Easy Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole

5 from 2 votes

Easy Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole

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.

Prep Time10

Cook Time45

Total Time55

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 478kcal

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
¼ 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)
¼ 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 ¼ 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)

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.
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.

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