Preheat Oven:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a small/medium cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Make the Sausage Gravy:

• In a frying pan, cook the ground sausage over medium heat until browned. Do not drain the grease.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in the ¼ cup flour, allowing it to bubble and form a roux.
• Gradually add the ¼ cup of milk and pepper, stirring until thickened. Remove from heat. If needed, add additional milk by the tablespoon until the desired consistency is reached (a drier gravy works best for these bars).
• Transfer the sausage gravy to a bowl and set aside.

Cook the Bacon:

• Prepare the bacon using your preferred method (air fryer, stovetop, oven, or microwave). Once cooked, crumble the bacon and set aside.

Cook the Hash Browns:

• In a frying pan, cook the shredded hash browns until golden and crispy on both sides. If using oil, use olive oil sparingly to avoid excess grease or sogginess.

Prepare the Egg Wash:

• In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and 2 tbsp heavy cream. Set aside.

Assemble the Bars:

• Place one puff pastry sheet onto the prepared cookie sheet.
• Spread the sausage gravy into a small square within the pastry sheet, leaving about 1 inch of bare pastry around the edges.
• Layer the cooked hash browns on top of the sausage gravy.
• Carefully pour about half of the egg mixture over the hash browns, ensuring it doesn’t spill onto the bare pastry edges.
• Brush the bare pastry edges with some of the egg mixture.

Add Cheese and Bacon:

• Place the 4 slices of cheese over the layered breakfast.
• Sprinkle the crumbled bacon on top of the cheese slices, followed by the shredded cheddar cheese.

Top with Second Puff Pastry:

• Carefully place the second puff pastry sheet over the layers. Press the edges of the top and bottom pastry sheets together, sealing them with a fork all the way around.
• Brush the top pastry sheet with the remaining egg wash.

Bake:

• Bake in the preheated oven for 18-23 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.
• Let the bars cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting into 9 pieces (or smaller, if desired).

Serve:

• Serve warm for ultimate flakiness and enjoy!