A breakfast casserole for lunch…

I recently attended a potluck lunch at the library and decided to actually cook my breakfast casserole.  I have only prepared this dish for my sister and our dad, so I wasn’t sure what outsiders would think.  Especially since I altered the original recipe to suit my particular taste. 

For example, I changed the 2 cups of cubed ham to 1 pound (package) of bacon.  Instead of 4 cups of shredded mild cheddar cheese, I use only 2 cups of shredded mozzarella.  Sometimes, but not always, I substitute the 1 cup of milk with 1 cup of buttermilk.  I must also add the original recipe called for a bag of hash browns to be layered frozen in the pan, but I use frozen diced potatoes and cook them first. 

Thankfully, the lucky potluck attendees enjoyed my breakfast casserole!  There was even leftovers for my sister and I to enjoy.  We both agree that a morning after microwaved leftover tastes even better than fresh from the oven. 

The best news is no one developed food poisoning or died from my casserole.  Well, at least not as far as I know.  On that note, here is my recipe.

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Freakboy’s Breakfast of Champions Casserole 

Ingredients…
1/2 cup of melted butter or margarine 
30 ounce bag of frozen seasoned diced potatoes 
12 eggs 
1 cup milk or buttermilk 
2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese  
1 pound of bacon 
Dash of pepper 

Directions…
Cut bacon into chunks and fry in a pan.  (add a dash of pepper to the sizzling bacon as it cooks)  
Then set bacon aside on a plate.

Using the bacon grease, fry potatoes until lightly brown. 

Layer potatoes in a greased 9” by 13” pan.

Pour melted butter over potatoes. 

Mix eggs, milk, cheese
and bacon together in a large bowl.  Pour
over top of the potatoes.

Bake at 350° F for 1 hour or until the top is nice and brown.  (It may take less than an hour because of the cooked potatoes)
Remove from
oven and let sit for 10 minutes.  
Serve.
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My breakfast casserole is wildly unhealthy and not vegetarian or vegan friendly.  Just like any recipe, use mine as a starting point and then alter it to your personal taste!  

Thank you for reading or listening to my half-blind words.

Freak Out, 
JLH 

P.S.  If you just can’t wait for a 2-in-1 print edition of STURGEONS, which will hopefully drop in July, you can always read DARKENING and HAUNTING as individual ebooks! 

Rubber Duck Lips

 (a tale of my dad)

"I can see something is wrong from here." 

This is what I said to my sister, many years ago,  as we watched our dad approach from inside the fast food restaurant.  My sister warned me that our dad had experienced a prominent allergic reaction to a new medication, but nothing prepared me for the protruding sight coming closer and closer. 

I didn't just stare when our dad entered the restaurant, I gawked.  I gaped.  I couldn't take my eyes off of our dad's swollen lips.  They weren't just fat lip swollen.  They were the after photo in a precautionary ad for botched plastic surgery swollen.  Joan Rivers would've been envious of his extremely full lips.

Just when I felt a rumble of laughter threatening to erupt, our dad thankfully told us what he wanted for lunch and found us a table.  While in line, I made a few one word exclamations and then asked her if he was in pain.  He wasn't but it had to feel weird.  I mean, seriously, his lips appeared to be at the bursting point. 

We got our lunch and joined Dad at a booth.  Dad was across from me and this provided the opportunity for a closer examination of his obvious allergic reaction.  It was then when I realized his upper lip was pushing up in the middle and his lower lip was pushing down, not unlike a rubber duck.  Another rumble of laughter threatened to out me as a horrible son, so I looked away.  Even staring out the window while eating didn't stop the rumbling.  All I could see if I had to glance in his general direction and all I could think when turned away was...Rubber Duck Lips. 

Later, when alone with my sister, I laughed loudly and a lot.  (I still laugh hysterically about it to this day and wish I had a photo)  I think I foun this terrible thing so terribly funny because of the bath toy association and because our dad appeared unfazed by his temporary condition.  (Yes, his lips eventually deflated back to their normal shape and size)  I don't think I would want to be seen in public if that happened to me, let alone eat in view of others.  Maybe it's his generation, but he doesn't seem easily embarrassed, which causes me endless embarrassment.  Like the time he wore that bear shirt to Stockman's Cafe, but that's another tale for another time.

Thank you for reading or listening to my half-blind words.

Freak Out, 

JLH 

P.S. An old tale hinting at another tale of my dad...

https://freakboyzone.blogspot.com/2016/03/only-happy-when-its-1995.html 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Go dark!

Visit Sturgeons! 

Get bent! 

Freak out! 

My books & blogs...

http://thejlhcollective.blogspot.com/2018/03/the-collective.html 

SWEET POTATO POSSIBILITY

A sandwich special side 

Of sweet potato fries 

You look like an abomination  

To my half-blind eyes 

Placed on a plate 

Might as well give you a whirl 

The worst that may happen 

Is you'll make me hurl 

Now believe it or not 

I failed to throw-up 

Though your taste was tastier 

With lots of ketchup 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you for reading or listening to my half-blind words. 

Freak Out, 

JLH 

P.S. A different poem about a different meal...

https://freakboyzone.blogspot.com/2020/04/soul-searching-breakfast-pastry-micro.html 

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A short but shiny Collective Eye in July...

https://thejlhcollective.blogspot.com/2020/07/the-collective-eye-july-2020.html