Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray a 2-quart (or 8-inch square) casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray
In a large bowl, mix together hash browns, diced peppers, 1 cup cheese, sausage, 1 cup Mexican shredded cheese, heavy cream, cumin, salt & pepper.
Pour hash brown mixture into prepared casserole dish. Top with remaining 1/4 cup shredded Mexican cheese.
Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes, or until top is a golden brown.
Sprinkle on some cilantro (optional) and serve. Optional: Serve with diced tomato, avocado, or salsa.
Video
Notes
Hash brown casseroles freeze beautifully. Allow it to cool then cover with plastic wrap then aluminum foil to protect from freezer burn.
You can also freeze before baking. Prepare the casserole then cover and freeze before baking. You can then bake it from frozen but obviously you will have to add onto your cooking time since cooking from frozen.
This casserole can be prepared the day before. Cover then put in the refrigerator. Again, add a few minutes onto cooking time since baking from a cold state.
You can use frozen hash browns. Just thaw them first and pat dry with paper towels (so they don't make your casserole runny from the excess moisture.)
To make this faster to prepare, try using the pre-cooked sausage crumbles (like Jimmy Dean).