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
I made this with cubed hashbrowns. 10/10. Delicious.
The flavor is great but the cook time or temp is off us. Now tried in two ovens at 350 and just not done to look right at 45 mins. We end up raising temp and adding another 15 mins. Highly recommended.
I made this recipe at Easter this year and it was a hit! But would like to make it with the cream of cheddar instead this go round to suit all diets this Xmas. Is there anything you would add or change when making with the cheddar soup vs the cream of chicken? Thanks
No, you can just swap them out with no changes. Enjoy!
I love this recipe! It’s one of my favorites and it’s a real crowd pleaser. I’m making hash brown casserole tomorrow actually. I give it five thousand stars!
LOL so glad you love it… I think this is my first 5,000 star rating!
Sorry to bother you, but does the hash brown casseroles frozen hash browns need to also be drained of all moisture or just add the thawed bag as it is? I know when I make potato pancakes they always say to press out as much moisture as possible. Thank you for any help.
No need to squeeze them out. I typically find after defrosting there is not a lot of excess moisture, but if there is liquid you can drain it off before adding. I hope this helps!
We love CB Harsh brown casserole and we want to make some here in our home sometime.
Thank you for sharing your recipe ~
Eugene “Gene”
Great deliciousness cheese hash browns i recommend them BIG TIME Very good yummy deliciousness
I am making this Friday and wonder what you thought about ading some crushed kettle chips on top???
I think that would be delicious! Let us know how it goes!
Do you think I could use cubed hash browns instead of shredded?
Sure you can!
This taste nothing like it and I’m really disappointed. It’s missing some kind of “sharp” or “tangy” flavor the Cracker Barrel version has.
I ageee, I thought it was just me! I made it for a work potluck and thought it was kind of bland. If I make it again I’ll add more onion and black pepper and maybe some garlic powder and salt.
My family loved this so much, they made me make two days in a row!!
hiya, I made this dish last year around this time. May I please I have the original measurements to the cracker barrel hashbrowns? My family preferred the original recipe you came up with.
The recipe hasn’t changed since I originally posted it in 2013.
OMG! Delicious doesn’t even begin to describe this dish! I made one last night for my husband’s potluck for today and of course I had to taste a little corner of it to make sure it was good and warm, I wanted to keep going but I knew that wasn’t right lol. I was going to make one dish of it tomorrow for Thanksgiving but I just pulled out my mega lasagna dish and I’m doubling the recipe I love cracker barrel’s hash brown casserole but this one in my opinion is so much tastier and you get a lot more for your buck
Can I make this the day before and just bake it the day I want to serve it?
Yes, this can be prepped ahead and baked the next day. Remove it from the fridge for at least 30 minutes before baking, you may need to add a little bit of extra cooking time—you’ll want to ensure it’s heated all of the way through.
Hi
Can I bake this tonight and then put it in the fridge and reheat it the next day and will it taste just as good.
I would suggest preparing this and refrigerating and baking it in the morning the day of serving.
ok thanks
Can you make this in a crockpot?
Hi Merissa, yes this can be cooked in the crockpot but I would suggest cooking it at the lowest temperature for 3 hours and keeping an eye on it as dairy can sometimes curdle or separate at higher temperatures.
how long should I bake if I double recipe (two 9×13 dishes)?
If using two 9×13-inch dishes, the cooking time will remain close to the same—you may need to add about 10 to 15 minutes.
Hash browns like cracker barrel
can I mix the recipe and then freeze for a later date?
Yes, this recipe can be prepared and frozen. Thaw in the fridge overnight and bake as directed, adding about 15 to 20 minutes to the cooking time. If the top begins to brown too much, lightly cover with foil.
Would Dehydrated hashbrowns work for this recipe? Or cream of bacon instead of cream of chicken soup?
Yes, dehydrated hash browns and cream of bacon soup will work in this recipe.