Hash browns layered with all your breakfast favorites & then baked to perfection make this Cheesy Breakfast Casserole with Bacon & Eggs a yummy brunch dish!
Whoever invented the classic “BEC” (bacon, egg, and cheese) sandwich should go down in history as a game-changer. Seriously, the combination of those three heavenly breakfast items is PERFECTION.
I’ve got a breakfast shop down the street that makes my favorite BEC, but sometimes I want a more family-friendly recipe to make at home. (AKA I don’t want to be a line-order cook in the morning….). That’s where my new favorite breakfast casserole comes in: Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Breakfast Casserole!
Baked to perfection with crispy hash browns, I get my BEC craving fulfilled while also feeding my whole family in one swoop. Are you a crock pot user who loves breakfast casseroles like me? Try out this Overnight Crock Pot Breakfast Casserole – it’s another Real Housemoms favorite!
CHEESY BREAKFAST CASSEROLE WITH BACON & EGGS
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I am the opposite of a morning person (not really a night owl either… but that’s a story for another time). I was never going to be that apron-wearing, smile sharing mom who had a warm homemade breakfast waiting on the kitchen table as my sleepy children arose from their beds. It just wasn’t in the cards.
In fact, most mornings, my kids are lucky if we make it out of the house in time to grab a bowl of cereal before leaving. My boys will tell you less than flattering stories of the bowls of dry cereal we’ve shared on the drive to school. Haha! Let’s just say, breakfast is not my strong suit.
I’ve been wanting to get better at this fault of mine. I started by setting my alarm just a few minutes earlier and programming my coffee pot to turn on automatically. That way, I’m up before the kids and drinking my coffee peacefully before I’m bombarded with the questions of the day.
My next step to becoming a better morning person was to create some go-to easy breakfast recipes that are crowd-pleasers, hearty, and also EASY. Breakfast casseroles check all of those boxes and can often be prepped the night before (therefore enabling my drive to sleep in…oops). This Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Breakfast Casserole is a new family favorite and I love it because it makes my mornings go so smoothly!
Ingredients for Cheesy Breakfast Casserole with Bacon and Eggs
- Hash brown patties
- Eggs
- Milk
- Salt & pepper
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Crispy bacon
- Shredded cheddar cheese
If you want to kick your casserole a little kick, add a pinch of red pepper to the eggs. It’s delicious! Sometimes I add chopped green onion too. There’s no wrong way to gussy up this casserole.
How to Make Breakfast Casserole with Bacon
- Start by preheating your oven to 350° F. Then pour yourself a cup of coffee from your pre-programmed coffee pot. Sip and enjoy the peace and quiet in your home (for the next few minutes until everyone wakes up anyway…)
- Next, spray an 8×8 pan with generously with cooking spray.
- Layer the hash brown patties along the bottom of the pan – no they don’t fit perfectly. You’ll need to break one in half to make them fill the pan. They’ll be covered with all the eggs and cheese, so don’t worry that it doesn’t look perfect. No one will ever know 🙂
- Next, beat the eggs, milk, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder until they are well combined.
- Pour the egg mixture over the hash brown patties. Again, don’t worry about perfection. The magic of the oven will even everything out!
- Next, take the breakfast champion (aka bacon) and crumble it into tiny bits. Sprinkle the salty perfection on top of the egg mixture.
- Top the casserole with the shredded cheddar cheese.
- Pop the casserole into the oven and let it cook for 30-35 minutes. In that time, feel free to go back to bed or finish that cup of coffee you started. You’ll be your family’s breakfast hero in just a few short minutes!
- When the cheese is melted, the eggs are set, and your mouth is watering, pull the casserole out of the oven. Let it cool for about 5 minutes on a wire rack. Then slice and enjoy!!!
As we’ve already established, I am not a morning person. So, if I can find any ways to shorten my cooking time (which then allows me to sleep in just a few more precious minutes), I’m all for it. My best tips for saving time with this recipe are to:
- Cook your bacon ahead of time! I like to pull double duty when I’m using bacon. I cook up an entire package at once and use it for dinner (Bacon Wrapped Chicken anyone?) and then save the extras for this egg casserole! Just pop it in the fridge overnight and save it for the morning (you can even pre-crumble it to really save time!).
- Why not just prep the whole dish ahead of time?! You can totally get everything ready through step seven and stop. Then cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil, and refrigerate it overnight. When you wake up, preheat the oven and continue with steps eight & nine. This makes breakfast so quick and easy!
Need more bacon and eggs in your life? Me too!
- Bell Pepper Bacon Onion Frittata
- Bacon, Egg & Waffle Sandwich
- Bacon, Sausage & Cheddar Quiche
- Cheesy Bacon & Egg Muffins
- Mini Bacon Jalapeno Egg Salad Sandwiches
- More BREAKFAST recipes…
Tools used to make this Cheesy Breakfast Casserole with Bacon & Eggs recipe
Baking Dish: A square baking dish is a must-have for home cooks. This one comes with a sturdy lid for easy storing and transporting your favorite dishes!
Mixing Bowl: These mixing bowls get used just about every day at my house. The grip handle makes them easy to hold and the pour spout makes them perfect for batters!
Whisk: This is my favorite set of whisks. There’s a size for every job and the thicker handles give me a good grip.
*This post originally posted on 01/11/2015.
Ingredients
- 4 hashbrown patties frozen
- 5 eggs
- ¼ cup milk
- â…› teaspoon garlic powder
- â…› teaspoon onion powder
- â…› teaspoon salt
- â…› teaspoon pepper
- 6 slices bacon cooked crispy and crumbled
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat the inside of an 8-inch x 8-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Layer the hash brown patties on the bottom of your baking dish. You will need to break one of them up to make them all fit. (see picture above)
- In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with the milk, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until well combined. Pour eggs over the hash brown patties.
- Sprinkle cooked bacon over the eggs. Then sprinkle cheddar cheese over the bacon.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the top is beginning to brown and center is set. (The casserole no longer looks wet in the center.)
- Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for about 5 minutes. Cut into 6 slices and serve warm.
Jennifer says
Sounds delicious and easy!!!! Ive made a ton of breakfast casseroles and im excited to make this one with hashbrown patties. Thank you so very much for sharing something that is a perfect size for me and the hubby!!! Added plus… hopefully he’ll have some leftovers for a quick breakfast the next morning!!! Appreciate it!!
Vicki says
Carb count seems to be off. Hash browns have more carbs. Recipe is YUMMY though.
Aubrey Cota says
Oddly they don’t! When using just 4 of these frozen patties the carb count actually stays pretty low. Ore-Ida frozen patties are low in calories and as well as fats also so they are great brand to use if you have them in your area. Thanks Vicki.
Wendy Morgan says
The bottom hash brown breakfast 8 by 8 is my go to for 2. Used ham this time. Made it tonight and will bake in the morning. This will be my 10th time using your excellent recipe and leftovers are awesome
Aubrey Cota says
Wendy that’s so great to hear! This is my favorite kind of recipe when I have to feed a lot of people fast, I can see why you like it also.