Bacon Lovers Breakfast Casserole

I am not much of a breakfast casserole guy. But I love to cook up a hearty breakfast. I was looking for a good recipe for an Easter brunch, and not finding exactly what I want, I took the best of three and came up with this. What I really like about this is that you don’t need to refrigerate it overnight and it will still turn out good.

Cheezy Hash Brown Egg Casserole

Serves 8

1 package (30 oz) of Mrs. Dell’s shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed.

½ cup onion, finely diced

1 ½ pound thick cut bacon

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (divided)

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

6 eggs

1 ½ cups milk

1 tablespoon flour

1 can cream of mushroom soup

Paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9” X 13” casserole dish.

Cut all but 4 strips of the bacon in to 1” X 1” squares and cook until firm. Cut the remaining 4 strips in half and cook the same way.  Be careful not to get it too crisp. Transfer the bacon as it is cooked to paper towels to reduce the grease, and allow to cool.

In a large bowl, combine the hash browns, onion, bacon, 1/3 cup of cheese, salt and pepper. Transfer to the casserole dish.

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, soup, and flour until creamy. Pour over the hash brown mixture. Sprinkle the top with 1/3 cup of the shredded cheese. Spoon the soup from the can to the casserole, evenly covering the top. Place the 8 bacon strips on top. (Evenly spaced, these will define your 8 servings.) Sprinkle the top with paprika, and pinch of salt and pepper. Bake for 1 hour.

Bake for 45 - 60 mins, or until it starts to brown and the bacon begins to crisp.

Remove from the oven, cover with the remaining cheese, and cook for additional 15 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes prior to serving. Enjoy!