Growing up we loved when mom announced breakfast would be dinner. It was like Christmas came early when we switched up the menu! I carried on the tradition with my three kids. There is something so yummy and cozy about pancakes and syrup after the sun sets. My mom went all out with pancakes, bacon , hashbrowns and scrambled eggs. It was the 80’s and before the term nonfat was attached to every possible packaged food item at Kroger.

But today I want to share my favorite breakfast (besides pancakes). This is more than just a breakfast recipe it is a family tradition. I bought a case of eggs at Costco in preparation for the Thanksgiving weekend.

I make this for breakfast the weekend of Thanksgiving and Christmas morning. It has all the fixins except syrup. It’s an egg and cheese and frozen hashbrown recipe that I can prep the night before the holiday.

I just pour it into a crockpot and it is ready to gove the morning of Thanksgiving or Christmas morning.

INGREDIENTS

The best part ofthis tailgate breakfast casserole recipe is the flexibility with the ingredients and the crockpot. Crockpots are the best time management appliance in the kitchen!

Speaking of appliances- here is a challah bread recipe for a bread machine!

For this breakfast casserole, I added bacon and salsa to give it a little Colorado kick. Hashbrowns, cheddar cheese, and chopped bacon round out the ingredients in the casserole. I describe this recipe as a breakfast burrito in a crockpot.

CROCKPOT SETTINGS

The only tricky part of this recipe is the settings on your crockpot. Despite, the the multiple heat settings, my crockpot tends towards the high heat setting. It’s like an appliance with hot flashes.

Tip: Make sure to generously spray a cooking spray to keep the scorching and cleanup to a minimum.

The first time you make this breakfast casserole just keep an eye on it until you get an idea of how quickly your crockpot heats up the egg, hash browns and cheddar mixture.

Just layer the ingredients starting with the hash browns followed by the eggs.

Then, add as many layers as you want to include.

Finish the layers with a cup of milk. The frozen hashbrowns love the milk!

Fold the ingredients occasionally to keep them from cooking unevenly.

My crockpot usually heats this casserole in about 90 minutes or so.

I serve this breakfast casserole in the crockpot, buffet style. I add a stack of these crockopot bowls. I include sides of bacon, salsa, cheese and fresh green onions. A stack of tortillas turns this into a breakfast burrito.

In Colorado, we love our breakfast burritos. I am looking at you Santiagos!

Enjoy this breakfast casserole on a long weekend, Thanksgiving weekend, or Christmas morning. It also reheats and tastes just as good the morning after!

Oh, and if you want something sweet for breakfast here are my favorite make-ahead pecan rolls.