Bacon and Hash Brown Egg Bake (and 8 Other Breakfast Casseroles to Make Your Morning Easy)
If you’re trying to feed a crowd before 10 a.m., there’s almost nothing tastier — and easier — than a hash brown casserole. Not a hash brown crowd? We've got 9 other breakfast casseroles to choose from.
Pulling together a big morning spread that includes bacon, eggs, and hashbrowns usually translates into you becoming some kind of short order cook. And the point of having a big breakfast, all together, isn’t for you to be stuck in the kitchen, it’s to be together — and feed your guests something delicious while they visit.
Enter: the bacon and hash brown breakfast casserole. Your favorite American diner breakfast, pre-assembled the night before in a giant baking dish, and pop it in the oven the morning of.
Bacon and Hash Brown Egg Bake
For this hearty breakfast casserole recipe by none other than Betty Crocker, you cook bacon (a whole pound of it) until crisp, then sauté chopped onion and bell peppers with sliced mushrooms in some of the drippings over medium heat. Whisk a dozen eggs with some milk in a large bowl and set aside. Be sure to spray your casserole dish with cooking spray (whoever is washing up will thank you later). Now you can start layering your breakfast casserole, beginning with one pound of frozen hash brown potatoes, then the onion-pepper-mushroom mix, then a cup of cheddar cheese. Cover all of that with another pound of frozen hash browns, pour the whisked egg mixture over everything, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours (overnight is ideal).
The next morning, all you have to do is bake it at 325°F until golden brown; the cook time is usually about an hour. Sprinkle cheese and chopped bacon over the top and finish it in the oven until everything is melty, about five minutes. Breakfast is served — and you’re free to join the party.
What makes a breakfast casserole the king of brunch recipes is that it's endlessly customizable. Don’t like mushrooms? Leave them out. Prefer mozzarella? Great! Now it’s Italian. Vegetarian — even vegan? No problem at all. Want sweet, not savory? It’s all good: These eight other easy recipes include something for every taste.
15-Minute Kale and Egg Bake
If you’re vegetarian and feeling short on time, this one, from Healthy Nibbles and Bits, is for you. It’s über-healthy, thanks to six cups of kale, and it's easy to swap in your fave cheese and accent veggies, if goat cheese and dried tomatoes aren’t for you.
Bobbi's Egg and Green Chile Breakfast Casserole
Growing up, my mom made a version of this egg casserole, which she called a “puff.” Whatever you call it, green chiles, cheese, dairy, and eggs, combined in a baking dish with a sprinkling of green onions, is about as delicious as it comes, in the world of breakfast bakes. And they’re low carb! Kalyn Denny, of Kalyn’s Kitchen, says, “Easy low-carb breakfast casseroles are something I make all year, even when I have to use the oven to make them!”
Bacon & Eggs Tater Tot Casserole
In this savory breakfast bake, from Southern Bite, tater tots take the place of frozen hash browns — and, if you’ve made the Bacon and Hash Brown Egg Bake already, every other step will feel pretty familiar.
Easy French Toast Bake
Of course, not everyone leans savory in the morning — which is why this easy french toast bake, also from Dinner Then Dessert, is a keeper. The key here is the Texas toast, which is sliced double-thick.
Chocolate Croissant Breakfast Bake
Sweet tooths, unite! This ever-popular recipe from Plain Chicken turns dessert into breakfast, using little more than frozen mini croissants, cream cheese, chocolate chips, and a few eggs.
Cinnamon Roll Breakfast Bake
This recipe, from Cookies and Cups, manages to be both sweet and savory at once — thanks to the magic of bacon. Premade cinnamon rolls make this dead easy.
Vegetarian Breakfast Casserole
Speaking of vegan, Vegan Heaven’s take on the breakfast bake leverages silken tofu, tempeh and vegan cheese, plus a pantry full of delicious spices. One reviewer says, simply, “I could probably eat nothing but this for the rest of my life and die a happy woman.”
Huevos Rancheros Breakfast Casserole
And in the spirit of breakfast for dinner, this Mexican-inspired breakfast bake, from The Mom 100 Cookbook, is made heartier still with black beans and rice hidden underneath the eggs, cheese, and tortillas. If that's not hearty enough, it gets served with avocado, sour cream, and scallions. And Katie Workman, the cook behind The Mom 100 Cookbook, includes endless ways to riff on this recipe to your own liking.
