If the best thing about a late-night trip to that famous waffle-flipping diner is the cheesy, meaty hash browns, you're in luck. This loaded hash brown casserole captures every one of those flavors you crave, but in a size that'll feed your whole family.
Bacon and Cheddar cheese form the backbone of flavor in this hash brown casserole. You get to pick garnishes to match your preferences—we suggest cherry tomatoes and chopped scallions for a bit of freshness. But don't skip the hot sauce. The little bit of milk and sour cream in this recipe helps make this hash brown casserole luxurious. It also stops the hash browns from drying out in the oven.
To make things faster (it is the morning after all), use a package of frozen hash browns. They'll need to be thawed, so pop them in the fridge before you go to bed. They'll be ready for the recipe when you wake up.
Feeding a crowd of just three or four? This recipe is easy to cut in half. Spoon into an 8- x 8-inch baking dish instead of the larger 13- x 9-inch dish.
![Deep-Dish Loaded Hash Brown Casserole](https://www.southernliving.com/thmb/9pOE8ESRzmxpmbH5wi9dhq6K4sk=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/2641701_Break192-2a6fb171be224dbdb2ff088f70020a23.jpg)
Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Missie Neville Crawford
Ingredients
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8 thick-cut bacon slices
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1/2 cup chopped sweet onion (from 1 small onion)
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1 (32-oz.) pkg. frozen hash browns, thawed
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10 oz. sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 1/2 cups), divided
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1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
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1/2 tsp. black pepper, divided
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6 large eggs
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1 (8-oz.) container sour cream
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1 cup whole milk
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Halved cherry tomatoes and chopped scallions, for garnish
Directions
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Cook bacon:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium until crispy; transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Reserve 1 tablespoon bacon drippings in skillet.
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Cook onion:
Add onion to skillet, and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
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Crumble bacon:
Crumble 5 slices of the cooked bacon.
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Combine bacon, hash browns, and cheese:
Stir crumbled 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 combined. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased (with cooking spray) 13- x 9-inch baking dish.
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Make egg mixture:
Whisk together eggs, sour cream, milk, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Carefully pour egg mixture over hash brown mixture.
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Bake casserole:
Cover with aluminum foil, and bake in preheated oven 40 minutes. Remove aluminum foil, and sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Return to oven, and continue to bake until cheese is melted and casserole is bubbly, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven, and let stand 10 minutes.
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Add toppings:
Crumble remaining 3 slices of bacon, and sprinkle over top of casserole. Garnish with halved tomatoes and chopped scallions.