Sausage Breakfast Casserole

2 lbs  Hash Brown Potatoes, any type
1 lb ground Breakfast Sausage

1 Tablespoons Oil
1 Onion, diced 
8 Eggs
1 cup Heavy Cream
1/2 cup Milk 
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Paprika
8 oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded and divided
4 Green Onions, minced
Frank's Red Hot Sauce

Preheat oven to 375.

Thaw potatoes on paper towels. Give it about 30 minutes. 

Brown sausage in a 12 inch cast iron pan.  Remove sausage from pan to a mixing bowl, leaving grease in pan.  

Heat oil in same pan.  Add onions and cook for 5 min until translucent.  

Add potatoes to onions and stir lightly.  Then cook about 8 minutes till potatoes are lightly browned.  Stir occasionally.  Stir in sausage.

While potatoes are cooking, in a large mixing bowl, beat together eggs, milk, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, and paprika.  Fold in cheese.  Stir in sausage mixture.

Pour into greased 13x9 pan.  

Bake for 45 min.  Cover and bake till center is set.

Sprinkle Green Onions on top before serving.

Serve with Frank's Red Hot Sauce!

Note:  You can also mix in - 
    16 oz cottage cheese
    can of chopped green chilies
    1 diced green bell pepper
    head of broccoli chopped
    4-6 oz chopped cooked spinach

Version 2

1 lb. Pork Breakfast Sausage

1 Onion, diced

10 oz (2 cups) Frozen Hashbrowns (I prefer cubed, no need to thaw)

10 Eggs

1 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon Pepper

1/2 cup Whole Milk

1 block Sharp Cheddar, shredded (divided in half)

Frank's Red Hot Sauce

Preheat oven to 350.

Lightly Grease a 7x7ish size pan.  (If you double the recipe it will fit into a 9x13 pan.)

Heat skillet over medium high heat.  Add sausage and onions.  Break up sausage into small pieces and cook until sausage is no longer pink.  Drain any excess grease.

In a large bowl combine the remaining ingredients except leave out 1/2 the shredded cheese for topping casserole.  Add the sausage mixture and mix till combined.  

Pour into greased baking dish.  Top with reserved cheese.

You can either bake casserole or put it in fridge till ready to bake the next day.  

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until eggs are set.  Let cool slightly.  May need longer if doubled and put into a 9x13 pan.  

Eat with Frank's Red Hot Sauce.

Homemade Greek Yogurt

Quick Reference recipe

1 gallon whole milk (not ultra-pasteurized)

8-16 oz plain yogurt (live active cultures)
2 Jars Spreadable Fruit

If you start by 11 am you will be able to get the yogurt in the fridge by 11pm.  So start earlier if you want to go to bed earlier!

Divide the milk evenly into pint-sized mason jars leaving about 1" of empty space in the top of each jar. (We typically get 10 jars.) Close the lids to finger tightness. Place the jars in a water bath deep enough to cover. Set your sous-vide machine to 180 °F.  When the sous-vide reaches 180 °F (~1hr and 15min to reach temperature) keep it at 180 °F for 45 min (if the yogurt does not turn out smooth then increase this time in the future).

Remove the jars from the bath and empty the bath, replace with cold water, and have the sous-vide machine circulate water without heat in order to cool the jars.  You do this by turning the sous-vide to 110 °F.

When the jars and the bath have reached 110 °F (~45 min for the temperature to come down and stay consistent) remove the jars from the bath and open them. Place one large spoonful of yogurt in each jar and gently stir to distribute the yogurt. Re-seal the jars to finger tightness and return the jars to the bath. Keep the sous-vide 110 °F and incubate for 6 hours.

Remove the jars from the bath and empty the bath. Cool the jars to room temperature and then refrigerate overnight or several hours. 

Once the yogurt has chilled and become less runny, empty all of the jars except for one into a strainer and strain (can use cheese cloth or coffee filters) until the desired consistency is achieved (we like 3 hours, but use less time if you want less firm yogurt or more time if you want more firm yogurt, this is what makes it "Greek"). 

After it has firmed place into containers and refrigerate. 

Keep the remaining jar refrigerated to serve as the culture for the next batch.

Serve 1/3 cup yogurt with 2 Tablespoons Spreadable Fruit stirred till well combined. My favorite is the Peach!

Slow Cooked Chicken

3 Chickens worth of legs/thighs
1/4 cup Chicken Rub
4 cups Chicken Broth

Cut up a chicken so that you have thighs and drumsticks.  

Place half of the meat into the slow cooker and sprinkle with half of the Chicken Rub.  Repeat.

Pour chicken broth into a corner of the slow cooker trying not to get any of the chicken rub to come off the chicken, don't worry if some does.

Cook on high for 2 hours and on low for 3-4 hours.  You want the meat to have come back from the drumstick about 2 inches and to easily come apart if you put a fork it in and twist.

Remove one meat item from slow cooker with tongs.  Remove skin and place bones and skin in a discard bowl and shred chicken in another bowl.  

Note: Save broth for other recipes calling for chicken broth.  I like to use it in soups and rice.  Strain broth with a mesh strainer.  Let cool and put in fridge.  Next day the fat will be easy to remove.  Just lightly scrape it off and discard.  Makes about 3-4 cups broth.

Also do not feed dogs cooked bones.  They should only eat raw bones.

Chicken Rub

1/4 cup Paprika
1/4 cup Thyme Leaves
2 Tablespoons Salt
1 Tablespoons Pepper

Layer everything in an 8 oz jam jar.  Shake to combine.

Use 2 Tablespoons for 1 bird.