Biscuit and Beef Breakfast Bake

Biscuit and Beef Breakfast Bake

First things first: This recipes sits firmly in the Man Food Files.

Not that it wasn't tasty - it was, but it was also a recipe I clipped specifically for Brad, he who loves all things ground beef. It isn't fancy food, but it's filling and it can feed a crowd. Plus it's a breakfast casserole, and we love breakfast casseroles around here. This recipe calls for baking mix, which is really easy to make yourself so that you don't have to rely on the processed kind. (Carrie also has a gluten-free version!) And I know that some of you have an aversion to those kind of products, too, so it's nice to know there's a DIY way out there. (Of course if you're also a person with an aversion to shortening, well, just look away and we'll pretend we never had this conversation.)

We didn't eat this for breakfast; it made a wonderful dinner for us with steamed broccoli on the side. I rarely use ground beef at breakfast, but it would be easy to switch out sausage for the beef, and then it would truly seem like breakfast food. Other tips? I added some Texas Pete, and maybe next time I'll add some red and green peppers. It's such a basic dish, and it's easy to tailor it to your family's tastes. Vegetables - maybe corn, peas and carrots - would be great with a ground-beef version, and maybe some swiss chard or spinach would be great in a sausage version.

Either way, it went in my Homemade Cookbook, and I plan to return to it time and time again.

Biscuit and Beef Breakfast Bake

Biscuit and Beef Breakfast Bake
Adapted from Home Cooking magazine
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1/2 pound ground beef (or sausage)
1/2 C chopped onions
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 C baking mix
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 C milk
Hot sauce to taste (optional)
Sauteed vegetables of your choice (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Brown ground beef and onions in skillet, stirring frequently. Drain well. Stir in oregano, basil and pepper. (Add in vegetables if using.) Pour mixture into 2 1/2 quart casserole dish. (A 9x13 cake pan would probably also work.) Sprinkle with half the cheese.

3. Combine baking mix, salt, eggs, milk and hot sauce. Pour mixture over ground beef and cheese. Sprinkle top of casserole with remaining cheese. Cover and bake for 10 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes, or until crust is brown.

Other recipes you may enjoy: Amish Breakfast Casserole, Southern Grits Casserole, Broccoli with Lemon Butter Sauce