Julie Clark
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Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole
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Your family will quickly fall in love with this cheesy Hashbrown Casserole recipe! This easy potato side dish is ready for the oven in just 10 minutes. Love potatoes? Find our best potato recipes here.
Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole Recipe
It had been years since I had made this recipe that was sitting in my recipe box. But oh my goodness how I had missed it! One bite and all of the flavor memories came back.
This easy potato side dish (similar to our funeral potatoes) is creamy, cheesy and packed with flavors. I can completely do without meat and eat this as a main dish. But serve it alongside some meatloaf or ham?? Perfect comfort food and just as loved as our potatoes romanoff recipe.
Is this a Copycat Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole?
I always hesitate to call recipes “copycat”. And really, often times I end up liking a homemade version of a casserole a thousand times more than at a restaurant. So is this similar to Cracker Barrel casserole? Yes. Is it exact? I have no idea. Does it taste better? YES.
What’s in hashbrown casserole?
Our recipe calls for a bag of thawed hash browns, butter, onion (dice it up small so the kids don’t notice!), cream of chicken soup, cheddar cheese soup and colby cheese. We personally like the flavor the cream of chicken soup adds. You could use 2 cans of cheddar soup or replace the chicken with cream of mushroom soup if you’d like.
The last ingredient is colby cheese. I 100% recommend using freshly grated colby cheese for the creamiest casserole. Buy an 8 ounce block of colby, grate it and throw it all in this casserole. #MakeAmericaGrateAgain
Do I have to thaw frozen hash browns for casserole?
It’s important to thaw the frozen hashbrowns before making the casserole. If they are frozen, you’ll have a hard time mixing in all of the ingredients. They can still be very cold, but for ease of making the recipe and even cooking, defrost the potatoes.
How do you make cheesy hashbrown casserole?
This casserole really doesn’t get any easier. Take a bowl, mix in all of the ingredients, put them in a greased pan and it’s almost ready for the oven. It should really only take 5-10 minutes tops to have this in the oven.
*Can you use freshly grated potatoes? Sure! That will of course take a little longer, but will still be good.*
Hashbrown Casserole Topping
Many hashbrown casseroles call for a cornflake topping, but we like to use panko bread crumbs. My kids don’t really like the “crunch” of the cornflakes and panko crumbs have a softer bite. Mix the panko with a little melted butter and then sprinkle them on the casserole before baking.
Can you freeze hashbrown casserole?
Yes! You can easily make up hashbrown casserole, wrap it well and then freeze it to bake later. Be sure to allow the casserole to thaw before baking so that it cooks evenly. Also, I’d wait to put on the panko bread crumb topping until you are ready to bake it so it doesn’t get soggy.
Love using your slow cooker? Make our crockpot hashbrown casserole!
What to serve with Hash Brown Casserole
Hashbrown Casserole
Your family will quickly fall in love with this cheesy Hashbrown Casserole recipe! This easy potato side dish is ready for the oven in just 10 minutes.
Servings 15
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Ingredients
For the casserole:
- 30 ounces frozen hash brown potatoes (thawed)
- 1/2 cup butter (melted)
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1 can cream of chicken soup (10.75 ounces)
- 1 can cheddar cheese soup (10.5 ounces)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 8 ounces colby cheese (freshly shredded)
For the topping:
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine the thawed potatoes, butter, onion, 2 soups, salt and pepper. Mix well.
- Add in the shredded colby cheese and mix again.
- Spoon the mixture into the greased baking dish, spreading it evenly across the bottom.
- In a small bowl, combine the panko bread crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle the bread crumbs overtop the casserole.
- Bake uncovered for about 35 minutes, or until heated through and lightly browned.
Video
Notes
The calories shown are based on the casserole being cut into 15 pieces, with 1 serving being 1/15 of the recipe. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information.**
Nutrition
Calories: 226kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 604mg | Potassium: 297mg | Fiber: 1g | Vitamin A: 505IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 129mg | Iron: 1.1mg
