Cheap Ham and Carved Cheese Doors

At the end of the year hams were on sale... like ridiculously on sale. I got an eight pound Cooks Ham for less than $5. Crazy! Our family loves ham - but I rarely think to have it for dinner since we are working on pork and beef. I cut up our cheap ham and put it in freezer containers and left one container out to make this casserole. We love breakfast for dinner and this is a great option. I will be honest - I was a little afraid of putting frozen hashbrowns in my glass dish then putting that in the oven... but thankfully nothing broke. I mean we broke a bowl earlier cleaning the microwave... but that's not this... anyway.. I DID add some onions to the hashbrowns because why wouldn't you?! Anyway... I added the cheese which... oh my word... Bronwyn loves shredded cheese - don't ask me why. But when I asked her to shred these blocks of cheese, she decided to carve them into fairy doors. Odd child. Anyway... added the cheese and ham, stirred it around, then poured in the eggs and back into the oven. This was well seasoned and was a very warm cozy meal after an afternoon of sledding in the snow and mud. We loved it so much we are making it in a few weeks when our family comes to town!
Hash Brown Egg Casserole with Ham
1 (30-ounce) package frozen shredded hashbrowns
1/2 cup melted butter, 1 stick
salt and pepper
1 & 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, packed
1 & 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, packed
1 & 1/2 cups ham, cut into bite-size pieces
8 large eggs
1 & 1/3 cups evaporated milk OR cream
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard powder, optional
1/4 teaspoon onion powder, optional

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
Spray a 9×13 inch pan with nonstick spray, or grease with butter.
Dump the bag of frozen hashbrowns into the pan. (There is no need to thaw first.)
Melt a stick of butter in a small bowl, and pour evenly over the potatoes. Sprinkle the potatoes with salt and pepper. Use a spoon to gently toss it all together, then spread it out so that it’s even.
Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and lightly browned on top. You can even nab a forkful to make sure they are done if you like.
Remove the casserole and reduce the oven temperature to 350.
Layer 1 and 1/2 cups each Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese over the top of the potatoes (make sure you pack in your cheese! Don't skimp now!) Add the ham. You can either leave it layered or use a spoon to gently toss the cheese and potatoes and ham together. Either way is fine. (I like to toss for a more even distribution.)
In a large bowl or stand mixer, whisk together 8 eggs, 1 and 1/3 cups evaporated milk OR cream, 1 teaspoon seasoned salt, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (use less if all you have is table salt!), 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard, and 1/4 teaspoon onion powder. Beat well.
Pour the egg mixture evenly over the top of the casserole, making sure everything gets wet.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. It is done when bubbly. The edges should be starting to brown and the center should not wiggle when you shake the pan.
If the center of the casserole looks very wobbly but the top is starting to brown too much, cover with foil for the last few minutes of baking.