Cheesy Sausage & Potato Breakfast Casserole

I am pretty sure it isn’t a secret that I love breakfast ~ it’s honestly my favorite meal.  I am usually “willing” The Husband to wake up each morning so we can eat together and I can dive into something delicious like this super easy cheesy breakfast casserole that is packed with eggs, potatoes, peppers, onions, sausage and pancakes!  Not just any pancakes, but, Kodiak Cakes.  I love that you can whip this casserole up the night before, pop it into the oven while you get ready and have a fancy breakfast any day of the week.  It freezes and reheats perfectly and can also double as a breakfast for dinner.  But wait, it gets better, you get 1/8th of this casserole for only 7 Weight Watchers Smart Points ~ Deal!

It will take me longer to type up this post than it takes to make this dish and I am pretty sure it will disappear out of the pan even faster than that.

CHEESY SAUSAGE & POTATO BREAKFAST CASSEROLE (Print It!)

INGREDIENTS:

• 12 oz Turkey Breakfast Sausage Links (I use Jennie-O Lean)
• 1 medium bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium  onion, chopped
• 3 cups  Ore Ida Frozen Potatoes O’Brien
• 4 oz reduced fat sharp Cheddar cheese, finely grated
• 1 cup Kodiak Cakes Frontier Flapjack & Waffle Mix
• 2 cups fat free milk
• 5 large eggs
• 1 tsp hot sauce or crushed red pepper flakes
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper (about 1/2 & 1/4 tsp)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.  Spray a large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium heat.  Brown sausage on all sides until cooked through.  Remove sausage and add the bell pepper and onion, cooking until softened, about 3-5 minutes.  Stir together sausage, peppers, onions and hash brown potatoes in the baking dish.  Sprinkle with half the cheese.
2. Whisk together milk, eggs hot sauce, salt and pepper.  Whisk in Kodiak cakes until blended. Pour into baking dish and sprinkle the top with the other half of the cheese.
3. Bake uncovered 40 to 45 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes, slice inot 8 pieces and enjoy.

Makes 8 servings, 7 smart points each

Nutritional information per slice calculated at caloriecount.com

STEP – BY – STEP:

Kodiak cakes are my favorite flapjack in town ~ actually, they are the only “pancake” that The Husband will eat because he eat flapjacks but he will not eat pancakes 😀  I’ve always wondered if I could bake with these and you know what….it worked perfectly in this casserole.  I can’t wait to try biscuits, shortcakes or something fancy like that.

100% real ingredients and only 2 points per flapjack (hint have this be the second thing you use this mix for right after you make this tasty breakfast casserole).

 

I am not really a breakfast sausage fan, but, I do like these Jennie-O Lean Turkey Breakfast Sausages.

It doesn’t hurt you get 2 of them for only 1 smart point too.

They crisp up nice and brown when you cook them in a nonstick skillet with nonstick spray.

After browning the sausage, cut into bite size pieces.

While the sausage cooks, prep everything else by dicing your pepper and onion.

Grating your cheese.

Whisking together your milk, eggs, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes and Kodiak cake mix.

 

In the same skillet you cooked the sausage in, respray with nonstick spray and add your pepper and onion.  Saute until softened over medium heat for around 3-5 minutes.

Layer everything up by mixing the sausage, pepper/onion mix and potatoes in your prepared 9 x 13 pan.

Top with half the cheese.

Pour the egg and pancake mix on top. Top with the rest of the cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees for 40-45 minutes until the top is golden and a nice or toothpick comes out clean when inserted.

Cool for 5 minutes, slice into 8 pieces and serve.

I didn’t add any toppers to mine but could definitely topping with ketchup (The Husband’s choice “sauce” for eggs”), maple syrup or sriracha (my sauce of choice).  You really can taste everything in each delicious spicy, cheesy, potato sausage bite.

I have so many recipes I’ve been making to share with all as I’ve been cooking up a storm, now I just need time to post them.  The recipes are coming up some day soon are: Bacon & Egg Bagelwiches, Turkey Vietnamese Lettuce Wraps, Cauliflower Fried Rice, Stuffed Turkey & Kale Manicotti,sausage & Potato Hash and…..Healthy Homemade Funfetti Cupcakes that are only 4 smart points each!

Have a fantastic week all!