9 Amazing Loaded Breakfast Casserole with Bacon and Potatoes

Oh, those hectic mornings when everyone needs a massive meal but nobody has time to stand over a stove! We’ve all been there, right? That’s exactly why I developed what I now lovingly think of as my go-to solution: the Loaded Breakfast Casserole with Bacon and Potatoes. This isn’t just eggs and cheese; it’s a hearty, filling masterpiece!

I remember the first time I whipped this up—it was for a massive family brunch. I needed something that was super savory, totally satisfying, and most importantly, something I could assemble the night before. Trust me, standing there flipping bacon while guests arrive is bad news! When everyone dug into that first golden, cheesy slice of the Loaded Breakfast Casserole with Bacon and Potatoes, the joy was incredible. It proved itself immediately as my new staple. I’m Jenny Miller, by the way, and after years of perfecting family favorites, this oven-baked casserole is proof that comfort food can also be easy comfort food.

Why This Loaded Breakfast Casserole with Bacon and Potatoes is a Family Favorite

When mornings are chaos—and let’s be honest, they always are—you need a hero dish. This casserole is it! It saves my Saturday mornings because I do most of the heavy lifting the night before. I want you to feel confident serving this to company, knowing it tastes incredible and keeps everyone full until dinnertime. It’s the ultimate Hearty Breakfast!

• Prep-Ahead Magic: Assemble everything the night before, pop it in the fridge, and bake it while you drink your coffee.
• Simple Ingredients: No fancy trips to the store; it uses pantry staples everyone has on hand.
• Crowd-Pleaser Status: Bacon, potatoes, and cheese? It’s impossible to say no to this combination.

Honestly, getting good feedback from family is the best validation. You can see a little more about my kitchen philosophy over at my ‘About Me’ page!

Gathering Your Simple Ingredients for the Loaded Breakfast Casserole with Bacon and Potatoes

Okay, let’s get down to the good stuff: the shopping list! The beauty of this Loaded Breakfast Casserole with Bacon and Potatoes is that it relies on truly Simple Ingredients. You probably have half of this stuff in the pantry already. But since this is a baked masterpiece that needs to set up perfectly, the details matter!

I’ve broken down what you need into two clear sections. This way, you can keep track of what cooks first and what gets mixed into that creamy custard base. If you’re looking for other easy meals, you might want to check out my list of five-ingredient dinners for backup!

For the Casserole Components

This is the stuff that gets layered first, making sure you get that fantastic burst of salty bacon and fluffy potato in every slice. Remember my big warning: we are using frozen diced potatoes, and absolutely do not thaw them before they hit the pan! We want them firm enough to hold up to baking.

• We need 1/2 inch pieces of thick-cut bacon, specifically cut crosswise, so they crisp up nicely.
• One large yellow onion, peeled and diced small.
• One medium yellow bell pepper, diced too.
• Four cloves of garlic, minced super fine—don’t skimp here!
• 1/3 cup of chopped sun-dried tomatoes.
• Three cups of frozen diced potatoes. Again, do not thaw them!
• A generous two cups of shredded cheddar cheese for the top layer.
• We’ll use 1 teaspoon of kosher salt here, divided between steps later.

For the Egg Mixture

This is what binds our delicious Bacon and Potatoes together. Don’t grab the watery nonfat milk; we need that richness!

• Eight large eggs—that’s a good number for richness and structure.
• One cup of whole milk—you really want to make sure it’s not nonfat milk for the best texture!
• One teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper.
• The remaining 1 teaspoon of kosher salt to season the custard well.

Essential Equipment for Your Oven-Baked Casserole

Don’t you hate it when you’re ready to go and realize you’re missing the one tiny thing you needed? Not today! Getting the right gear ready ahead of time for the Loaded Breakfast Casserole with Bacon and Potatoes makes the whole process smooth as butter.

Since we are pre-cooking some ingredients and then baking the whole thing, you’ll need a few solid pieces for this Hearty Breakfast. It’s all about building layers of flavor!

• You definitely need a large skillet for rendering that bacon fat and softening your onions and peppers until they are just right. The flavor you get from cooking veggies in bacon grease? Unbeatable!
• Next up is your home base: a sturdy 9×13 inch baking dish. Make sure it’s big enough to hold all those tasty layers without spilling over!
• For that gorgeous egg mixture, grab a large bowl and a good old-fashioned whisk. We need to get some air in those eggs so they puff up nicely when they bake.

Step-by-Step Guide to Making the Loaded Breakfast Casserole with Bacon and Potatoes

This is where the magic happens! Getting these timing cues right is the secret to a perfect Oven-Baked Casserole that isn’t watery but still feels decadent. Don’t worry, I’ve done the tricky testing for you. If you want some extra tips on foolproof cooking techniques, check out my guide on how to make dinner ideas foolproof—it applies here too!

Preparing the Base Ingredients

First things first, get that oven hot! You need to preheat to 375°F (190°C) right away. While that’s heating up, spray your 9×13 dish so nothing sticks later on. Now, grab that large skillet over medium heat and cook your bacon until it’s beautifully crisp. Scoop the bacon out onto paper towels, but please, leave about one tablespoon of that smoky grease behind—that’s flavor gold!

