Brunch Version 2 - Copycat Egg McMuffins With Oven Bacon and Loose Hash Browns Done in a Toaster Oven

Brunch, or the copycat of an Egg McMuffin with Canadian bacon at home, was an Ible done back a ways. This Ible uses the same toaster oven (a Breville BOV800XL) and adds a microwave for reheating.

It also adds hickory smoked, thick cut bacon (yum) and shredded hash brown potatoes. This Ible takes more time than the previous one and still does not make a lot, but did I mention the BACON. A regular oven can be used and a double oven will seriously reduce the overall time. With a double oven, you can use one to cook the bacon and then the eggs and the other for the hash browns.

This Ible makes two servings, plus some bacon strips to distract the other person waiting to be fed. Also, this Ible only covers the change to bacon and shredded hash browns. Check out the Brunch Ible for the Copycat Egg McMuffins https://www.instructables.com/Brunch-Copycat-Egg-McMuffins-Done-in-a-Toaster-Ove/

Hardware

Two 1/2 sheet jelly roll pans

Aluminum foil

Large mixing bowl

Tool for mixing

Spatulas for lifting hash browns

Items for managing the bacon

Tongs

Paper towels

Jar for bacon grease

Ingredients

Bacon – use your favorite (I use Wright, thick cut, hickory smoked)

Shredded hash browns (Kroger’s Country Style Hash Browns is my favorite but all of the brands I have tried work just fine)

Oil – I like avocado oil for all my recipes

Salt and Pepper

Check out the Brunch Ible for the Copycat Egg McMuffins https://www.instructables.com/Brunch-Copycat-Egg-McMuffins-Done-in-a-Toaster-Ove/

Cooking bacon in the oven, with a foil liner, makes life easier. There are no splatters to clean up. And after draining, the foil liner goes in the trash and the cooled pan back into the cupboard.

Just as a note, do not pour bacon grease down your drain. A glass jar is an easy way to manage the grease.

1. Preheat the oven to 400 °F (204°C).. 
2. Line the pan with foil.
3. Lay in the strips, edge to edge. Do not overlap the strips. The bacon under the overlap will not crisp up. The 1/2 sheet pan holds 5 to 6 strips depending on the width.
4. Bake until the bacon is done to your liking. I like very crisp bacon and the Wright bacon takes about 27 minutes to cook.
5. Remove the bacon to paper towels.
6. Drain the grease into a glass container..
7. Remove and discard the foil liner and put the cooled pan back into the cupboard
8. Set aside the bacon. If you are not using all of the bacon in the copycats, seriously consider sharing with someone who is waiting to be fed. And some for you too!

I like the Kroger hash browns because they are thinner, but Walmart and Ore-Ida are both good alternatives. I stopped using the hash brown patties because they changed and I did not like the “seasoning” (the taste).

1. Prepare the hash browns just before the bacon is done. The hash browns should still be frozen.
2. Put half of the bag of Kroger hash browns into a large mixing bowl. Half a bag is slightly less than a pound or about 425 grams.
3. Pour about two tablespoons of oil over the hash browns.
4. Salt and pepper to taste.
5. Mix well.
6. Line the pan with foil.
7. Spread the hash browns in an even layer.
8. After the bacon is done, raise the temperature to 450 °F (232°C).
9. You can put the hash browns in without waiting for the oven to preheat.
10. Bake until the hash browns are browning up. It takes about 40 minutes after it reaches temperature to brown up in my oven..
11. Remove and set aside. Do not put it into an enclosed space. It will likely lose its crispyness. I put it in the microwave with the door cracked open.

Check out the Brunch Ible for the Copycat Egg McMuffins https://www.instructables.com/Brunch-Copycat-Egg-McMuffins-Done-in-a-Toaster-Ove/.

After melting the cheese, assemble copycats with the oven bacon.

Put the hash browns and copycat on a plate and microware on HIGH for 40 seconds. Your microwave may vary.

Serve.