Impossibly Easy Breakfast Bake

1 package Lightlife Gimme Lean Ground Sausage Style (14 oz)*
1 medium bell pepper, chopped (1 cup)
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 tablespoon safflower oil
3 cups frozen hash brown potatoes
1 cup natural shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup Gluten free Biscuit Mix Bob's Red Mill brand*
1 cup 1%milk (could use Soy milk if you are vegan, but I find when cooking it can taste funky)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup egg whites or egg whites of 3 eggs
*Lightlife is a wonderful brand of meatless products. I have tried most brands out there and trust me some are some that are way better than others.
*I do not follow a gluten free diet, but Betty is known for her Bisquick cookbook and I was looking for a substitute that is made out of more "whole ingredients." The number one ingredient in this mix is stone ground white rice vs. bleached flour.

1. Heat oven to 400. This is the step where they usually tell you to spray a Pyrex with cooking spray. I avoid this step if I can and in this case I avoided it. The writer may be mad at me as he does the dishes!
2. Place safflower oil in a skillet, cook the sausage, bell pepper, and onion over medium, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent. This veg sausage can be feisty and hard to break up. Be patient. Once the protein has been over medium heat for a few minutes it becomes easier to manipulate. Mix "sausage" mixture, potatoes, and 3/4 of the cheese in baking dish.
*One of the benefits of cooking with faux meat is you never have to drain the fat. On the contrary, it is important to use the oil in this step to prevent the mixture from sticking to the pan because there is a lack of fat.
3. In a bowl, stir biscuit mix, milk, pepper, and egg whites with a whisk. Pour into the baking dish.
4. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes or until knife in the center comes out clean. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup of cheese. Bake 1 to 2 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let it cool for 5 minutes (the writer never lets food cool and ALWAYS burns his mouth...one day he will learn...maybe).

Makes 6 servings. 215 calories each.

The writer did not learn...I don't know how effective I can be as a critic today because of my compromised palate! The writer is a great displacer of blame, and this instance will be put squarely on the shoulders of baby Tyler. The writer's sister and her husband just returned home from the hospital with the little guy for the first time, and texted us with feverish fury.
It turns out it is not so easy to feed Tyler without the help of an on-call nurse, and they are in a state of "deer in the headlight," "why did we try to hard to have a baby," and, "what the hell are we doing" madness.
So I will be brief...I think the cook smirked when she read that part...
The cook really changed Betty's recipe in many ways, but did not change the essence of the dish: down home, country cooking. It is quite a departure from our usual fare, but for a guy that still enjoys a marinate of meat sweats when the cook is out of town, it was a pleasant rib-sticking experience.
And for those who scoff at the many tofu variations available in local groceries stores today, do so at your own risk. The "sausage" used in this recipe smells like sausage, looks like sausage, feels like sausage, and kind-of tastes like sausage! With a lot less calories, saturated fat, preservatives, and ability to suck the ever loving life out of any fraction of energy a Betty-head might have left.
I would be willing to bet this recipe will be satisfying and trick even the most carnivorous creature in America. And soon enough, you just might have a "New American" in your homestead.
Now the cook and writer must jet, hand in hand, to pick up Betty food for the sister, and her husband, and their little bundle of anxiety.