Hash Brown Casserole With Bacon And Cheddar

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• 8 ounces bacon
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 lb frozen hash brown potatoes
• 1/2 cup snipped fresh chives
• 1 1/4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Recipe

• 1 1. preheat oven to 350 ° f. butter an 8-inch-square glass baking dish.
• 2 2. cook bacon in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. remove slices; drain on a paper-towel-lined plate in same skillet over medium-low heat, cook onion and pepper in bacon dripping 8 minutes, until softened, stirring often.
• 3 3. keep skillet at medium-low. stir in flour. slowly pour in milk, ½ cup at a time, stirring to incorporate smoothly with the flour. cook until mixture thickens and comes to a simmer, about 5 minutes, stirring often. crumble bacon into mixture.
• 4 4. evenly spread potatoes in prepared dish. top with half of the chives, 1 cup of the cheese, and the vegetable-bacon mixture. sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup of cheese. bake 40-50 minutes, until potatoes are tender. sprinkle with remaining chives before cutting into squares.