Toss in your diced onion and bell pepper into the residual grease and cook them down until they soften up, which usually takes about 5 to 7 minutes. When they smell sweet, drop in your minced garlic and those chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Let that cook for just one more minute, then stir in 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. That’s step four done!

Mixing the Egg Custard and Assembling the Loaded Breakfast Casserole with Bacon and Potatoes

Time to switch bowls! In your largest bowl, whisk those eight eggs together with the milk, black pepper, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt. Whisk them until they are nicely blended—we need that mixture to be completely uniform before it goes over our solids.

Now, layer up everything in your greased baking dish. Start by spreading those frozen diced potatoes evenly across the bottom. Then sprinkle on your cooked bacon, the softened veggies, and everything else from the skillet. Pour that egg mixture right over the top, ensuring it seeps down into all those nooks and crannies. Finally, take your two cups of cheddar cheese and sprinkle it evenly across the very top layer.

Baking and Resting the Hearty Breakfast

Slide your Loaded Breakfast Casserole with Bacon and Potatoes into that 375°F oven. You’re looking for it to bake for 40 to 50 minutes. A good sign it’s done is when the edges start pulling slightly away from the pan, or when you insert a knife into the very center and it comes out clean! Pro tip: if you’re looking for more great baked ideas, check out this external recipe source for inspiration.

Resist the urge to cut immediately! This is crucial: let the casserole rest for 10 minutes once it comes out. This resting time lets those eggs finish setting up perfectly, ensuring you get clean slices instead of a sloppy, runny mess. That’s our path to success!

Tips for Success with Your Loaded Breakfast Casserole with Bacon and Potatoes

Making this Loaded Breakfast Casserole with Bacon and Potatoes is super straightforward, but these little tricks I’ve learned over the years will take it from good to absolutely unforgettable. My biggest job is making sure you don’t end up with a watery bottom layer from those potatoes, believe me!

When you’re working with frozen diced potatoes, the key to avoiding sogginess is simple: make sure you’re not thawing them first, as I mentioned! Frozen potatoes hold moisture differently than fresh ones, and keeping them frozen helps them bake up fluffier instead of steaming in the oven. Also, make sure you cook the bacon until it’s truly crisp—if you leave it floppy, it releases grease into the egg mixture during the bake, which spells disaster for structure!

For the eggs, we achieved a nice set partly because of the milk choice (no nonfat!), but also because we’re using a good amount of cheese as insulation on top. If the top starts browning too fast before the center is cooked, just tent a piece of foil over it for the last 10 or 15 minutes. That traps heat but protects the beautiful golden cheddar.

And if you are taking advantage of that fantastic make-ahead option I mentioned? Make sure the casserole is completely cooled before covering and refrigerating. Putting a hot dish straight into the fridge can actually create condensation which leads right back to that dreaded soggy texture. For more secrets on perfecting baked dishes, I share some thoughts over here on what makes perfect dinner ideas—it’s all about technique!

Ingredient Notes and Variations for This Bacon and Potatoes Dish

One of the best parts about making a Loaded Breakfast Casserole with Bacon and Potatoes is how friendly this recipe is to little tweaks! I love mine exactly as written, but you know how it is—sometimes you run out of cheddar or maybe Uncle Joe is allergic to bacon. Don’t panic!

This recipe is built on a great foundation of eggs and potatoes, so swapping things around usually works great and keeps it a wonderful Hearty Breakfast option. If you are looking for other ways to mix up your meal game, you can always find more inspiration over on my main recipe index!

Let’s talk about cheese first. Cheddar is classic, but if you have some Monterey Jack lying around, use it! It melts beautifully and gets nice and gooey. A Mexican blend works wonderfully too, especially if you are adding some heat down the line. If you like a little sharp tang, throw in some Pepper Jack for an extra kick.

Veggies are simple to change up, too. Ditch the bell pepper if you hate it and add some chopped mushrooms or even some wilted spinach. Just remember that spinach releases a lot of water, so make sure you squeeze out every last drop before it goes into the casserole dish, or you might get that sogginess we talked about!

Now, about the spice—remember I mentioned adding a pinch of red pepper flakes to the egg mixture for a little warmth? If you want real heat that cuts through the richness of the Bacon and Potatoes, try adding a small spoonful of your favorite jarred jalapeños (drained well, please!) to the vegetable sauté step. It brings such a welcome level of spice without overpowering the rest of the flavors. It’s all about making this Loaded Breakfast Casserole with Bacon and Potatoes exactly what your family craves!

Serving Suggestions for Your Hearty Breakfast

Now that you’ve got this incredible, golden, cheesy Loaded Breakfast Casserole with Bacon and Potatoes sitting there all rested and perfect, what do you serve alongside it? Since this dish is so rich and savory—full of bacon, potatoes, and egg—we need things that offer a little balance or brightness on the plate. It’s all about that perfect breakfast spread!

