Deep-Dish Loaded Hash Brown Casserole

• servings: 12 servings
• total time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

8 thick-cut bacon slices

½ cup chopped 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 ½ tsp. kosher salt, divided

½ tsp. black pepper, divided

6 large eggs

1 (8-oz.) container sour cream

1 cup whole milk

Halved cherry tomatoes and chopped scallions, for garnish

Directions

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.

Cook onion: Add onion to skillet, and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Crumble bacon: Crumble 5 slices of the cooked bacon.

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.

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.

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.

Add toppings: Crumble remaining 3 slices of bacon, and sprinkle over top of casserole. Garnish with halved tomatoes and chopped scallions.