Cheesy Sausage Potato Casserole

By Foodiewife

Ingredients

• 4 cups hash browns (no need to thaw)
• 3 Italian sausages, casings removed
• 1 onion, minced
• 1/2 bell pepper, chopped
• 1 clove garlic
• olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp coarse pepper
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes (if not using hot sausages)
• 2 cups sour cream
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup whole milk*
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375F
Set the hash browns into a large bowl.
Add a little olive oil, to coat a pan, and cook sausage until no longer pink. Pour on top of hash browns. Do not clean out the frying pan.
Cook the onion and bell pepper, until soft (about 5 minutes).
Add the minced garlic, and red pepper flakes, and cook for about 30 seconds, until fragrant.
Add the cooked vegetables to the potatoes and cooked sausage.
Add 1 cup of cheese.

In a separate bowl, add the sour cream, egg, salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Add the milk**. The mixture should be thick.

Pour into the potato mixture to combine.

Spray a casserole dish with olive oil and add the casserole mixture.
Top with remaining cup of cheese.

Bake until bubbly and hot-- about 30 minutes.

NOTE: There was a lot of water in the casserole. I think it came from the potatoes. Need to figure out a flour slurry to make this casserole moist but not watery.