Description

This irresistibly delicious Crack Breakfast Casserole combines crispy bacon, savory sausage, creamy eggs, hash browns, and ranch seasoning in one easy make-ahead dish. Topped with bubbly cheddar cheese, it’s the perfect hearty breakfast for holidays, brunch gatherings, or meal prep. Can be assembled the night before and freezes beautifully!

Ingredients

Meats:

1 pound pork sausage
1 pound bacon, chopped

Dairy and Eggs:

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup whole milk
8 large eggs
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Seasoning:

1 packet dry ranch seasoning mix
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Base:

1 (30-ounce) bag frozen hash browns, thawed and drained of excess water

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Instructions

Step 1: Prep Your Oven and Pan

Oven to 350°F. Spray that 9×13 pan really well or you’ll be scraping stuck cheese off it later and hating yourself.

Step 2: Cook the Meats

Throw the sausage and bacon in a big skillet on medium-high. Break up the sausage while it cooks. Takes about 10 minutes for everything to brown. Drain ALL the grease – I pour it in an old soup can, then actually press paper towels into the meat to get out every last bit.

Step 3: Make the Creamy Base

Cream cheese has to be soft for this. Beat it with the sour cream until smooth with no lumps. I use my hand mixer because my arm gets tired otherwise.

Step 4: Add Wet Ingredients and Seasonings

Crack in the eggs, pour the milk, dump the ranch packet and other seasonings. Whisk until mixed and foamy on top. Kitchen smells incredible right now and my kids start showing up asking when breakfast is ready.

Step 5: Combine Everything

Stir in your cooked meat (cooled down a bit), those squeezed-dry hash browns, and 1 cup cheese. Mix until even – nobody wants the sad piece that’s all potato and no bacon.

Step 6: Transfer to Baking Dish

Pour it in the pan, spread it even. Top with the other cup of cheese, get the corners and edges because those are the pieces everyone wants.

Step 7: Bake Covered

Cover with foil, bake 50-60 minutes. I check at 50 by shaking the pan – if the middle’s really jiggly, give it 10 more minutes.

Step 8: Brown the Cheese

Take foil off, bake another 8-10 minutes until cheese bubbles and browns in spots. Don’t skip this – it makes the top crispy.

Step 9: Rest and Serve

Wait 5 minutes before cutting. Hard to do because it smells amazing but if you cut it right away it just falls apart.

Notes

Save time: Use pre-cooked bacon crumbles and pre-browned sausage crumbles from the freezer section
Perfect portions: Use a bench scraper or sharp knife to cut clean squares
Extra crispy top: During the last few minutes, turn on the broiler (watch carefully!) for an extra-golden cheese crust
Not too salty: If you’re watching sodium, use reduced-sodium bacon and low-sodium ranch seasoning
Common mistake to avoid: Don’t skip covering the casserole for most of the baking time – it needs that steam to cook through evenly

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Category: Breakfast
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American