Apple-Butternut Hash Brown Casserole (Paleo)

Don't say it. Just don't.

I know what you are thinking, "ANOTHER butternut squash recipe? Already? Really?"

I know, I know. But I have a really good reason for it. 1) I had half a butternut squash I needed to use 2) I prefer to use up what I have in my refrigerator or pantry before picking up more ingredients (not that it always works this way, mind you) and 3) What I wanted to make originally, I either didn't have defrosted or I didn't have on hand.

And you know what? I'm SOOOO glad I made this instead! It is seriously delicious. I am a little worried though because what I originally wanted to make might become the new favorite and I think this dish is kind of hard to beat. I don't want to cheat on my newfound hash brown friend and all.

Once again my recipe is a combination of two recipes. Apple and Butternut Squash Hash and Mexican Hash Egg Bake; with a tweak. Always have to have a tweak.

Apple-Butternut Hash Browns Casserole

(Made 05 Feb 13)

What you need:

1/2 a Butternut Squash (de-seeded, peeled and grated)

1 1/2 Apple (I used granny smith, grated; keep the extra half and slice it)

2 Cloves Garlic (minced)

1/2 Yellow Onion (I had mine finely chopped, but again I'm weird about eating onions)

3 slices of Bacon (cut into small pieces)

2 Breakfast Sausage links

Salt and Pepper (to taste)

One Egg per Person (I used five in this recipe, but seeing as it was lunch time, I was only cooking for the kids and myself)

First, I prepped the butternut squash and apples. I suppose I COULD have used the Cuisinart, but I just had to be difficult and used the cheese grater instead (honestly, it was really easy).

Before

And I'm awesome and didn't take a picture of my grated squash and apples. Sorry.

Then take your garlic and onion and dice them up, mince them, however you prefer these two in your food.

Before

Clearly I was on a roll of NOT taking pictures.

Get everything situated comfortably on your cutting board, give each ingredient it's own bowl. (Just remember, the more dishes you use, the more washing awaits you.)


(Just pretend I have a BEAUTIFUL picture of my fruit and veggie cutting board with everything in its place. I wanted a picture to show the ratio of squash to apple. FAIL.)


My family has a cutting board for fruit and veggies and one for meat. We do not eat a lot of bread, and if we HAVE to cut cheese (hehe.. sorry I'll stop being childish now), we use the fruit and veggie board.

So I took out the meat board and diced up my three slices of bacon.

My sausage was still defrosting at this point, but this is where (if your sausage is ready) you can squeeze out your breakfast sausage from the casings and set them aside as well. Or you can do this while your bacon is cooking. And if you aren't using sausage in a casing, then that is one less step for you to follow/complete!

I used what I had in my freezer. May or may not be paleo; it's Jenny-O. Chicken Sweet Italian Sausage. 

With all the ingredients prepped, it's time to COOK!

First, cook up your bacon. Cook it to whatever consistency you prefer. I LOVE crispy bacon with a little softness. SOMEHOW I managed to cook mine PERFECTLY this time. When your bacon pieces are done, take them out and set them on a plate or a bowl. LEAVE the bacon fat in your pan. I chose NOT to set my bacon on a paper towel (even though I prepped to do so initially) because I wanted to make sure if there were any extra drippings, they went back into the pan when the time came. In case the squash and apples needed it, of course. :)

Isn't it pretty? I just love bacon. And I ONLY took one or two (MAYBE three) pieces. Honest.

Now it's time to throw in your onions. I wanted mine close to caramelization, so I intentionally left out the minced garlic. I'm notorious for burning garlic whenever I throw it in a pan/pot/skillet on the oven. Since onions take a bit of time to caramelize, I left out the garlic to avoid any burning.

When your onions are where you want them, throw in the garlic. You might as well add the sausage at this point too. I think this allows the sausage to absorb some of the onion and garlic flavor, while cooking harmoniously together.

When your sausage is about halfway cooked; add the butternut squash and apple gratings.

Doesn't it look PRETTY?!

Sprinkle on some salt and pepper (I used about 1/2 teaspoon each at this point). Stir everything around so it blends. Then cover it and let it sit. I let it sit between 4-5 minutes and then used a pancake flipper to flip sections of the hash, cover it again and let it sit for another 4-5 minutes.

Now, taste it! If you don't melt right there in front of your range, it' not ready. I seriously just about melted with my first bite. But maybe I'm just (a little) weird.

If your hash browns are ready, it's time to take them over the top. Again.

Crack your eggs right on top of your hash. Go ahead. Believe me, it's worth it.

Now let them sit. I even covered my skillet (with a baking sheet because I do not have a cover for this particular skillet) to help the cooking process along.

See? Depending on how gooey you want your casserole, either keep putting the lid on to help them cook faster, or take your skillet off the burner. I learned you can touch your egg yolk to help determine how gooey (or not) your eggs will be. I left mine on a little longer and sprinkled some more pepper and salt on top. And finally, it was all done.

Talk about DELICIOUS! Arrange some plates, add some apple slices and clementines on the side and VIOLA. It is time to EAT! DEVOUR! I mean, ahem, enjoy this delicious meal.

Momma's Plate.

Kids' Plates. Their eggs were over medium.

Now, listen. This step is VERY important. Take your fork and mix your egg into your hash browns. I'm telling you, absolutely PERFECT.

Perfection.

I do NOT need to eat Cracker Barrel's Hashbrown Casserole with an egg over easy on top. This Apple-Butternut Hash Brown Casserole fits the bill perfectly.

And to keep it real, a picture of the dishes I used and had to clean after eating.

I do NOT have anyone to clean my dishes for me. Although in reality, there aren't nearly as many dishes as one might think! And for the pure bliss of this dish, I'd wash them all over again! Of course you aren't seeing the five plates and forks and drink cups from lunch, but really, it was ALL worth it!