Bacon and Hash Brown Egg Bake

We were having over-night guests, so I wanted to make a breakfast casserole that I could prepare the day ahead and bake in the morning.  Of course, this was the perfect opportunity to try a new recipe.  This one sounded a bit different because of the Dijon mustard and vegetables, so I thought I'd give it a try.

I found this recipe on Pinterest, but originated at BettyCrocker.com.  How could I go wrong with a Betty Crocker recipe?  The preparation was easy and it was a hit with everyone who partook.  This dish got 7's and mostly 8's on the Melnarik rating scale.

To begin, I cut the bacon into 1-inch wide strips and cooked them over high heat in a medium skillet until crisp.

I removed the bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon and placed it on several layers of paper towels to drain and cool.

After removing all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon drippings, I added the onion, red bell pepper and sliced mushrooms to the skillet.  I cooked the vegetables over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables were tender.

I then stirred in the salt, pepper and Dijon mustard.

In a large bowl, I combined the eggs and milk, using a whisk.

The mixture should be fully blended, but not whipped until it is foamy.

After greasing a 9- x 13-inch baking dish, I evenly placed half of the thawed hash brown potatoes on the bottom.

Then, I evenly distributed the vegetables.

On top of that, I added half of the cheese.

The rest of the hash browns were added as the next layer.

I poured the egg mixture evenly on top and covered the baking dish in plastic wrap.  I placed it in the refrigerator to chill overnight.

I placed the remaining cheese and the cooled bacon in bowls, covered them with plastic wrap and placed them in the refrigerator also.

About 1 1/2 hours before serving breakfast, I preheated the oven to 325°F.  I removed the baking dish from the refrigerator, took off the plastic wrap and placed it in the preheated oven to cook for about an hour.  When it came out of the oven, the egg was nicely cooked and the cheese was melted.

Taking the leftover cheese from the day before, I sprinkled it evenly over the dish.

I then added the bacon I had reserved, sprinkling it as evenly as possible over the cheese.

Back into the oven it went for an additional 5 minutes to melt the cheese and heat the bacon through.

The dish was easy to cut into squares for serving and pared with some wheat toast, it was a hearty breakfast.  It was a nice way to serve some vegetables at breakfast, and who doesn't love bacon!  Enjoy!

Bacon & Hash Brown Egg Bake (Betty Crocker)

1 pound bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped (3/4 cup)

1 package (8 oz.) sliced fresh mushrooms

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

¾ cup milk

12 eggs

1 package (2 lb.) frozen hash browns, thawed

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (16 oz.)

In a 12-inch skillet, cook bacon until crisp.  Using slotted spoon, remove from pan to small bowl; cover and refrigerate.  Drain drippings, reserving 1 tablespoon in pan.  Add onion, bell pepper and mushrooms; cook 4 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Stir in mustard, salt and pepper.  In large bowl, beat milk and eggs with wire whisk.  Spray 9-x13-inch baking dish (3 qt.) with cooking spray.  Spread half of hash browns in baking dish.  Add onion mixture evenly on top.  Sprinkle with half of the cheese; refrigerate remaining cheese.  Spread remaining hash browns over top.  Pour egg mixture over entire casserole.  Cover; refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. 

Preheat oven to 325°F.  Uncover baking dish; bake 50 to 60 minutes or until thermometer inserted in center reads 160°F.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese and the bacon.  Bake 3 to 5 minutes longer or until knife inserted in center comes out clean, top is puffed and cheese is melted.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.