers, drained and patted dry
1 medium onion
1 lb. (450 g) hot Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
6 oz. (175 g) reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel), softened
¾ cup (175 mL) milk
12 eggs
¼ tsp (1 mL) ground black pepper
Optional garnish: fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9" x 13" (23-cm x 33-cm) Brilliance Nonstick Baking Pan. Arrange hash brown patties in a single layer over the bottom of the pan. Dice red peppers and onion. In a skillet, cook and stir sausage and onion over medium heat 8-10 minutes or until sausage is no longer pink, breaking sausage into crumbles; drain.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk cream cheese and milk until completely smooth. Add eggs and black pepper; whisk until smooth.
Spoon sausage mixture evenly over hash browns; sprinkle with red peppers. Pour egg mixture over peppers. Bake 45-50 minutes or until center of egg mixture is set. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes. Cut into squares and serve. Top with fresh parsley, if desired.

Yield:

15 servings

Nutrients per serving:

Calories 210, Total Fat 13 g, Saturated Fat 5 g, Cholesterol 195 mg, Carbohydrate 11 g, Protein 12 g, Sodium 430 mg, Fiber less than 1 g

Cook's Tips:

Uncooked breakfast sausage, casings removed, can be substituted for the Italian turkey sausage, if desired. This recipe can be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Prepare recipe as directed. Refrigerate, covered, overnight. When ready to serve, preheat oven to 325°F (165°C). Uncover baker; bake 55 minutes-1 hour or until egg mixture is set.