Hash brown casserole is a cheesy, creamy and hearty dish made of shredded potatoes, cheese, and sour cream. The addicting comfort food is great either on its own or as a side dish. It’s also perfect for any holiday, may it be Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and any regular day, for that matter. You can serve it any time of the day too, so whether it’s breakfast, lunch, or dinner, it’ll be a hit with the family.
How to Make Cracker Barrel Hash Brown Casserole
This copycat recipe of Cracker Barrel hash brown casserole is so good, it’s just like eating the actual thing! It only takes 5 minutes to prepare, and into the oven, it goes.
To make this delicious dish, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Next, grease your baking pan with cooking spray.Mix potatoes, onions, pepper, cheese, cream of chicken soup, butter, and salt in a container. Pour the mixture into the baking pan, and bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown.
In four simple steps, you can make your family this crisp on the outside, tender on the inside hash brown casserole!
Toppings
Cheese is already a primary ingredient in this recipe, but you can make it even richer by topping it with even more cheese! Sprinkle generous amounts of cheddar, American, mozzarella, or gouda on top of your casserole and bake again until the cheese is golden. Top your casserole with crushed cornflakes for a nice, crunchy twist!In the mood for Mexican? Top your casserole with beans, chili, tomatoes, scallions, jalapenos, and sour cream.
What to Serve With Hash Brown Casserole
Potato dishes are incredibly versatile, and the Cracker Barrel hash brown casserole is no exception. In fact, you can serve it either as a main or a side dish, and your family will surely enjoy it either way. But here are some of my favorite ways to serve the dish.
Since hash browns are so versatile, you can serve this casserole with whatever leftovers you have in the fridge. How about some pot roast, corned beef with gravy, or a thick and juicy slice of ham to go with your casserole? They’re all excellent protein choices that taste great with potatoes. Pork, chicken, or seafood are other great sources of protein, too.If you’re really hungry and need more carbs to go with potatoes, hot biscuits are a great way to go.Turn your crisp hash browns into burger buns. Serve them with a beef patty and sauteed onions and mushrooms.Add some healthy goodness to your meal by serving the casserole with carrots and green veggies such as salad, broccoli, and bell peppers.Since hash browns are a component of English Breakfast (although some argue that it’s not part of a traditional “full English”), you can serve this dish with biscuits, beans, fried eggs, and bacon, too.Hash brown casserole also tastes amazing when partnered with caramelized onions, chili, sour cream, and thick stews.Serve hash browns in a frittata. Any egg mixture will do. Just top the hash browns with your favorite frittata recipe and bake until cooked.
Tips & Tricks
Be sure to thaw out your hash browns completely before using them. Frozen hash browns will take longer to bake and won’t brown as well. If you don’t have enough time to thaw your potatoes, you can microwave them for about 3 minutes, then drain out the liquid.You may also use freshly shredded potatoes for this recipe, but note that you’ll need to cook them in a pan before using them. Otherwise, you’ll end up with mushy instead of crispy potatoes.Add some condensed cheddar cheese soup to the recipe to make it even cheesier.You can make this dish less greasy by cutting the butter down to two tablespoons and adding sour cream.For the dieters out there, you can make a healthier version of this dish by using fat-free cream of chicken soup. Instead of butter, use fat-free butter or sour cream instead. You can also cut down on the cheese and omit the salt completely. Don’t worry, it will still taste wonderful!Instead of cheddar, you can use shredded Colby cheese instead. Cheddar cheese tends to make the dish oily, especially when combined with butter. If you’re vegetarian, you can use cream of celery or mushroom soup instead of chicken.While this recipe primarily calls for cheese, soup, and potatoes, you can also throw in a lightly beaten egg to make it firmer and easier to slice.
How to Store Your Hash Browns
Assuming you have leftovers, you can refrigerate them for up to f4 days. Just cover them well or store in an air-tight container. You can also freeze your casserole (either pre- or post-baking) if you want it to last longer. Keep it in an air-tight container in the freezer, and it will last for 3 months. It won’t reheat well anymore beyond that point, though, so just make a new batch if needed. To reheat, thaw your casserole in the fridge before you cook it in the oven. Pro-tip: do not leave your casserole for more than 2 hours at room temperature.
Fun Facts About Hash Brown Casserole
The term “hash” originated from the French word, “hacher,” meaning to chop. Some people actually call the dish “funeral potatoes” because they are commonly served during post-funeral gatherings! Click on a star to rate it!
Average rating 4.6 / 5. Vote count: 37 No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.
Share on social media: Let us improve this post!
