Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Thaw the hash browns. Place them in a colander or several paper towels and squeeze out any excess water.

In a medium bowl combine the thawed has browns, grated onion, egg, salt and pepper. Mix well.

Press the potato mixture into the bottom of a 9 inch pie pan as well as
2inches up the sides of the pie pan. Make it a thin layer. Bake for
30 minutes.

While the crust is baking, cook the breakfast sausage in a skillet, using a
spatula to break the sausage into pieces. Cook for 7-10 minutes or
until browned. Put the sausage in a large bowl and cool.

Add the eggs, onions, peppers, and 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese to the sausage
mixture and mix well. Pour the egg mixture into the hot hash brown
crust. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Reduce oven heat to 375 degrees. Bake for 30 minutes or until the center is set.

Remove from oven, allow to cool 5 minutes, then serve.