Got 15 minutes? Because that’s all the prep time you’ll need to get my Copycat Cracker Barrel Hash Brown Casserole recipe ready for the oven! Serve this casserole full of cheesy, carb-filled goodness with breakfast or as the perfect side dish for dinner.
If you’ve ever eaten at a Cracker Barrel restaurant, you’ve probably had their hash brown casserole. It’s possibly the most popular item on their menu. People crave it. And I’m giving you my copycat recipe so you won’t have to leave home just to satisfy that craving!
This hot, bubbly, cheesy hashbrown casserole is not only perfect for breakfast, it’s a great side dish for dinner or to take to potlucks. I like to serve it with everything from barbecued ribs to meatloaf to chicken tenders. And it goes without saying that it makes a fantastic meal when paired with fried chicken, pork chops, or old-fashioned salisbury steaks.
This copycat recipe for Cracker Barrel Hash Brown Casserole is so good you may even find that you prefer it to the original! Serve the casserole alongside Alpine Eggs and Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits for a complete brunch plate.
Recipe Snapshot: Copycat Cracker Barrel Hash Brown Casserole
Cuisine: American
Cooking Method: Oven
Total Time: 1 Hour
Servings: 10
Primary Ingredient(s): Refrigerated hash browns, cream of chicken soup, cheddar cheese, sour cream, green onions
Skill Level: Easy
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING …
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“This is the best hashbrown casserole I have ever made and will never use another recipe for this again!! Thank you!!!”
— Linda
What You’ll Like About This Recipe
- This is true comfort food!
- Kids and adults both love it.
- It’s easy to reheat and is even better the next day.
- It transports well. Make two and take one to a neighbor!
- The recipe doubles or triples easily.
- It’s full of ooey gooey hot, bubbly cheese and potatoes.
Ingredient Notes
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- Shredded Hash Browns — I use the Simply Potatoes brand of shredded hash browns. There’s information at the bottom of the post on using frozen and/or freshly grated potatoes.
- Cream of Chicken Soup — I use the readily available canned version. If you’d like to make your own from scratch, you might try Cozy Cook’s recipe.
- Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese — You can certainly use mild or sharp, but I prefer extra sharp Cheddar for more cheesy flavor.
- Sour Cream — Adds a great tangy background flavor.
- Green Onions — Use both the white and green parts.
The complete ingredient list with detailed measurements is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Recipe Variations
There are so many ways to make variations on this casserole! Here are a few of my favorites:
- Change the cream of chicken soup out for cream of celery, cream of mushroom, or cheddar cheese soup.
- Add a topping of 1 1/2 cups crushed corn flakes tossed with 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Sprinkle evenly over the top before baking.
- Vary the cheese. Try Gruyere (or any Swiss), Colby, or Monterey Jack.
- Add a quarter teaspoon (or more!) of red pepper flakes to the mixture.
- Add leftover chicken or ham.
- Add broccoli florets or green peas.
- Mix in about 8 ounces of browned, drained ground beef.
- Stir in some finely chopped jalapeno.
- Sprinkle some crispy fried onions on top for the last 5 minutes of cooking.
How to Make Copycat Cracker Barrel Hash Brown Casserole
STEP 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
STEP 2. Spray a square (8×8 or 9×9) baking dish with cooking spray.
STEP 3. Place all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Stir until evenly mixed.
STEP 4. Transfer the potato mixture to the baking dish, spreading it evenly.
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STEP 5. Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until cheese is melted and the top of the casserole is nicely browned. It’s important to let the casserole sit for 15 minutes before serving.
Slow Cooker Version
To make the casserole in your slow cooker. grease the inside of a 4- or 6-quart cooker generously with butter or cooking spray. Add in the potato mixture. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, or high for 3 to 3.5 hours.
Pro Tip
Unfortunately, there’s no standard for slow cooker temperatures, so the low and high settings vary greatly based on the manufacturer. Keep a check on your casserole and turn off the cooker when the potatoes are tender and the mixture is hot and bubbly.
Storing Leftovers
To store leftovers, cover tightly and keep refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat, covered, at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.
To freeze: I’d suggest portioning the leftovers into servings and then wrapping each serving in plastic wrap. Place the wrapped servings in an airtight freezer container and store for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating and serving.
Questions About Copycat Cracker Barrel Hash Brown Casserole
Yes. You can make the recipe a day ahead, cover and refrigerate it. Bring it up to room temperature before baking.
You can make the recipe using frozen hashbrown potatoes, but you’ll need to thaw them first. Follow this procedure:
— Place the frozen hash browns in a colander set inside a plate.
— Leave at room temperature until completely thawed.
— Place the thawed potatoes in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
— When using frozen hashbrowns, the casserole will need additional cooking time of 10 to 15 minutes.
Yes, you can! To use fresh potatoes, (1) Grate the potatoes with or without the skin, (2) Rinse well under cool water and let drain in a colander, (3) Remove as much excess moisture as possible by squeezing the potatoes in a clean kitchen towel.
More Recipes You’ll Like
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Recipe
Copycat Cracker Barrel Hash Brown Casserole
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 20 ounces refrigerated, shredded hash browns (recommended brand: Simply Potatoes)
- 10.75 ounces cream of chicken soup
- 6 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese grated
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup chopped green onions
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray a square (8×8 or 9×9) baking dish with cooking spray.Cooking spray
- Mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.20 ounces refrigerated, shredded hash browns, 10.75 ounces cream of chicken soup, 6 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese, 3/4 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup chopped green onions, 1/4 cup butter, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Transfer the potato mixture to the baking dish spreading it evenly.
- Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until cheese is melted and the top of the casserole is nicely browned.
Notes
- To store leftovers, cover tightly and keep refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat, covered, at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.
- To freeze: I’d suggest portioning the leftovers into servings and then wrapping each serving in plastic wrap. Place the wrapped servings in an airtight freezer container and store for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating and serving.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
I’m strangely not a big potato person, but if you shred them and add in a lot of cheese, I’m all over it!! This looks fabulous :)
I would love this for dinner !!! I am a potato person and i usually just do boiled potatoes but this sounds fabulous.
oh now Lana, this is another great recipe of yours I am gonna steal… looks so creamy and good
Great for serving a crowd!
A key part of my agenda for today is to dig up most of my big fall/winter/spring garden and replant it with green manure. Does that count as hard physical labor that would entitle me to make this yum-a-licious, he-man casserole for dinner tonight? Please say yes, Lana!
I should say so!
we love hashbrowns! Will try this for sure
Just found your blog, and this Georgia girl is excited! I am always looking for great new Southern recipes to cook for my husband who grew up in Uruguay; he better get ready. Lana, everything looks so good. I wish I could start right now.
Oh my gosh, this is so simple and tasty looking! What a lovely breakfast. Thanks for sharing, Lana!
Yum! I’ve never tried this before but anything with potatoes and cheese sounds good to me
This would be absolutely decadent with a baked ham. Think about it. Ham, potatoes, cheese ….. yum!
Miss P
I will have to try this recipe – however, I think i will make this for dinner soon!
Lana,
This sounds awesome! Do you grate raw potatoes or do you partially cook the potatoes first?
Thanks in advance,
Laura
I just grate them raw, Laura. Sometimes I buy the bagged, shredded ones in the dairy case. Saves a lot of time and effort :-)
This sounds like something I would like to try! A good excuse to play with my new FP:@)
I love hashbrown casserole! Growing up in Ohio it was always present on Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner. Here in NY no one has even heard of it…it’s very sad…
Very sad, indeed! You’ll just have to show them what they’ve been missing :-)
I love hashbrown casserole and I love that you used fresh potatoes. I never make it because I’m the only one that eats it & eating a whole casserole by myself would be a bad thing!
Wonder if you could make this in smaller baking dishes and freeze? You might give it a try.
with the fresh potatoes, youhave to make sure you rinse them. I found out the hard way!
I took the advice from several comments re using raw potatoes. I shredded them into salted water and let them soak. I blanched them in barely boiling salted water for 10 min. I drained them throughly, then rung them out in a dish towel. I also baked the casserole at 375. With these extra efforts, they worked out fine and the end result was yummy:).