food and fellowship

Sometimes I think I'm at my happiest when I am cooking for a large amount of people.   (And by large, I mean any number greater than cooking for myself).  Maybe it's the anticipation of spending time with people I care about that makes cooking for a crowd such a delightful thing.  It could also be the freedom that comes from knowing that I can cook really good food and not have the sole responsibility of eating copious amounts of leftovers for over a week.  Or perhaps it's the fulfillment of the simple desire to serve other people by meeting tangible needs in their lives. 

Why do I bring this up, might you ask?  Well, in the midst of my school-year-fatigue, I was thinking about my final days of summer and how thankful I was to spend them in Door County with my family.   My mom is ultra supportive of my never-ending experimental cooking, so I showed up with an armful of ingredients and the instructions to make the breakfast bake detailed below.   This creamy, gooey, not-so-healthy breakfast  could feed an army, so it will not be making a re-appearance in my kitchen while I am responsible for only feeding myself.  However,  it's sure to make the menu the next time I'm cooking for large amounts of people :).    

Brown Potato and Egg Bake

1/2 lb bacon, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 bag (30 oz) frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed and drained

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (8oz)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

9 large eggs

1 1/4 cups milk

1 container (8oz) sour cream

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon ground mustard

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 13x9 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, pepper and mustard with fork or wire whisk until well mixed.  Pour egg mixture over potato mixture. 

4. Bake uncovered 50 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.