Easy Hashbrown Casserole

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Easy Hashbrown Casserole – creamy and cheesy potato dish made with just a few ingredients! No canned cream of soup needed!

Great side dish in place of Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes, Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole or Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes.

Easy Hashbrown Casserole makes for a perfect side dish for holiday dinner, weekend brunches or when you simply crave comfort food. I am excited to share my recipe that does not require a can of condensed cream of soup yet still is creamy, cheesy and delicious! It’s pure comfort food! So good, you will reach for seconds. Made with a super easy substitute for cream of soup, sour cream and frozen hash browns, this casserole is super easy to make and can easily be prepared ahead of time.

Ingredients:

• frozen hashbrowns
• butter
• garlic
• yellow onion
• half and half
• cornstarch
• salt and pepper
• dried dill
• sour cream
• cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese

How to make hashbrown casserole?

• Prepare the condensed cream of soup substitute.
• Mix hashbrowns (thawed) with the creamy mixture, sour cream, salt and pepper. It should be thick and creamy.
• Spread the mixture in a buttered casserole dish, top with cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese.
• Bake until bubbly and the cheese is melted.

Condensed cream of soup substitute from scratch:

Most recipes for hash brown casserole call for a can of condensed cream of chicken, celery or cheddar soup. Since I don’t use these in my kitchen, I found a way to make a creamy mixture with half and half and cornstarch as a perfect substitute. It takes only 5 to 7 minutes to cook it in a saucepan.

• First, saute garlic and onion in butter.
• Add half and half whisked with cornstarch, salt and pepper. I also add dill because I just love dill in potato dishes.
• Cook, stirring constantly, until thick and creamy.
• At this point, you can place cooled mixture in a jar, cover and refrigerate until you are ready to use it.

Freezing:

Yes, you can easily freeze this casserole. Prepare and freeze. Bring to room temperature before baking.

Reheating:

To reheat any leftovers, simply place the dish in the oven preheated to 350 degrees F and bake for 20 minutes or until heated through.

More side dish recipes:

• Best Easy Sweet Potato Casserole
• Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole
• Perfect Breakfast Casserole
• Classic Thanksgiving Stuffing
• Candied Sweet Potatoes

If you like this recipe and make it, snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Tag me @crunchycreamysweet so I can check it out and leave a comment! 😀

5 from 9 votes

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Easy Hashbrown Casserole

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

45 mins

 

Easy Hashbrown Casserole - creamy and cheesy potato dish made with just a few ingredients! No canned cream of soup needed!

Course: Dinner, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: hashbrown casserole, potato casserole

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 392 kcal

Author: Anna

Ingredients

• 5 cups hash browns thawed
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/2 medium yellow onion chopped
• 1 cup half and half
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried dill optional
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1.25 cup shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, melt butter. Add garlic and onion and saute until onion is translucent.
2. In a measuring cup, whisk half and half and cornstarch. Add salt, pepper and dill and whisk in.
3. Add cornstarch mixture to sauteed onions. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick and creamy. Remove from heat and let cool. At this point you can cool the mixture completely, cover and refrigerate until ready to use, even the next day.
4. Butter a 13" x 9" or 2 quart casserole dish. Set aside.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
6. In a large mixing bowl, stir together hash browns, cornstarch mixture, sour cream. Season with salt and pepper. The mixture should be thick and creamy. Spread in prepared casserole dish.
7. Top with cheese. Bake in oven for 30 to 35 minutes OR until bubbly and cheese is melted.
8. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes.
9. Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired, and serve.

Recipe Notes

1. This casserole cuts really easy and clean. If you want to make it more wet, add another 1/2 cup of sour cream to hash brown mixture before baking. 
2. This casserole can be prepared a day ahead, covered and refrigerated. Before baking, let sit in room temperature while your oven preheats. 
3. Please note, that the nutrition value can vary depending on what product you use. The information below is an estimate.

Nutrition Facts

Easy Hashbrown Casserole

Amount Per Serving

Calories 392 Calories from Fat 207

% Daily Value*

Fat 23g35%

Saturated Fat 13g81%

Cholesterol 64mg21%

Sodium 443mg19%

Potassium 641mg18%

Carbohydrates 36g12%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 11g22%

Vitamin A 675IU14%

Vitamin C 16.1mg20%

Calcium 276mg28%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This recipe was originally published in 2018 and updated on September 26th, 2019.