Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole
Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole is a delicious addition to any meal of the day. Popular for holiday dinners and weekend brunches. This easy recipe is completely from scratch made from fresh potatoes and no canned soup!
Hashbrown casserole is a classic side dish to serve for potlucks and holiday dinners. It’s so simple to make with simple ingredients and is sure to be a family favorite.
The first time I ever tried this easy cheesy hashbrown casserole was in Wyoming when we went to help the neighbors work their sheep. They called this dish branding potatoes because they were what everyone served for lunch when they branded cattle.
This cheesy potato casserole is known by different names such as funeral potatoes, party potatoes or cheesy potatoes. Whatever you call it, just add it to the menu!
Ingredients for Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole Recipe
- russet potatoes
- onion
- cheddar cheese
- sour cream
- heavy cream
- butter
- chicken base
- black pepper
- kosher salt
Budget Tip
I don’t ever remember to buy frozen hash browns or the refrigerated shredded hashbrowns from the grocery store. There’s no need for expensive pre shredded potatoes to make hashbrown casserole recipe! You can make them with the potatoes that you have in the pantry.
How to Shred Potatoes for Hashbrowns
- Wash and dry potatoes. Peel if desired.
- Shred on the large side of a box grater or use a food processor.
- Place in a colander and rinse thoroughly. Squeeze out excess liquid from the shredded potatoes over the sink or over a bowl to remove the excess liquid. This will keep your hashbrowns from being mushy.
- Place shredded potatoes in a large bowl.
This is the best way to make hash brown potatoes. This method works for hashbrown casserole or traditional fried crispy hash browns. Give it a try the next time you are making hashbrowns.
How to Make Hashbrown Casserole
- Shred 2 1/2 – 3 pounds russet potatoes. Place in a colander and rinse thoroughly and squeeze out any excess water. Place into a large mixing bowl.
- Dice 1 cup onion and add to shredded potatoes.
- Shred 8 ounces of cheddar cheese and add 2/3 of it to potato mixture.
- In another bowl combine melted butter, heavy cream, sour cream, chicken base, salt and pepper. Whisk together and pour over potato mixture.
- Mix potato and cream mixture until well combined.
- Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish or 2 1/2 – 3 quart casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Pour potato mixture into baking dish and spread evenly. Top with remaining shredded cheese.
- Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour or until potatoes are cooked through. Cheese will be melted and golden brown.
Variations for Cheesy Potato Casserole
- Cream Soup: Use cream of chicken soup or cream of mushroom soup in place of the heavy cream and chicken base.
- Cream cheese makes a good substitute for the heavy cream.
- Different Cheeses: Colby-Jack, Gruyere, Mozzarella cheese or Pepper-Jack are all great options for cheesy hashbrown potato casserole.
- Make it a Main Dish: Add browned breakfast sausage, ground beef or even cooked chicken will turn these cheesy potatoes into a hearty dinner the whole family will love.
- Crunch Toppings: Crushed corn flakes, crushed ritz crackers, potato chips or panko breadcrumbs can be sprinkled over the top of the casserole before baking.
- Garnishes: After baking sprinkle the casserole with sliced green onions, candied jalapenos or chopped fresh herbs.
Hashbrown Casserole Notes
- Make Ahead: Hashbrown casserole is one of those dishes that just gets better the next day. Prepare up to 2 days in advance. Mix it up and cover tightly with plastic wrap, do not bake. Refrigerate until ready to bake. Bake as directed. (If using a glass baking dish, allow to come to room temperature before placing in the oven.)
- Leftovers: Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil or plastic wrap in the refrigerator up to 4 days.
- Reheat: Hashbrown casserole can be reheated in a non-stick pan over medium heat, stirring until heated through or place in a baking pan and bake for 12- 15 minutes until heated through.
We love this easy cheesy hashbrown casserole for any meal of the day. It’s the perfect breakfast casserole for any holiday morning. It’s also the perfect easy side for all holiday meals.
More Potato Recipes to Try
- Garlic Mashed Potatoes are the perfect side dish for weeknight dinners and delicious enough for any holiday meal. Made so flavorful with homemade garlic butter.
- Potato Gratin is just loaded with cheesy goodness. One of my favorite for celebrations and holiday dinners.
- Creamy Dill Potato Salad is always a hit with the crowd. So easy to make and so creamy and delicious.
- Air Fryer Roasted Potatoes are super easy to make for busy weeknights. Tons of flavor from garlic and rosemary.
- Grilled Potatoes are simple to make with any dinner on the grill. Loaded with cheese and everything bagel seasoning, these potatoes are sure to be a family favorite.
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Kitchen Tools for Hashbrown Casserole
- Box Grater for shredding potatoes and cheese.
- Glass 9 x 13 Baking Dish ~ So handy for casseroles, desserts and more.
- Potato Peeler ~ My favorite one, ever.
- Flat Whisk ~ My favorite kitchen gadget. I use this every single day.
Why You Will Love this Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole Recipe
- Budget-Friendly Side Dish: Making this recipe using whole potatoes in place of the packaged shredded hash browns is a money saver. This recipe is perfect to feed a crowd.
- Favorite Side Dish: Everyone loves this potato side dish with lots of cheese. It is the perfect compliment to any meal of the day and it’s so easy to make with just a few minutes of prep.
- Great for Holiday Dinners: Cheesy hash brown casserole is perfect for Christmas dinner, Thanksgiving dinner, Easter brunch and family gatherings
If you love Cracker Barrel hashbrown casserole, this is sure to be one of your favorite things. It’s just the most comforting side dish that is always a massive hit.
IF YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE AS MUCH AS I DO, PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT AND A FIVE STAR REVIEW, AND BE SURE TO HELP ME SHARE ON PINTEREST!
Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole
Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole is a delicious addition to any meal of the day. This recipe is completely from scratch made from whole potatoes and no canned soups!
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 - 3 pounds russet potatoes
- 1 cup diced onion
- 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese, divided use
- 12 ounces sour cream
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1 teaspoon chicken base
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 °
- Scrub potatoes and peel if desired. Shred on large side of box grater.
- Shred 2 1/2 - 3 pounds russet potatoes. Place in a colander and rinse thoroughly and squeeze out any excess water. Place potatoes into a large mixing bowl.
- Add onions and 2/3 of shredded cheese, set aside.
- In another bowl, combine sour cream, heavy cream, melted butter, chicken base, pepper and salt. Whisk until well combined.
- Pour over potato mixture, stirring until mixed well.
- Pour into a greased 9 x 13 baking pan and top with remaining cheese.
- Bake 45 minutes to one hour or until potatoes have cooked through.
Notes
Variations
- Cream Soup: Use cream of chicken soup or cream of mushroom soup in place of the heavy cream and chicken base.
- Cream cheese makes a good substitute for the heavy cream.
- Different Cheeses: Colby-Jack, Gruyere, Mozzarella cheese or Pepper-Jack are all great options for cheesy hashbrown potato casserole.
- Make it a Main Dish: Add browned breakfast sausage, ground beef or even cooked chicken will turn these cheesy potatoes into a hearty dinner the whole family will love.
- Crunch Toppings: Crushed corn flakes, crushed ritz crackers, potato chips or panko breadcrumbs can be sprinkled over the top of the casserole before baking.
- Garnishes: After baking sprinkle the casserole with sliced green onions, candied jalapenos or chopped fresh herbs.
- Make Ahead: Hashbrown casserole is one of those dishes that just gets better the next day. Prepare up to 2 days in advance. Mix it up and cover tightly with plastic wrap, do not bake. Refrigerate until ready to bake. Bake as directed. (If using a glass baking dish, allow to come to room temperature before placing in the oven.)
- Leftovers: Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil or plastic wrap in the refrigerator up to 4 days.
- Reheat: Hashbrown casserole can be reheated in a non-stick pan over medium heat, stirring until heated through or place in a baking pan and bake for 12- 15 minutes until heated through.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 333Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 73mgSodium: 297mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 8g
Nutritional calculations are estimated and may not be accurate.
The recipe looks delicious. Will this work with thawed frozen hashbrowns?
No grate fresh potatoes. Quicker than thawing anyway.
Can you freeze this?
Hi Maja,
I haven’t tried freezing it, I’m not sure how well it would do, let me know if you try it.
~ Milisa
I used frozen hash browns in place of fresh potatoes and froze it.
Can you use frozen hashbrown?
Hi Terri,
Yes, frozen hashbrowns will work or the refrigerated ones. I’ve used both, I just always forget to pick them up at the store but I always have potatoes!
~ Milisa
So how much of the store-bought unfrozen hash browns would you use? And what exactly is ‘chicken base’? Is it a bouillon type product? Paste or cube? Prior to adding water, I mean.
The recipe sounds wonderful and I am really looking forward to trying it, as soon as I get clarification on those two things. Thank you
Hi Dee,
Use 2 pounds of store bought hashbrowns which should be 2 packages. The chicken base is a paste bullion. Let me know if you have any other questions.
~ Milisa
How do ya make that paste bullion?
Hi Ed,
I buy it from Walmart or Krogers. It’s by the bullion cubes and it’s really handy for adding flavor. The brand is “Better than Bullion” and I like the beef base too.
~ Milisa
If made ahead and refrigerated, will the potatos discolor?
Hi Trish,
I have not tried that but they likely would and also the casserole might become a little watery. I recommend baking right away.
~ Milisa
(Just an FYI, you have make-ahead instructions that you may want to remove if these shouldn’t be made ahead of time.) 🙂
I forgot to take a photo but even better proof would be a “before and after” I made this as part of a meal provided for a small group (about 25) of our church missionaries. Two 8×13” pans were emptied within 15 minutes or so of the meal starting. With the exception of the fried chicken, none of the other dishes were devoured so thoroughly. That is proof, my friends, of how delicious it was! Thank you, Milisa, for sharing this recipe.
Hi Lynn,
I’m so glad it was such a hit for your church dinner. I appreciate you taking the time to let me know how it turned out.
~ Milisa
I have been looking for a cheesy hash brown recipe without the cream of chicken soup forever and Im so happy I found this one. A breakfast place near me makes the best cheesy hash brown I’ve ever had and I’ve been looking for a copycat recipe, Im so excited to try this recipe tomorrow!
I can’t find quantities for the cream, sour cream, butter, etc anywhere in the post! How much do you use of all the ingredients?
Hi Booker,
The recipe card is at the bottom of the post. You can use the “jump to recipe” button at the very top of the post that will take you right to the recipe card that you can print.
~ Milisa
Question, Can this be done in a crockpot? And how long do you think the cook time would be, if so?
Hi Tonnie,
Spray the crockpot with nonstick spray. Cook on Low heat setting 6 hours, stirring about half way through, until center reaches at least 165 and edges are bubbly. Stir it before using.
~ Milisa
If I cook the potatoes first-then let cool-then shred, they shouldn’t be watery, right?
What would you suggest adding to the already cooked potatoes? And I shouldn’t have to bake as long? I hope you understand where I’m coming from-thanks
All your ingredients sound good- just would like to know which would be better with already cooked & shredded potatoes- please advise
Hi Leanne,
If you cook the potatoes first, you are going to end up with something more like the texture of twice baked potato casserole and it will be delicious, just a different texture. I hope that helps.
~ Milisa