Easy Hashbrown Casserole
Hashbrown casserole is easy, cheesy, takes only minutes to throw together, and is a favorite side dish for holiday dinners from Easter to Christmas, casual weeknight dinners, and potlucks alike. It’s total comfort food!
Ahhhh, hashbrown casserole.
My aunt makes a version slightly different from this, but it always shows up at Easter and Christmas. Not surprisingly, cheesy potatoes go exceptionally well with ham dishes!
Tuck it away for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or any other casual gathering when you want to make a big hit, because I guarantee that this will be the first thing to disappear every single time!
What Is Hashbrown Casserole?
Hashbrown casserole is one of the most irresistible side dishes you will ever eat! It's an easy casserole that takes less than 10 minutes to mix together - simply stir together thawed hash browns, melted butter, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, chopped onion, shredded cheddar cheese, salt, and pepper, pour it into a casserole dish and pop it in the oven!
Some consider this a copycat of the Cracker Barrel hashbrown casserole, so if you're a fan of that, you'll love this recipe!
It's also a cousin to the cheesy potato casserole that I made a couple of years ago; many people refer to that particular recipe as "funeral potatoes".
Ingredient Notes
The ingredient list for this family favorite is not very long; here are a few quick notes to make sure you have what you need!
- Frozen Shredded Hashbrowns – The hash browns should be thawed before using so that the dish bakes evenly. You can also use the diced hashbrowns if you’d like. I do not recommend using fresh potatoes, as there would be too much excess moisture.
- Cream of Chicken Soup – You can also substitute cream of mushroom soup.
- Sour Cream – You can substitute full-fat, plain Greek yogurt.
- Cheddar Cheese – The classic pick for this type of casserole and you can use sharp cheddar cheese or mild, but you can also use other cheese varieties, too. Other good options are mozzarella, gouda, Montery Jack, and Colby cheese.
How to Make It
I love how quickly and easily this casserole comes together. The most important (and timely) step is making sure you thaw the frozen hashbrowns ahead of time so they’re ready to go. Once they’re ready, this is all you need to do:
- Stir together all of the ingredients in a large bowl, ensuring everything is evenly combined.
- Spread in a 9×13-inch baking dish and bake at 375 degrees F until it is browned and bubbly. You can sprinkle with some chopped fresh parsley or chives if desired.
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That’s IT! Two steps! Such a wonderfully simple side dish option.
Hash Brown Casserole Variations
This casserole would lend itself to tons of modifications based on personal preferences - add bell peppers, ham, sausage, bacon, ground beef, broccoli… so many options! A couple of different spins you can put on this:
- Turn it into Funeral Potatoes – Simply add a topping of crushed cornflakes or Ritz crackers for extra taste and texture.
- Spice it up – Stir in a 4-ounce can of green chiles to give this casserole a kick and southwest flavor.
Make-Ahead, Storage, and Freezing Instructions
- You can assemble this casserole in the baking dish, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 2 days before baking.
- Once the casserole is baked and cooled, store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- You can freeze the hashbrown casserole, either before baking it or after it has been baked and cooled. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before baking or reheating in the oven.
More Deliciously Cheesy Side Dishes:
- Cheesy Creamed Corn Casserole
- The Creamiest Scalloped Potatoes
- Cheesy Potato Casserole with Corn Flakes Topping
- Sweet Potato Gratin with Gruyere
- And if you are looking for a crockpot hashbrown casserole? I have one! The Slow Cooker Sausage, Hash Brown & Cheddar Breakfast Casserole is a huge favorite, especially for holiday mornings!
Watch How to Make Hashbrown Casserole:
If you make this hashbrown casserole recipe and love it, remember to stop back and give it a 5-star rating - it helps others find the recipe! ❤️️
Hashbrown Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 32 ounces frozen hashbrowns, thawed
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 10.25 ounce can cream of chicken soup
- 16 ounces sour cream, full fat
- ½ cup (71 g) finely chopped yellow onion, about 1 small onion
- 8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- In a large bowl, stir together all of the ingredients until thoroughly combined.
- Pour into prepared baking dish and bake until golden brown and bubbling, 30 to 45 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley or chives, if desired.
Notes
- Frozen Shredded Hashbrowns - The hash browns should be thawed before using so that the dish bakes evenly. You can also use the diced hashbrowns if you'd like. I do not recommend using fresh potatoes, as there would be too much excess moisture.
- Cream of Chicken Soup - You can also substitute cream of mushroom soup.
- Sour Cream - You can substitute full-fat, plain Greek yogurt.
- Cheddar Cheese - The classic pick for this type of casserole and you can use sharp cheddar cheese or mild, but you can also use other cheese varieties, too. Other good options are mozzarella, gouda, Montery Jack, and Colby cheese.
