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Summary
This is a serious crowd pleaser that you will be asked to bring to every family gathering.
Our hashbrown casserole is ultra-comforting and is a staple for Thanksgiving and Christmas. With deep nuanced flavors and amazing texture, it is one dish that you will look forward to bringing to a party, and happily go back up for seconds and even thirds. It’s the ultimate side dish for holiday dinners, parties, or any time comfort food is calling.
15
15
minutes45
minutes290
kcal30
Minutes1
hourOnce you try this homemade cream of chicken soup, you will never go back to the canned stuff again.
Ingredients
297 g 10.5 oz homemade cream of chicken (See Before We Start)
850 g 30 oz frozen hashbrowns, slightly thawed
340 g 12 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
226 g 8 oz sour cream
100 g ½ yellow onion, finely diced
10 g 2 tsp salt
1.5 g 3 4 tsp black pepper
113 g ½ cup butter, melted and divided
340 g 12 oz cups Crispy Fried Onions, about 2 containers
Directions
Before We Start
Cream of Chicken Options: We used to use a can of cream of chicken soup for this, but have found the flavor significantly improves when you make it yourself. It’s worth the extra time and effort and it really isn’t all that difficult to make.
See our Cream of Chicken Soup recipe for steps and a list of ingredients.
Hashbrowns: You will want shredded hashbrowns that you buy from the frozen food section. Usually just one full bag is needed. Let it thaw for at least 30 mins and up to 4 hours in the bag. You just need it thawed enough to separate the shedded hashbrowns from each other.
Cheese: We go for a quality extra sharp cheddar like 12 month aged Croc. We always recommend buying a brick of cheese and shredding yourself. This takes more than one brick of cheese, so be sure to buy two.
Crispy Fried Onions: We just buy the readily available French’s Crispy Fried Onions. They are surprisingly minimally processed and use relatively better ingredients than you would suspect. Any similar variety will do, or you can make them homemade. We don’t see the need for all that extra work in this recipe though.Make the Cream of Chicken Soup (optional)
Making the cream of chicken soup involves adding extra flavor and aromatics to chicken stock. Making a roux, adding bouillon, the flavored stock, seasonings, and heavy cream. The result is a crazy flavorful thick, creamy soup that you would actually enjoy consuming on it’s own.
If you are in a pinch, you can use a can of cream of chicken soup, but the results are drastically different.
Follow our Cream of Chicken Soup Recipe.
Start Your Oven!
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).Prep Ingredients
Butter: Melt half the butter in the microwave (or heat on stovetop) for about 30-60 seconds until melted.
Onions: Dice half an onion very finely.
Cheese: Shred your cheese using the large side of a box grater.Create the Mixture
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, the 1/4 cup of melted butter, and salt. Stir until fully mixed.
Combine
In the same bowl, add the thawed hashbrowns, shredded cheddar cheese, and finely diced onions. Combine with a large spoon or sturdy spatula.
Transfer to Oven
Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared casserole dish. Reserve the fried onions and remaining butter for later.
Bake
Bake uncovered for 45 minutes, or until heated through and bubbling around the edges.Prep the Fried Onions
In a small bowl, melt the remaining 1/4 cup of butter in the microwave (or heat on stovetop) for about 30-60 seconds until melted.
In a large bowl, add the crispy fried onions and toss the fried onions in the remaining melted butter to coat evenly. If you melted all the butter at the same time in Step 2, you may need to reheat your butter if it has solidified.
Add the fried onions to the party by topping the casserole with them evenly to fully cover. Then return to the oven for another 5-6 minutes to crisp them up.
The fried onions should be nice and crispy with melted bubbly hashbrowns underneath. Enjoy and be ready to take home an empty dish if taking it to a party.
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Additional Details About This Recipe
Can I use fresh potatoes instead of frozen hashbrowns?
You can, but they must be shredded and well-drained. You also have to deal with them browning quickly. Frozen saves time and delivers consistency without any loss in flavor.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes! Assemble the night before, refrigerate, and bake. You may need to add 5–10 minutes to the bake time. Just be sure to keep the crispy fried onions separate until you are ready to top the baked casserole with them. We have even put it in a sous vide bag when traveling out of state. You just cut the bag and dump it in your casserole dish to bake.
What about substitutions for cream of chicken soup to make it vegetarian?
You can do a vegetable version with vegetable stock and vegetable bouillon.
Can I make this in a smaller dish?
Yes—halve the recipe and bake in an 8×8-inch dish for smaller gatherings.
How do I store and reheat leftovers?
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Place on a sheetpan lined with parchment paper in serving sized portions (the physical separation between servings helps it heat more evenly and faster) reheat at 350 F for 10 minutes or until hot.
Nutritional Facts (per serving)
(Values are estimates based on ingredients listed)
- Calories: 290
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Carbohydrates: 19 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Sodium: 420 mg
- Fiber: 1 g