These cute hash brown egg nests with avocado are fun to make with shredded hash browns and cheese baked into a crispy nest then topped with an egg, crumbled bacon and even more cheese.
These egg nests will make your grumpy mornings not so grumpy. I’m not a morning person so I can relate. But if you’re the type to be bright eyed and bushy tailed in the mornings, this will make things even better. I’ve also found these nests are super popular around Easter and Mother’s Day so here’s something you can make together as a fun group activity.
Pair it with creamy chilled avocado slices for that hot and cold combo. While you’re busy chasing around that runny egg with crispy hash browns, bacon and melty cheese, you can nip out a corner of chilled avocado to add to your fork. Yummy!
And if these egg nests are too delicate for you, you can try out a whole hash brown breakfast quiche instead. This one is equally fun to make but has even bigger portions and is filled with custard, zucchini, mushrooms and bacon.
But back to these super cute, tiny nests! Let’s get started.
Tips and tricks:
First you need a cupcake pan. Spray them down with nonstick spray so it doesn’t stick. You don’t wanna mangle these beauties before they even have a chance to leave the pan! You’ll want to fill each one up and then using your fingers, press down in the middle to push and mold the hash browns to cover the sides. The more it sticks out the better! This is what makes it look like a nest.
Then you pre-bake it so it sets. Once that’s done crack in eggs into each nest and top with bacon bits, cheese and parsley. Then bake again until the egg whites settle. You can opt to bake a little longer if you don’t like your eggs runny.
Ta-da! You have breakfast. Or brunch, or a snack. Whatever time you decide to eat this, you will be munching happy. Serve with fresh chilled avocado slices or skip them if you’re cursed like me with two settings: unripe avocados and too-bad-you-missed-the-one-day-I-was-ripe avocados.
PS: If you’re wanting an easier and healthier breakfast bite, try out these breakfast muffins with no hash browns for those watching their calories and scrambled eggs for those that don’t their eggs runny!
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Hash Brown Egg Nests with Avocado
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 40 mins
- Yield: 8 nests 1x
Description
Shredded hash browns and cheese nests baked until crispy topped with a baked eggs, crumbled bacon and more cheese. Served with chilled avocado slices.
Ingredients
- 15 oz. frozen shredded hash browns, thawed
- 1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 medium eggs
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
- 1 tablespoon Cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/2 tablespoon parsley, chopped
- 2 avocados, sliced and chilled
Instructions
- Mix hash browns, salt, pepper, olive oil and 1 cup Cheddar cheese in a mixing bowl
- Grease the muffin pan and divide hash brown mixture. Use your fingers to pack them tightly and shape them into nests
- Bake at 425 degrees F or until the edges have browned and the cheese has melted, about 15 minutes
- Crack a medium egg into each nest and season with salt and pepper to taste
- Top with crumbled bacon, 1 tablespoon cheddar cheese and parsley
- Bake at 350 degrees F until the egg whites set, about 13 to 16 minutes
- Let it cool, gently slide a knife along the edges and use a fork to lift it out of the pan
- Dish and serve with chilled avocado slices
Notes
If you don’t have frozen shredded hash browns, bake 4-6 russet potatoes. Let them cool off, then peel and grate them to form shreds.
Nutrition for one nest and a couple avocado slices:

204 Comments
Jess
December 31, 2014 at 5:37 PMHave you ever done these without the cheese for a dairy free option? Just wondering if the cup would hold together as well
The Cooking Jar
December 31, 2014 at 8:13 PMThere’s not as much cheese to hash brown ratio as you might think so the glue effect that comes with cheese is minimal, I think. You should be good to go without cheese! I personally have not gone the no cheese route, but I’m positive it’ll be fine.
Jen
January 3, 2015 at 8:13 PMOur family wanted to try these but my husband and a daughter are dairy intolerant. We did with the grand idea of using half a cup of liquid boxed egg whites to hold the nests together instead of the cheese. They were fantastic! The egg protein did the trick and we all enjoyed picking our herbs of choice to go on top with the bacon. I did add a bit of salt to the nests to make up for the salt missing from the cheese. Seriously, with the perfectly ripe avocado, the bacon crumbles and fresh herbs, we didn’t even miss the cheese. (We have already made them twice and we find that the Simply Potatoes 15 oz bag actually does all 12 muffin tins.)
★★★★★
The Cooking Jar
January 8, 2015 at 2:15 PMGreat idea in place of cheese, Jen! Thanks for sharing and hopefully other people who can’t take cheese can try this out! Glad to know 15 oz. works for 12 muffins this way too 🙂
Jaclyn Kundrat
January 12, 2015 at 4:02 PMWould scrambled eggs work just as well?
The Cooking Jar
January 12, 2015 at 5:21 PMAbsolutely! And since it’s scrambled, you can pre-mix the bacon bits, cheese and parsley in there instead of topping with them. Or do both!
Cheryl
January 25, 2015 at 3:40 AMMade these two muffin tin’s worth for a brunch last weekend. They were fantastic, even the kids loved them.
Because my menu included several other oven items, I baked the potato nests the night before. Next morning I just put the nests in the oven to heat up, added the eggs and toppings, cooked for 14 minutes and they were perfect! I did half of them with bacon and cheddar and the other half with swiss cheese and crumbled cooked breakfast sausage and they were both a hit. Thanks for the recipe!
