Breakfast Pie {featuring Donovan's Pottery}

It's Easter Weekend. Things are happening in my kitchen. There are times when I get these bursts of inspiration to turn ingredients that might stump you into allowing them to turn rancid otherwise go unused, like a gigantic box of no-name cornflakes I thought were a good idea at Aldi or the Cost-co sized jar of roasted peanuts that may or may not have been sitting in my pantry for a minimum of 36 months. Now the cornflakes are atop a buttery bed of eggy hash browns and the peanuts ground into my own homemade peanut butter - have you ever done that? Genius! 

The original recipe for this Breakfast Pie called for a bacon-cornflake combo atop the eggs and hash browns, but I had a lonely half pound of beef in the fridge, so I figured I'd make a go of the beef and it turned out delicious! Otherwise, the recipe mostly stays true to the original except I upped the green onion amount to add a little depth of flavor. I hope you make this recipe your own so you too can use up 36 month old pantry items! Now…what to do with freshly ground peanuts?? 

As for Easter cooking, I'm whipping up a batch of Deb Perlman's Hamantaschen and the rhubarb I've so lovingly preserved in the freezer since last Spring bubbling on the stovetop into a compote is smelling truly divine! 

May you have a blessed Easter Sunday! 

Printable Recipe Here
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Breakfast Pie
adapted from Taste of Home

1/2 pound ground beef
1/4 cup crushed cornflakes
5 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup full-fat cottage cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
3 green onions, sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 1/2 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes

Brown beef in a large skillet, breaking up into small pieces. Toss crushed cornflakes into beef, set aside. In a large bowl whisk together eggs, milk, cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, green onions, salt and pepper. Stir in hash browns. Pour into a greased 9" pie plate. Scatter beef-cornflake mixture over. Refrigerate overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake at 350ºF for 45-50 minutes or until center is no longer wobbly. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving. 

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Interested in the gorgeous original pie plate I have featured in this post? It's from Donovan's Pottery available at Local Roots Food Co-op. Check it out here!