The Scoop
The Right Way Bake unites potatoes, sausage, and spinach for a returning son's celebration.
The first time I made this dish, I was celebrating my son’s first weekend back from college. It was an emotional whirlwind—my husband and I had spent weeks preparing for an empty nest, only to realize how much we missed having the chaos and energy of our son in the house. With his first visit back home coming up, I wanted to cook something he’d remember fondly. This bake felt like the perfect mix of hearty and comforting, combining household staples like frozen diced potatoes and a pound of breakfast sausage into a meal fit for the return of our young scholar.
I realized the power of oregano one day, wandering through our backyard herb garden while I was deciding on the spices. A hint of dried oregano in the sausage mixture gave it a certain uniqueness, while the baby spinach added a touch of health. Nine years ago, I wouldn’t have thought to wilt spinach until almost all the liquid evaporated—courtesy of a mistake during a cooking class—but it works wonders in keeping the bake from getting soggy.
As the enticing aroma filled the house, I knew I had struck gold. The joyous family reunion over a golden crust and perfectly cooked eggs became a new milestone for us. And here's a little tip: let it cool for just 5 minutes, so it slices cleanly. Each slice was like a small moment of togetherness captured forever as we laughed, reminisced, and planned for the future.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more, to taste, for greasing the baking dish
- 4 cups frozen diced potatoes
- 1 pound breakfast sausage, casings removed
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 5 cups baby spinach, packed
- 8 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups milk, whole or 2%
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups Italian blend cheese, shredded
Directions
- Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with the extra olive oil.
- Add the potatoes to the prepared baking dish and spread them into an even layer.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of the olive oil until it is shimmering.
- Add the sausage, the onions, and the oregano and cook, while crumbling the sausage with a wooden spoon, until the sausage is no longer pink and the onions are tender, about 8 minutes.
- Add the spinach and toss until it is wilted and almost all of the liquid is evaporated, about 3 minutes.
- Spread the sausage mixture in an even layer over the potatoes in the baking dish.
- In a large bowl, add the eggs, the milk, the salt, and the pepper and whisk together until the eggs are completely incorporated.
- Pour the egg mixture over the sausage mixture layer in the baking dish.
- Sprinkle the cheese evenly over top of the bake.
- Bake until the edges are golden-brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes.
- Transfer the bake from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes before slicing.
- Serve.
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