- Turn it into Funeral Potatoes - Simply add a topping of crushed cornflakes or Ritz crackers for extra taste and texture.
- Spice it up - Stir in a 4-ounce can of green chiles to give this casserole a kick and southwest flavor.
- Make-Ahead – You can assemble this casserole in the baking dish, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 2 days before baking.
- Storage – Once the casserole is baked and cooled, store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- You can freeze the hashbrown casserole, either before baking it or after it has been baked and cooled. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before baking or reheating in the oven.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Recipe was originally published in March 2018.
Photography by Dee Frances of One Sarcastic Baker.
Can I make this without sour cream, my family totally hates sour cream?
Your family won’t even know there is sour cream is in this dish. Don’t tell them. I wouldn’t touch sour cream ON anything. No problem with it mixed in any dish.
Use plain yogurt, works well
Hi – question that I saw another user post as well (not answered yet): THERE ARE A LOT OF RECIPES LIKE THIS, BUT THEY ALL CALL FOR 8 OZ SOUR CREAM, THIS ONE SAYS 16 OZ…JUST WONDERING WHY THE DIFFERENCE? :) Should we use 8 oz or 16 oz of sour cream??
Can you tell me what would happen if you left out the butter? I made it and missed it and already froze it.
I didn’t know sour cream was in it until I was given the recipe. Try it and don’t tell….. this is a great dish.
When I worked, I made this for all of our department potlucks. we had over 100 people in our department. I used an 18 quart cooker. I filled it almost full with 6 pkgs of the 32 oz hashbrowns and all the ingredients increased to match the amount of hashbrowns. Every time I brought home a completely empty cooker. It even got to the point that they would request that I bring it. Everyone loved it and always wanted the recipe!!
I make something like this for holiday breakfasts or brunch. I use a recipe for Amish Breakfast Casserole. It calls for a pound of bacon. I usually save a little bacon fat when I usually cook bacon and keep it in a little covered container in the fridge. Instead of frying the bacon , using some of the fat to sauté the onions like in German potato salad, I just use a little of the bacon drippings in the fridge and sauté the onions in it. I add a pack of the cubed ham. Seems meatier than crumbled bacon. It uses 2 cheeses and cottage cheese, no canned soup, so no worry about MSG or other additives. It does use eggs. No sour cream either. Not real eggy like a lot of the breakfast casseroles. Could also just use some leftover ham.
Could i grate some raw potatoes and use that? We don’t have the ‘frozen (grated) hash brown in Australia 😏
Hi! Could you use cream of mushroom instead of cream of chicken? I’m wanting to make this for a brunch. I have a few vegetarian friends I want to be considerate of, but didn’t know if the substitute would greatly alter the taste? Thanks!
I think that sub would work just fine!
Have made a similar version with cream of celery and it is great as well.
PlEASE DO NOT have AD’S on your printable recipies!!! It uses TOO much ink!! I will just skip your site.
Then why don’t you just snip the recipe and print. It’s that easy. Why do you have to be a hateful person. Have a great day Scrooge!
I love searching for a variety of recipes and cooking ideas. I don’t know how it is gonna taste but I’ll definitely try this recipe. I love your recipes and ideas.
Cheers from India
I made this for Easter breakfast and it was a huge hit! We almost didn’t want to leave leftovers for the next day. I did use cubed hashbrown instead as that’s what I had at the time. I’ll definitely be making this again for family.
I also plan to use cubed hashbrowns because that’s all I could find! Did that work out ok? Any changes/suggestions?
Your recipe is very good and will be my go to recipe for this casserole. I tried the ultimate hash brown from Chunky Chef (your suggestion for recipe that doesn’t use canned soups). I followed recipe exactly and used a 10” iron skillet It was a disaster. It ran over in my oven and was a mushy mess. I sent comments and ask for suggestions from blogger two times but received no response. You may want to consider this in recommending that recipe on your site.
I AM A LITTLE CONFUSED, THERE ARE A LOT OF RECIPES LIKE THIS, BUT THEY ALL CALL FOR 8OZ SOUR CREAM, THIS ONE SAYS 16 0ZS…JUST WONDERING WHY THE DIFFERENCE? :)
This really isn’t a review but am just wondering instead of making in a 9 x 13 – could we maybe do in two smaller dishes – freeze one and bake the other. There will be only 4 of us for Christmas brunch – thought the other could do for New Year’s brunch.
Oh gosh, do I make this a TON! So easy, so yummy and my family gobbles it up.. The only change I make is I use the frozen Southern Style Potatoes O’Brien (that already have the peppers and onions in them), then I just eliminate the chopped onions. It’s one easier step and my family likes the additional flavor it adds.
