It’s Zach’s first Father’s Day this year, so I want to make it extra special. And what could possibly be more special than a Make Ahead Breakfast Pie with… wait for it… wait for it…….. a LATTICE BACON CRUST?! Not a whole lot, let me tell you. This is a protein-packed, decadent, delicious, and not to mention GORGEOUS meal that’s perfect for breakfast or brunch. It’s inexpensive to make, it will feed a crowd (or make great leftovers), and, as the title suggests, you can make it ahead of time for a no-hassle Father’s Day morning.
Isn’t she a beauty? Just look at all that delicious bacon!
This make ahead breakfast pie has all the makings of a wonderful breakfast: eggs, potatoes, cheese, and bacon. The center is like a quiche, with the bacon baked directly on top. The result is that the flavor of the bacon gets infused into EVERY bite, including the crust, as it bakes. It’s simply amazing.
This is a sure-fire way to make Father’s Day special, and it’s perfect for getting the kids to help make it. I was lucky to have “help” on this as well… Zoey loves watching me cook in the kitchen, and she loved “helping” her dad enjoy the meal in our back yard, too!
Young children can measure ingredients or stir them together, and older, more experienced kids can form the pie crust or weave the bacon lattice topping. Which, by the way, is much less complicated than it looks.
Here’s a photo tutorial on how to make the lattice crust. You can make it on a separate surface and transfer it (carefully!) to the pie, or you can form it directly on top. One thing to watch out for: the bacon will submerge slightly into the pie mixture. This is totally fine. Just make sure the edges of the bacon are resting on the edge of the crust. Also, be sure to bend in the corner pieces of the lattice in order to fit the round shape of the pie (see photo below).
While this recipe is a little more complex and time consuming than my usual easy meals, I love that you can assemble this breakfast pie ahead of time. Once it’s all put together, you can refrigerate it for up to two days before baking. Then, you can spend Father’s Day morning doing more important things, like spending time with Dad, while it bakes away and makes your house smell amazing.
Zach and I love doing two things together above all else: eating delicious food, and spending time outdoors. We hope to impart these loves to our children. It’s important to us that Zoey (and any future siblings she may have) learn how to cook- in case you haven’t noticed, I think cooking at home is one of the best things you can do for your health and your wallet. I can’t wait to make this a yearly tradition- have the kid(s) help me make their dad a delicious and hearty breakfast- one that will fill us up so we can go on a hike, go swimming, or do some other fun and active outdoor adventure.
What are you doing for Father’s Day this year? Do you have any special traditions? I’d love to hear about them in the comments below!
More bacon recipes
- Bacon Wrapped Pork Loin with Apple Cider Gravy
- Breakfast BLT with Spicy Mayo and Arugula
- Praline Bacon
- Skillet Potato Salad with Bacon and Arugula
Here’s the printable recipe for the Make Ahead Breakfast Pie with Lattice Bacon Crust. Hope you enjoy, and I wish a very happy Father’s Day to all the wonderful dads out there!
Make Ahead Breakfast Pie with Lattice Bacon Crust
Equipment
- Pie Dish
Ingredients
- 1 prepared pie dough homemade or store bought
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 8 oz. Monterey jack or cheddar cheese grated
- 16 oz. frozen shredded potatoes thawed
- 10 slices thick cut bacon like Wright® Brand Naturally Hickory Smoked Bacon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Press prepared pie dough into pie pan.
- In a large bowl, beat the four eggs.
- Whisk in the milk (2 cups), parsley (2 tablespoons), kosher salt (1 teaspoon), and pepper (1/2 teaspoon).
- Stir in the thawed potatoes (16 oz.) and grated cheese (8 oz.).
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pie crust.
- Create a lattice bacon crust on top by weaving 5 pieces of bacon in one direction and 5 in the other. You can do this on a surface and transfer it carefully on top of the pie, or weave it directly on top of the pie. It will submerge into the mixture a little bit- this is fine. Make sure the ends of the bacon are on the rim of the pie crust, and bend the edges in on the corners to round out the lattice (see photo)
- At this point, you can place in your refrigerator for up to two days until you are ready to cook.
