For those of you who know Addie Gundry, you know how much she enjoys family traditions and regional specialties. She has hosted episodes of her cooking show that highlight many of the midwestern recipes that she grew up with. Anything from fried cheese curds to gooey butter cake to Cincinnati chili is on her list of must-make dishes for a true midwestern feast.

I’m not a midwesterner, so I don’t know if this Cornflake-Topped Breakfast Casserole recipe is a regional specialty or one that was handed down from family. It did come from Addie, so I wanted to give it a try, since she really does have a knack for bringing so many of those midwestern classics to the table in a fun and easy way.

She describes this as one of those breakfast casseroles that’ll become an annual tradition because it has those tried-and-true flavors everyone can enjoy with a crunchy topping for a unique twist. It definitely falls into the comfort food category and it’s about as easy as possible to put together.

It definitely covers all the breakfast bases, with eggs, hash browns, bacon, cheese, and even cornflakes. I made it with whole milk rather than evaporated milk, but Addie notes that evaporated milk will give the dish a creamier texture.

I would encourage you to not skip the cornflakes, though. They really do add a nice bit of texture and crunch to the dish that you might miss otherwise. One other option to consider is adding a little dash or two of cayenne or smoked paprika to give just a hint of spice to the casserole.

Cornflake-Topped Breakfast Casserole

Eggs, hash browns, bacon, and cheese. Is there a breakfast combination more classic than that for this cornflake-topped breakfast casserole?

• Author: Addie Gundry
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Yield: 8 1x
• Category: Breakfast

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 large eggs
• 1 (10.75-ounce) can cheddar cheese soup
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (20-ounce) bag frozen hash browns, thawed
• 6 strips bacon, cooked and chopped
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup cornflakes, crushed
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly coat an 8 x 8-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs until frothy. Add the soup, milk, thyme, salt, and pepper and whisk to mix well. Stir in the hash browns and bacon until well mixed. Pour into the baking dish and top with the cheese. Place the crushed cornflakes in the bowl, add the melted butter, and toss to coat; sprinkle evenly on top of the casserole.
3. Bake for 1 hour, until puffy and lightly browned on top. Serve.

 

Notes

• Evaporated milk will give the mixture a creamier texture but can be replaced with whole or 2 percent milk.

Do you have any traditional recipes like this that you make? Or maybe you’ve even made this casserole recipe? What are your thoughts? Are there additions or alterations you like?