Bacon, eggs, cheddar, and hashbrowns baked into wedges in one pie dish — assemble it the night before and sit with your coffee while the oven hosts.
Three things that make this casserole work
The pie dish does the presenting, and these are the three places it goes right or wrong.
- Bake the bacon on parchment: 425 for 15 to 20 minutes, flat strips and no spattered stove.
- Split the cheese and bacon: Most goes in the middle, the rest on top for a crispy crust.
- Wiggle, toothpick, rest: Set when wiggled, toothpick clean, then 5 minutes so wedges slice clean.
I love having this delicious bacon casserole breakfast recipe in my back pocket.
And, if you love the ham and egg combo more than bacon and egg combo, switch out ham for the bacon. You could easily make this a breakfast casserole with bacon and sausage by adding in a 1/2 or 3/4 cup full of crumbled sausage.
The great thing about breakfast for dinner and this is that you really just can’t go wrong.
But, this easy breakfast casserole with bacon will likely become a favorite, I can almost guarantee.
This one bakes in a pie dish and comes out in wedges, which makes it feel more special than a square from a 9×13. Same easy assembly, prettier plate.
The Best Easy Bacon Casserole Breakfast Recipe
When you have guests in town don’t you hate being in the kitchen?
Being bogged down with where the ingredients were all placed, chopping onions, and running to and from the microwave just isn’t fun when you want to be sitting down enjoying a cup of coffee.
I have a solution.
This is a bacon breakfast casserole that you can make 100% ahead. An overnight breakfast casserole that you’re going to love!
Or, make it the day of if you’d rather, but in this recipe you’ve got options and don’t we all love options? 🙂
And, for one extra “you must make this” plug, this is a great egg casserole with bacon if you are looking for the perfect Christmas breakfast casserole with bacon.
Why does this casserole work so well?
The cheese and bacon are split on purpose, most in the middle and the rest scattered on top. The inside stays rich while the top bakes into a crispy, cheesy crust.
Thawed hashbrowns give the eggs something to hold onto, so the wedges cut clean instead of collapsing. That is the difference between a casserole and scrambled eggs in a dish.
What have I learned making this?
Instead of standing at a splattering pan, you can bake the bacon at 425 for 15 to 20 minutes on parchment. You get flat strips, easy crumbles, and your hands stay free for the eggs!
Trust the wiggle test and the toothpick more than the timer. And yes, give it the 5 minute rest at the end, because that’s when the wedges set up enough to slice clean.
Can I really make this the night before?
Yes, one hundred percent ahead, and that is the whole point when guests are in town. You sit with your coffee in the morning while the oven does the hosting.
Bacon, eggs, cheese, and hashbrowns in one dish, with you at the table instead of at the stove. That is what breakfast for a full house is supposed to look like.
What are some great side dishes for a breakfast casserole?
Cooked bacon Sausage patties or links
Breakfast Casserole with Bacon and Potatoes
I also love these Egg Breakfast Casseroles:
Sausage Cream Cheese Crescent Rolls
Doubling It for a Crowd
For more than eight people, double everything and bake it in a greased nine by thirteen instead of two pie plates. It will need forty five to fifty minutes.
A nine by thirteen comes out in squares instead of wedges, which is fine for a buffet. For a sit down breakfast I still like the pie plate.
Swaps That Work
Ham or sausage
A cup of diced ham replaces the bacon with no other changes. A half pound of cooked, crumbled breakfast sausage works the same way.
Different cheese
Colby jack, pepper jack, or a Mexican blend all melt well here. Swiss is good with the ham version.
Adding vegetables
A half cup of diced bell pepper or a handful of chopped spinach can go in with the green onion. Cook mushrooms first so they do not release water into the eggs.
Leftovers, Reheating and Freezing
In the refrigerator
Cut leftovers into wedges and keep them covered for three to four days. They are good cold out of the fridge, which is how my husband eats them.
Reheating
A wedge reheats in the microwave in about a minute. For a crisp bottom, warm it in a dry skillet over medium heat for a few minutes instead.
Freezing
Wrap cooled wedges individually in foil and freeze them for up to two months. Reheat from frozen in a 350 oven for about twenty minutes.
Questions I Get About This Casserole
Can I use fresh potatoes?
Yes, if you shred and squeeze them well. Three cups of shredded raw russet, wrung out in a towel, works in place of the frozen.
Why did mine come out watery?
Almost always the hashbrowns went in wet. Thaw them fully and squeeze them, and the problem goes away.
Can I make it in a deep dish pie plate?
Yes, but add five to ten minutes. The thicker center takes longer to set, so go by the toothpick, not the clock.
Can I use egg whites?
