Sweet Potato Breakfast Casserole
This healthy casserole is the perfect dish for a holiday brunch or potluck, but also one that I make at the beginning of the week so we have a quick, hearty breakfast at hand on busy days. Adjust the meat, sweet potatoes, & cheese to your liking!
- 1 to 1-1/2 lbs. bacon, breakfast sausage (ground or links), or a combo of both
- 2 heaping T. coconut oil
- 1-1/2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and diced in 1″ cubes
- 1/2 sweet onion, diced
- 12 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 2+ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- salt & pepper to taste
Cook up your bacon or sausage however you like. I prefer ALL bacon in this recipe and cook my bacon on foil-lined baking sheets at 350-400 for about 20 minutes (depending on thickness) for easy cleanup. Drain grease. If using bacon or sausage links, dice it up into bite-sized pieces. Fry sweet potatoes in coconut oil over medium heat, about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt & pepper as desired during cooking (I add 1 tsp. salt & grind a little pepper over). Add onion and cook until onion begins to soften.
Combine sweet potatoes & onion with meat in a greased 9X13 baking dish. Add 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese and stir to combine, then spread out evenly in pan. Taste to make sure it’s seasoned enough for your liking; if not, season a bit more. Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl until well mixed, then stir in milk. Pour evenly over mixture in baking dish. You can salt & pepper or season a bit more here if you like.
Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. If desired, add more shredded cheese over top the last couple minutes of baking. Yield: 12 servings when served alongside other dishes, 6 hearty servings as the main dish. Enjoy!
*** a couple notes: First, the coconut oil really makes a difference in the flavor of this recipe – you have to try it! Second, make sure your sweet potatoes are light skinned, not dark skinned yams. Also, you can add diced sweet peppers or chopped spinach with the onion to pack in a little more nutrition. Finally, shred the cheddar cheese yourself instead of using pre-shredded; it really makes a difference in flavor, too! Try sharp cheddar or Monterey Jack for a different flavor.