Camp Breakfast Hash

1/4 cup butter cubed
2 packs (20 oz. each) ready-to-cook hash browns
1 pack (7 oz.) brown-and-serve link sausages
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
12 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Cut the sausages into 1/2 inch chunks. In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add hash browns, sausage chunks, onion and green pepper.  Cook uncovered over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, turning once, until potatoes are lightly browned. Push the potato mixture to the outer edge of the skillet. Pour the eggs into the center of the skillet.  Cook and stir until the eggs are completely set. Season with salt and pepper. Top with cheese. Cover and cook for a minute or two, until cheese is melted. 8 servings.

Notes:
Everyone will want seconds.

Mama's Scrapple

2 cups cooked meat, ground
1 quart water
1-1/2 cups corn meal
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sage

Directions:
Combine ground cooked meat and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook together for five minutes. Slowly add cornmeal, salt, and sage, stirring constantly, and cook until thick. Pour into a loaf pan to cool. Store in refrigerator.

To use the scrapple, slice about 1/2 inch thick and fry in bacon grease. Brown both sides. Serve hot.

Notes:
My mother, Doris Hill, collected this recipe and handwrote it on a card for her files. I don't remember eating scrapple when I was a kid. This recipe sounds like something she and my dad would have remembered eating as children. I think the meat in scrapple was usually pork.

Ham Balls in Sweet and Sour Sauce

Ingredients for ham balls: 2 cups oatmeal, uncooked 1-1/2 cups milk 3 lbs. smoked ham, ground 1-1/4 lbs. lean pork shoulder, ground 3 eggs

Ingredients for sauce 1-1/3 cups brown sugar 1/4 cup flour 4 teaspoons dry mustard 2/3 cup pineapple juice 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar 1-1/3 cup dark corn syrup

Directions:
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine oatmeal and milk. Let stand for 10 minutes. Add meats and eggs. Mix throroughly until well blended. Shape into 1-1/2-inch balls (golf-ball size), place in cake pan(s), and bake at 300° for 1-1/2 hours.
2. When ham balls have cooked for about 1 hour, combine sauce ingredients in a heavy pan and cook until thick, stirring constantly. Keep sauce warm until ready to use.
3. When ham balls are finished baking, drain them well. Place them gently in a large casserole dish or oven-proof saucepan, pour warm sauce over them, and bake an additional 25 minutes covered.

Notes:
This is my adaptation of a prize winning recipe by Phyllis Hogston of Somerset, Kentucky, that was published in the December, 2004, Kentucky Living print edition. Ms. Hogston notes that the dish "can be prepared ahead of time and frozen, even the sauce." (I have not tried doing that.)

Good Morning Sausage and Egg Casserole

1 pound sausage
2 to 3 slices bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
2/3 cup diced green and red peppers
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
6 eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

Directions:
In a heavy skillet, crumble the sausage and cook over medium heat until well browned. Remove from heat and drain well. Spray an 11x7-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Spread bread cubes across bottom of dish. Spread peppers and cooked sausage over the bread cubes; top with shredded cheese. In a bowl, combine eggs, milk , salt, and mustard. Whisk together until well blended; pour over the cheese. Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until egg mixture is set. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before cutting into squares. Serve hot and refrigerate any leftovers. Makes 6 servings.