Step aside bland side dishes! This cheesy, flavorful Hashbrown Casserole is always the answer to, “What side dish should I make?”
In my home, hashbrown casserole steals the show no matter what other dishes I serve it with. And the best part is: this delicious side dish is so easy to make!
This warm potato dish has definitely earned itself a spot on American comfort food lists, and frozen hashbrowns became all the rage in the 1950s and 1960s when convenience foods increased in popularity across the nation.
Although there are several great recipes for making hashbrowns from scratch – like these Air Fryer Hashbrowns – you can’t beat the convenience of frozen hashbrowns when whipping up a quick hashbrown casserole!
Is Hashbrown Casserole Healthy?
This hashbrown casserole is a comfort dish. In terms of health, it’s not exactly a top choice, but dinnertime doesn’t always have to be healthy!
To make this dish healthier, you can make a few common swaps like trading sour cream for unsweetened Greek yogurt, making your own hash browns from scratch, and making your own cream of chicken soup from scratch. Small alterations like this can boost the protein content, lower the fat content, or reduce the amount of processed ingredients in the recipe, so every little swap helps!
Plus, incorporating vegetables like spinach, bell peppers, or broccoli can also enhance the nutritional value of the dish while providing extra texture and flavor.
The secret is in the cream soup…
Never, ever skip the cream soup in a hashbrown casserole! It’s the ingredient that ties everything together, ensuring each bite is smooth, creamy, and bursting with flavor.
The condensed cream soup provides a savory foundation that’s difficult to replicate with anything else. Without it, the casserole would be lacking the moisture it needs to hold together and give you that distinctive velvety consistency we all enjoy. So, even if you’re tempted to skip it, remember, cream soup is the foundation for a creamy hashbrown casserole!
If you don’t want to use the store-bought stuff, no problem! There are plenty of recipes online for making your own cream of chicken soup.
How to Make Ahead and Store
Store your leftover hashbrown casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze your hashbrown casserole in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 6 months. Just let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating in a 350°F oven for a few minutes or until warmed through.
Serving Suggestions
Finally, it’s time to indulge in your hashbrown casserole! What should you serve with this cheesy wonder? As a breakfast treat, it’s perfect as the main dish alongside some Air Fryer Poached Eggs and Easy Baked Maple Bacon.
At dinnertime, hashbrown casserole makes a wonderful side dish to Crispy Baked Chicken Legs or this Lemon-Pepper Chicken. Another favorite for feeding a crowd is this Instant Pot Steak with a slice of cheesy hashbrown casserole.
Ingredients
- 30 ounces frozen shredded hash browns thawed
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter melted
- 10 ounces condensed cream of chicken soup
- 16 ounces sour cream
- 1/2 cup onion finely chopped
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- In a large bowl, mix together the thawed hash browns, melted butter, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, chopped onion, 1 1/2 cups of the cheddar cheese, and black pepper until well combined.
- Transfer the hash brown mixture to the prepared baking dish, spreading it out evenly. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese over the top.
- Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until the casserole is hot throughout and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Nutrition Info:
Nutrition information are estimates only and may vary based on the specific brands, ingredients, and portion sizes you use. This data is provided for informational purposes only.
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