This easy breakfast for dinner casserole is the perfect comfort food for these trying times,
Easy Breakfast for Dinner Casserole
This dish is one of those easy meals where you, pretty much, just layer everything in your casserole dish and let the oven do the work. It hits all the notes. Cheesy, savory, salty, meaty and very filling.
Love at first bite
The first time I tasted this dish was at our son and daughter in law’s home during our traditional Thanksgiving week with them. You know, way back when life was normal and we could visit people. Back when we could still hug and kiss our loved ones. Eve made this for all of us one morning for breakfast and I was hooked at first bite.
Truly comfort food at its best.
Shortly after we returned home I went about creating my own version. And since I was planning on this being dinner I wanted to add a bit more protein to the mix so instead of using ham, like Eve did, I went with sausage mix and bacon.
Look at that gorgeous golden brown top!
How it comes together
First I cooked the cut up bacon until it was crisp and had rendered a good bit of fat. I removed the bacon and added my diced onions and bell pepper and cooked that until tender. Next I added my sausage mix along with some salt and pepper and cooked that through. Once that was done, all that was left was to layer the ingredients in my baking dish and bake until golden brown and bubbly.
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Easy Breakfast for Dinner Casserole
My favorite breakfast for dinner dish that is cheesy, meaty, a little salty and as comforting as a hug from someone you love.
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pound thick cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large onion, diced
1 bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 pound breakfast sausage mix (I used Tennessee Pride brand)
1 32–ounce package frozen shredded hash browns
1/2 cup butter, melted (1 stick)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 large eggs
1 1/3 cups half and half
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400º F.
- Spray a 9-inch X 13-inch baking dish with non-stick spray, or grease with butter.
- Heat olive oil in a heavy frying pan over medium low heat and add cut up bacon. Cook the bacon until crisp and remove from pan to drain on paper towels.
- To the same pan that you cooked the bacon in, add the onions. Cook till soft but not colored. Add the bell pepper and cook till tender.
- Add the sausage to the onions and peppers and break up with wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until cooked through.
- Pour the hash browns into the prepared baking dish. Pour the melted butter over the potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Stir and spread out evenly.
- Bake in the 400º oven for 25-30 minutes. The potatoes should be slightly browned on top. Remove from the oven. Reduce oven temperature to 350º F.
- Layer the potatoes with the sausage, onion and bell pepper mixture, then the cheeses, then sprinkle with the cooked bacon.
- Whisk the eggs, half and half, dry mustard, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Whisk until well combined.
- Pour egg mixture evenly over the casserole making sure it is well distributed.
- Bake at 350º F for about 40 minutes until the top is golden brown and bubbly. If the edges are browning too quickly you should cover lightly with aluminum foil.
- Allow to rest for about 10-15 minutes before cutting into portions.
Notes
You could substitute ham for the sausage and bacon if that is what you have on hand. Or even use different cheese if you prefer.
This dish can easily serve 6-8 for dinner by itself. Or it could serve 8-10 for dinner if served with a side salad. And if you are serving this easy breakfast for dinner casserole for breakfast, it may serve 10-12. But it is so delicious for any meal that you will want to plan on large portions.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
This dish is so comforting that it’s like a great big bear hug!!!
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