Category: Casseroles

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Breakfast recipes Casseroles Recipes Traeger Recipes

Easy Breakfast Casserole – Smoked or Baked

Egg casserole on a Traeger

After I tried this breakfast casserole, I stopped looking for another egg bake recipe. It is so easy and so versatile. It can be assembled the night before for easy morning baking. This casserole can be baked it in an oven or smoked on a pellet grill. Use this casserole to feed a crowd, or use it for leftover breakfast for a few days.

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Breakfast Casserole Ingredients:

  • 10 eggs
  • 2 cups cooked rice
  • 2 cups diced cooked or smoked ham
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup minced onion
  • 1 dash of Worcestershire sauce (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Smoked ham

For best results used leftover smoked ham!

How to make easy breakfast casserole

Crack all of the eggs in a mixing bowl, whisk lightly. Add the milk, whisk again. Mix in remaining ingredients.

Egg bake ingredients mixed in a bowl

Pour into a greased 9×13 inch Pyrex baking dish.

Egg Casserole ready to bake or smoke

Preheat oven or Traeger to 350 degrees F. Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes or until the eggs are set.

Egg Casserole

Can you use Pyrex on a pellet grill?

Pyrex is rated to 425 degrees, but I never go higher than 400 degrees when I use a 9×13 inch Pyrex baking dish on my Traeger Silverton 620 because the temperature does fluctuate + or – 10 degrees. It is also important to make sure you keep you grill clean to avoid flare ups from grease fires.

Can you prepare breakfast casserole the night before?

Yes, this recipe can be prepared the night before. Overnight directions: After you pour ingredients into the greased 9×13 inch Pyrex baking dish, place the lid on the dish and store the prepared/unbaked casserole in the refrigerator overnight. Remove it from the refrigerator in the morning, remove the lid and bake or smoke it. Note this may increase the baking time slightly.

How do you reheat egg bake?

This casserole can make mornings easier because it makes great leftovers. Just cut a piece, put it on a microwave safe plate, cover, and microwave for 45 -60 seconds. Easy breakfast in 1 minute or less!

Optional Variations

Swap out the ham for 1 pound of browned bulk breakfast sausage or chorizo. Drain the sausage and allow it to cook for 5-10 minutes before mixing it into the eggs.

Swap out the onions for peppers, spinach or mushrooms!

Swap out the cheddar cheese for any cheese you like! If you try goat cheese, I would recommend slicing it on top, rather than mixing it in.

Get creative!

Egg casserole with chorizo sausage and goat cheese
Egg casserole with chorizo sausage and goat cheese
Breakfast-CasseroleDownload

Recipe By Kristin
Course: Breakfast Cusine:American Difficulty:Easy

Servings

15 minutes

Preparing Time

15 minutes

Cooking Time

35 minutes

Calories

kcal

INGREDIENTS

  1. 10 Eggs

  2. 2 cups cubed cooked or smoked ham

  3. 2 cups cooked rice

  4. 1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese

  5. 1 cup milk

  6. 1/2 cup minced onion

  7. 1 dash Worcestershire sauce (optional)

  8. 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

DIRECTION

  1. Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl and lightly whisk.

  2. Add the milk and lightly whisk.
  3. Mix in remaining ingredients.
  4. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 inch Pyrex baking dish.
  5. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F. for 35-40 minutes, or until eggs are set.

NOTES

More Recipes:

Peach Blueberry Pie on the Traeger
Prepare Ahead Breakfast Sandwiches
Easy Morning Glory Muffins Recipe
Pharmacist Shares Immune Boosting Granola Recipe
Smoked Shepherd’s Pie on the Traeger Recipe

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Categories
Casseroles Recipes

Better than Rachel Ray’s Italian Mac ‘n Cheese

better than rachel ray's Italian mac n cheese

It has been 15 years since I first tried Rachel Ray’s Italian Mac ‘n Cheese. A friend from my mom’s group brought me the dish after I had my third child. It was part of a meal train we put together to help out moms for the first couple of weeks after giving birth. Of the meals I received, this one was by far my favorite. I asked my friend for the recipe and for the past 15 years I have been modifying this recipe. I believe I have perfected the recipe now, because it is always a hit at my home. I am now ready to share with you my Better than Rachel Ray’s Italian Mac ‘n Cheese recipe.

