This cheese hashbrown casserole has all the cozy, cheesy goodness of the Cracker Barrel recipe without the wait for a table or the temptation to come home with a rocking chair you absolutely did not budget for. It's easy enough for a weeknight and dependable enough for every holiday table from Easter to Christmas.
Table of Contents
🥰 Is this cheese hashbrown casserole recipe for you?
Often called funeral potatoes, this cheese hashbrown casserole belongs in your recipe box if:
- You believe there's no such thing as "too much cheese."
- You need a quick and easy side dish that doesn't take a lot of prep time.
- You're feeding a holiday crowd, potluck, church supper, or hungry family.
- You love the famous Cracker Barrel hashbrown casserole but would rather skip the drive.
Marye's Cooking Tip: Don't bake frozen hashbrowns-thaw them first. Otherwise, they'll release moisture and your cheesy potato casserole will be more like cheesy potato mush. Let them thaw in the fridge overnight and drain any accumulated water off.
🧾 Ingredients
Grab your hash browns, cheese, and a handful of pantry basics, and you're halfway to everyone's new favorite side dish. For the creamiest casserole, shred your own cheese instead of using pre-shredded. It melts better and gives you that gooey restaurant-style texture.
- Shredded hash brown potatoes: Frozen hash browns are the shortcut that keeps this recipe firmly out of the "all-day project" category.
- Onion: Every good casserole needs somebody doing the quiet work behind the scenes.
- Bacon bits: Because "optional bacon" is a phrase invented by people we don't invite over. No one needs that kind of negativity in their lives.
- Colby Jack cheese: Melts into gooey perfection and politely reminds the potatoes who's in charge.
- Butter: Responsible for the golden top that mysteriously loses a corner before dinner is served.
- Sour cream: Keeps everything creamy enough to make dry casseroles feel personally attacked.
- Cream of chicken soup: The little old church lady of the ingredient list. Reliable, unbothered, and somehow holding the whole operation together.
- Kosher salt: Just enough to wake everybody up without starting family drama.
- Onion powder: A little backup singer for the fresh onion. Nobody notices it until it's missing.
- Ground black pepper: Adds just enough sass to keep all that cheese from getting too comfortable. 😏
Be sure to grab the free printable cheese hashbrown casserole cheat sheet with extra tips, storage, and more.
📖 Recipe
Cheese Hash Brown Casserole
Print Pin Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 1 cup onions, diced
- ½ cup bacon bits, or cooked, crumbled bacon
- 10.5 ounces cream of chicken soup
- 16 oz sour cream, 2 cups
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- 3 cups Colby Jack, shredded from a block - divided use
- 30 ounces shredded hash brown potatoes, thaw overnight if possible
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease a 9 x 13 bake dish. Set aside.
- I butter the dish instead of oil or baking spray so it gives this extra layer to the crust. But you could use baking spray or oil if you prefer.
- In a mixing bowl, mix the melted butter, diced onions, and bacon bits with a whisk.
- Add the cream of chicken, sour cream, salt, onion powder, and ground pepper. Mix well.
- Add 1 ½ cup of shredded cheese. Mix all ingredients until they are well combined.
- Add the thawed and drained shredded hash brown and mix well until all the potatoes are coated in the mixture. The mixture will be very similar to the one of a twice-baked potato.
- Pour the mixture into the 9x13 baking dish.
- Spread evenly and sprinkle the remaining cheese, approximately 1 ½ cup (If you don't want too cheesy just add 1 cup)
- Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until the cheese is nice and melted and golden to your liking on top.
- Let it rest for a few minutes. You could top with fresh parsley or cilantro if you would like.
Notes
- I put my bag of hash browns in the fridge the night before. In the morning, dump the bag into a colander to drain excess water then into a large mixing bowl.
- Use a box grater to shred a block of cheese. It melts better and has a smoother texture than pre-shredded.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
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🔪 How to make cheese hashbrown casserole
The hardest part is waiting for the cheese to get bubbly and the edges to turn that irresistible shade of yes please.
- In a large bowl, stir together the melted butter, chopped onion, bacon bits, cream of chicken soup, and sour cream until everything is smooth and working together.
- Sprinkle in the kosher salt, onion powder, and black pepper, then give it another good stir. Nobody wants to bite into a surprise pocket of onion powder.
