Hashbrown Casserole is easy, cheesy and totally delicious! This simple casserole is made easy with frozen hashbrowns!
Copy Cat Cracker Barrel Hashbrown casserole needs just 5 minutes of prep making it the a great side or potluck dish! The perfect breakfast casserole!
The Hashbrowns, That’s Why
I love Cracker Barrel but the truth is… I only show up for the hashbrown casserole. That’s it. Just the hashbrowns people.
My friend shared her version of that yummy, oh so creamy and cheesy easy Hashbrown Casserole with me and WOW! Tender shredded hash browns in a rich and creamy cheese sauce, topped with more cheese and baked until hot and bubbly!
This is a perfect breakfast casserole for any holiday morning or just when you’re getting the family together for a delicious breakfast or brunch. It also makes a perfect side dish for Crispy Oven Parmesan Chicken or even served alongside a Ranch 7 Layer Salad for lunch!
Better Than the Original
There are lots of recipes out there for this cheesy casserole but this is the one I’ve found to be the closest! This hashbrown casserole is made with condensed cream of chicken soup. I’ve also made it with cream of cheddar soup if you can find it. Both work perfectly in this recipe! While I’ve had a version of hashbrown casserole without sour cream, I definitely prefer it with, it adds a little bit of creaminess and tang to the recipe. Since this is a copy cat hashbrown casserole recipe, my list of ingredients is inevitably different than the original but the flavor is just like my favorite Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole (in fact, it’s even BETTER in my opinion)!
How to Make Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole
One of the best things about hashbrown casserole is that it’s super quick to prepare (5 minutes). I literally cannot stop eating it; dinner, bedtime snack and then breakfast if there is any left!
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
- Spread into a 9×13 dish.
- Top with cheese and bake. Voila!
It’s that easy! If you’d like you can add leftover chicken, ham or ground beef to this easy recipe. Stir in your favorite veggies as well, Steamed Broccoli, peas or frozen veggies work well too!
Toppings
I like to top it with cheese to keep it close to the version I’ve had at Cracker Barrel but if you prefer a nice crunchy topping on your hashbrown casserole, this is also great with cornflakes. Gently crush 2 cups of cornflakes and toss with 1/4 cup of melted butter, sprinkle over the casserole before baking.
How to Freeze Hashbrown Casserole
This easy cheesy hashbrown casserole can easily be frozen. We usually prepare as directed and freeze any leftovers in individual servings making them the perfect lunch or quick dinner.
More Potato Dishes You’ll Love
- Scalloped Potatoes Recipe – Simple classic recipe.
- Easy Oven Roasted Potatoes
- The BEST Mashed Potatoes – Creamy perfection.
- Twice Baked Potatoes – Make ahead (these freeze well).
- Perfect Baked Potatoes
- Potatoes Au Gratin
- Colcannon Recipe (Cabbage and Potatoes) – So yummy!!
Copy Cat Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 32 ounces frozen shredded hash browns thawed
- ½ cup melted butter
- 10¼ ounces condensed cream of chicken soup (or cream of cheddar), 1 can
- 1 pint sour cream
- ½ cup onion finely chopped
- 2 cups colby cheese grated, divided
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish.
- In a large bowl, combine thawed hashbrowns, melted butter, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, onion, 1 ½ cups of cheese, and pepper.
- Spread the mixture into the prepared baking dish and top with the reserved ½ cup of cheese.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Video
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Casserole
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Note: This recipe originally appeared on SpendWithPennies.com April, 2013.
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Creamy Macaroni and Cheese Casserole
Making it tomorrow for family birthday party! I love going there Cracker Barrell!
Hi Holly,
I’m making this hashbrown recipe today. Question: can I use hashbrowns I bought in the dairy section at the store? Every recipe I have looked at calls for thawed frozen ones. Is there a signigicant difference between the two?
For this recipe we use frozen shredded hash browns. I am not sure what the hash browns from the dairy section are like, but they may work. Maybe another reader can offer some assistance. I would love to hear how it turns out for you!
What brand of Hash Browns do you use? I’ve tried Great Value brand shredded potatoes, and also the country style, but they never seem to get done. They are always hard and tough. Not tinder as I prefer. I make a version of this all the time, but use 2 cans of soup, 16oz of sharp cheese, and a dash of garlic powder.
Hi Joe, we use frozen shredded hash browns in this recipe, any brand should be fine. But you will want to make sure it reads frozen shredded hash browns (not potatoes) as the frozen hash browns are “par-cooked” potatoes which means they are already partially cooked before being added to the casserole.
i would have given 5 star, but mine came out runny for some reason. maybe bc i didnt strain off excess water from hash browns? Any tips? thanks!
That is possible. If your hashbrowns have quite a bit of liquid in then when thawed you may want to drain them prior to adding to the casserole.
can this recipe be frozen? I’d like to split into a 2qt container and freeze half.
Yes, this casserole can be frozen before baking. I would suggest thawing it in the fridge overnight. You will likely need to increase the baking time.
I see in the page that you can freeze leftover and before baking? Is that correct?
Hi Cindy, our favorite way is to freeze leftovrs after baking but you can freeze right before baking. When you are ready to enjoy, I would take it out of the freezer and let it thaw for at least 30 minutes before baking (or put it in the refrigerator overnight).
Since my local grocer is out of frozen hash brown shredded potatoes, I am using dehydrated potatoes (Hungry Jack Hash Browns in the little carton). Is the “32 oz” of frozen shredded potatoes by weight or fluid volume? By volume is 4 cups of rehydrated potatoes. I’m not sure if this is enough.
4 cups should be enough, Tahaye! I hope you enjoy it.
The instructions on this recipe need amended. You need to combine the sour cream and cream of chicken soup together first before adding other ingredients; especially the potatoes. If you put everything together in the bowl first then combine them, the hash browns will break apart into dust before you get the cream of chicken properly dispersed. You end up with either 1) clots of cream of chicken scattered around the dish or 2) a dish of loaded mashed potatoes, not hash brown casserole.
Oh no, Ben! We’ve made this several times as written and haven’t had that problem. It may have been the brand of hashbrowns you used but you can certainly mix the other ingredients together first and then gently toss it all together.
I did not have any problems with the hash browns breaking up. Great recipe!
Hi, how many cups or mL are in a pint? Thank you.
1 pint is equal to 2 cups or 473 ml. I would love to hear how this recipe turns out for you, Stacey!
Another fantastic recipe! This is the third recipe I’ve used from this site. The casserole came out perfect! This is a great recipe if you’re short on time and it’s hard to mess up if you’re a bad cook.
I think salt or seasoning is missing in this recipe… good other than needing to add some flavor!
Hi Emily, you can use salted butter or add seasonings to taste if you prefer. Thanks for leaving a comment!
I would say that with the cheese and soup, there is more than enough sodium content. So much so that some people can’t even eat it. I do add granulated garlic and other unsalted herbs and spices. I will often add finely diced fresh jalapenos as well.
Can you bake at 325? If so, how long?
I’d suggest extending the baking time by about 10-15 minutes if you’re baking it at 325°F instead. Keep an eye on it, and when it looks golden and bubbly, you’re good to go!
Maybe I am blind, but I cannot find if this is to be baked uncovered or covered with foil?
This is baked uncovered.
Hi Holly! Merry Christmas!
Can I use a cast iron casserole pan to make this? If so, do I have to make any modifications?
I’m sure that would work just fine, you may need a little bit less baking time.
Can this be prepared the night before baking?
Yes, this can be prepared the day before. If it is chilled in the fridge, you may need to add extra baking time.