Spray a skillet with non-stick cooking spray, then brown the sausage, mixed with the fennel seed.
Drain the sausage well and set it aside.
Coat a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Evenly pour the Potatoes O'Brien into the dish. At this point, if you prefer, you can coat the potatoes with a nice coat of cooking oil spray like olive oil spray.
Top the potatoes with the cooked sausage.
Whisk together the eggs and milk.
Pour it evenly over the potatoes and sausage.
Bake in the oven at 350*F for 45 minutes or until eggs are set.
Carefully remove and top with cheese, bake for 5 additional minutes. (If you do not want melted cheese on top, skip this step.)
Serve with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
This can be served with sour cream, chives, salsa, and more!