Bacon Weave Breakfast Casserole

Hash browns, or any kid of potatoes works here.You can't go wrong here. Any kind of frozen hash browns or potatoes will taste great in this recipe. I've used shredded hash browns, homestyle diced potatoes, even my kid's potato smiles in a pinch! You can even use canned potatoes.
Fresh potatoes can also be used, however, you will need to peel and par boil them before adding them into the egg mixture so it's a big time saver to opt for the frozen potatoes.

It works best if possible. I know it's expensive. But for the woven lattice top, it really works best and also tastes amazing.
Thick-cut bacon does require a little more heat to cook it to a nice crisp so be sure to note the change in cooking temperature if you decide to go with regular cut bacon for this recipe and keep an eye on things as they cook. You want a nice flat lattice if possible.

Farm fresh eggs taste better. Obviously that's my opinion but they really do, depending on their feed, taste different. Farm fresh eggs are even generally a darker yellow color too.
Now, I'm not being snobby about eggs, but if you're making an egg casserole where the eggs are the main ingredients, I think it's worth using the best quality of egg you can get so the whole casserole tastes better. If you're just tossing an egg into a cake, I don't worry as much. So if could be a special occasion thing to get farm fresh eggs. Or if you just can't swing that, or aren't into it, do whatever kind of eggs float your boat.
If you're looking for a healthier option, egg whites can be used.

You can leave these off completely and it's not a big deal.
If you like the idea of garnish, you can also use chives or parsley. You can grow your own chive or parsley plant and cut fresh as you need them, or you can buy both parsley and chives dried. OR, use nothing at all. This isn't a deal breaker!

A deep dish, small, square casserole dish works best for this recipe. The bacon lattice will fit perfectly on top of this size dish.
If you don't have that size baking dish, you can shop 8x8 dishes on Amazon or just shape your bacon weave to fit your size pan. Bake time may vary depending on how deep your egg casserole so large pans may cook more quickly.

You can make this breakfast casserole ahead two ways.

Prepping The Night Before
If you want to prep this the night before and bake in the morning, you can do that. Prep the egg mixture and bake your bacon lattice then refrigerate both over night. In the morning, cover the casserole with foil and bake for about 30-35 minutes. When the top of the casserole is firm, remove the foil and place the bacon lattice on top. Bake for an additional 5 minutes or until the bacon lattice is heated up.
Note: The bake time is longer using this method because the egg mixture will have been refrigerated over night so it will be starting off cold. Allow extra time to bake just in case.

For Heat-and-Go Breakfast
You can make this as directed below and then store it in the fridge for 3-4 days safely. To reheat, simply cut a serving, poke the top a few times with a fork and then microwave for 1-1.5 minutes or until heated in the center. Makes a great breakfast on the go!