Hashbrown Potato and Egg Bake

I used to not be much of a breakfast person, but for the past month or so, I've been wanting good, hearty breakfasts each morning. Some mornings I don't get so lucky, but others, when I'm up early enough, I can whip together something like this yummy casserole. I love it because it fed me breakfast for a few days. It actually holds up pretty well in the fridge...the crunchy top...not so much. I was pleasantly surprised by the cornflake topping. I almost didn't put it on because I wasn't too sure how it would taste. It was actually pretty good! But, I do recommend doubling it. The half cup was not enough to go around the whole casserole. 


On to the recipe...

INGREDIENTS
½ lb bacon, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped (½ cup) - I used a yellow onion.
1 bag (30 oz) frozen country-style shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed, patted dry
2 cups (8 oz) shredded Cheddar cheese
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese - I used shredded.
9 large eggs
1¼ cups milk - I used whole.
8 oz sour cream
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground mustard
¼ tsp black pepper
½ cup cornflake crumbs or panko bread crumbs - I used cornflakes.
2 Tbsp butter or margarine, melted - I used unsalted butter.

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3 qt) glass baking dish with cooking spray.


2. In 10-inch skillet, cook bacon and onion over medium-high heat about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until bacon is crisp and onion is tender; drain on paper towels.


3. In large bowl, toss bacon mixture, potatoes, and cheeses. Spoon into baking dish. In same bowl, beat eggs, milk, sour cream, salt, mustard, and pepper with fork or wire whisk until well blended. Pour over potato mixture.


4. Bake uncovered for 35 minutes. In small bowl, toss cornflake crumbs and butter. (I did this right before the casserole came out.) Sprinkle over casserole. Bake 10 to 15 minutes longer or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.


Source: Betty Crocker

Linked up to:

Tex-Mex Deviled Eggs

What can I say about deviled eggs? They are one of those go-to's that everyone knows and loves...well, I love em. They show up at just about any event, right? Birthdays, BBQ's, reunions, even weddings. They're always the same. They usually have pickles or relish, mustard, mayo, salt, pepper, sometimes sugar, and the infamous paprika sprinkled on top. Why not mix it up every now and then? Don't get me wrong, I am a fan of the deviled egg. I can't help but help myself to a few every time I see them at a party or what not, but it gets monotonous after a while. I wasn't out to get a recipe for one when I saw this recipe. 

This one is a nice variation on the original. I love the cilantro in it. But, it was a tad too salty for me. I followed the recipe exactly. I would still cut the salt in half, at least. Also, I chopped up the jalapeno finely, but I would almost mince it next time. These might not taste anywhere near 'ole faithful,' but they do look like them. So, I would suggest putting out a sign or something letting people know that they aren't the regular ole deviled egg. 

If you are a deviled egg fan, I would recommend trying these. They are very good, unique, have great flavor, and that little kick of heat. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled* (see note below)

1 TBSP diced green onions (approx. 1 green onion)

1 small jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped (I used half of a medium one.)

¼ cup mayonnaise (I used fat free.)

1 tsp prepared mustard (I used spicy brown.)
¼ tsp salt

Garnish: shredded Cheddar cheese and chili powder

DIRECTIONS

Cut eggs in half crosswise, and carefully scoop out yolks. 

Mash yolks, and stir in green onions along with the next 5 ingredients.

Spoon or pipe into egg whites. 

Sprinkle with cheese and chili powder.

Cover and chill until ready to serve.

**How to Get the Perfect Hard-Boiled Egg**

Boiling an egg...not too hard, right? Well, in some cases, wrong! I struggled with getting the perfect hard-boiled egg for a while. Some of you may, too. Now, my mom has one of  these awesome egg cookers. Me? Not so lucky. So, for those of you, like me, who have to use water and a pot, here is my tip for the best hard-boiled eggs I've ever had. Start off by putting how ever many eggs in the pot that you need. Then, fill will water to about 1-2 inches over the eggs. Set the pot on the stove and set to high heat (or whatever your setting is to boil the water). Once the water comes to a RAPID boil, take the pot off of the heat, and cover IMMEDIATELY. Set the timer for 12 minutes, not a minute more or less. When the 12 minutes is up, take the eggs out of the water and set in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking, and cool them down to about room temperature. They keep for about 5 days in the refrigerator.