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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Creamy Macaroni and Cheese Casserole
Hi Holly, this looks amazing. I’ve been looking for a recipe using Cheddar Cheese soup instead of the cream of chicken. Can you please tell me about adding salt as it isn’t listed. Potatoes usually need a lot of salt but would there be enough in the cheeses and soup so it doesn’t need to be added? I’m planning to make it for my New Year’s Day brunch. Thank you and Happy Holidays. Debbie
You can most certainly add salt to taste if you like. I find that between the cheese, the soup and the salt in the hashbrown potatoes there is enough salt for my liking. Happy New Year!
Hi, Holly, I made this for my New Year’s Day brunch and it was fabulous and everybody loved it. I followed your recipe exactly and did not add the salt. It wasn’t needed after all. It is now a permanent addition to my recipe collection. Thank you.
Thank you Debbie! So happy everybody loved it!
Looks perfect for a New Year’s Day brunch!
It’s great for New Year’s Day!
Can you make this ahead of time, without baking, put it in the fridge overnight and bake it the next morning ?
I would suggest chilling it overnight and then baking it. You may need to add a little bit of extra time if it is cold out of the fridge. Enjoy Kimi!
Thanks Myles!
Hi! I’m excited to try this recipe! Can the butter and sour cream be left out without changing the taste toooo much?
I have only made the recipe as written. Some readers say they enjoy it without. It will change the taste, but I think it would still be delicious! Let us know if you try it Alison!
I have left out the butter b4 but not the sour cream. W/o the butter didnt seem to change the taste. Without the sourcream you may need to find a substitute. The sour cream makes it a creamy consistency. I realize not everyone likes sour cream but it doesnt have a sour cream taste.
Hi Holly,
Can this recipe be doubled, and if so, what would be the bake time? Also, can it be made in a crockpot?
Yes this can be doubled however I would suggest cooking it in two 9×13 pans to ensure it heats through. I have made this in a crock pot before following the cook times in my Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese.
Can you add eggs and bacon to the hashbrown casserole?
I have only tried the recipe as written, but those sound like great additions. Let me know how it turns out Cynthia!
I have added pre-cooked bacon, sausage, cubed ham and also cubed turkey. It only makes it even better. Havent tried to add eggs. Good luck and let us know how it turned out.
That sounds delicious Missy! Thank you for sharing!
Hi! I’m going to make this for a get together this weekend. I cannot wait to try it. I wanted to double check what the green herb in the picture is? It made the presentation look so pretty so I wanted to double check :)
Just chopped parsley to look pretty! :) Enjoy!
I made this with thawed hash browns, 1/4 cup butter, and non fat sour cream. It was still very rich and tasty!
So glad you loved it Michelle!
i made this yesterday, and it tasted great, but consistency was off. I followed the recipe as directed, but it came out very soupy, and the butter all pooled on top of the casserole. It was visually unappealing, but tasted great, any ideas what I did wrong? Thanks, Nila
Did you use any reduced fat products? What type of hashbrowns did you use (were they shredded)?
Can you recommend ingredient amounts if I am doubling the recipe? Should I double the ingredients exactly following your original recipe?
I suggest you make two pans of 9×13 to double it. Enjoy Jenny!
Nila, I make this without the butter. It’s great. Give it a try.
Oh My Goodness! This stuff is almost too good to share! I’m not one to change recipes, but sometimes you gotta go with what you got. I was out of colby and had to settle for extra sharp cheddar. When my husby tasted it, he asked if I had been to Cracker Barrel that day and brought home some for him to eat. And this why I made the hash brown casserole, cause every time we go there to eat he always orders it. Thanks for making me a shero today. But actually YOU are the shero!
I’m so glad that you and your husband loved the casserole!! We do too :)
I have not made this yet, Saturday is breakfast day. I was wondering if you dilute the soup or not.
You do not need to dilute the soup, you want it thick and creamy. Enjoy!
My family loved it. I’ve made this recipe 2 times, for Christmas breakfast and Easter brunch. It’s a keeper. Very easy to make.
I am so glad this recipe was a hit with your family Denice!
Can also use chopped green peppers and pimentos. Crush Ritz crackers and sprinkle on top. Pour little bit melted butter on top.
Love the sound of that Sheri!
This was delicious, needs salt though. I will definitely make this again.
I have been making this recipe for many years, as well. When someone gave it to me it was printed out with exact product names. We’re talking many years back!
Cheddar cheese, sour cream, sauteed onions and diced hash browns. Some melted butter was added with the sour cream when adding all ingredients into large bowl.
The topping was crushed potato chips with sour cream and chive.
For a long time now, I’ve only been able to purchase Sour cream with onion potato chips.
Oddly enough, I made these for dinner this evening. Eight kiddos for dinner and a sleep over.
Big appetites, as well. Most everyone had second helpings. There was one square left. It’s a winner.. everyone….just go with it and, enjoy!
Thank you Carole. It really IS a winner!
Tried this this morning and it was AWESOME! Thank you so much for posting Holly!!
You’re welcome Colin! Love that you loved it!
This is my favorite! Comes out perfect every time! Thanks for sharing!
I’m not so sure about this recipe. The quantities of fats seemed too high. There’s comfort food and then there’s comfort food! But I typically cook a recipe as instructed the first time so if there’s any problems, it’s not from me improvising. (I only amend sugar — usually cut in half, most recipes are overly sweet and tripling any garlic called for.)
I did use fresh potatoes since that’s all I had. Took a ridiculous amount of time to bake. But the pan is positively dripping with oil. The basic flavors are great but I’m suspecting I could have cut the butter and sour cream by a hefty margin. The soup is adding the most complexity to the flavor.
I’m not putting a rating on this because I’m not sure how it turned out but I always get a bit anxious about flubbing a new recipe. I hate wasting the money ruining something.
Definitely using fresh potatoes will increase the cook time, the hash brown potatoes called for in the recipe are already soft.
Because the dish cooked much longer than stated in the recipe, this can cause the cheeses to seize up releasing oil.
I worked there when I was young. You got it right.