Hashbrown Green Chile Casserole & IPA

Hashbrown Green Chile Casserole

Servings – 4

(I make twice as much because leftovers are great)

•  2 potatoes peeled and shredded (or you could use 2 cups of fresh or frozen hashbrowns), Squeeze to remove access moisture
• 1 T butter, melted
• 1 – 7 oz can green chilies
• 7 oz ham steak, cubed (leftover meat from the dinner last night is great here too, carnitas, shredded beef, turkey, etc)
• 4 oz shredded cheddar cheese (Mexican or Colby Jack is good here too)
• 2 eggs
• ¼ c milk
•  Salt
• Pepper

1.   Preheat oven to 450
2. Grease pie pan or small casserole dish
3. Place shredded potatoes into dish pressing along bottom
4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper
5. Pour melted butter over potatoes
6. Bake for 20 minutes
7. Crack two eggs into bowl and add milk and a dash of salt and pepper, mix
8. Pour eggs over hashbrown crust
9. Top with green chilies, diced ham and cheddar cheese
10. Cover with foil and cook 25 minutes
11.  Remove foil and cook 5 more minutes

I traditionally make this breakfast.  My mom originally made this, but I have tweaked it over time a little.  It’s a good make ahead meal and made in large batches is great as leftovers.  This could be served at dinner as a main meal or even as a side dish. 

As I usually make this for breakfast, I can’t say I have ever had beer with it, but if I was going to I would probably choose an IPA.  The slight spiciness of the green chilies pairs really well with an IPA.  This is an IPA I had for the first time in Sonoma County in a little dive bar/restaurant with great food with my husband, brother, sister in law and niece.  Also there was a live band which my niece could not get enough of.  There is nothing like watching a two year old dancing entranced to live music.

It is made by the Russian River Brewing company out of Santa Rosa, California.  Blind Pig IPA is considered one of the best American IPAs but critics and general beer lovers.  It has a very cute blind pig on the front of the bottle.  It’s definitely hoppy, but this has a background note of grapefruit with a good amount of sweetness to balance it out.  This is a great general drinking IPA.