Hashbrown Casserole

Creamy and delicious combo of hash browns, cheese, and a creamy sauce that tastes similar to the Cracker Barrel version, but takes WAY less work. This easy hashbrown casserole can be cooked, prepped and ready to eat in just a short 45 minutes!

Get excited to get out of bed in the morning with this cheesy hashbrown casserole that everyone will love and will partner well with any breakfast dish. But also doubles as a perfect potato dinner side. Serve with French toast or eggs muffins for breakfast, or as a side for honey baked ham, or roast chicken!

Ingredients Needed:

With just a handful of simple ingredients you will be well only your way to an easy, yet ever so tasty dish.

Hash brown potatoes – Use your favorite brand of frozen hashbrowns
Butter, softened – Unsalted or salted
Salt – Kosher or table
Ground Black Pepper
Chopped Onion– Yellow or white onion is best
Can of Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
Sour Cream
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Colby Jack Cheese
Garnish: Chopped Chives or Green Onions

How To Make Hashbrown Casserole:

Remember how I just mentioned that the ingredients were simple? Well you truly haven’t even seen simple yet until you see how easy it is to prepare this dish.

Hashbrown casserole is one of the easiest dishes you can make. Seriously Friends it doesn’t get much easier than this.

So pay attention or you might just miss these quick instructions.

Combine Ingredients: Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
Transfer into Greased Baking Dish: Spoon ingredients into baking dish.
Bake: Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 35 minutes.
Garnish and Serve: Garnish with fresh chives or parsley and serve.

Doesn’t get much more simple than that.

Note: See recipe at the end for more detailed instructions.

Substitutions:

While I think this recipe is pretty eazy peazy, feel free to make substitutions that work for you.

Use real potatoes if you prefer.

Frozen hash browns are already cut up and just need to be thawed. So I personally love that.

However, if you want to use real potatoes and spend the time shredding them, go right ahead.

There are soup substitution options if you want.

Use cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup instead of cream of chicken soup if your heart so desires. Either will work great and not make a noticeable difference in flavor.

What If You Don’t Want To Use Canned Soup?

Make your own cream of mushroom, cream of chicken, or cream of celery soup instead of canned if you want. It adds another step, but it gives you control of what ingredients are in the soup, so I get it if that’s what you want to do.

You can use cream instead of sour cream.

I prefer sour cream and the zing of flavor it provides to the dish, but in a pinch you could use heavy cream instead.

Topping Ideas:

Toppings and Add-Ins:

Toppings:

Chives
Parsley

Add-Ins:

Sausage
Bacon
Peppers
Ham

Add your own flavor to the dish and add whatever ingredients make you happy.

Tips for Creamy, Cheesy Casserole:

Make sure to use Colby Cheese:

Yes a lot of times there is flexibility in the type of cheese you choose. However, if you really want the cheesy goodness to stand out, don’t sub out the Colby cheese.

Colby cheese surpasses your basic cheddar and adds a little something extra to the dish.

If you must use different cheese, make sure to use a strong flavored cheese.

The cheese types in the list of ingredients are necessary in order to produce to right flavor profile.

If you must sub them out, make sure to replace them with strong flavored cheeses.

Thaw potatoes the day before.

If you don’t thaw potatoes first, then while the casserole is cooking, liquid will release from the frozen potatoes, making your dish less creamy and watered down.

Don’t skip the thawing step.

Follow these few simple steps and you will have creamy, cheesy, Hashbrown Casserole.

Storage/Freezing Instructions:

Can You Make This Ahead?

Absolutely!

Prepare without the topping and put in the refrigerator, covered of course, for up to 24 hours.

Freeze:

Prepare as normal, bake, and cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap and foil or transfer into an air tight container for up to 2 months.

I prefer leaving it in the baking dish, so I don’t have to deal with carefully transferring it and making it look less appealing.

Serve With:

Serve Hashbrown Casserole as a side to breakfast, dinner, or even lunch. This creamy hash brown side dish goes great with so many things.

Breakfasts:

Dinners:

Better Than The Original Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole! Don’t miss out on your soon to be new favorite side dish. It’s way easier to make than the Original Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole and it is oh so delicious.

Serve it up next to a plate of juicy ham or use it as a favorite side for breakfast. Either way this side dish will become the star of any meal.

Other Yummy Potato Dishes: