Easy Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole – the name says it all! Tasty hash browns combined with a creamy, cheesy sauce are baked to perfection. It only takes minutes to put this luscious casserole together. This makes a lot, so be prepared for amazing leftovers.
Ingredients for Easy Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole
The main ingredient for this awesome casserole is frozen hash browns which makes things Oh so easy!
To make this extra special, I like to add crumbled bacon to the creamy sauce made with ingredients that you probably have on hand. I like to use Colby cheese, but you could also use Cheddar cheese.
Making the Hash Brown Casserole
I started by sautéing minced onions in melted butter over medium heat until the onions had softened. This took about 5 minutes and was probably the most time-consuming part of making this awesome dish.
After letting the onions cool for a bit, I made the sauce. I added the sour cream, cream of chicken soup, bacon, garlic powder, salt, pepper, cheese and onions to a large bowl.
After stirring to combine the sauce ingredients, I added the frozen hash browns. I stirred all of the ingredients together. Because there are just two of us, I transferred the mixture to two baking dishes that I had sprayed with non-stick spray.
When I take this casserole to a pot-luck or other large gathering, I transfer all of it to a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
I sprinkled Panko bread crumbs on one of the casseroles and dotted it with butter. I covered the other casserole and placed it in the freezer for a later time. I often make this ahead of time and refrigerate the casserole until it’s ready for the oven.
I popped the casserole into a preheated 350°F oven for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, it was bubbly and nicely browned on the top.
The Easy Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole was amazing. In fact, I had a hard time not sneaking seconds and thirds to my plate. As an added bonus, the leftovers are equally amazing. Yum!
Chula’s Tips
- You can use cream of mushroom or cream of potato soup in place of the cream of chicken soup.
- I used light sour cream in this casserole, but you could definitely use full-fat sour cream in this dish.
- Feel free to use shredded Cheddar cheese in place of the Colby cheese.
- The frozen hash browns used to come in a 32-ounce package. Somewhere along the way, the manufacturer reduced the amount to 30-ounces.
- I like the crunch of Panko bread crumbs on this casserole. However, you could also use crushed Ritz crackers or regular plain bread crumbs.
- This makes a lot. Therefore, I actually divide the hash brown mixture between two casserole dishes and freeze the second one for a later meal.
- It’s not necessary to thaw the hash browns before adding them to the sauce.
- Leftovers, if any are equally amazing. I generally just heat the leftovers for several minutes in the microwave. However, you could also re-heat them in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes, or until fully heated.
Other Delicious Potato Casseroles
If you like potatoes as much as I do, you should definitely check out these yummy potato casseroles:
- Cheesy Bacon Ranch Potatoes: Cheesy Bacon Ranch Potatoes are the ultimate in simplicity and taste making them the perfect side dish for any occasion. Once you try them, you’ll keep coming back for more.
- Twice Baked Potato Casserole: Twice Baked Potato Casserole takes the lowly baked potato to new heights with bacon, cheddar cheese, sour cream and butter to create an amazing side dish that is creamy and cheesy. It’s perfect for the holidays and family get-togethers when you want a spectacular dish. Twice baked potato casserole can be made ahead of time and leftovers, if any can be reheated in the microwave.
- My Mother’s Southern Scalloped Potatoes: Full of cheesy goodness in every bite, my Mother’s Southern Style Scalloped Potatoes are perfect for any occasion.
- Easy Cheesy Potato and Onion Au Gratin: Easy Cheesy Potato and Onion Au Gratin is deliciously creamy and a real show stopper. It’s a simple side dish that takes minutes to put together, but is packed with cheesy goodness. What’s even better is that it can be made ahead of time, and leftovers, if any are just as good the next day. Who could ask for more?
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Recipe
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Easy Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (2 ounces, ½ stick) unsalted butter
- 1 cup minced onion (1 small onion)
- 10 ½ ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup (See Tip 1)
- 16 ounces sour cream (See Tip 2)
- 6 slices bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ÂĽ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Colby cheese (See Tip 3)
- 30 ounce package of frozen hash browns (See Tip 4)
- ÂĽ cup (4 Tablespoons) Panko bread crumbs (See Tip 5)
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter for dotting on top of casserole
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 9 x 13-inch casserole dish with non-stick spray. Set aside. (See Tip 6)
- Melt ÂĽ cup of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add minced onions and cook until onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes.
- Combine sour cream, soup, bacon, garlic powder, salt, pepper and cheese in a large bowl. Add frozen hash browns; stir to combine. (See Tip 7)
- Transfer to prepared casserole dish. Top with Panko bread crumbs and dot with butter. May be made in advance up to this point
- Bake in preheated 350°F oven for 45 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown on the top.
- Yield: 8 servings. (See Tip 8)
Tips/Notes
- You can use cream of mushroom or cream of potato soup in place of the cream of chicken soup.
- I used light sour cream, but you could definitely use full-fat sour cream in this dish.
- Feel free to use shredded Cheddar cheese in place of the Colby cheese.
- The frozen hash browns used to come in a 32-ounce package. Somewhere along the way, the manufacturer reduced the amount to 30-ounces.Â
- I like the crunch of Panko bread crumbs on this casserole. However, you could also use crushed Ritz crackers or regular plain bread crumbs.
- This makes a lot. Therefore, I actually divide the hash brown mixture between two casserole dishes and freeze the second one for a later meal.
- It's not necessary to thaw the hash browns before adding them to the sauce.Â
- Leftovers, if any are equally amazing. I generally just heat the leftovers for several minutes in the microwave. However, you could also re-heat them in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes, or until fully heated.
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