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!!
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.
More Must Try Cheesy Casseroles
Creamy Macaroni and Cheese Casserole
Can you make this in a crock pot?
We have made this in a crockpot before following the cook times in my Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese. Enjoy Marcia!
I have to cook gluten free, so made this and made my own GF cream of chicken soup with milk, stock and cornstarch. Super easy and so tasty! Thank you for this great recipe!!
I made this for my daughter’s senior breakfast and all the kids loved it. There wasn’t anything left. Prepared it Wednesday night to bake on Friday morning and it turned out perfectly. I did modify it slightly- instead of sour cream I used French onion dip and then (accidentally) omitted the chopped onion. Tasted great and made it even quicker to prepare. I’ll definitely be making this again -planning on taking it this weekend on a getaway with friends along with an egg casserole for our breakfast. It’s so easy and I love that you can made ahead of time and just throw it in the oven in the morning and be done.
That sounds like such a delicious accident Becky! So glad you enjoyed it. We will have to try it with french onion dip instead of sour cream!
added ham, frozen corn (thawed) and 1 tsp garlic salt to make a meal :) I did add 1/4 cup more butter and about 1/2 cup more sour cream and cheese to accommodate for the extra things. Delicious!
Yum, thanks for sharing Ann-Marie!
Haven’t made it yet, but I have what most will probably consider an idiotic question:
The 1/2 cup melted butter. Is it measure 1/2 cup and then melt, or is it melt enough to get 1/2 cup?
So sorry to probably sound like an idiot, but I just want to get this right. Thank you so much! I can’t wait to try this! I’m missing my Cracker Barrel hash browns now that I live in England. So I have to try to find a way to be able to make them myself in order to enjoy them!
Hi Lisa, it should be the same volume. So you can measure ½ cup of butter solid and then melt it to add to the recipe or melt and add ½ cup in :) Hope that helps.
I don’t think that’s a stupid question at all! I don’t know the actual answer but I measure out a half cup of unmelted butter. I’ve made this a couple of times this way and it seems fine to me ♀️
Late to the party, but if you use stick butter it has the measurements on the waxy paper it’s wrapped in most of the time.
I would like to make this for a graduation party, using a Nesco. How/what would I need to adjust with this recipe to make it in a Nesco for a crowd? Thank you!
Hi Jill, we have never made this recipe in a roaster oven but I would limit the number of times you lift the lid to keep the temperature more consistent and it may take some additional time to get hot and bubbly. Let us know how it turns out for you!
I do not have shredded hash browns but diced. Will it make a noticeable difference?
You will notice a difference in the texture but the flavor should be the same. Enjoy!
I absolutely love this recipe! Thank you, Holly! 2 questions: I want to add a 10 oz bag of frozen broccoli – should I increase the sauce ingredients? Also, I cook mostly for just my husband and I and would like to split this into 2 8×8 baking dishes and freeze one unbaked for later. I was planning on defrosting in the fridge, then baking it. Thanks in advance!!!
Hi Meg, I would a little extra sauce if adding extra veggies. We usually freeze leftovers after baking but other readers have frozen before baking with success, just watch your cook time. With a smaller pan, you may need to reduce your cook times.
Very easy and delicious recipe! The first time I made it, I followed recipe exactly and it was great. The second time I added 1/2 package frozen sausage crumbles, one small can diced green chiles and about 1/4 cup Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning. Also added a cornflake topping using 2 cups cornflakes and 1/4 cup butter…just added it to the top and baked as directed. Turned out great. I think this recipe is very versatile and you could add any number of ingredients to it to make it more of a meal, rather than a side dish.
The flavor is great. Mine was very soupy.
I’m going to try this recipe for father’s day. Which is better to make it with cream of chicken or cream of cheddar soup.
Both are delicious. For extra cheesy, go with the cheddar soup if you have it! Enjoy it Regina!
Good recipe. I like the cornflakes. I would put a pic but doesn’t allow. I served this for daughters graduation. Easy recipe. I had to use cream of mushroom because I was out of cream of chicken and cheese soup. I also only had cheddar and still turned out great. I also shredded my own taters because I was out of frozen! If you can, they are even better. And didn’t take long with a cheese shredder. Yum all around!
Can you make this the night before and reheat it the next day? Or can I prep it the night before and sit in the fridge then cook it the next day?
It would be just fine prepped ahead of time McKenzie. You might need to adjust the cooking time slightly longer if the dish is cold. If you cook ahead, we usually reheat in the microwave.
Yes on both! Just pop it in the oven next day!
Can you substitute dehydrated hash browns for the frozen?
We’ve never tried it with dehydrated hashbrowns. I’d suggest rehydrating them. Let us know if you try it with the dehydrated hashbrowns, Annabel!
Absolutely. It’s what I used and rehydrated they worked perfectly. Everyone loved it. This is definitely a keeper recipe.
If I bought a block of cheese would I need a 16oz?
2 cups of cheese will take approximately 8 ounces or so. Enjoy the recipe Tiffany!
Very good. We made for daughters graduation party and everyone loved! The corn flakes are a big hit!
Can you make night before and keep in fridge?
It would be just fine prepped ahead of time Tiffany. You might need to adjust the cooking time slightly longer if the dish is cold.
I used cream of mushroom soup to make it vegetarian and it was delicious
Should have been 5 stars
Hi, what is your method of reheating once i freeze servings? Do i need to thaw them first?
Individual servings can be reheated in the microwave from frozen.
Awesome recipe! I left out the butter and it was still delicious. Very rich and satisfying. I made it for a Mother’s Day brunch and everyone went back for seconds. It was a real hit with my family. Will make this one again!