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.
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We have a lot of bratwurst at home. Would we need to increase the cook time if chopping it and adding it?
Hi Ali, you should still be able to follow the cooking instructions in the recipe. You can also brown or precook the sausage before adding it to the casserole if you prefer.
Add some salt and chopped jalapeños. Then add French’s fried onions on top. Extra cheese too. It was great. Thanks
Yummy additions Tom!
Amazing!! I was SO excited to try this recipe. I literally ran to the store for the ingredients and came right home. I dumped the FROZEN hashbrowns in a bowl, dumped in the cream of chicken and melted butter and uh oh!! I realized the recipe called for DEFROSTED hashbrowns. I tried to save the dish by microwaving the hashbrown/cream of chicken/melted butter mixture on defrost, 3-4 min at a time, stirring the mix after each few min. After about 6-8 minutes, the potatoes started to soften and I stirred in the sour cream and formed it into a baking pan and topped with cheese.. I figured if it didn’t work, at least I had tried to save it.
Well, it turned out beautiful and delicious! Next time I will definitely remember to use defrosted potatoes right out the gate, but just in case anyone else has this near disaster, as long as you haven’t mixed in the sour cream yet, you should be able to save it by defrosting in the microwave. :) Thank you for sharing this recipe! Super easy and filling. A great dish at any meal.
Thank you for sharing that tip, Rachel. So glad you were able to save it… and loved it!
My favorite. Even my kids clean their plates when I make this.
By far the worst recipe ever. This casserole was nothing more than a dish of soup with hash browns swimming in it. There is FAR too
Much liquid and the casserole certainly didn’t taste ANYTHING like CB. Epic Fail and a complete waste of ingredients.
I’m sorry to hear that, Tiffany! It definitely should not have turned out like that. This recipe usually turns out great for readers.
Girl you f**ked up somewhere because there is no extra liquid added to this recipe besides what comes out of the hashbrowns. Did you add water to the cream of chicken?
Over 1,000 almost 5 star reviews .. it’s clear you screwed it up! Epic fail on your end!
Can I use freshly shredded potatoes instead of frozen hashbrowns?
Fresh hashbrowns will work great in this recipe! You should be able to just swap them into the recipe as is.
Can I use dehydrated hashbrowns my grandma gave me a box of them. I wasn’t sure it would work.
I’ve never tried it with dehydrated hashbrowns, but I would suggest rehydrating them before adding them to the casserole. I’d love to hear how it turns out for you!
Holly, you had me at “5 minutes prep.” I would love to try this recipe! I have a couple of boxes of dehydrated type hashbrowns. Would that work? If yes, is there anything else I should add?
Thank you for your time!!
I’ve never tried it with dehydrated hashbrowns. I’d suggest rehydrating them before adding them to the casserole though. We would love to hear how it turns out for you!
can I use cream of mushroom soup instead
Sure, it will change the flavor slightly but still be delicious!
Any cream soup will work..
Really solid recipe. I added 1/2-3/4 tsp salt since I didn’t see it listed and then onion powder instead of chopped onion since I’m pregnant and chopping onion is very unpleasant right now. I crushed cornflakes on top and sprayed them with grapeseed oil before baking. Otherwise I followed the recipe as stated and it was delicious. Thank you!
I don’t like sour cream. Can I use 2 cans of cream of celery and omit the sour cream? Thanks!
Hi Katie, I have never personally tried preparing this casserole that way but it sounds like it should work well. I’d love to hear how it turns out for you!
Does this bake uncovered the entire time? Also wondering if I could heat in a 375 degree oven since I have another dish that needs that.
Hi Chris, this casserole is cooked uncovered the entire time. We have never tried baking this casserole at 375°F but would love to hear how it turns out for you. I would reduce the cooking time though and check it for doneness after 40 minutes or so.
Followed recipe exactly. Taste nothing like Cracker Barrel hb casserole. So disappointed with it overall
Sorry to hear that, Sherry! If there is any specific issues we can help with, please let us know!
Can this be prepped the night before and kept in refrigerator? Bring out to room temperature then bake? Thanks!!
Yes, this can be prepared a day or two ahead and baked the next day! If it’s chilly from the fridge, it just may take a little extra time to bake. Enjoy Lori!
I have made this dish several times as posted. Always VERY yummy!
One time I added Broccoli to thus recipe & it also turned out VERY yummy!
OMG, this is so fantastic. I made it exactly as the recipe was written and wouldn’t change a thing. Thank you so much for sharing this, it will now be my go-to when I want to impress!
Needed salt and definitely should’ve used cheddar cheese soup. Good stuff!
What can I use instead of cornflakes on the top? Can I use stovetop stuffing?
I haven’t tried it with stovetop but any type of bread, crushed crackers, potato chips, or crumbs should work just fine.
This recipe is great! My hubs loved it (he’s picky too), and it made a great addition to a brunch I hosted recently. Thanks for this!!
Been making this casserole for well over 60 year but always with a block of cream softened then added to the mixture consisting of sour cream, a good strong cheddar, a bit of garlic shredded, white pepper and good pinch of Kosher salt, and hand grated shredded potatoes.
Never seen frozen shredded hash browns in my local food stores, they only have diced which my family is not fond of. . I always bake two smaller casseroles, we enjoy one of them on the day of baking, the extra one is cooled down then wrapped well with cling wrap and heavy duty foil then frozen to enjoy on a later day.
Thank you for sharing Jocelyn. Great ideas!
Do you think I could I make this a day ahead of time and store in fridge until ready to bake?
Yes, this can be prepared a day or two ahead and baked the next day!
I made this recipe as a side dish for a brunch baby shower!!! Everyone loved it!!! I did use extra sharp Tillamook cheese ( and added an extra 1/2 cup cheese on top-for a total 1 cup on top) and I added 1/2 tsp of Italian seasoning to the egg mixture. It gave it just a hint of extra flavor. Delicious!!! I received lots of great comments!!!
I don’t see eggs in the hash brown recipe? Just want to make sure I’m not missing something.
Hi Lisa, you are correct we don’t use eggs in this recipe but we do have some great egg hashbrowns casserole that do. Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole and Sausage Breakfast Casserole to name a few!
We the taste of this except I can’t seem to get this baked all the way through in 45 minutes or even an hour for that matter. The sour cream doesn’t seem to want to fully combine and my husband thinks we need more cheese even when I add 3 cups. Any advice?
I’d double check your oven temperature Donna, and cook a little longer if it’s still not cooked through. You can mix the soup and sour cream together before adding the other ingredients if you find that it’s not combining well for you. For added cheesy flavor, replace the soup with a cheddar soup, and also use old or aged cheddar for the best flavor.
you may be compacting it into the dish, if it’s too packed it will take forever… I too have been making this for years and works just laying it in the 9 x 13, not pressing it in… everyone gobbles up every bite…
Make sure the hashbrowns are thawed. Takes 2 days in the fridge.
Can this recipe be doubled?
This can be doubled however I would suggest cooking it in two 9×13 pans to ensure it heats through.