Mike's Casserole

The recipe this month is called Mike's Casserole.  That's not the actual title of the recipe I use, but we renamed it several years ago.  The name it came with was stupid ("Yummy Make Ahead Brunch") - so we changed it to Mike's Casserole because our friend Mike loves this casserole (and he suggested the name).  It's an easy recipe that can be made the night before and then put in the oven for a tasty breakfast or brunch casserole.  It is always on my menu when I host brunches and it is always a hit!  We are trying to clean out our freezer and we happened to have hash browns and bacon so Mike's Casserole was an obvious choice!

 The ingredients.  Pretty basic breakfast casserole stuff.

Cut the bacon and fry (or fry first and then crumble...your choice).

 

Drain bacon on a paper towel - and stop Bill from eating it all!

Spread hash brown in the bottom of a greased casserole dish.  We have decided that the cubed (southern style) potatoes work/taste best.

Mix eggs, milk, salt, and pepper.

Sprinkle cheese and bacon over potatoes (the cheese layer is under the bacon (with an extra handful spread on top).  We use lots of cheese!

 

Pour egg/milk mixture over bacon/cheese/potatoes.  (Pour slowly because it can overflow if you pour too quickly!)

Again, I forgot to take a picture of it hot out of the oven.  This is what was left after we ate (but it didn't last long).  It is so delicious!

 

Mike's Casserole:

3 cups frozen hash brown potatoes (I use southern style, but if you prefer shredded, they work too)

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (I use mixed cheese like colby jack or mexican blend)

1 pound crumbled cooked bacon (It calls for 1 cup, but we think that's a joke!  I use a whole pound.  Also, it says you can use ham instead, but we don't think it would taste nearly as good!)
4 beaten eggs
1 can evaporated milk (12 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

-Grease a square quart-sized baking dish.  Arrange potatoes evenly in the bottom.  Sprinkle with cheese and bacon.

-In a medium bowl, combine eggs, milk, pepper, and salt.  Pour egg mixture over potato mixture (slowly).
-The dish may be covered and refrigerated at this point for several hours or overnight.
-Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes (or 60 minutes if made ahead and chilled) or till center appears set.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

The recipe says "Don't expect leftovers on this one, folks!" and that's true.  We rarely have any leftovers.  It is a VERY popular dish.

Dirty dishes.  This recipe does create a lot of dishes (including the square casserole dish that isn't in the picture), but since you can make it the night before, you can also wash the dishes the night before so it's not too bad.

Mike's Casserole

Taste: 5 out of 5

Dirty Dishes: 2 out of 5

Time/Effort: 3 out of 5

TOTAL: 10 out of 15

Week 20

May 15
The long-awaited BRUNCH! It was the biggest brunch I've ever made and it was a success. The food was delicious and there was plenty for everyone. I think people really enjoyed themselves!

May 16
Bill sharing a chocolate-chip cookie with the cat...I don't think she really appreciated it.

May 17
We had a mildly healthy dinner (certainly better than some meals we've had). Grilled chicken and grilled zucchini. It was tasty!

May 18
Nothing exciting happening...just Bill, reading his iPad, like he always is.

May 19
Leftover from the brunch... one of my all-time favorite things in the world: jumbo chocolate chocolate-chip muffins...doesn't get much better. (And these are ones I made!)

May 20
The cat likes to curl up and often sleeps with her head upside down. Looks uncomfortable to me, but she seems to enjoy it.

May 21
Another bath for Ubi...he still has a skin infection so we're trying to keep him cleaner. He does not like baths...especially on the slippery tile!

Week 19

May 8
We went to the mall to watch a movie and do grocery shopping. Before all that, we ate at the food court. There is a good restaurant here that has wonderful grilled meats, it's a sit-down restaurant, but they have locations in several food courts. You order and they give you a number...then you sit down anywhere in the food court and they bring your food when it's ready...very ingenious.

May 9
Since Bill is on a small break from school, he has time to play computer games. He enjoys his computer games.

May 10
More grocery shopping in preparation for the upcoming brunch. This time we went to PriceSmart, which is like Costco. After shopping, we enjoyed dinner of fried chicken and pizza!

May 11
Here's my picture for the month of May...just one day late.

