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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I used less sour cream for this recipe and I always make sure to squeeze out any water from the thawed hash browns using a cheese clothe before using them. Reducing the amount of liquid helped the casserole not be as mushy and helps it crisp up a bit.
I know someone who also added some other spices such as paprika or some form of hot spices to give it some more flavor as well. Overall this is a great dish that can be made the week ahead, I usually put it in breakfast burritos and it works wonderfully.
This recipe is the Bomb!!! Everyone eats it up at every function I bring it to 10/10.
10 out of 10 highly recommend. Easy, simple and delicious. My family loved it.
Onion in the ingredients but not in the instructions.
Hi Lunn, in step 3, you will see the onion. In a large bowl, combine thawed hashbrowns, melted butter, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, onion, 1 ½ cups of cheese, and pepper. Hope that helps.
I make this once a month and it is amazing. I went back through comments to find out freezing for future use and saw some harsh comments. People…. there isn’t a need to be rude and people need to remember that everyone has different tastes. It’s just a recipe for heavens sake! An awesome recipe, as a matter of fact!
You should try putting bacon on top and really letting this get golden brown in the oven.
this does not taste like cracker barrel at all. followed recipe to a “T”. Not much you can make a mistake on. Sorry.
I love this casserole because all the ingredients work so well together. My husband, 2 sons & I always order hash brown casserole at CB, so it’s great that I can make it at home! I made per your recipe & it is so luscious! My question: Is there or was there a crushed cracker or Panko topping for this? A neighbor made this & hers had a cracker topping. Thanks for your recipe-it’s saved so I can make it whenever we get a “hankerin’” for it!
I am so happy to hear you love this recipe Dianne! For the topping, I use a ratio of 1 cup lightly crushed cornflakes or crushed crackers with 2 tablespoons melted butter.
I made this recipe as is on Christmas to serve with ham. I was told it was to be a regular in my kitchen. Delicious and easy! Making for New Years brunch today.
I didn’t love this as much as I wanted to. It was a bit mushy. Another commenter said and I agree, too much sour cream. That said, my kiddos loved it!
I made this today for a Christmas family get together. it was very good and will definitely make it again
This was great! My son loves CB’s Hash Brown Casserole, which I think is pretty tasty, too. This was a perfect recipe, everyone loved it with Christmas morning breakfast.
What if I don’t have time to defrost hash browns first?
It will take a bit longer to cook. Check the center by inserting a butter knife, the knife should be hot when removed.
I use O’Brian hashbrowns. This was a fabulous recipe. I made it for my family for Christmas breakfast today, and they loved it.
Do you cover the casserole with foil when you put it in oven?
This is baked uncovered so the top browns nicely.
My go to every year for Christmas! Thank you!
Merry Christmas!
Same here! Merry Christmas!!
awfully similar to funeral potatoes, which are AWESOME
I’ve made this before, but need to make two batches this year. The egg dish cooks at 400. Can i lessen the time and put it at 400 also?
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure but that should work just fine. I would bake it for around 30-35 minutes (begin checking at 25 minutes just to be safe!). If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!
Way too much sour cream. It seemed like a lot, but I made the mistake of following the recipe instead of my own instincts. It tastes closer to a twice baked potato than hashbrown casserole. If I make it again I will use about 1/4-1/3 as much sour cream. Very disappointed.
Agree-it was sour. We were disappointed. Most of it went in the trash.
Have you made this in a crock pot before? I’d like to be able to keep it warm for the afternoon.
Hi Lynn, 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. We also have this delicious slow cooker breakfast casserole that might be what you are looking for!
Can this be prepped a day ahead?
Yes, it can be made a day ahead.