Name: Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole (Better than Cracker Barrel)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients: 2 10.5-ounce cans of cream of chicken soup; 30-ounce bag of frozen shredded hashbrowns; 2 tablespoons dried minced onion; ¼ cup butter, melted; ½ teaspoon ground pepper; 1 ½ cups plus ½ cup of shredded Colby cheese

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This easy, cheesy hashbrown casserole is the perfect side dish for breakfast, brunch, or dinner! Use frozen shredded hash brown potatoes to make this crowd-pleasing 5 ingredient recipe.

Removing a slice of cheesy hashbrown casserole from a baking dish.

Here in the South, we love a good casserole side dish! We’re obsessed with these warm and comforting dishes like broccoli casserole and sweet potato casserole.

This hashbrown casserole is an all-time favorite and it’s one of the easiest! It only needs 5 ingredients and doesn’t need any chopping. It will remind you of Cracker Barrel’s Hashbrown Casserole! But you can enjoy it in the comfort of your own home.

It can be served any time of day. It’s great for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner. It travels well, and everyone loves it! It’s great for kids and picky eaters. It also reheats well, so it makes great leftovers.

If you prefer loaded hashbrown casserole from Cracker Barrel, crumble crispy bacon over the top before serving.

Ingredients

Frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, cans of cream of chicken soup, shredded colby jack cheese, minced onion, melted butter, and ground black pepper.

Frozen shredded hash brown potatoes form the base of this casserole. You don’t even need to thaw them first!
Canned cream of chicken soup forms a creamy sauce for the hashbrowns.
Melted butter adds a rich and, well, buttery flavor to the casserole. Potatoes and butter are a match made in heaven.
Dried minced onion and ground pepper add a savory flavor. Using dried minced onion instead of fresh keeps you from doing any chopping. It also makes this dish more crowd-pleasing by avoiding the texture of freshly chopped onions in the casserole.
Shredded Colby cheese is mild, buttery, and perfectly melty. You can use pre-shredded cheese in the recipe! You can change up the cheese by using Colby jack cheese instead of just Colby. You can also use cheddar, but the flavor will change.

How to Make it

Preheat the oven to 350℉.

Stirring cream of chicken soup, minced onion, melted butter, and ground pepper in a mixing bowl.

Stirring Colby Jack cheese into a mixture of cream of chicken soup, butter, and pepper.

Use a wooden spoon to mix the cream of chicken soup, melted butter, minced onion, and black pepper in a large mixing bowl. Next, stir in 1 1/2 cups of the shredded Colby cheese.

Stirring frozen hash brown potatoes into a mixture of cream of chicken soup, melted butter, minced onion, shredded Colby Jack cheese, and ground pepper.

A mixture of frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, cream of chicken soup, melted butter, minced onion, shredded Colby Jack cheese, and ground pepper spread in a baking dish.

Then, stir in the frozen shredded hash brown potatoes.

Spread the mixture in a 9×13 pan and top with the remaining cheese. Bake uncovered at 350℉ for 45 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let it stand for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Removing a slice of hashbrown casserole from a baking dish.

How to Make Ahead, Freeze, Store and Reheat

Make Ahead: You can make this casserole up to a day ahead. Follow the instructions to assemble the casserole, but do not bake it. Cover it tightly with the casserole dish lid or with aluminum foil. Then, refrigerate it until ready to make.

Freezing: Assemble the hashbrown casserole and cover it with foil. Then date, label, and freeze. When ready to cook it, place the foil-covered casserole directly in the preheated oven. Double the cooking time when cooking a frozen casserole. Leave the foil on for the first hour of baking, then remove it for the remaining cooking time to let the cheese brown.

Storing: Store covered in the fridge for up to 3 days after cooking.

Reheating: Reheat individual servings in the microwave.

Serving Tips

Hashbrown casserole is such an easy and versatile side dish. You can serve it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It’s always a crowd-pleaser. Take a hint from Cracker Barrel and serve this hashbrown casserole all day!

It’s a popular take-along dish. Bring it to potlucks or church dinners. You can also make a pan to take to someone who recently had a baby, is sick, or is grieving.

A slice of homemade hashbrown casserole on a plate.

This is the perfect side for breakfast or brunch. Make a pan of hashbrown casserole to serve with breakfast sliders. Or pair it with eggs, crispy oven-cooked bacon or sausage patties, and fresh fruit. Try making a simple citrus salad with it to kick your brunch game up a notch!

It’s a perfect accompaniment to meat and three plates. It goes great with just about any meat and veggies. Or a southern veggie side plate.

Try pairing it with another hearty side dish like baked beans with ground beef. Then, add lighter vegetable sides or salads. Try it with oven-roasted broccoli, grilled yellow squash, coleslaw, or cucumber salad. Add some raw seasonal produce like sliced watermelon, onions, and tomatoes. Finish it with a basket of cheddar biscuits for a hearty country-style southern meal.

More Yummy Casseroles

A perfect bite of hashbrown casserole on a fork.

The Recipe