A cup of liquid egg whites replaces the five eggs. The casserole sets a little firmer and loses some richness, so I would keep the full cheese.
What do you serve with it?
Fruit and something sweet. Caramel rolls or a plate of muffins next to this and a pot of coffee is a full breakfast with almost nothing to do in the morning.
More Breakfast Casseroles From My Kitchen
- Overnight Sausage Breakfast Casserole
- Bacon, Egg and Cheese Biscuit Bake
- Breakfast Quiche
- Bubble Up Sausage Breakfast Casserole
What are the ingredients for this breakfast casserole with bacon and hash browns?
This egg casserole breakfast is one of my favorites to make especially when I need breakfast for a crowd. This can also be a great make ahed breakfast since all of the ingredients can be prepared and combined quickly in the morning.
You’re going to love this Bacon egg casserole!
- 5 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 3 cups of frozen hashbrowns, thawed
- 1/3 c. greens onion, sliced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 1 1/2 cups mild cheddar cheese, divided
- 8 slices cooked bacon (or 1 cup diced ham), divided
Here’s how to make this easy Egg Casserole breakfast:
Cook and crumble your bacon in a pan (or if you’re like me, bake it on parchment paper at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes)
Stir together eggs and milk
Combine the hashbrowns, green onions, salt, pepper, 1 cup of cheese and 7 slices cooked & crumbled bacon
Pour egg and milk mixture over hashbrown mixture in a bowl and stir to combine
Pour into a 9 inch pie shape baking dish Top with remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese and crumbled bacon
Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes uncovered, or until casserole is set when you try and wiggle it and a toothpick comes out “clean”. Let the breakfast casserole sit for 5 minutes or so to let it harden up a bit.
Cut into wedges and serve. This bacon and egg casserole will serve 6-8 people alongside something else!
A Closer Look at the Ingredients
Eggs and milk
Five eggs and a half cup of milk is a small amount of custard on purpose. This is a hashbrown casserole held together with egg, not an egg bake with potatoes in it.
Frozen hashbrowns
Three cups of frozen shredded hashbrowns, thawed, give the wedges their structure. Thaw them in the refrigerator overnight or on the counter for an hour.
Squeeze the thawed hashbrowns in a clean towel before they go in. The water you wring out is water that would have made the middle soggy.
Green onion, salt and pepper
A third of a cup of sliced green onion is the only vegetable, and it is enough. A half teaspoon of salt and an eighth of pepper season the eggs, and the bacon and cheese bring the rest.
Mild cheddar
A cup and a half of mild cheddar, divided, with a cup mixed in and a half cup on top. Mild lets the bacon lead. Sharp works if that is what your family likes.
Bacon
Eight slices cooked and crumbled, with seven mixed in and one saved for the top. A cup of diced ham is the swap if you would rather skip the frying.
Step by Step, the Way I Do It
Cook the bacon first
Bake the bacon on a parchment lined sheet at 425 for twenty minutes while you do everything else. Drain it on paper towels and crumble it once it cools.
Whisk the eggs
Whisk the five eggs with the milk until there are no streaks of white. This is the one place to take an extra thirty seconds.
Build the potato mixture
In a big bowl, toss the thawed hashbrowns with the green onion, salt, pepper, seven slices of crumbled bacon, and a cup of the cheddar.
Pour the egg mixture over the top and stir until everything is coated. It will look loose. The hashbrowns absorb a lot of it in the oven.
Into the pie plate
Grease a nine inch pie plate and spread the mixture in evenly, pressing it down lightly. Scatter the last half cup of cheese and the reserved bacon over the top.
Bake and rest
Bake uncovered at 350 for thirty five to forty minutes. It is done when the middle does not wiggle and a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
Let it sit for five minutes on the counter before you cut it. That rest is what lets the wedges hold their shape on the plate.
Breakfast Casserole with Bacon and Hash Browns
Ingredients
- 5 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 3 cups of frozen hashbrowns thawed
- 1/3 c. greens onion sliced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 1 1/2 cups mild cheddar cheese divided
- 8 slices cooked bacon or 1 cup diced ham, divided
Instructions
- Cook and crumble your bacon.
- Stir together eggs and milk.
- Combine the hashbrowns, green onions, salt, pepper and 7 slices cooked & crumbled bacon.
- Add one cup of the cheddar cheese.
- Pour egg and milk mixture over hashbrown mixture in a bowl and mix well.
- Pour into a 9 inch pie plate.
- Top with remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese and crumbled bacon.
- Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes uncovered, or until casserole is set when you try and wiggle it and a toothpick comes out "clean"
- Let the breakfast casserole sit for 5 minutes or so to let it harden up a bit.
- Cut into wedges and serve - will serve 6-8 people.
