Sausage Egg Casserole

At the end of each year that we have been a member with Costco, they have distributed a cookbook. This is the first recipe we decided to try of the numerous interesting recipes in their cookbooks.

Day 273/365

Inspired by the vegetarian recipe, Cheesy Veggie Sausage Breakfast Casserole, in A Decade of Cooking the Costco Way contributed by MorningStar, we used a meat breakfast sausage, added red peppers, altered the type of cheese and amount, removed green onions and several ingredients used as garnish.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb turkey breakfast sausage
8 large eggs
1/4 c milk
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/5 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 c cottage cheese
10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and thoroughly squeezed
1 c red pepper, chopped
2 c shredded Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese

Directions:
1. Cook breakfast sausage in a frying pan, break into small pieces.
2. Drain grease from cooked sausage. Spread across paper towel and pat to absorb extraneous grease and cool.
3. Preheat oven to 325°F.
4. Grease or spray 9"x13" casserole dish with oil or nonstick spray.
5. Beat eggs in a large bowl, then mix milk, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
6. Mix cottage cheese, sausage, spinach, red pepper, and cheese to the egg mixture until incorporated.
7. Pour bowl ingredients into the baking dish and bake to desired firmness (35-45 min).

I ate my servings with salsa, while Bug ate his with chipotle Tabasco. This was a colorful and tasty dish. Plus, I didn't have to pick out any onions.

We will try an egg substitute next time to gauge if the flavor and texture hold. Why pack on the fat and cholesterol if the flavor remains the same?

- Cassaendra