- When you are ready to cook, place the pie on top of a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 60-70 minutes, or until center of pie is set.
Notes
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The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
JACLYN BYELICK
it’s in the oven now… I omitted the parsley because I don’t think the green will be appetizing. substituted garlic and onion powder. I added 2 more eggs because I didn’t think 4 was enough. I should have reduced the milk because it spilled over. Will update when I try it. thanks for the recipe!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Hope it turned out well for you!
Laurie
Planning on making this in a couple of weeks. Is it possible to bake it then freeze it? If so, how would you thaw/reheat?
Elizabeth Lindemann
I haven’t done this personally, but after some research I would place it, frozen, in a cold oven, then turn the temperature on to 325 degrees. Continue heating at this relatively low temp until it’s heated through all the way, about an hour. Hope that helps!
Michael
Can you bake 2 at once?
Elizabeth Lindemann
Yes! Try to bake them on the same rack. I always recommend baking on a baking sheet in case of drips, but you can also bake on the top rack with baking sheets on the bottom rack, or line your oven rack with foil before placing the pies in. If you can’t bake on the same rack, rotate them halfway through baking. Hope that helps and hope you like the recipe!
Tracy Stewart
I just made this for my works Pie Contest….aaaand I got 1st PLACE!? it was quite delicious!! The only concern I had was the bacon. The edges were definitely cooked, but the center of the bacon lattice looked undercooked. The picture you posted looks like the bacon was cooked even and crispy. How do I fix this?
Elizabeth
Wow, how fun!! So happy this recipe won you first place! To be honest, the bacon doesn’t get very crispy, so you didn’t do anything wrong. I think when I saturated the colors in photoshop it made the bacon look a little more crispy, and the pieces of bacon I used were more meaty than fatty, so that helped with the color as well. If you really want crispy bacon, I think there are two options. You could broil it at the end (but this is a bit risky because of the pie crust- you may have to cover the edges with foil), or use a kitchen torch in the center. OR, you could make the bacon lattice and place it on parchment paper or foil and bake it for a while on a baking sheet before adding it to the top of the pie. Maybe 20 minutes at 375 degrees? This would give it a head-start so it cooks up a bit more crispy. Good luck for next time :-)
Tracy Stewart
Thank you! I think I’ll just stick to the original way you do it cause it looks so much better with the egg coming through—the bacon being cooked together :-)
Jeremy
This is the ultimate breakfast recipe that I’ve been looking for! What’s best is that it is protein packed!
Elizabeth
Thanks Jeremy! Hope you like it!
Tanya
I would never think of using bacon this way! Genius!
Elizabeth
Thanks Tanya!
Marye Audet
Gorgeous! I know my husband would LOVE this!
Elizabeth
Thank you! :)
Barbara Manning
Thanks! I’ll have to omit the yummy bacon :-(, but the rest is totally doable.
Elizabeth
The pie would be delicious without the bacon!
Anne
This looks delicious and so easy. I have one question – what size pie plate do you use? With all that liquid, I want to make sure I don’t use one that’s too small. May I also say that I like the way you’ve set it so that I can print just the recipe and not all the other information, Very convenient.
Elizabeth
Hi Anne! I just used a standard sized pie dish. It was full, but not too full. I think if you start filling it up and it’s looking a little too full, just leave some of the filling out of it (you can bake it in a small pan or in muffin pan cups for a yummy snack). Hope that helps! Glad you like the recipe format :-)
Rob
Great recipe! So, is it 4 eggs or 6 eggs? Thanks for your inspiration!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Ah! Thank you so much for bringing this discrepancy to my attention. This recipe uses FOUR eggs, not 6! Although, I think it would still work with 6, if you want to pack a little more heartiness and protein into it. Hope you like it and thanks again!