Breakfast Bowls

My husband gave me The Pioneer Woman's cookbook for Christmas, and I couldn't wait to delve into its yumminess.


One of the first recipes that jumped out at me was this one for "Breakfast Bowls." Breakfast is often of the grab-and-go variety, especially during the week. But since he was home with us last week and our days were more leisurely, I decided to whip up this breakfast.


Well, "whip up" is not really an accurate phrase, because these took a lot longer than I thought they would to be finished. There were just many steps involved and I may have left behind a sink with its fair share of dishes and pans and knives and boards and whatnot.

But don't let that deter you - these were DELICIOUS, and I will for sure make them again. I altered the recipe slightly as I went based on my mood and what I had on hand. I couldn't find the original online.


Ingredients

• 1 TB butter, plus extra for the bowls
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 2 cups of frozen hash browns, thawed
• salt/pepper to taste
• 2 cups egg substitute (or 8 beaten eggs)
• 3/4 cup milk
• 6 plum tomatoes, diced
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 8 basil leaves, chopped
• 1 pound breakfast sausage, browned and crumbled
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1 cup grated Mexican blend cheese

Butter 8 ovenproof bowls or ramekins. Preheat the oven to 325.

In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and potatoes.

Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a bowl, lightly beat the eggs and milk. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, green onions, and basil. Stir and set aside.

To assemble, divide all the ingredients evenly among the bowls in the following order:

1. Potato-onion mixture
2. Sausage
3. Cheddar
4. Egg mixture
5. Tomato/green onion/basil mixture
6. Mexican cheese

Place the bowls on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, until the eggs are just set. Keep an eye on the bowls to make sure the eggs don't brown. It's better for the eggs to come out of the oven slightly runny, as they'll continue to set after they're removed from the oven.