The Cooking Jar
January 25, 2015 at 8:58 PMThanks, Cheryl. It’s good to know the hash brown cups can be prepped the day before. Great ideas on mixing it up a little with the Swiss cheese and breakfast sausage! You’re most welcome and thanks for coming back to let me know 🙂
Karen K
February 16, 2015 at 2:17 AMHi Farah! Thank you for sending me to this recipe! Looks SO good, & I can’t wait to make it. Sounds easy. I LOVE avocados 🙂
The Cooking Jar
February 16, 2015 at 2:34 AMHey Karen! I’m happy you like the recipe! They really are good. Good luck making them! It has all my favorite breakfasty stuff in it: hash browns, runny yolk, bacon, cheese and avocados 🙂
Toni Pearson
February 25, 2015 at 1:54 PMI can’t say this loud enough!!! so easy, versatile and oh… did I mention divinely SCRUMPTIOUS!!!! Thank you SO much for sharing! I am always looking for a quick and healthy something to eat, and share with my kids. My son who is finicky about eggs loved this!! YAY!
★★★★★
The Cooking Jar
February 26, 2015 at 1:55 PMI’m totally grinning from ear to ear. Your enthusiasm is infectious!!! THANK YOU for making my day! 🙂
Carly
March 1, 2015 at 11:50 AMDon’t ever put avocado in the refrigerator, just leave it on the counter. That’s probably why yours went bad faster. On another note, recipe looks delicious and can’t wait to give it a try. I think it would be equally delicious with out the avocado.
★★★★★
The Cooking Jar
March 3, 2015 at 1:42 AMLesson learned! I’m slightly better at handling avocados now 🙂 Some people have tried it with and others without, it’s just if you want that chilled creaminess to go with piping hot egg nests. Hope you enjoy it, Carly!
Terrie
March 20, 2015 at 3:16 PMHi Farah. If you make the hash brown nests the night before (or the whole recipe the night before) do the hash browns get soggy? I’m hosting an Easter breakfast after church and like to get as much done ahead of time. But I also want to serve fantastic food and this seems like a winner. Thanks for your help. Great blog, BTW!!!
The Cooking Jar
March 22, 2015 at 3:30 PMIt’s kinda like how things usually are when they are reheated, they won’t be as good as they were freshly cooked, if you know what I mean? I had them the day after a couple of times and they weren’t soggy, but they weren’t crispy either. Hope that helps, Terrie and have fun with the Easter breakfast event!
Carol Abbott
March 21, 2015 at 7:34 AMI love runny yokes but I’m going to make this for my Sunday School class and some may not so I guess I could just whip the eggs and pour into the hashbrowns. Have you tried that?
Carol Abbott
March 22, 2015 at 2:54 PMOkay so I made these and took them to Sunday School this morning and they were a big hit. Yesterday I cooked the hashbrowns in the pan and once cooled put them in the refrigerator. I also cooked my bacon yesterday and once cooled crumbled them and put them in a baggy in the refrigerator. This morning I got up and scrambled my eggs and poured them over the already cooked hashbrowns and sprinkled my cheese and bacon, cooked and it didn’t take no time. I just want to say again I loved this recipe and so did everyone else!!!!!
★★★★★
The Cooking Jar
March 22, 2015 at 3:34 PMWhoops! Sorry for not getting to you sooner, Carol. Now I feel bad 🙁 But I had a hectic week with my in-laws visiting! I’m glad it turned out well for you though! And very happy you came back to let me know even though I didn’t get back to you in time 🙂
So for everyone who wants to scramble their eggs beforehand, it works guys! Scramble away!
Renee
April 2, 2015 at 7:54 PMDo you think i could make the nest part the night before and should i cook it before storing in the refrigerator?
Carol Abbott
April 3, 2015 at 6:23 AMI made my nests the day before. I cooked them let them cool and put in the refrig. I also cooked my bacon the day before. That next morning all I had to do was mix up the egg mixture. Everyone in my Sunday School Class loved them. Just my 2 cents worth….
★★★★★
The Cooking Jar
April 5, 2015 at 1:24 PMCarol said it! People have been making the nests the day before successfully. Thank you for chiming in, Carol <3
Christine
April 5, 2015 at 11:51 AMGreat recipe! I am wondering if instead of using cooking spray, I could use baking cups. I use “If you care” baking cups and they don’t stick to anything I have cooked so far with them. Unlike the regular paper cups, these release well. I am worried they will prevent the hash browns from crisping up. Any thoughts? Thanks!
★★★★★
The Cooking Jar
April 5, 2015 at 1:27 PMI’ve never tried these with baking cups but my only concern is as you said, they won’t crisp well. The cup might act to steam the hash browns instead which might make them soggy! If you try it out, do come back and let us all know the results? I’m super curious now!
mandy
April 13, 2015 at 7:29 PMThese are great! I scrambled my eggs and added cut up maple turkey and spinach, YUM!
★★★★★
The Cooking Jar
April 15, 2015 at 2:46 PMLots of people have been scrambling them with good results! Love the addition of spinach to it!
Christina
April 26, 2015 at 4:54 AMThey look beautiful~ do they freeze well?
The Cooking Jar
April 27, 2015 at 4:04 PMStill not sure about this because of the egg and I’ve never personally done it. I don’t want people getting sick on my account so I would advise not to or only do it if you’ve read you can somewhere and trust your sources. Unless anyone who has more experience freezing food knows any better?
Maggie
May 8, 2015 at 8:19 AMOne question: can we use fresh grated potatoes instd of the frozen hash browns?
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The Cooking Jar
May 8, 2015 at 2:03 PMSome people have done this and said it worked well. The only suggestion I would have is to wring out any excess liquid from the grated potatoes so they crisp up nicely. And don’t forget to season it! Good luck, Maggie!