Easter Brunch Casserole

Ingredients

• 1 pound bacon
• 1 pound bulk pork sausage
• 1/4 cup bacon drippings
• 1 large sweet onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped garlic
• 2 (4.5 ounce) cans diced green chile peppers, divided
• 6 eggs
• 2 dashes liquid smoke flavoring
• 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Cholula)
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt (such as Lawry’s)
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 3 pounds frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 cup shredded pepper Jack cheese
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped black olives

Directions

Place the bacon in a large, deep skillet, and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on a paper towel-lined plate. Place sausage into the bacon grease, and cook until crumbly and brown, about 10 minutes. Place the sausage on the plate with the bacon, and pour off all but 1/4 cup of the bacon drippings.

Reduce heat to medium, and stir in the onion, garlic, and one can of green chiles. Cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl with the liquid smoke, hot pepper sauce, seasoned salt, white pepper, parsley, and basil until smooth. Crumble the bacon, and stir bacon and sausage into the eggs with the remaining can of green chiles, hash browns, and cooked onions. Season to taste with salt and black pepper, and stir until evenly mixed.

Prepare a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Scoop the hash brown mixture into the prepared dish, and smooth the top. Cover with aluminum foil, and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Bake the covered dish in the preheated oven for 1 hour.

Remove the casserole from the oven, uncover, and sprinkle evenly with pepper Jack and Monterey Jack cheeses. Sprinkle the Cheddar cheese in the shape of a cross, and outline with the black olives. Return to the oven, and bake until the cheese is hot and bubbly, 20 to 30 minutes more.