Bacon, egg and hash brown casserole is a whole breakfast in one 9×13 dish: shredded hash browns tossed with crispy bacon, onion, cheddar and Parmesan, covered with a creamy egg, milk and sour cream custard, and finished with a crunchy buttered cornflake or panko topping. It bakes at 350°F for about 50 minutes and feeds 8, so you can serve a big weekend brunch without standing at the stove.
How to make it: Cook the chopped bacon with the onion until crisp and drain it. Toss the thawed hash browns with the bacon, onion and both cheeses and spread them in a greased dish. Whisk the eggs, milk, sour cream, salt, ground mustard and pepper, pour it over and bake 35 minutes. Add the buttered crumbs and bake 10 to 15 minutes more, until golden and set at 160°F.
Why You’ll Love It
- Feeds a crowd: 8 hearty servings from one dish.
- Everything in one pan: potatoes, bacon, eggs and cheese bake together.
- Crunchy top: buttered cornflakes or panko add crunch over the soft eggs.
- Freezer-friendly: freeze it unbaked or in baked slices.
Ingredient Notes
Hash browns: one 30-ounce bag of frozen shredded hash browns, thawed. Squeeze out extra water so the casserole doesn’t turn soggy.
Bacon and onion: 8 slices of bacon, chopped, cooked with ½ cup chopped onion until crisp.
Cheese: 1½ cups shredded cheddar and ½ cup shredded Parmesan.
Egg custard: 8 large eggs, 2 cups milk and 1 cup sour cream, seasoned with 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground mustard and ½ teaspoon black pepper. The sour cream keeps the eggs creamy, and the mustard sharpens the cheese flavor.
Topping: 1 cup crushed cornflakes or panko tossed with ¼ cup melted unsalted butter.
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Ingredients
- 8 slices bacon, chopped
- ½ cup onion, chopped
- 1 bag frozen shredded hash browns (30 oz), thawed
- 1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 8 large eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground mustard
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 cup crushed cornflakes or panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- Cooking spray or oil, for greasing
How to Make Bacon, Egg and Hash Brown Casserole
1. Heat the oven. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or oil.
2. Cook the bacon. In a skillet, cook bacon and onion over medium heat until bacon is crisp. Drain on paper towels.
3. Layer the potatoes. In a large bowl, combine hash browns, bacon, onion, cheddar, and Parmesan. Spread evenly in the baking dish.
4. Add the eggs. In the same bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, sour cream, salt, mustard, and pepper. Pour over the hash brown mixture.
5. Bake. Bake uncovered for 35 minutes.
6. Add the topping. In a small bowl, mix crushed cornflakes or panko with melted butter. Sprinkle over the casserole.
7. Finish baking. Return to oven and bake for another 10–15 minutes, until the top is golden, the center is set and it reaches 160°F.
8. Rest. Let rest for 5–10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Tips for the Best Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole
- Thaw and dry the hash browns. Frozen potatoes release water as they bake. Thaw them and press out the moisture with a towel.
- Cook the bacon crisp. It softens a little in the custard, so start with it well done.
- Whisk the custard smooth. Beat the sour cream into the eggs first so it doesn’t leave lumps.
- Add the topping late. Putting the crumbs on for the last part of baking keeps them crisp instead of burnt.
- Check the center. It’s done when the middle no longer jiggles and reads 160°F.
- Let it rest. A few minutes out of the oven makes cleaner slices.
Make Ahead, Freezing & Storage
The night before: Toss the hash brown, bacon and cheese mixture in the dish and refrigerate it covered. Keep the whisked egg mixture in a separate covered container. In the morning, pour the eggs over and bake, adding a few minutes for the cold dish.
Freezer: Assemble the casserole without the topping and freeze it tightly wrapped, or freeze baked slices. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before baking or reheating.
Leftovers: Refrigerate within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days. Reheat slices until hot, to 165°F.
Variations
- Sausage or ham: swap the bacon for cooked breakfast sausage or diced ham.
- Vegetables: add sautéed bell peppers, mushrooms or spinach.
- Cheese: use pepper jack or Colby Jack in place of the cheddar.
- Diced potatoes: use frozen diced hash browns (Southern style) instead of shredded.
- Ritz topping: swap the cornflakes for crushed buttery crackers.
What to Serve With It
Fresh fruit, a green salad or toast round it out. For a bigger brunch, add cinnamon roll coffee cake.
More breakfast casseroles: sausage, egg and cream cheese hash brown breakfast casserole, bacon, egg and cheese biscuit casserole and breakfast casserole with tater tots and sausage. For a savory pie, try bacon and cheese quiche, and for a bacon side salad, spinach salad with warm bacon dressing.
Another hash brown breakfast to try is Crockpot Breakfast Casserole, slow cooked on LOW overnight or on HIGH.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to thaw the hash browns?
Yes. Thawed, dried hash browns bake evenly and keep the casserole from turning watery.
Can I make it the night before?
Yes. Refrigerate the potato mixture and the egg mixture separately, then combine and bake in the morning.
How do I know it’s done?
The top is golden, the center is set and it reads 160°F.
Can I freeze it?
Yes. Freeze it unbaked without the topping, or freeze baked slices.
Can I use sausage instead of bacon?
Yes. Cook and drain the sausage first, then use it the same way.
Why is my casserole soggy?
The hash browns weren’t dried, or it was cut before it rested.
How long do leftovers keep?
3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Final Notes
Dry the hash browns, cook the bacon crisp and add the crunchy topping near the end. If you try it with sausage or pepper jack, tell me in the comments how it turned out.
Bacon Egg and Hash Brown Casserole
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Ingredients
- 8 slices bacon chopped
- ½ cup onion chopped
- 1 bag frozen shredded hash browns 30 oz, thawed
- 1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 8 large eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground mustard
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 cup crushed cornflakes or panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- cooking spray or oil for greasing
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or oil.
- In a skillet, cook bacon and onion over medium heat until bacon is crisp. Drain on paper towels.
- In a large bowl, combine hash browns, bacon, onion, cheddar, and Parmesan. Spread evenly in the baking dish.
- In the same bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, sour cream, salt, mustard, and pepper. Pour over the hash brown mixture.
- Bake uncovered for 35 minutes.
- In a small bowl, mix crushed cornflakes or panko with melted butter. Sprinkle over the casserole.
- Return to oven and bake for another 10–15 minutes, until the top is golden, the center is set and it reaches 160°F.
- Let rest for 5–10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates based on the listed ingredients and serving count. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion sizes.
