This copycat Cracker Barrel hashbrown casserole recipe will be a go-to favorite side dish. The hashbrown casserole is easy to put together for breakfast or dinner.
Perfect for family potlucks or holiday brunch, this cheesy hashbrown breakfast casserole is a kid-friendly recipe that’s ready in just 45 minutes or less!
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Pin RecipeIf you like Cracker Barrel breakfasts, then you’re going to absolutely love my copycat hashbrown casserole recipe. It’s easy, cheesy, and my favorite brunch recipe for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Hashbrown Recipe
Fall is finally here and along with it comes holidays, family meals, and all of your favorite comfort foods. Enter this absolutely amazing Cracker Barrel hashbrown casserole — it’s a quick side dish recipe that is perfect for your next family brunch. This cheesy breakfast casserole is also a great side dish for your favorite turkey recipe and is just as delicious as our Cheesy Potatoes, and it can even be meal prepped in advance.
Popular during the holidays, hash brown casserole is my go-to breakfast recipe for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It’s easy to make a large batch, and it is always a hit with the entire family — even the kids! And you can’t have Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner without a delicious potato recipe, right?
Ingredients
For this hashbrown casserole recipe, you’ll need:
- Frozen Hashbrowns – I always use frozen, shredded hasbrowns. Be sure to defrost them first!
- Butter – Everything is better with butter, and this breakfast casserole is no exception. For best results, use unsalted melted butter.
- Cream of Chicken Soup – Substitute cream of cheddar soup if desired.
- Sour Cream – Use your favorite sour cream, all fat or non fat.
- Onion – Chop it finely for the best results!
- Cheese – I love to pile on shredded cheddar cheese, but you can use your own favorite.
- Pepper – Less is more! Start slow and add more pepper to taste. Be careful not to overwhelm you casserole flavors. You don’t need to add too much salt and pepper because the soup has a lot of seasoning in it.
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Hashbrown Casserole
STEP 1: PREPARE
First, preheat your oven to 350°F, and grease a 9×13 casserole dish.
STEP 2: MIX
Next combine all of the hashbrown casserole ingredients into a large bowl, reserving ½ cup of cheese for topping.
STEP 3: PLACE IN DISH
Now pour your breakfast casserole into the greased 9×13 casserole dish and top with the reserved cheese.
STEP 4: BAKE HASHBROWN CASSEROLE
Finally, bake your Cracker Barrel casserole for 30 minutes, covered with foil. After 30 minutes, remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
Variations
My favorite part of this hashbrown casserole is how easy it is to customize. Beef it up to make your breakfast casserole the star of any holiday meal, or keep it simple for a nice, comforting side dish.
- Veggies – Chop your favorite vegetables and add to your casserole. I always think that broccoli makes a great addition!
- Cheese – The casserole recipe calls for cheddar cheese, but you can use any you like. Go a little crazy and try combining a few of your favorites for the ultimate cheesy breakfast dish.
- Meat – Turn your hasbrown breakfast casserole into the main dish by mixing in ground turkey or beef. This is a great way to use your leftover turkey from the holidays, too! Ham is also one of my favorite additions to sprinkle in the casserole to to cube and put right on top. Don’t forget that bacon in the mixture is great as well!
Storage
You need to keep this nice and chilled in the refrigerator. You can leave it in the baking dish and cover it with plastic wrap or a lid. As long as you cover the top of the casserole, you should be good to go.
Make Ahead Instructions
To make this casserole ahead of time, you can assemble it up to 24 hours in advance. Cover it and refrigerate it until you’re ready to bake; let it sit on the counter while the oven preheats.
FAQs
Yes! Anytime you’re using frozen ingredients, it’s always a good idea to thaw them first. This will prevent excess moisture from being added to your hashbrown casserole when it bakes.
This delicious, copycat Cracker Barrel hashbrown casserole is made with frozen, shredded hashbrowns (defrosted), cheddar cheese, chopped onions, sour cream, and cream of chicken soup. Throw in some butter and pepper to complete the breakfast recipe.
The classic hashbrown casserole recipe is vegetarian, but it can be enhanced by adding ground turkey or beef. Cracker Barrel’s hashbrown casserole recipe is usually meat-free but can easily have bacon or other breakfast meats added.
I like to crumble up Ritz crackers as well as add on corn flakes, too. Some people prefer to add crushed up potato chip options, too.
I tend to want to add more protein to this dish but veggies could be great as well. Adding bell peppers help to balance out the carbohydrates and gives the kids some healthiness in their tummies as well!
If you’d like, you can broil the casserole for a minute or two after it’s done baking to brown the top and make it crispy.
Covering the casserole with foil during the first portion of the baking time helps keep it from drying out.
I love making this simple recipe for Easter. It’s so good! You can also prep and freeze it for later so that you just have to thaw and cook!
If you’re looking for more….try these recipes next!
- Easy Breakfast Casserole
- Easy Cheesy Potatoes
- Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Overnight Breakfast Casserole
- Cauliflower Casserole
Hashbrown Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 32 oz Frozen hashbrowns, shredded and defrosted
- ½ cup Butter, melted
- 1 10 ¼ oz can Cream of chicken soup
- 16 oz Sour cream
- ½ oz Onion, finely chopped
- 2 cups Cheddar cheese, grated
- ¼ tsp Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl reserving ½ cup of cheese for topping.
- Place in a greased 9×13 casserole dish and top with reserved cheese.
- Bake for 30 minutes covered with foil. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Video
Notes
- Veggies – Chop your favorite vegetables and add to your casserole. I always think that broccoli makes a great addition!
- Cheese – The casserole recipe calls for cheddar cheese, but you can use any you like. Go a little crazy and try combining a few of your favorites for the ultimate cheesy breakfast dish.
- Meat – Turn your hasbrown breakfast casserole into the main dish by mixing in ground turkey or beef. This is a great way to use your leftover turkey from the holidays, too!
