Nothing says “good morning” like a great breakfast. Breakfast Potato Bake is a great way to get your morning started and you are going to love it! Hearty, seasoned sausage and tender hash browns come together with a perfectly seasoned cheese sauce, and are baked until the panko breadcrumbs are golden-brown. Mmmm! There is not a better or more filling meal to help get your day on track than this one! Breakfast Potato Bake will become a fan favorite and your mornings won’t be the same without it. Top of the morning to you!
Ingredients
- 1 pound bulk mild breakfast sausage
- 2 tablespoons onion, finely chopped
- 16 ounces frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1/2 cup chicken stock or broth
- 2 cups milk
- 4 ounces processed cheese, such as Velveeta®, cubed
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs, optional
- green onions, to taste, sliced, for garnish
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –Lightly coat a 9×9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Step 3 –In a large skillet over medium heat, add the sausage and the onion and cook, while crumbling the meat, until the sausage is no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes.
Step 4 –Drain the excess grease and add the sausage mixture to a large bowl.
Step 5 –Add the hash browns to the sausage mixture and stir to combine.
Step 6 –In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.
Step 7 –Add the flour to the melted butter and whisk until a smooth paste forms. Then, cook until bubbly, about 1 minute.
Step 8 –Gradually add the chicken stock and the milk to the butter mixture and whisk constantly so no lumps form.
Step 9 –Cook the sauce until it begins to thicken and bubbles around the edge of the pan.
Step 10 –Reduce the heat to low, then add the cubed cheese to the butter mixture. Stir constantly until the cheese melts.
Step 11 –Taste the sauce and season with the salt and the black pepper.
Step 12 –Add the sauce to the sausage mixture and stir to combine, using more or less of the sauce mixture depending on the desired consistency.
Step 13 –Transfer the sausage mixture to the prepared baking dish and evenly sprinkle with the panko breadcrumbs.
Step 14 –Bake the potato bake, about 45 minutes-1 hour.
Step 15 –Serve the potato bake garnished with the green onions.
