1 pound sausage
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup grated american cheese
1/2 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Monterey jack
1/2 cup grated Colby cheese + 1 additional cup grated Colby cheese for topping casserole
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
1 (2 lb.) package hash browns
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Brown sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, be sure to break the sausage into small bite sized pieces when browning. When sausage is almost done add 2 to 3 tablespoons of chopped red bell pepper into the sausage. Drain sausage when finished cooking.
Add 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium sized sauce pan. Add 2 tablespoons of flour to the butter. Allow the butter and flour to cook over medium heat for about 1 minute. You must cook the flour and butter mixture together so that the flour won’t taste raw. Add 1/4 of the milk to the roux, and stir until thickened. Once the sauce is thick add another 1/4 of the milk, and stir until thickened. Finally add the remaining milk to the sauce once it has thickened. Once the sauce has gotten thick add the cheese and stir until the the cheese has melted.
In a large bowl combine hash browns, cheese sauce, and sausage. Stir to combine. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Top with additional grated Colby cheese. Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes