If the best aspect of a late-night journey to that famous waffle-flipping diner is the tacky, meaty hash browns, you’re in luck. This packed hash brown casserole captures each of those tastes you yearn for, but in a size that’ll feed your whole household.

Bacon and Cheddar cheese form the backbone of flavor in this hash brown casserole. You get to pick garnishes to match your preferences– we recommend cherry tomatoes and sliced scallions for a bit of freshness. Don’t avoid the hot sauce. The bit of milk and sour cream in this dish assists make this hash brown casserole glamorous. It likewise stops the hash browns from drying in the oven.

To make things faster (it is the early morning after all), utilize a plan of frozen hash browns. They’ll need to be defrosted, so pop them in the fridge before you go to sleep. They’ll be ready for the dish when you awaken.

Feeding a crowd of simply three or 4? This dish is easy to cut in half. Spoon into an 8- x 8-inch baking dish instead of the bigger 13- x 9-inch meal.
Active ingredients
8 thick-cut bacon pieces

1/2 cup sliced sweet onion (from 1 small onion).

1 (32-oz.) pkg. frozen hash browns, thawed.

10 oz. sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 1/2 cups), divided.

1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, divided.

1/2 tsp. black pepper, divided.

6 big eggs.

1 (8-oz.) container sour cream.

1 cup whole milk.

Halved cherry tomatoes and sliced scallions, for garnish.

Instructions.
Cook bacon:.
Preheat oven to 350 ° F. Cook bacon in a large frying pan over medium until crispy; transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Reserve 1 tablespoon bacon drippings in frying pan.

Prepare onion:.
Include onion to frying pan, and cook, stirring frequently, up until tender, about 5 minutes. Eliminate from heat.

Fall apart bacon:.
Crumble 5 slices of the prepared bacon.

Integrate bacon, hash browns, and cheese:.
Stir fallen apart bacon, hash browns, 2 cups of the shredded cheese, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper into cooked onion in skillet until integrated. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased (with cooking spray) 13- x 9-inch baking meal.

Make egg mix:.
Whisk together eggs, sour cream, milk, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Carefully put egg mixture over hash brown mix.

Bake casserole:.
Eliminate aluminum foil, and sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Return to oven, and continue to bake till cheese is melted and casserole is bubbly, 10 to 15 minutes.

Add garnishes:.
Fall apart remaining 3 slices of bacon, and spray over top of casserole. Garnish with halved tomatoes and chopped scallions.