- Fold in the Colby Jack cheese, then gently stir in the frozen hash browns until every last shred is coated in creamy, cheesy goodness.
- Spread the mixture into a greased casserole dish, cover it with the remaining cheese, and bake until it's hot, bubbly, and gloriously golden around the edges. Try to let it rest for a few minutes before serving... or don't. I understand the lack of self-control. 🧀
If you've got an extra bag of frozen hash browns hanging around the freezer, don't stop here. Chicken Hash Brown Casserole turns the same shortcut ingredient into a creamy, hearty main dish that's perfect for busy weeknights.
😱 What can go wrong (and how to fix it)
🧀 Your casserole is watery.
Frozen hash browns can hold onto extra moisture. If yours seem icy, let them thaw for a few minutes and pat away excess water before mixing everything together. Better yet, thaw overnight in the fridge.
🧀 The center is still cold.
If you started with frozen potatoes, your casserole may need another 10 to 15 minutes in the oven. Cover it loosely with foil if the cheese is getting too brown before the middle is hot.
🧀 The cheese browned before the casserole was done.
Your oven may run a little hot. Tent the dish with foil and keep baking until the center is bubbling.
🧀 It seems bland.
Cheese, potatoes, and sour cream all mellow flavors. A pinch more kosher salt and a few extra cracks of black pepper usually wake everything right up. Sometimes I stir in a diced sautéed jalapeño. That wakes up the casserole… and anyone eating it.
🧀 The top isn't as golden as you'd like.
Slide the casserole under the broiler for a minute or two at the end. Just don't wander off to answer a text or fold laundry. Cheese has a remarkable talent for going from golden to "well...that happened" in about 37 seconds.
🧀 Everyone took seconds and now there's barely any left.
This is not a recipe failure. It's simply proof that next time you should make two pans. One for the table. One for quality control. 😏
👩🍳 FAQs
Yep! This recipe can be prepped ahead and baked the next day. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Remove it from the fridge for at least 30 minutes before baking and remove the plastic wrap. Plan on an extra 5 minutes of cooking time because it's starting cold. The center should be 165F when it's done.
Yes it can. Just cover the baked casserole with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months.
Absolutely! Assemble the casserole as directed, but don't bake it. Wrap the dish tightly with a layer of plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months.
When you're ready to serve it, thaw the casserole overnight in the refrigerator. Remove the plastic wrap, cover with foil if needed, and bake as directed, adding 10 to 20 minutes if it's still a little chilly in the center. If the cheese starts browning too quickly, loosely tent the dish with foil until it's hot and bubbly.
🍽️ What to serve with hashbrown casserole
This cheesy hashbrown casserole plays well with just about anything, but it's especially good with hearty, comfort food classics. Here are a few family favorites that deserve a spot on the same plate.
- Old-Fashioned Homemade Meatloaf: Tender, juicy, and topped with a sweet-tangy glaze, this classic meatloaf and cheese hashbrown casserole belong together like 4th of July and deviled eggs.
- Cracker Barrel Hamburger Steaks with Onion Gravy: Juicy beef patties smothered in rich onion gravy practically beg for a scoop of creamy hashbrown casserole to catch every last drop. Fork-licking may be frowned upon but we won't tell.
- Southern Coca-Cola Glazed Ham: Sweet, sticky, and caramelized with a classic Southern glaze, this holiday ham was born to share a plate with cheesy potatoes. Christmas, Easter, or just because ham was on sale, it's always a good idea.
- Southern Fried Pork Chops: Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and exactly the kind of comfort food that makes everyone wander into the kitchen asking, "Is it ready yet?" The creamy casserole is the perfect partner for that crunchy crust.
- Cajun Fried Chicken: Crispy, boldly seasoned, and just spicy enough to keep things interesting, this fried chicken loves the cool, creamy balance of cheese hashbrown casserole. It's the culinary version of "opposites attract," only everyone gets fed.
Here are over 41 great ideas for easy side dishes for hashbrown casserole!
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🏡 This cheese hashbrown casserole isn't the recipe that sits politely in the corner hoping someone notices it. It's the one people ask about before they've finished eating, the one relatives request for every holiday, and the one that somehow tastes even better when you're standing at the refrigerator with the door open at 10 p.m. Fork optional. Regret impossible.. 😏
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