I usually look for contrast. You have heavy, salty, savory goodness in the casserole, so we bring in some fresh, light elements. If you want to see some ideas for making sure weeknights are just as easy as this weekend brunch, check out my guide to meal prep-friendly dinners!

Here are my favorite pairings for this Hearty Breakfast that everyone in my house loves:

• Fresh Fruit Salad: Nothing cuts through richness like tartness. A simple bowl of cantaloupe, berries, and grapes is perfect. It feels indulgent but is super refreshing next to the potatoes.
• Acidic Greens: If you’re feeling slightly fancy, a very simple side salad dressed with just lemon juice and olive oil gives a lovely peppery crunch that works surprisingly well with the smoky bacon.
• Hot Sauce Station: Seriously, every breakfast table needs a selection of heat! Set out a few bottles of your family’s favorite hot sauce. Some people love a little Tabasco drizzle over their eggs, and this lets everyone customize their piece of the Oven-Baked Casserole.
• Simple Yogurt or Cottage Cheese: For anyone who might want an extra protein boost, a side of plain Greek yogurt or cottage cheese, maybe with a drizzle of honey, is a great way to round out the meal without adding more baked goods.

Remember, the casserole is the star, so keep the sides easy! The less work you have to do after that bake time, the more time you have to actually sit down and enjoy that amazing smell.

Storing and Reheating Leftover Loaded Breakfast Casserole with Bacon and Potatoes

I always hope there are leftovers, because frankly, this Loaded Breakfast Casserole with Bacon and Potatoes tastes just as good—maybe even better—the next day! If by some miracle you haven’t devoured the whole Oven-Baked Casserole, storage is simple. Wrap it tightly with plastic wrap or pop it into an airtight container. It stays perfectly good in the fridge for up to three days.

When you are ready to enjoy your leftovers, ditch the microwave if you can! Microwaving can sometimes make the eggs rubbery. Instead, slice a portion onto a small baking sheet and warm it up at 350°F (175°C) for about 10 to 15 minutes. This helps revive the crispness in the bacon and potatoes.

If you’re in a major hurry, the microwave works in a pinch—just do short 30-second bursts until it’s steaming hot. For even more tips on keeping food fresh and great for later, I’ve put together a guide on keeping foods perfect at different temps. Enjoy that second helping of Hearty Breakfast!

Frequently Asked Questions About This Oven-Baked Casserole

It’s funny how many questions pop up once you start making a recipe regularly! Even though I think my instructions for the Loaded Breakfast Casserole with Bacon and Potatoes are super clear, I always get a few emails about specific situations. I’ve gathered the most common ones here just for you. If you love quick fixes, maybe my guide on 20-minute dinner ideas will be helpful for other busy nights!

Can I prepare the Loaded Breakfast Casserole with Bacon and Potatoes ahead of time?

Yes, absolutely! This is one of the best features of this Oven-Baked Casserole. You can assemble everything—the bacon and veggies, the potatoes, the egg mixture—and pour it all into the dish the night before. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap or foil and place it in the fridge. When you wake up, you just need to pull it out about 20 minutes before baking so it isn’t ice-cold, and then pop it straight into the oven. It makes weekend mornings so relaxed!

What is the best way to reheat leftovers?

If you want that amazing texture back, skip the microwave for leftovers! While it works in a pinch, the oven is your best friend here for reheating the Bacon and Potatoes. Place your slice or portion on a baking sheet, cover it loosely with foil so the cheese doesn’t burn, and warm it at 350°F (175°C) until it’s heated through. This brings back a little bit of that fresh-from-the-oven firmness.

Can I make this Hearty Breakfast without bacon?

Of course! If you need to skip the bacon, you still need something savory to replace that fat and salt you’re losing. I’d suggest crumbling up a pound of mild Italian sausage (casing removed!) and cooking that in the skillet instead. Brown it really well and drain off most of the excess grease before adding your onions and peppers. Alternatively, if you are going meat-free, just chop up some smoked paprika and add it to the veggies, and add an extra teaspoon of salt to the egg mixture to compensate for the lost savoriness of the meat. It will still be a fantastic Hearty Breakfast served with extra veggies!

Share Your Experience Making This Loaded Breakfast Casserole with Bacon and Potatoes

Seriously, I want to hear from you! Once you’ve managed to pull together this magnificent Loaded Breakfast Casserole with Bacon and Potatoes and served it up to your hungry crowd, I really hope you’ll take a moment to drop me a line below. Your feedback means the world to me as I keep perfecting these family recipes.

Did you try my suggestion of adding extra parsley? Did you decide to use Monterey Jack instead of cheddar? Let me know what worked for you and your family’s morning routine. Sharing your success stories helps build trust in this recipe for other cooks who might be nervous about making their first heavy Oven-Baked Casserole!

And please, if those cheesy potatoes and crispy bacon bits turned out perfectly, snap a picture! Tag me on social media—I love seeing these dishes on your tables. It truly brings me joy knowing my creation is becoming part of your routine. If you’re looking for other recipes that are just as reliable as this one, don’t forget to browse my best dinner idea collection!

Rate the recipe using those little stars above when you have a moment. Happy cooking, and I hope this becomes a staple in your home just like it is in mine!