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Cheesy hashbrown casserole takes minutes to put together and is the perfect casserole to feed a crowd! This simple casserole is made with the most accessible ingredient list and everyone will be going back for seconds!
I ate at a Cracker Barrel in my college town with my family after graduation years ago and I don’t really remember what I had but I wasn’t exactly thrilled with it so I never really wanted to go back to Cracker Barrel again. When my friend heard about this, he was determined to change my mind as he said I probably ordered the wrong thing and I had to order the cheesy hashbrown casserole.
Okay, okay — the cheesy hashbrowns are SO good. They’re creamy, cheesy, and rich and just everything I’d want as a side to a hearty breakfast. This copycat Cracker Barrel cheesy hashbrown casserole is nearly identical to the restaurant’s and it makes a bunch! It’s most popular during the holiday season since it is the perfect breakfast side dish to feed a large crowd and you can prep it ahead of time.
Variations
- Add breakfast sausage. Bulk this up by cooking fresh breakfast sausage and breaking it into smaller pieces and browning it first. Add it to the hashbrown casserole when you’re mixing it all together!
- Use fresh potatoes. If you like shredding potatoes, feel free to use fresh instead of frozen.
- Cream of… You can use whatever ‘cream of’ you have – cream of chicken, cream of mushroom, cream of celery. Try making your own as well if you aren’t a fan of the can!
Serving Suggestions
Cheesy hashbrown casserole is the perfect side dish addition to your breakfast buffet for overnight guests! Serve this hashbrown casserole alongside blueberry pancakes, fruity pancakes, or breakfast sliders!
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Allow leftovers to cool completely before storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To reheat, pop it in the microwave or back in the oven until warmed through.
Prepping Ahead
Mix everything in a bowl then pour mixture into a casserole dish the night before. Cover tightly with foil then put it in the refrigerator. When ready to bake, uncover and bring it to room temperature the morning of before you pop it in the oven OR place the casserole dish into the oven as it preheats so it slowly warms up the casserole dish so it doesn’t shatter from temperature fluctuations.
Freezing
This casserole is great for freezing! Prepare as is and after store in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. To reheat, warm through in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons (84 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, some have noted it's a bit salty so I would start with 1 teaspoon..also keep in mind KOSHER SALT [which is coarser], not table salt!
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 large white or yellow onion, finely chopped
- 10.5 ounce (326 g) can of cream of chicken condensed soup
- 16 ounces (454 g) freshly grated Colby Jack cheese
- 1 pound (454 g) frozen shredded hash browns, lightly thawed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 °F (191 °C)
- Spray a oven-safe casserole or baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a very large bowl, stir together butter, salt, pepper, onion, cream of chicken soup, and cheese.6 tablespoons (84 g) unsalted butter, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 large white or yellow onion, 10.5 ounce (326 g) can of cream of chicken condensed soup, 16 ounces (454 g) freshly grated Colby Jack cheese
- Gently fold and mix the hashbrowns in the mixture until it's all coated with the mixture.1 pound (454 g) frozen shredded hash browns
- Pour the hashbrown mixture into your prepared casserole or baking dish in an even layer.
- Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes or until mixture is bubbly and cooked through.
- To get a nice crust on top, place the casserole under a broiler for 5 minutes – watch it carefully!!
Nutrition
Photographs by Jess Gaertner Creative
Made this today instead of cream of chicken soup. Are used to cans of cream of mushroom I like my potato casserole more on the cream your side and did the rest as stated turned out absolutely delicious oh one thing didn’t have Colby Jack cheese so used white cheddar
If I double cheesy hashbrown casseerole, do I extend baking time?
Yes, I would since it’ll be fairly thick
Yummy. I only had Provolone and Gouda cheese and we threw in a bunch of peppers from the garden but it was delicious that way too.
I LOVE this recipe, the only things I alter are I only use a 1/2 tsp of sea salt because it gets SUPER salty otherwise. It does get pretty oily, so I cut the butted down to 4 tbsp, and I add potato chips over top! ?
Could I make this divide into two. And freeze one half? What would the cooking time be?
Yes, you can definitely do that. The cooking time would be maybe 20-25 minutes.
I’ve made this before but always with frozen hashbrowns. Does the time change when you use fresh potatoes?
Hi Alyce, it should take a little bit less time to bake but not by much! You want to make sure the potatoes are thoroughly cooked through :)
Can I make make this vegetarian? What kind of soup? Cream of celery?
I haven’t tried to make this vegetarian but if you’re familiar with doing something like that, then I think it’s okay to use cream of celery. Although, double-check the ingredients in cream of celery to make sure it truly is vegetarian.
Could you use freshly shredded potatoes?
Yes, definitely
Way too salty and too much butter.
Should I cook the potatoes first? Worried they will be too crunchy! Plz help
No, I didn’t. They were perfectly soft.