Bacon Potato, and Egg Casserole – this easy breakfast casserole is packed with bacon, potatoes, and cheese! It can be prepared ahead of time and is a real crowd pleaser!
This post is sponsored by Wright Brand Bacon, but our opinions are our own.
Christmas Morning Breakfast Casserole
Christmas morning isn’t Christmas morning unless I am eating one of my dad’s famous homemade cinnamon rolls. They are a family tradition. Josh loves my dad’s cinnamon rolls, everyone does, but Christmas morning for Josh means BACON! Josh loves bacon and insists on making his favorite breakfast casserole: my Bacon, Potato, and Egg Casserole every Christmas. I don’t mind because he does all of the work and there is always room for another tradition, especially a food tradition. The more the merrier on Christmas!
The “B” in Breakfast Casserole is for…Bacon!
This is the perfect egg casserole for Christmas morning because it is easy to make, feeds a crowd, and everyone loves it! And, it has bacon. Loads of it. Our boys’ eyes light up like the lights on our Christmas tree when they hear the word bacon:)
This easy breakfast casserole is filled with Wright Brand Naturally Smoked Applewood Bacon, cheddar cheese, and potatoes. Josh also adds onion, red pepper, and garlic for flavor.
Josh loves using Wright Brand Bacon because it is hand selected, hand trimmed, and hand smoked. Every slice is thick and hearty. He puts bacon in the egg casserole AND on top. Bacon lovers rejoice! 🙂
An Easy Make-ahead Breakfast Casserole
This egg casserole can be prepared in advance, which makes it perfect for Christmas morning. You can prepare the night before and bake in the morning or you can bake and reheat in the morning. And just an FYI, this Bacon, Potato, and Egg Casserole also makes a great dinner, especially on busy weeknights. My boys love this breakfast casserole ANY time of the day!
Make this easy Bacon, Potato, and Egg Casserole part of your holiday celebration this year and for years to come!
If you like this easy breakfast casserole recipe, you might also like:
Breakfast
Bacon, Potato, and Egg Casserole
- Prep Time
- 15 minutes
- Cook Time
- 50 minutes
- Total Time
- 1 hour 5 minutes
- Cuisine
- American
- Servings
- 10
Ingredients
- 1 lb bacon, cut into 1/2-inch strips
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 red bell pepper seeds removed and diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 12 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 3 cups frozen diced potatoes you don't have to thaw or cook the potatoes
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 green onions chopped
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
-
In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cook until it is a nice crispy brown. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel lined plate. Roughly chop the bacon and set aside.
-
Add the onion and red pepper to the skillet and cook over medium heat until tender. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Set aside.
-
In a large bowl, beat the eggs and whisk in the milk. Stir in the cooked vegetables, potatoes, and 1 cup of the shredded cheese. Set 3/4 cup of bacon aside and stir in the rest. Season with salt and pepper.
-
Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and top remaining cheese and green onions. Bake for 20 minutes so the eggs start to set up. Carefully add the remaining bacon to the top of the casserole. Bake for an additional 20 minutes or until the eggs are firm and the top is slightly golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes. Cut into squares and serve warm.
-
Note: This casserole can be made in advance. Pour the mixture in the pan and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Bake when ready to eat. You can also reheat the casserole.
Keywords
breakfast casserole, egg casserole
This is such a great easy breakfast or dinner idea! I love how simple but filling it is. I could go for some right about now 🙂
This looks like the perfect thing to make for our family’s Christmas morning breakfast! Have you tried baking this in a muffin tin to make “make-ahead” breakfasts? Could be a yummy idea!
Yes, you can bake in muffin cups! Great for breakfast on the go!
Yes, I actually pour them into cupcake papers then put them in freezer bags and the kids just pop them in the microwave.
This is truly a hubby approved recipe. What a fabulous idea for Christmas morning! Merry Christmas, Maria!!!
looks so delicious Maria!
Thank you and Merry Christmas.
Not meaning to pick…but you say the potatoes should be “unthawed.” That would mean frozen —- right? This sounds so yummy…must make! Thanks.
Sorry I didn’t make sense. I updated the recipe to be more clear. Yes, just use frozen potatoes. No need to thaw or cook them! Easy peasy!
Another potato question–If using fresh diced potatoes, do they go in raw or do they need to be cooked first before adding?
What a tasty breakfast casserole!
I love breakfasts that can be made ahead! This one looks amazing. Extra bacon on top is ALWAYS a good thing!
Do you thaw the frozen potatoes? To me, “unthawed” mean they are not thawed. Just wanted to clarify. Thank you.
No need to thaw or cook the potatoes, just add them in frozen. I clarified in the recipe. Sorry if it was confusing!
Recipes like this make breakfast/brunch my favorite meal of the day! I cannot wait to share this with my family.
Can I use fresh potatoes instead and perhaps parboil them for a bit?
Thank you in advance 🙂
A fan from Melbourne, Australia
Yes, that would work! Enjoy!
This looks delish! and I will definitely be making it this week – thanks for sharing it – love Wright’s Bacon – it’s so good! And I agree with Josh and the boys…yummy bacon!
How long will it last in the freezer?
The recipe looks great but we don’t eat bacon here. Any suggestions for a substitute? Thanks! 🙂
You can just leave it out or add in some veggies!
You can substitute bacon with ham…
This looks so great Maria! Mmmm!
This dish is totally worth creating a new tradition for! The profile shot of the potato goodness is everything!!
Oh this looks amazing!
Are “frozen diced potatoes” the same as store bought hash browns or is it simply store bought frozen potato?
Yes, hash browns will work!
Will definitely be making this Christmas morning. Is there another type cheese that melts easily and doesnt separate like cheddar often does.
Try Havarti! It is so melty and delicious!
I only have fresh potatoes. Will that be OK?
You can use fresh potatoes, but cook them a little with the veggies to make sure they get done.
This casserole was amazing. I made it for Christmas brunch and everyone absolutely loved it. Thanks for the wonderful recipe. Merry Christmas to you and your family. I hope your children have a magical Christmas!!!
We made this for Christmas morning. It was a hit with young and old. We had turkey bacon on hand and frozen has browns. But it worked! Thank you
Glad you liked it!
Hi. If I put this together the night before, don’t the potatoes thaw and get mushy? Or do you just throw the potatoes in with the rest of the mixture right before you bake it in the morning?
Thanks for all your great recipes.
We have prepared it the night before and the frozen potatoes didn’t get mushy.
Can you make this without the cheese? I am looking for casseroles to make for my upcoming Whole 30
I haven’t tried it without cheese. It might be dry without the cheese, but let me know if you try it! Maybe add more eggs?
I made this today for coffee hour at church and it was fabulous!!! This is the best breakfast casserole I’ve ever made. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!!
Do you drain the bacon fat? I am confused…
No, we don’t!
I was confused about that as well. I ended up awkwardly spooning the cooked onion and red pepper out onto a paper towel just I did with the bacon. Worried a bit about losing some caramelized onion flavor, but the thought of keeping in all that bacon fat – was not going to happen. The casserole turned out great – was a big hit for our brunch. Next time maybe I’ll saute onions/pepper in 1 part bacon fat 3 parts olive oil – because as we know, there’s nothing more yummy than anything bacon! Well, maybe except bacon ice cream. Thanks, Maria!
Thanks so much for this awesome dish !!! Just threw it in the oven this morning. Love Sunday mornings with the whole family and this will be great for them to try:) Blessings to you and yours!
I made this last Christmas and it was amazing! I was wondering if anyone has tried to freeze it and reheat it. I’m looking for freezer meals to stock up on once I have my baby and no time to cook!
Love this recipe. Thank you.
Hi: Can this be made with Eggbeaters? Thanks
Yes!
This looks delicious! I made it for a work function for my husband, unfortunately, I won’t get to taste it. I did have a question, though. After cooking and removing the bacon from the pan, in instruction 3 you said add the onion and peppers to the pan and cook till tender. Did you mean cook the onion, pepper, and garlic in the bacon grease left from the bacon? If so, I assume I drain the veggies afterwards. Or did you mean to dump out all the bacon grease and THEN cook the veggies in a clean skillet? Asking because there was about a cup of bacon grease after the bacon was done cooking. Thank you!
I didn’t have that much bacon grease. You can dump some of it out and use a little to cook the onion and peppers.
How long and what temperature do you reheat it at?
If I wanted to bake this in a muffin tin should I adjust the bake time at all?? I’m making this for my mom for Mother’s Day!! Can’t wait for her to try it!! Thanks in advance!!
Yes, you would need to reduce the baking time.
Any recommendations for how to adjust this to be muffins? Would we need to defrost or cook the potatoes first since the cooking time would be shorter? And how long would you recommend baking them for?
Did you try making these in muffin tins? How did they turn out? How long did you cook them for?
I haven’t, but I am sure it would work just fine. Reduce the time, I would check them at 12-15 minutes to be safe. They might take a little longer.
I cut this in half because it was only my husband and I. Didn’t have that much bacon, but even so it was amazing. We ate about 2/3 of it and put the rest in the frig for later. My picky husband rated it a 5 (highly unusual for him). Will definitely add more bacon next time.
Out of 10?
I think the oven temp may be a little low. I’ve had mine in for over an hour now and the middle still isn’t quite set, finally bumped the temp up to 400 degrees.
I had to do the same, cooked it until the center was firm, an extra twenty minutes or so. Excellent recipe though and the leftovers are great too! Perfect make ahead casserole!
Can you use fresh potato?
Happy Fathers Day! I had a very happy hubby this morning, a fantastic make ahead!!
Served with fresh local strawberries ,raspberries and cherries!
Can this be made ahead of time and frozen? I was hoping to make it to take on our vacation.
Yes. It freezes great. We cut ours (what was left) into portion sizes & froze them individually. They can take a while to thaw, in the winter at least, as I don’t use the microwave (although my husband does & said it worked fine). If I remember correctly, I re-heated my 3″x3″ piece & a bigger piece for my husband at 350° for about 20 min as they were still partially frozen. His was a bit too heated & mine was WAY TOO heated – neither was any worse for the wear! Still great taste & texture.
Hubby wanted to try cooking the hashbrowns before using on our second batch, so I pre-cooked them until crispy. Although the cassarole is great following the above directions, this batch was even better. And then we added ham….. over the top.
Can I use fresh potatoes?
Yes!
Couldn’t not get this to cook in the center, should definitely use thawed potatoes even though the recipe said frozen was okay. Baked twice as long, cheese started to burn, pulled out of oven, scooped out uncooked center and cooked in frying pan – ughh!!
Looks yummy always looking for good breakfast ideas!
Hi. Did you use Ore Ida diced hash brown potatoes? Thanks!
So delicious! I added dollops of sour cream to the top and it was a yummy addition.
Just made this and bringing it to a breakfast potluck!! I am super excited, it turned out exactly like the picture and I am sure I will be impressing some people with this!
Thank you for sharing this excellent recipe. The ingredients listed above are of high-quality as well. Can’t wait to try it.
Do I cover the bake?
I never do.
What is the nutritional breakdown on the potato, bacon & egg Casserole? Thanks.
Made this Christmas Eve morning. Once it came out the oven and my kids could smell it everyone suddenly came downstairs. Doorbell rang and Nana came over and we all enjoyed the casserole. Delicious!!!
I made this Christmas morning with regular and turkey bacon. It was a huge hit on both ends. I was wondering for everyday breakfast could this be made with half whole eggs/half egg whites? If so, should I increase the egg whites?
Glad you liked it! If you are taking the egg yolks away, you will need to add more egg whites.
If I want to do half with bacon and half with just veggies, is it best to use two small loaf pans or the 9×13 pan and only put bacon in top? Thanks!
For future reference, an 8×8 pan is about half the area of a 9×13.
I made this for Christmas and it was a huge hit! I was wondering how this would bake with half egg whites and half whole eggs?
Sorry for the double boost!
Sure! Glad you liked it!
When do you add in the potatoes?
In the bowl with the veggies.
Easy and everyone loved it. Thank you!
Can I freeze the left overs??? Instead of peppers I added 1/2 can of mixed veggies. I might add some salsa in replace of some of the milk. Next time 🙂
Yes! Salsa would be good!
I made this for a brunch and it turned out awesome. We had some non-pork eaters, so I used turkey bacon, and I used the Simply Potato brand packaged hash browns. Everyone loved it, and I love that it’s a simple recipe that you can tinker around with.
I’m wondering if anyone’s tried to double this? I need to make breakfast for 75 to 80 people for a homeless outreach for our church. I was thinking if I doubled it 4 times (4 LG tin casseroles) that it might work. Any suggestions?
I just made this for 26 women at a church retreat and tripled the recipe (for 30). It all went into one large aluminum casserole pan (from Sam’s Club) We had very little left over. Doubling it 4 times sounds like it would feed the number of people you are talking about.
How do I reheat this casserole? Does not say. In oven covered with foil or in microwave covered with plastic wrap?
I usually reheat in microwave covered to keep moisture in.
I made this for a large group over Memorial Day weekend. I made a 1.5 batch as we had 15 people to serve. It was delicious and everyone liked it.
? Trying to log nutrition per serving. Did this recipe have any info. I might have to try to figure it out. Make it fit my macros. Eggs bacon potatoes perfect breakfast.
This is a go to for Christmas or to freeze for weekday breakfasts! I do think there is a bit too much cheese. I use 1 1/2 cup cheddar divided. Removed all but 3 tablespoons bacon grease to saute vegetables. I keep the bacon grease on the side in case I need more. Also, It doesn’t set up in the time alotted so I put under the broiler for 3-5 minutes to brown on top! The more cheese the more wet it stays!
Oh, I also addes a small can of green chilis 4 ounces.
Do you think I could just use a bag of frozen potatoes o’brien (with onions and peppers already in it) instead? Thanks!
Yes!!
Did you make with potatoes o’brien cause I was thinking that when I read recipe??
This recipe was super easy to follow and it came out perfectly. I made it for a gathering at work and everyone LOVED it! Very, very good
Glad it was a hit!
This was terrific and came out looking just like the photo!
Glad you liked it!
Made this for our church breakfast. Delicious! Still getting compliments.
Toni Staten Island ny
I made this wonderful casserole for 26 women at our church Retreat and tripled the recipe. It was an instant hit with any asking for the recipe. I made it the night before and added an additional 40 minutes to the baking time as we live in the mountains and needed the additional time. I used one of the very large aluminum baking pans from Sam’s Club and it held it all perfectly. It rose as it baked and was like a souffle, I plan on using this recipe again during the holidays. It was great!!
Bet this would be great with diced ham also…
how many people does this serve?
Hey, thanks a lot for sharing this amazing recipe. The ingredients listed above are really superb. I must try it.
Cheers,
Allison
While this is the best recipe for a Breakfast Casserole, I found that I needed to cook it for 20 mins longer.
made the bacon, potato and egg casserole this morning. I used two baking dish – simply delicious – will make again, it makes enough for 6 – any day or for a brunch –
I made this to take to a tailgate. It was a great recipe but WAY too salty. The bacon adds a lot of salt so back off on the salt. I also took a shortcut of using frozen potatoes with onions and peppers mixed in. I will make again. Perfect for breakfast or brunch.
I made this for breakfast on a recent group camping outing. I reduced the recipe by half since we had many other breakfast options. It turned out very well. Right then and there I decided to add it to the Christmas morning breakfast menu. Very yummy. Thanks.
You are welcome!
Excellent recipe. Definitely will make again!!
planning to make this casserole for Christmas. question: can shredded hash brown potatoes used in place of diced potatoes
Can you freeze this ahead of time?
Can. It be frozen?
I made this for Christmas Eve brunch. It was sooo good! As any one cooking does, I had my own little variations. I added mushrooms, and seasoned the egg mix with pepper, a little salt, paprika, garlic powered, parsley, and oregano. I also did a mix of heavy cream and milk instead of straigh milk. I also used a different kind of bacon than what was listed. I ended up needing to cook the eggs longer than what is listed here, probably closer to an hour and a half.
I have a gluten-free brother-in-law so this is a great alternative to a strata. This recipe is bookmarked and will definitely be making it again!
Just to let you know that I made this recipe for my family. I have a sister that does not like bread in these type of breakfast casseroles so this was the one for me to try. I used fresh diced potatoes that I steamed in the microwave only because I didn’t have any frozen potatoes in the freezer. I also omitted the onions because my eldest daughter does not like onions. I used onion powder instead. And there was one more substitution of garlic powder instead of fresh garlic-for the life of me I could not find the garlic cloves I just bought. My family enjoyed it very much. Even with multiple substitutions this was a yummy dish for breakfast. Thank you.
Can you use just regular potatoes? I’ve got a bag I’ve gotta use up and I’m wondering if they would cook okay within that time at only 350, should I saute them first? Thank you.
It’s a quiche without pastry. I have made before but cooked using a bain -Marie . That saves the edges burning or cooking toon much .
another winner, thank you maria. and so easy.
a big hit at our easter gathering….. :0)
Can you use sweet potatoes instead?
I haven’t tried it, but it sounds good to me!
Oh my gosh, it just supersedes any breakfast casserole…..comfort food in my eyes, I’ve scouted many breakfast casseroles for 4 years, since these are my favorites, and, hands down the best, easiest, most tasty soothing and reliable recipe yet.
Josh knows his bacon! I tried Wright’s bacon for the first time-awesome! Great casserole too
Prepped this the night before and placed it in the fridge. Took it out of the fridge the next morning and baked it for 50 minutes in a Pampered Chef stoneware pan. It tasted excellent!
Can you make this ahead of time and leave in the fridge and bake it the next day? Thank you.
does this freeze well?
I made this casserole for my birthday and it is delicious thank you first time making one, I made it a little different but it is very good good
Glad you enjoyed it!
No
I have made this a couple of times. Very good!!!
Can this recipe be made a few days ahead, frozen, and then baked the morning of when you need it?
Yes, that should be just fine.
You didn’t give directions for when to add the potatoes!!! Would love to know
See step 4.
This looks so yummy. I need to make one of my egg dishes without cheese. Do you think this one could be good without the cheddar?
How many people will this feed? Looking to make this for an office of 17 people
It makes a 9×13 pan. You can maybe get 17 servings out of one pan, but they will be smaller. If it is the main dish, you might want to do 2 pans.
The casserole was delicious. It’s definitely a do-over!
Yay!
Love this recipe, made it for three different occasions in the last three weeks! Eggs are wonderfully moist, not dried out like some egg casseroles. The only thing I changed is 1 clove of garlic, three is too much garlic.
Sounds great. What size casserole? 9” x 12”?
To freeze, do you cook it first and then freeze it or prepare it, freeze it and then bake it?
Can you bake this in a springform pan for a better presentation?
Thank you so much for this recipe. I had never done a breakfast casserole before so I decided to give it a try and take it for work’s potluck….and it was a total hit!!! However I will say that I did have to raise the temperature up to $450 for about 5-7 minutes after the total 40 minutes because it just wasn’t cooked all the way at 350. Other than that i will continue to make for my family.
Glad you liked it!
Do you have the nutritional information for this per serving?
I wanted to use fresh not frozen potatoes but how would I need to adjust the recipe for that?
You can use them, you don’t need to thaw them. It might take a few more minutes, but not much.
This is a great recipe. Made it today for my Sunday School Class. It was a hit.
Yay!
This was delicious. Wonder what the calorie count per serving is?
I look forward to trying this recipe on my crew of 5 kids tonight. I LOVE breakfast for dinner!
As a side note: Have you ever considered including the Evernote app for your followers? I use it to save my recipes. It’s really helpful.
If I want to make it before hand and reheat it, how long should I bake it for the first time and how long should I reheat it when I actually want to eat it? (And at what temperatures?)
did you ever get an answer to your question? I was quivering the same thing?
Wow this an amazing dish! Thank for the reciepe! I did a small twist I added pepper jack cheese and wow wow wow it is delicious!!
Can you make this with ham instead of bacon.
can you use fresh,not frozen, potatoes?
