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.
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)
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.
- 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.
Nutrition
Calories: 478kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 15gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 87mgSodium: 815mgPotassium: 631mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 943IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 331mgIron: 2mg
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