Mike's Casserole

The recipe this month is called Mike's Casserole.  That's not the actual title of the recipe I use, but we renamed it several years ago.  The name it came with was stupid ("Yummy Make Ahead Brunch") - so we changed it to Mike's Casserole because our friend Mike loves this casserole (and he suggested the name).  It's an easy recipe that can be made the night before and then put in the oven for a tasty breakfast or brunch casserole.  It is always on my menu when I host brunches and it is always a hit!  We are trying to clean out our freezer and we happened to have hash browns and bacon so Mike's Casserole was an obvious choice!

 The ingredients.  Pretty basic breakfast casserole stuff.

Cut the bacon and fry (or fry first and then crumble...your choice).

 

Drain bacon on a paper towel - and stop Bill from eating it all!

Spread hash brown in the bottom of a greased casserole dish.  We have decided that the cubed (southern style) potatoes work/taste best.

Mix eggs, milk, salt, and pepper.

Sprinkle cheese and bacon over potatoes (the cheese layer is under the bacon (with an extra handful spread on top).  We use lots of cheese!

 

Pour egg/milk mixture over bacon/cheese/potatoes.  (Pour slowly because it can overflow if you pour too quickly!)

Again, I forgot to take a picture of it hot out of the oven.  This is what was left after we ate (but it didn't last long).  It is so delicious!

 

Mike's Casserole:

3 cups frozen hash brown potatoes (I use southern style, but if you prefer shredded, they work too)

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (I use mixed cheese like colby jack or mexican blend)

1 pound crumbled cooked bacon (It calls for 1 cup, but we think that's a joke!  I use a whole pound.  Also, it says you can use ham instead, but we don't think it would taste nearly as good!)
4 beaten eggs
1 can evaporated milk (12 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

-Grease a square quart-sized baking dish.  Arrange potatoes evenly in the bottom.  Sprinkle with cheese and bacon.

-In a medium bowl, combine eggs, milk, pepper, and salt.  Pour egg mixture over potato mixture (slowly).
-The dish may be covered and refrigerated at this point for several hours or overnight.
-Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes (or 60 minutes if made ahead and chilled) or till center appears set.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

The recipe says "Don't expect leftovers on this one, folks!" and that's true.  We rarely have any leftovers.  It is a VERY popular dish.

Dirty dishes.  This recipe does create a lot of dishes (including the square casserole dish that isn't in the picture), but since you can make it the night before, you can also wash the dishes the night before so it's not too bad.

Mike's Casserole

Taste: 5 out of 5

Dirty Dishes: 2 out of 5

Time/Effort: 3 out of 5

TOTAL: 10 out of 15