Please feel free to compare my recipe with Rachel Ray’s Italian Mac & Cheese. My recipe is better because it has onions and because it has more sauce. The sauce in my recipe is also more flavorful due to the addition of more tomatoes and seasoning.

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Italian Mac ‘n Cheese Recipe

Ingredients:

1 Pound of Penne pasta

1 Pound bulk Sweet Italian sausage

12 Cremini Mushrooms (1 package), sliced

1 onion, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 Tablespoons butter

1/2 Cup flour

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 can of each: chicken broth, diced tomatoes and tomato sauce

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

8 ounces of whipping cream

8 ounces of Italian Blend shredded cheese

1/2 Cup shredded Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

Directions:

Prepare the pasta according to package directions. Drain and pour into a pyrex baking dish.

Brown the sausage, drain and set aside. Add the olive oil to the pan and sauté the onion until slightly softened. Add the mushrooms, garlic and butter. Toss to evenly coat, add salt, and continue to sauté until the mushrooms begin to soften. Stir in the flour until evenly coated. Slowly add the chicken broth, add a little and stir until the sauce thickens, then add more and stir. Repeat this process until the whole can is incorporated. Add the undrained can of diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning and pepper. Mix until well combined and return to a simmer. Return the drained sausage to the pan and add half of the shredded Italian blend cheese, mix until melted. Add the whipping cream and mix constantly until the sauce returns to a simmer, then remove from heat.

Pre heat the broiler to high. Pour the sauce over the pasta and mix. Top with remaining Italian blend cheese. Place the dish under the broiler for 3-5 min until the cheese in lightly browned. Serve with parmesan cheese.

If you like the recipe, you may also like my Better than Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana.

Italian Mac ‘n CheesePrintable Recipe

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Categories
Casseroles Easy meals Recipes Traeger Recipes

Smoked Shepherd’s Pie on the Traeger Recipe

Shepherd's pie on the smoker
Shepherd's Pie on the smoker

This Smoked Shepherd’s Pie on the Traeger recipe is a favorite at my house. It is actually modified from a recipe I got from my favorite chef Alton Brown. My daughter loves it so much that she will eat the leftovers for breakfast lunch and dinner until it’s gone. She even chooses it as her “birthday cake”. It can be baked in a regular oven, but in the Summer months I prefer not to heat up the house with my oven. This is why I started to bake Shepherd’s Pie on the Traeger pellet grill. I use a pyrex baking dish on my Traeger pellet grill for may recipes, including peach blueberry pie.

Smoked Shepherd’s Pie Recipe

Ingredients for the potatoes

4-5 pounds of potatoes
3/4 Cup half and half
1/4 Cup butter
1 teaspoon salt
3 Egg Yolks

Ingredients for the meat filling


1 large onion minced
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic power
1 Cup all-purpose flour
2 pounds ground beef or lamb
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 can chicken broth
1 can tomato sauce
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 bag frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, peas, corn, beans)

Instructions for Shepherd’s Pie potatoes

Peel the potatoes, and slice into quarters. Place in a large pot and cover with cold water. Set over high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, decrease the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until tender and easily crushed with tongs, approximately 15-20 min.

Drain the potatoes, add the salt and mash with the butter. In a small bowl mix the half and half with the egg yolks. Use a hand mixer to whip the potatoes, slowly add the egg mixture to the potatoes. Whip until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

Instructions for Shepherd’s Pie meat filling

Brown the beef or lamb. Set aside to drain on a paper towel lined plate. Pour the olive oil into the pan and sauté the onions until tender. Return the drained meat to the pan. Next, add the flour and mix to evenly coat the meat and onions. Slowly pour the can of chicken broth over the flour coated mixture, mix to coat. Now,  thoroughly mix in the tomato sauce. Season the mixture with the garlic powder, Italian seasoning and pepper. Finally, add the frozen mixed vegetables and stir until the vegetables are warm and slightly softened. Transfer the meat mixture to a large Pyrex deep baking dish 13x9x3″ (See the recommendation below) and spread evenly. Top with the potatoes and smooth with a rubber spatula.

Instructions for Smoked or baked Shepherd’s Pie

Preheat the Traeger to 375 degrees F. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Enjoy! 

If you would prefer to bake this in an oven, then preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.  Bake uncovered for 40 -50 minutes or until potatoes are lightly browned.

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Smoked Shepherd’s Pie RecipePrintable

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