May 12
Another orthodontist appointment so all I could eat for dinner was mashed potatoes. But I love mashed potatoes so I don't mind...as long as I have a plastic spoon. For some reason, I hate eating with a metal spoon after going to the dentist or orthodontist!

May 13
Ubi has a new toy - "Mr. Elephant". You can't tell by this picture, but he really loves his new friend.

May 14
Spent the day getting ready for the big brunch! I like to set out all my serving plates and extra stuff the night before. It helps me visualize what the table will look like and it saves time when I'm rushed.

Week 18

May 1
Bill's family left. We spent a lot of time at the airport because they got bumped off their original flight. But, they got travel vouchers and free lunch and they were put on the flight later in the day, so we were able to spend a little more time visiting!

May 2
After all the excitement of last week, with the visitors and all our fun...we spent the day relaxing. This is what we all did, all day!

May 3
My Bible Study had their closing dinner (we take a break over the summer while school is out). It was a fun night with good food and good company. I look forward to Bible Study again next year.

May 4
You've heard about it before...this is our favorite restaurant. I love Tre Scalini! We made a quick visit to get take-out this time. The food is so good!

May 5
I think my car has bugs. Several times, we've found small, ugly cockroach-looking bugs in the car at night. It's happened too many times to be a coincidence. So, we got some sticky traps to try and catch them...but it didn't work. I think we'll have to get something else.

May 6
This is a new "toy" we got for the cat. I guess it isn't really a toy for her but a toy for me. It's supposed to help train her to stay off the table and counters. So far, I think it works pretty well. It has a motion sensor and when it detects the cat, it makes a loud beep and spays something on her (almost like a puff of air, but I don't think it's just air). Anyway, she stays away from it so I'd say it works!

May 7
I'm getting ready for a big brunch next weekend. The first step is planning. I got out all my recipes and ideas and made lots of lists. I love to make lists and I love brunch!

Final Brunch

Yesterday I hosted my final brunch here in Italy. We're leaving in a few months and we're packing our household goods this month. That means I will be without most of my belongings for a while. Before that happens, I wanted a chance to use all my fun serving dishes and entertaining items. That meant I had to host something. And, what do I like hosting more than anything??? BRUNCH! Brunch is my favorite meal, and its my favorite thing to host. I went all out for my final brunch, making all the food myself instead of hosting a potluck brunch (even though my friends generously offered to bring things). I was able to showcase all my fun stuff, and I made a lot of good food. I was afraid we might have tons of leftovers, but we did alright. Just the right number of people came and ate just the right amount of food. There were only a few things leftover and I can handle that!

Even though we were running a little late at the beginning, it turned out great. Thanks to the early arrivals for helping (you know who you are!). The menu was delicious and the company was even better. It really was an excellent brunch! It was just the way I want to remember all my Italian brunches. We had a lovely day (in the morning) and people sat out on the patio. Then, in the afternoon, a thunderstorm rolled through and everyone sat in the living room listening to the rain outside. On the menu: Mike's Casserole, Baked French Toast, Zucchini Egg Bake, Mini Muffins, Scones (I made scones for the first time in my new scone pan - very cool), Devilled Eggs, Mini Cheesecakes, Chocolate Chocolate-Chip Jumbo Muffins, Fruit Plate with Yogurt Spice Fruit Dip, Banana Trifle, Ham-Pickle Rolls, Cheese & Crackers, Mini Sandwiches, Coffee, Tea, Water, Orange Juice, Iced Tea, and Strawberry-Banana Smoothies. It was a lot of food, but it was all so good I couldn't leave anything out! Everything was very yummy and I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. Maybe I should go eat some leftovers!

"before" picture of table with all my fun dishes

empty dishes just waiting for food
oooohhhh, yummy food!

so pretty (one casserole is still in the oven)

banana trifle

mini cheesecakes

let's eat!

Brunch

Its been almost two weeks now, but I just have to share pictures of brunch. On October 5, I had my Second Annual Fall Brunch. I love brunches...absolutely love them! Brunch is by far my favorite meal of the day. I enjoy inviting friends over to chat, relax, and of course EAT! This brunch was planned in a hurry, but turned out great. And, the weather was beautiful so we were able to eat on the patio. It was a wonderful brunch and I look forward to many, many more.