A telescoping hanger bar assembly for mounting a recessed ceiling light fixture, wherein the hanger bar assembly includes mounting brackets each including an ear defining a plane, and each ear includes a nail holder, a bendable flange, and a bendable return. Each ear plane contains the nail holder adjacent to the bendable flange partially separated by a score line. The bendable flange and bendable return allow the hanger bar to be configured by the user for attachment to a T-bar grid, steel studs, furring strips, engineered joists, or standard wooden joists commonly found in building construction.