I make this recipe, but I take frozen hash browns, thaw them then line the bottom and sides of the 9 × 13 pan with them, pour in eggs mixture and bake!!
The store is all sold out of hashbrown and diced potatoes (2 stores. Sigh). What changes would need to be made to use mini tater tots? Thank you!
cant find diced frozen potatoes
If I bake it , but an bout serving it for 1 1/2 days, how do I reheat and should i1 bake it for less time the 1st time?
My oven will be occupied with the turkey, what do you think about cooking it on the stove? No non stick pans in my house, only stainless, It may stick to the bottom but if I heat it up as I do when making a regular omelette it should be ok?
thank you!
I made the BACON, POTATO, AND EGG CASSEROLE dish for Christmas Morning. It was good and I will make it again but mine took 20 minutes longer than expected. I didn’t know how much salt and pepper to add.
Scott
Can this be frozen for later use ?
I potion and freeze the leftovers for breakfast burrito filling. It works out great.
Thank you for this fabulous recipe! We had a house full of relatives staying over the Christmas holidays this year. I prepared this Christmas Eve night, parboiling fresh potoatoes and using cooked sausage meat instead of bacon. Christmas morning, early, I took it out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter for 45 mins, while the troops assembled by the tree.
During the presents’ mayhem, and when a few of the kids started saying they were getting hungry…I sneaked into the kitchen, popped it into a preheated 400 degree oven (my oven is old so I need to bake everything at 400), and within a short-time, it was done and the aroma was heavenly. I did add more grated cheese (a mixture of havarti and cheddar) on top, halfway through baking.
Everyone loved it and the kids abandoned their presents like they were under a spell, as the smell brought them all to the table. Not a morsel was left and I ended up making it again, the day they all left, for their long drive home. Everyone thanked me over and over for making it.
So, in turn, I, thank you, for this fabulous recipe. I now call it, “Mom’s Morning Life-Saver!”
My husband says I should call it simply, “Happy Family!”
You spoiled us with your love and terrific hostess talents, Carrie!
Thanks for all you do and did, to make everyone’s holiday so wonderful!
We promise to make this breakfast dish too, when you all come to our place for Easter this year.
Love from Dave, Glenda and the bratty…oops, awesome kids!
Yay! Glad your family loved it!
Family seal of approval! The only thing I would do is add more bacon.
this is madness you guys need to add the equipment to the recipe
My family loves this breakfast casserole. Sometimes we change out the cheddar for Monterey Jack and the red peppers for green chilies. Either way we make is great. The best part is the leftovers make a fantastic filling for breakfast burritos.
Wow! lovely mix..great texture to watch..thanks for sharing..
I made this for brunch this morning along with my old standby sausage, egg and cheese casserole. Let me start out saying I never follow a recipe to exactly. The only changes I made were a little more milk ( 1/2 cup of so) and I cut up potatoes and parboiled them. I added a little more salt too. It cut and served well. My sausage, egg, and cheese was still the kids pick – they love that casserole.
Can I substitute frozen shredded hash browns? Do I need to cook them some with my veggies or just put them in thawed? Don’t want it to get mushy, making for a birthday party
Cook an extra 20 minutes — middle was still runny after only 40 minutes. Substituted 1/2 jalapeno pepper for red pepper (next time will use the whole jalapeno) and added some garlic powder as well as fresh garlic. I just threw all the bacon into the egg mixturw but did put half of the cheddar on top with the scallions. Delicious and super simple!! Will make again.
Glad you liked the breakfast casserole!
This sounds delicious! Can you freeze this casserole?
If using bacon, do you fry it first? Also, do you use a round 8 qt. casserole dish or a 9 x 13 baking dish?
See the recipe, yes you cook the bacon first and you need a 9×13-inch pan.
This looks absolutely wonderful and super easy! I’m going to try it tonight for supper! The only potatoes I have on hand are frozen tater tots, so I’m going to give them a try. Will let you know! 🙂
Hello is I possible I can freez the recipe? And how would I go about doing it? Before or after cooking?
Yes, freeze after!
I use the frozen potatoes with the peppers and onions. That way I can skip the step of cooking and chopping vegetables!