Hashbrown Casserole is easy, cheesy and totally delicious! This simple casserole is made easy with frozen hashbrowns!
Copy Cat Cracker Barrel Hashbrown casserole needs just 5 minutes of prep making it the a great side or potluck dish! The perfect breakfast casserole!
The Hashbrowns, That’s Why
I love Cracker Barrel but the truth is… I only show up for the hashbrown casserole. That’s it. Just the hashbrowns people.
My friend shared her version of that yummy, oh so creamy and cheesy easy Hashbrown Casserole with me and WOW! Tender shredded hash browns in a rich and creamy cheese sauce, topped with more cheese and baked until hot and bubbly!
This is a perfect breakfast casserole for any holiday morning or just when you’re getting the family together for a delicious breakfast or brunch. It also makes a perfect side dish for Crispy Oven Parmesan Chicken or even served alongside a Ranch 7 Layer Salad for lunch!
Better Than the Original
There are lots of recipes out there for this cheesy casserole but this is the one I’ve found to be the closest! This hashbrown casserole is made with condensed cream of chicken soup. I’ve also made it with cream of cheddar soup if you can find it. Both work perfectly in this recipe! While I’ve had a version of hashbrown casserole without sour cream, I definitely prefer it with, it adds a little bit of creaminess and tang to the recipe. Since this is a copy cat hashbrown casserole recipe, my list of ingredients is inevitably different than the original but the flavor is just like my favorite Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole (in fact, it’s even BETTER in my opinion)!
How to Make Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole
One of the best things about hashbrown casserole is that it’s super quick to prepare (5 minutes). I literally cannot stop eating it; dinner, bedtime snack and then breakfast if there is any left!
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
- Spread into a 9×13 dish.
- Top with cheese and bake. Voila!
It’s that easy! If you’d like you can add leftover chicken, ham or ground beef to this easy recipe. Stir in your favorite veggies as well, Steamed Broccoli, peas or frozen veggies work well too!
Toppings
I like to top it with cheese to keep it close to the version I’ve had at Cracker Barrel but if you prefer a nice crunchy topping on your hashbrown casserole, this is also great with cornflakes. Gently crush 2 cups of cornflakes and toss with 1/4 cup of melted butter, sprinkle over the casserole before baking.
How to Freeze Hashbrown Casserole
This easy cheesy hashbrown casserole can easily be frozen. We usually prepare as directed and freeze any leftovers in individual servings making them the perfect lunch or quick dinner.
More Potato Dishes You’ll Love
- Scalloped Potatoes Recipe – Simple classic recipe.
- Easy Oven Roasted Potatoes
- The BEST Mashed Potatoes – Creamy perfection.
- Twice Baked Potatoes – Make ahead (these freeze well).
- Perfect Baked Potatoes
- Potatoes Au Gratin
- Colcannon Recipe (Cabbage and Potatoes) – So yummy!!
Copy Cat Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 32 ounces frozen shredded hash browns thawed
- ½ cup melted butter
- 10.5 ounces condensed cream of chicken soup 1 can, or cream of cheddar
- 16 ounces sour cream
- ½ cup finely diced onion
- 2 cups shredded Colby cheese divided, or cheddar cheese
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish.
- In a large bowl, combine thawed hashbrowns, melted butter, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, onion, 1 ½ cups of cheese, and pepper.
- Spread the mixture into the prepared baking dish and top with the reserved ½ cup of cheese.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Video
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Casserole
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Note: This recipe originally appeared on SpendWithPennies.com April, 2013.
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Creamy Macaroni and Cheese Casserole
Point about butter being at the bottom of the pan. Defrost your hashbrowns in refrigerator out of the plastic bag. Leave in your refrigerator to dehydrate the hashbrowns. When mixing it with the melted butter slowly. The hashbrowns soak up the butter much better.
I’ve made this twice and it came out a bit dry… What can I do to prevent this?
Hi Kelly, you can add a bit more sour cream or melted butter to help make it a bit more moist. I would also watch the cooking time to ensure that you are not overcooking it. I hope that helps!
can I mix the ingredients ahead of time and freeze to cook later?
Yes, this can be prepared and frozen before baking. Thaw in the fridge overnight and bake as directed adding about 10 to 15 minutes to the cooking time.
My guys had seconds. And thirds. This is always my go-to recipe! I started a batch of these potatoes last night and realized I didn’t have any canned soup in my pantry. I googled “cream of ____ soup” substitute and came across a simple recipe that uses butter, broth, flour, milk, salt and pepper. For the win!
This was delicious! Even my picky eater asked for seconds! I used plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream (because that’s what I had on hand). It is a keeper and I’ll be making it again!
Tried this recipe. Sorry but I didn’t feel it was anywhere close to Cracker Barrel recipe. Way too much sour cream for my taste making the potatoes very wet. This is not to say that some people may like the recipe very much.
Thanks for trying our recipe, Tom. Sorry to hear it didn’t turn out as expected for you.
AMAZING!! A Crowd pleaser every time! My go-to breakfast when my son’s friends stay the night. It’s quick, delicious & filling. I’ve also used cream of mushroom (vs cream of chicken) & they loved it.
I love your recipes!
Amazing!!!!
I am baffled – hoping you can help. I made this recipe exactly as you said except I could only get ColbyJack instead of Colby. The problem was is that the sour cream separated and while it tastes ok it looks unappetizing. I am making this for a community potluck so I’d like it to work! Ty for any advice, etc.
I haven’t had that problem so I can’t say for certain but dairy can often separate when overcooked or it gets too hot. Older/full fat cheese tends to separate more than a milder type—is it possible it was the cheese?
Use Daisy sour cream and good name brand cheese. Cheap store brand cheese gets greasy when you cook it and cheap store brand sour cream has a lot of other ingredients that shouldn’t be in there as well.
Can you use fresh shredded potatoes? if so does the cooking time need to change and does anything special need done?
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure. You may need to increase the cooking time to ensure the potatoes are fully cooked (or pre cook them).
I have this in the oven right now. I am addicted to Cracker Barrel’s hashbrown casserole. I tried to make my own and I used eggs. That was definitely NOT the casserole I wanted. I can’t wait for this to come out of the oven so I can burn my mouth on it in excitement!
Delicious! Hubby even loved it, and he’s not easy to please! After reading comments, I added salt (1 tsp). Definitely saving this for future use.
I added bacon bits and a layer of pepperoni. Plus I sprinkled some garlic on top. My son doesn’t care that much for hash browns. But he had 2 large servings.