Copycat Cracker Barrel hashbrown casserole is the old-fashioned hash brown casserole people know from the restaurant’s breakfast plates: shredded hash browns stirred into a creamy mix of sour cream, cream of chicken soup, melted butter, onion and cheddar, topped with more cheese and baked until golden and bubbly. It takes 15 minutes to mix, bakes in a 9×13 dish and serves 8.
How to make it: Stir the chopped onion, 1 cup of the cheddar, salt and pepper with the sour cream and soup until smooth. Fold in the thawed hashbrowns and melted butter, spread it in a greased dish and top with the remaining cheese. Bake at 350°F for 45 to 60 minutes, until golden and hot in the center, and let it rest 10 minutes.
Why You’ll Love It
- Restaurant flavor at home: creamy, cheesy and buttery, with crisp golden edges.
- Eight ingredients: frozen hashbrowns, butter, soup, sour cream, onion, cheddar, salt and pepper.
- Breakfast or dinner: serve it with eggs and bacon, or next to ham, meatloaf or fried chicken.
- Potluck-ready: one 9×13 dish feeds a crowd.
Ingredient Notes
Frozen shredded hashbrowns: one 30-ounce bag, thawed. Thawed potatoes cook evenly and mix more easily with the sauce.
Butter: 8 tablespoons, melted. It gives the casserole its rich, restaurant-style flavor and helps the edges crisp.
Cream of chicken soup: one 10¾-ounce can, undiluted.
Sour cream: 1 cup, full fat, for a creamy, tangy sauce.
Onion: 1 small onion, finely chopped so it softens as the casserole bakes.
Cheddar: 2 cups shredded, divided: half in the mixture and half on top.
Salt and pepper: 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
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Ingredients
- 30 oz frozen shredded hashbrowns, thawed
- 8 tbsp butter, melted
- 1 can cream of chicken soup (10¾ oz)
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 cup sour cream (full fat)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
How to Make Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole
1. Heat the oven. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Start the mixture. In a large bowl, combine onion, 1 cup cheese, salt, and pepper.
3. Add the creamy ingredients. Add sour cream and cream of chicken soup. Mix until smooth.
4. Add the potatoes. Add hashbrowns and melted butter, mixing until evenly coated.
5. Fill the dish. Transfer to a greased 9×13 baking dish and spread evenly.
6. Top. Top with remaining cheese.
7. Bake. Bake for 45–60 minutes until golden, bubbly and hot in the center (165°F).
8. Rest. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
What Makes It Taste Like Cracker Barrel’s?
Restaurant-style hashbrown casserole is all about shredded potatoes, onion and plenty of mild cheese, baked until browned on top. Home copycats like this one add sour cream, cream of chicken soup and melted butter, which make it extra creamy and help it hold together in a big pan. Finely chopped onion and a long bake for a deep golden top are what give it that familiar flavor. If you like crispy edges, bake it the full 60 minutes.
Tips for the Best Hash Brown Casserole
- Thaw the hashbrowns. Frozen potatoes add water and bake unevenly. Thaw them in the refrigerator and pat off extra moisture.
- Chop the onion small. Fine pieces cook through and melt into the casserole.
- Use full-fat sour cream. Light sour cream can make the sauce thin.
- Shred your own cheese. Block cheddar melts more smoothly than bagged.
- Bake until deeply golden. The browned top and crisp edges carry most of the flavor.
- Let it rest. Ten minutes out of the oven lets the sauce thicken so it scoops neatly.
Variations
- Cornflake topping: top with crushed cornflakes tossed in melted butter before baking, like the old-fashioned church-supper version.
- Colby cheese: use Colby or Colby Jack for a milder, closer-to-the-restaurant flavor.
- Cream of mushroom: swap it for the cream of chicken soup.
- Breakfast casserole: stir in cooked sausage or diced ham.
- Diced potatoes: use frozen diced hash browns instead of shredded.
Make Ahead & Storage
Make ahead: Assemble the casserole, cover and refrigerate it overnight. Bake it cold, adding extra time until the center is hot, to 165°F.
Freezer: Freeze it unbaked, tightly wrapped. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking.
Leftovers: Refrigerate within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days. Reheat until hot, to 165°F.
What to Serve With It
For breakfast, serve it with fried or scrambled eggs, crispy bacon and warm biscuits. For dinner, it goes with ham, meatloaf, pork chops or fried chicken. A simple green side like copycat Texas Roadhouse green beans balances the richness.
More copycat and potato recipes: Cracker Barrel chicken and dumplings, scalloped potatoes, sausage hashbrown bites, sausage, egg and cream cheese hash brown breakfast casserole and bacon, egg and hash brown casserole.
For a heartier take with ground beef, try Hashbrown Hamburger Casserole, with hash browns, a creamy mushroom sauce and cheddar.
For another cheesy side for potlucks, Squash Casserole bakes yellow squash in a creamy cheddar filling under a golden Ritz topping.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best hashbrown casserole recipe?
A classic one like this: shredded hashbrowns, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, butter, onion and cheddar, baked until golden.
Do I have to thaw the hashbrowns?
Yes. Thawed hashbrowns bake evenly and keep the casserole from turning watery.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. Assemble it the night before, refrigerate it covered and bake it in the morning.
Can I freeze hashbrown casserole?
Yes. Freeze it unbaked, then thaw in the refrigerator before baking.
Can I make it without canned soup?
Replace the soup with more sour cream and a little milk; the casserole will be slightly looser.
How do I know it’s done?
The top is golden, the edges bubble and the center reaches 165°F.
Can I use fresh potatoes?
Yes. Peel and shred them, rinse off the starch, then squeeze them very dry in a towel before mixing. Wet potatoes make a watery casserole.
How long do leftovers keep?
3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Final Notes
Thaw the hashbrowns, chop the onion small and bake until deeply golden. If you try it with a cornflake topping or Colby cheese, tell me in the comments how it turned out.
Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole
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Ingredients
- 30 oz frozen shredded hashbrowns thawed
- 8 tbsp butter melted
- 1 can cream of chicken soup 10¾ oz
- 1 onion small, chopped
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded, divided
- 1 cup sour cream full fat
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, combine onion, 1 cup cheese, salt, and pepper.
- Add sour cream and cream of chicken soup. Mix until smooth.
- Add hashbrowns and melted butter, mixing until evenly coated.
- Transfer to a greased 9x13 baking dish and spread evenly.
- Top with remaining cheese.
- Bake for 45–60 minutes until golden, bubbly and hot in the center (165°F).
- Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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Nutrition values are estimates based on the listed ingredients and serving count. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion sizes.
