A classic staple, Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole is found on just about every potluck table and is almost always the first to vanish. This is a Cracker Barrel copycat recipe!
A couple weeks ago, I was running errands and found myself in a little local grocery store and starving to death! Okay, not really, but my stomach was noisily complaining and I realized I had not eaten all day.
So I moseyed on over to the deli area to see if there was anything that talked back. I just wanted to grab a little something to shut my stomach up until I was done with my errands. What did I find? Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole.
I hadn’t had this in years, and well, I forgot just how good it was! Then, last weekend, I had a ladies breakfast to go to and I‘m not a huge meal in the morning kind of person. But what did I see on the Cracker Barrel menu? Yep! I ordered a side dish of cheesy hash brown casserole.
So a couple days ago, I decided I needed to make this for the family – and figured I should share my recipe for it with you here.
My version is almost identical to the “Cracker Barrel” version – but you don’t have any canned soups involved in this. (I think mine is even better.)
To make this recipe you will need:
- butter
- all-purpose flour
- chicken broth
- milk
- sweet onion
- sour cream
- sharp cheddar cheese
- salt
- pepper
- frozen hash browns
- saucepan
- whisk
- mixing bowl
- baking pan
Watch me make this recipe:
How to Make Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole – Cracker Barrel Copycat
To begin, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Melt 1/4 cup of butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat. When it is melted whisk in 1/4 cup of flour and let it bubble and cook for just a minute.
Whisk in 2/3 cup each of chicken broth and milk.
Cook this over medium heat, stirring continually, until it comes to a gentle boil. Remove from heat.
Very finely dice 1/2 cup of onion. I used a vidalia onion for the mild, sweet flavor.
In a large bowl, combine the onion and 2 cups of sour cream.
Grate some sharp cheddar cheese – about 2 cups.
Stir in the cheese, along with some salt & pepper – about 1/2 teaspoon each.
Pour in your chicken broth mixture.
Stir in 2 pounds of frozen hash browns.
And finally stir in 1 stick of butter, melted. (1/2 cup)
Mix it all together and spread it into a 9×13 baking dish that has been greased or sprayed with cooking spray.
Bake this for 45 minutes, or until it begins to get a little golden on top.
You May Also Like:
- Sausage and Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole
- Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
- Double Chocolate Fudge Cola Cake – Cracker Barrel Copycat Recipe
Did you Make this Recipe? I’d love for you to give me a 5 star rating in the recipe card below. If you share it on Instagram, please tag me!
Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole
Ingredients
- 1/4 c butter, unsalted
- 1/4 c all-purpose flour
- 2/3 c chicken broth
- 2/3 c milk
- 1/2 c finely diced sweet onion
- 2 c sour cream
- 2 c grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/4 c butter, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 lb frozen hash browns
Instructions
- To begin, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- In a small saucepan, melt the 1/4 c butter and then whisk in the flour.
- Cook this over medium heat for just a minute.
- Whisk in the chicken broth and milk. Cook and stir until it begins to boil. Remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, combine all the rest of the other ingredients. (I like to reserve a handful of the shredded cheese to sprinkle on top before baking. This is optional.)
- Stir in the chicken broth mixture.
- Combine it all and then spread it into a greased (or sprayed with cooking spray) 9×13 baking dish.
- Sprinkle with the reserved cheese, if you didn’t mix it all in.
- Bake for 45 minutes, or until it is just starting to get golden on top and the potatoes are cooked through.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
If nutritional values are provided for this recipe, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands of ingredients you use. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste or for serving. If nutritional values are very important to you, I suggest using your favorite nutritional calculating tool with the brands you use.
This post was originally published in 2019, and updated in 2021.
Made your Hashbrown casserole for New Year’s day, it was perfect! The whole family loved it, which is hard to accomplish!
Great to hear!! :D
This casserole is so good, I made it the cream of chicken soup because that what the recipe called for. But I am so happy that yours is truely from scratch, I can not wait to try it. Thank you.
I made this with baked ham on Sunday. I didnt have the frozen hashbrowns so I just used fresh shedded potatoes. It was delicious! I like others appreciate not having to use cream soup! Thanks Constance. You never diappoint…
Wow, thanks for the recipe. I can easily see myself veganizing this!
My recent post Vegan and Gluten Free Cherry Baked Oatmeal
This looks delicious. Happy to have a recipe that doesn't include cream of chicken soup!
Great recipe! I'm drooling already. I hope you don't mind but I've included it in my recipe round-up post that goes live tomorrow. Come by and check it out.
Looks divine