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This hashbrown casserole is one of those recipes that never gets old. Creamy, cheesy, and made mostly from pantry staples, it’s the dish everyone asks for — at holidays, potlucks, and on regular Tuesday nights when you just need something that works.
Why You’ll Love It
Feeds a crowd effortlessly — one 9×13 pan serves eight people without breaking a sweat
Practically pantry-proof — frozen hashbrowns, a can of soup, sour cream, and cheddar are all you need
That golden, crispy cheese top — let it go the full 60 minutes and the edges get perfectly bubbly
Reheats better than almost anything — just as good the next day straight from the fridge
Endlessly flexible — works for breakfast alongside eggs or as a dinner side with pork chops
A Note on the Ingredients
I use the frozen shredded hashbrowns — the kind that come in the big orange bag. Thaw them in the fridge the night before if you remember. I often don’t remember, and I’ve just thawed them on the counter for a couple hours and it’s been fine. You could also use fresh potatoes if you’re the kind of person who does things the hard way; I’ve done it maybe twice. You shred them, squeeze them dry, and carry on. It works.
The cream of chicken soup — yes, the can. I know some people have feelings about canned soup in recipes. My feeling is that this is not the recipe to make a stand on. I’ve tried homemade cream sauce in its place and it’s just… not the same. It doesn’t bind the same way and the flavor is different, flatter somehow. Just use the can.
Sour cream: full fat. Please. I’ve used reduced fat in a pinch and I’m not going to pretend it’s equivalent.
Cheddar: I buy the block and shred it myself because the pre-shredded stuff has that coating on it that affects how it melts. But I also know that’s extra work and if you use the bag cheese it’s going to be fine.
The onion — I chop it pretty small. I got in the habit of going smaller years ago and never stopped.
Ingredients
1 bag (30 oz) frozen shredded hashbrowns, thawed
8 tablespoons butter, melted — that’s a full stick
1 can (10¾ oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
1 small onion, chopped pretty fine
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided (one cup in, one cup on top)
1 cup sour cream, full fat
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper — I usually do a little more, honestly
How to Make It
Preheat your oven to 350°F. This isn’t one of those recipes where you can skip that step — the oven needs to be ready when the dish goes in or the timing goes off.
In a large bowl — and I mean large, I’ve made the mistake of using a bowl that was too small and it’s miserable — combine the chopped onion, one cup of the cheese, the salt, and the pepper. Stir that together first. Then add the sour cream and the soup, and mix until everything is combined. It’ll look like a lot of dairy. That’s correct. Then add the hashbrowns and the melted butter and fold it all together until the potatoes are coated.
Spray a 9×13 pan — I’ve used a 9×11 when that’s what I had, it works, things just get a little thicker and take longer — and spread the mixture in evenly. Don’t pack it down too hard. Sprinkle the remaining cup of cheese over the top.
Bake for 45 to 60 minutes. Here’s where I’ll tell you: err toward 60. The top should be golden and a little bubbly at the edges, and if you pull it at 45 and the center is still soft and wet-looking, give it more time. My oven runs cool — I’ve never bothered getting it calibrated, which I probably should — so I’m always at the longer end.
Let it rest for maybe ten minutes before you serve it. It sets up a bit and it’s also extremely hot, so just wait.
Variations
I’ve also had it made with crushed Ritz crackers mixed with butter on top instead of the extra cheese — a little crunchier, really good. Pepper jack instead of cheddar works too if you want more heat. I’ve tried it with ground beef mixed in, which turns it into more of a full meal. You just brown the beef first, drain it, fold it in. I don’t do it that way regularly because then it’s something different, and sometimes you just want the thing to be the thing.
Storage
Cover it tightly and it keeps in the fridge for about four days. Reheats well in the oven at 325°F or just in the microwave if you’re eating it standing over the sink at 11pm, which I have done more than once. I’ve also frozen it — wrap it tightly in plastic, press the wrap against the surface to get the air out, then foil over that — and it comes back fine. Maybe a little softer, but fine.
Serve it with eggs if it’s breakfast. Pork chops if it’s dinner. Or nothing else at all — it holds up on its own just fine.
Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole
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 and bubbly.
- Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
