Hash Brown Casserole

Gleaner Member
Jan 26
2 min read

By Cindy H.

This easy, crowd-pleasing brunch recipe is incredibly flexible and works well with whatever ingredients you have on hand. You can easily swap items to fit your pantry or dietary needs making it a great option for zero-waste cooking.

For example, pancetta can be replaced with bacon or ham, or omitted entirely for a vegetarian version. Yellow onions can be swapped for white or red onions or leeks. Sweet peppers can be replaced with bell peppers, mushrooms, or other vegetables. Margarine can be substituted with butter, cubed hash browns with shredded hash browns, nonfat milk with any milk you have available, and mozzarella with Parmesan or cheddar cheese.

This recipe was prepared in a large roasting pan to serve 14 seniors for brunch, alongside sides of bacon and egg patties. If you’re cooking for a smaller group, simply cut the recipe in half and bake it in a large casserole dish.

Hash Brown Casserole 🥔🧀

Ingredients

From Gleaners

2 Tbsp margarine, divided
12 sweet peppers, diced
5 lbs frozen cubed hash brown potatoes
3 cups nonfat milk
12 oz slow-roasted pancetta cubes
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 large roasting pan

From Farmers Market (SNAP Double Up Food Bucks)

2 large yellow onions, chopped
6 large eggs

From Buy Nothing

2 tsp salt
2 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp pepper
½ tsp garlic powder

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F.
In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of margarine over medium heat.
Add onions and sweet peppers and cook until the onions are translucent, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
Grease the roasting pan with the remaining tablespoon of margarine.
Add cubed hash brown potatoes to the pan.
Mix together salt, pepper, and garlic powder and sprinkle evenly over the potatoes.
Top the potatoes with pancetta, onions, and sweet peppers.
In a bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and parsley. Pour the mixture evenly over the casserole.
Sprinkle shredded cheese over the top.
Bake for 45 minutes, or until set and lightly golden.

Serves 16

Optional: Serve with bacon and egg patties.

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