I use Campbell’s Cheddar Cheese Soup because my husband doesn’t like mushrooms. It adds more delicious cheesiness. According to their website (https://www.campbells.com/campbell-soup/condensed/cheddar-cheese-soup/) it doesn’t have MSG in it, unless I overlooked it.
I know of no cream of chicken soup to be able to use, Campbell’s has MSG, which I’m seriously allergic to, Pacific brand cream of chicken is the nastiest thing to com along in years, too “floury” and way too much salt, Can’t use bullion cubes (MSG), so what’s left to provide the taste? Making homemade cream of chicken soup could be done, but would defeat the purpose, add a lot of extra time and cost to the recipe and chicken broth would bring the taste down quite a lot. Any suggestions?
Hi Susanna, Unfortunately I’m not sure of a substitute other than making it homemade. You could try the brand you said tastes horrible; you might not notice if it’s mixed in with other things.
I found an organic cream if chicken soup at Aldi’s. I used it in a recipe and it tasted good. Maybe check that one out.
I make this all the time. I sometimes add boursin for a little more flavor.
What kind of hashbrowns? The square cubed kind of are they the shredded/grated style hash brown?
Hi Kerry, The shredded hash browns. Enjoy!
I used the cubed hash browns and it was a huge hit! I’m wondering the best temperature and time length for reheating a precooked, defrosted one? Thanks!
Thanks, Erica for your comments about using cubed hash browns in the potato casserole. We cannot buy shredded hash browns any more in Canada, and I have missed making this sort of casserole. I will try this one!
I signed up to bring a main dish to a pot luck dinner. I had planned on making this dish, but realized I needed meat, so I decided to add cooked, cubed chicken. It was so goosd. I got a lot of compliments. Easy and delicious works for me.
I make mine with chopped hot Hatch green chile. Delish!
Can I put all of this together the night before & then bake in the morning?
Hi Amy, Yes, absolutely!
This one is perfect for Easter and i love the way u portrayed this dish through pictures. Richness of hash brown made this exquisite. This now added in my cookbook.
I absolutely LOVE every recipe I have used from your website. Thank you!!
Aw you’re welcome Cristina, so awesome to hear!
Made these last night to accompany a smoke d chicken. They we’re so good that I ate way more potatoes than chicken. Thank you for a wonderful recipe.e
I Have the Easter Pie In The Oven.
Hi Abby, You’re very welcome!! Enjoy the Easter Pie as well! :)
These potatoes are a family favorite – we call then Nana’s Potatoes after my Aunt Naomi who first made them.
This has been a summer porch party staple as well as a holiday go-to. And yes, always the first pan to empty and no leftovers! 😧 A fave for sure!
How do you recommend “defrosting” the potatoes? I know, sounds like a crazy question, but I’ve been thinking about this and decided that I needed to ask. I make a casserole with eggs in it using the same type of potatoes, but it’s a “Make Ahead” type dish that you leave in the fridge overnight and then bake it in the morning. Obviously the frozen potatoes are no longer frozen in the morning. So….. suggestion on defrosting these potatoes? Thanks! :)
Hi Colleen, There are a few ways you can do it:
– Put the package in the refrigerator overnight.
– Put the frozen hash browns in a large bowl, cover, and let sit at room temperature for about 45 minutes (be sure to drain any liquid).
– If you’re short on time, put them in a bowl, cover and microwave until thawed (again, be sure to drain any accumulated liquid).
Enjoy! :)
I have made a similar version for years. My recipe calls for 2 cans of soup as well as a small can of mushroom pieces and stems ( which I omit, not a mushroom fan), otherwise is the same. Like you said, always a favorite.
This recipe is similar to one my sister makes. Her is called Swartzies. She uses cream of mushroom soup instead of cream of chicken soup. She also covers the casserole with a layer of shredded Parmesan and then bakes it until the Parmesan is dark and crispy on top. Super yummy!
I have always loved cream of mushroom soup, so I definitely want to try this version, and a big layer of Parmesan on top? Totally up my alley!
My husband’s family makes this for Christmas/Easter/any party really. They call them party potatoes and make them with cream of celery soup….I love them!
Love the twist with cream of celery, plus that would keep it vegetarian if you need to, great idea!
This dish has been a family favorite for years. The original recipe I had didn’t have onions. I felt the recipe needed a,little more so I started sprinkling Durkee fried onions on just before they are done and bake for a few more minutes. Extra yummy
Oh my gosh I LOVE that idea! Totally doing it that way the next time I make these! You can’t beat those fried onions, they’re the best part of green bean casserole, IMO :)