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Home / Comfort Food

The Ultimate Hashbrown Casserole

4.22
/5
1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes
56 Comments
Jump to Recipe Print Pin
By: The Chunky Chefpublished: 09/06/2017

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.


A classic side or potluck dish, this hashbrown casserole truly is the ultimate version! Made with mouthwatering flavor add-ins and no condensed soups!


Most people have had a version of hashbrown casserole before… usually at a potluck or even after a funeral.  They’re so creamy and savory!  This version is full of flavor add-ins and is made with no condensed soups… all from scratch!

The Ultimate Hashbrown Casserole | This classic side or potluck dish is made with no "cream of" soups, and is perfect for any occasion! | https://www.thechunkychef.com | #side #dish #potluck #hashbrown #casserole #scratchYou guys have had these potatoes in some form before right?  Around here the original dish is either shredded hash browns like these (or the cubed version), a cheesy creamy concoction made with cream of chicken soup, and either cheese on top or something crunchy, like cornflakes.

The Ultimate Hashbrown Casserole | This classic side or potluck dish is made with no "cream of" soups, and is perfect for any occasion! | https://www.thechunkychef.com | #side #dish #potluck #hashbrown #casserole #scratch

While I’ve always loved the original, I try not to cook using a lot of condensed or “cream of” soups, as I’d rather make something from scratch if possible… and I always thought the dish needed some extra flavor!

So for my version, I add some protein from diced smoked sausage, and flavor from a bell pepper and some diced green chiles!  The flavor is unreal!!

WHAT ABOUT OTHER FLAVOR COMBINATIONS AND ADD-INS?

You can add just about anything!  This hash brown casserole can be served for breakfast, dinner, or a side dish, so the sky is the limit.  Here are a few of my favorites:

  • In place of the smoked sausage, use ham
  • In place of the smoked sausage, use cooked and crumbled bacon
  • In place of the smoked sausage, use browned and crumbled breakfast or sage sausage
  • In place of the green chiles, use diced jalapeños
  • Play around with the cheese and add your favorite or a combination of your favorites

The Ultimate Hashbrown Casserole | This classic side or potluck dish is made with no "cream of" soups, and is perfect for any occasion! | https://www.thechunkychef.com | #side #dish #potluck #hashbrown #casserole #scratch

I like to bake my hashbrown casserole in my trusty cast iron skillet, but it’s also commonly baked in a traditional 9×13″ baking dish.

It does take a while to bake, about 45-50 minutes, so if you want to save on some time, you can definitely make this a “make ahead” dish.

Just follow all the steps before baking it, transfer it to a casserole dish (or skillet), cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.  Before baking set the casserole out on the counter for 20 minutes or so, so it can warm up some before baking.  Bake as directed and enjoy!

The Ultimate Hashbrown Casserole | This classic side or potluck dish is made with no "cream of" soups, and is perfect for any occasion! | https://www.thechunkychef.com | #side #dish #potluck #hashbrown #casserole #scratch

When it comes to garnishes, I like to do a sprinkle of fresh parsley and black pepper, but snipped fresh chives are also amazing!

With all the holiday meals coming up over the next few months, this hashbrown casserole is perfect for just about any occasion.  I hope you try it and love it as much as we do!!

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!

The Ultimate Hashbrown Casserole | This classic side or potluck dish is made with no "cream of" soups, and is perfect for any occasion! | https://www.thechunkychef.com | #side #dish #potluck #hashbrown #casserole #scratch

The Ultimate Hashbrown Casserole

4.22 from 41 votes
Author: The Chunky Chef
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour hour
Total Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes
Calories: 485
Servings: 8 servings
(hover over # to adjust)
Print Rate Pin
A classic side or potluck dish, this hashbrown casserole truly is the ultimate version! Made with mouthwatering flavor add-ins and no condensed soups!

Ingredients

  • 30 oz bag frozen shredded hashbrown potatoes, thawed
  • 3 cups diced smoked sausage
  • 1 cup diced yellow onion
  • 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
  • 2-3 Tbsp canned diced green chiles, drained
  • 4 Tbsp butter
  • 4 Tbsp all purpose flour
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 2 cups chicken stock or broth
  • 4 cups shredded medium cheddar cheese, divided
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • minced fresh parsley or chives, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Lightly spray a 3 qt baking dish or skillet with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
  • In a large skillet, cook sausage until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, reserving the drippings in the skillet, to a large mixing bowl with the thawed hashbrown potatoes.
  • Add onion and bell pepper, cooking until soft, about 3-5 minutes. Remove to large mixing bowl with potato mixture, along with the green chiles.
  • To same skillet, add butter and melt. Once melted, add flour and whisk to combine, cooking 1 minute. Slowly pour in milk and chicken stock, whisking as you pour. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to MED-LOW and simmer, stirring often, until thickened to the consistency of a slightly thinned out condensed soup, about 5-10 minutes.
  • Add 3 cups of cheddar cheese, stirring until melted and combined. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream, salt, pepper and garlic powder.
  • Add cheese sauce to mixing bowl and stir to combine all ingredients. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish or skillet.
  • Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup of cheese, and bake 45-50 minutes, until bubbly and golden brown. If desired, garnish, then serve.

Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!

Chef Tips

To make ahead: 
Complete steps 1-6, cool, then cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.  Before baking, let dish sit at room temperature 20 minutes, sprinkle with 1 cup of cheese, then bake and serve as directed.

Nutrition Disclaimer

The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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The Ultimate Hashbrown Casserole | This classic side or potluck dish is made with no "cream of" soups, and is perfect for any occasion! | https://www.thechunkychef.com | #side #dish #potluck #hashbrown #casserole #scratch

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Meet The Chunky Chef

Hey there! I'm Amanda. Wife, mother, photography nerd, and bacon lover! I believe that delicious meals should be easy to make. Now that you’re here, stay a bit, browse a few recipes, and let’s get cookin’!

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4.22 from 41 votes (20 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




  1. Izzy says

    Posted on 1/20 at 5:46 pm

    Thanks for this delicious recipe! I love that it’s from scratch and doesn’t require canned soup

    Reply
  2. Pdiddy says

    Posted on 6/23 at 6:54 pm

    This one is an absolute banger of a receipe. Made some substitutions, but continue to make it year after year.

    Reply
  3. Faith says

    Posted on 12/19 at 10:26 am

    I have dehydrated potatoes cut in round slices. How can I rehydrate them for this recipe? Any other changes needed?

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 12/19 at 8:40 pm

      I honestly couldn’t say, as I’ve never made this recipe with dehydrated potatoes, or used them in any other recipe.

      Reply
  4. Chelsea Schullo says

    Posted on 7/28 at 8:19 pm

    I made a slightly different version of this, using ham, rosemary and some smoky Gouda and smoked paprika. It turned out delicious and was a huge hit at a baby shower I brought it to!

    Reply
  5. Patricia says

    Posted on 2/16 at 9:25 am

    I have made this recipe many a times for different gatherings. I did make the recipe as called for, minus the chilies, the first time. After that I have ended up making double batches at a time. I have not had the finish product come out runny when made properly and able to breath. The only time I had it get runny was when made in a big roaster for a large gathering and when trying to keep it warm, having the roaster covered. I just uncovered the roaster and just made sure to stir the mixture more often to get everything warm. I have used a mixture of different meats (bacon, sausage, ham, ground beef, breakfast sausage), along with different cheeses (Mexican, Colby, cheddar, Italian, to name a few), so that I never get the same flavoring and keeping the people coming back. I have also used different types of bell peppers (reds, yellow, orange, green) and onions (sweet, yellow, white), for again different flavoring with out having to use different spices.

    Reply
  6. Sarah says

    Posted on 2/4 at 11:44 am

    How long can this sit in the fridge for before baking? If I made it now (12 noon) and needed it for a brunch tomorrow around 11:30, would that be fine?

    Or do you recommend I wait until night to make it?

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 2/4 at 8:12 pm

      That should be just fine 🙂

      Reply
  7. Natalie says

    Posted on 1/1 at 5:07 pm

    Really great recipe!! I wanted a hasbrown casserole that didn’t use any canned soup, so I was pretty excited to try this. I thawed the potatoes by placing them in a colander and running cold water over them, then scooped them into a clean dish towel and squeezed out all of the water. Some reviewers say theirs came out pretty runny, so I wanted to make sure I removed any excess moisture. I did also use 1 cup of milk and 1/2 cup of heavy cream instead of the 2 cups of milk, and achieved a really lovely consistency. A few more adjustments: I subbed the smoked sausage for Italian sausage and a couple pieces of bacon. I minced a clove garlic (~1 tsp) and sauteed with the onion & bell pepper instead of garlic powder in the sauce. I also only used 1/2 of the sour cream. It was absolutely delicious though and I look forward to making it again!

    Reply
  8. Katie says

    Posted on 11/25 at 3:57 pm

    This recipe was so delicious and perfect, that I got a marriage proposal afterwards! 😀 I used just slightly less milk so that it didn’t come out runny, and it was perfect1

    Reply
  9. Leslie says

    Posted on 8/29 at 3:02 pm

    Finally! I’ve looked for a whe for a how to that did not call for cream of anything soup. Thank you!

    Reply
  10. Lindal says

    Posted on 4/21 at 10:05 am

    Thank you for sharing!! Absolutely my new favorite hash brown casserole recipe. Can’t wait to make it for my extended family.

    Reply
  11. Laura Tiller says

    Posted on 4/5 at 10:36 pm

    I followed the recipe to the tee (except I left the sausage out because several other dishes we were having had meat in them), but it came out super runny after being cooked. I salvaged it by dumping the whole casserole into a strainer and then putting it back in the casserole dish. The flavor was great. Added a bit of cayenne pepper for some heat. Any clue what happened? 

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 4/5 at 10:42 pm

      Oh no! Are you sure the potatoes were fully thawed? Maybe the sauce wasn’t thick enough? I’m so sorry it didn’t work out for you, but I’m glad you liked the flavor at least!

      Reply
  12. Chris says

    Posted on 2/2 at 10:32 am

    I only have cubed – could I substitute that? This looks amazing!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 2/2 at 9:14 pm

      Sure can!

      Reply
  13. Clover says

    Posted on 1/31 at 5:11 pm

    Great! I did subsitute corn starch for the flour, fresh shredded, soaked, then dried potatoes and omitted the sausage. Made this twice now and it is super easy and cheesey 😄 Family of 6 love it!

    Reply
  14. Robyn says

    Posted on 12/26 at 10:58 am

    I made this for Christmas and mine came out runny. Not sure what I did wrong. It still tasted good, I just wish it was thicker.

    Reply
  15. kjustison says

    Posted on 12/20 at 10:47 pm

    I made this for a Christmas breakfast for teachers; and it was a huge hit. It is loaded with flavor and a nice addition to any egg breakfast casserole. Or make by itself for those super picky breakfast eaters. I cut the green chili’s in half and prepared ahead of time. The directions were spot on. This one is making it to a recipe card.

    Reply
  16. Larissa says

    Posted on 11/22 at 12:25 pm

    Can you freeze this and then thaw in fridge for 24 hours before baking in oven? Thanks!! 

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 11/22 at 8:22 pm

      Yes, that should work well 🙂

      Reply
  17. Angie says

    Posted on 8/25 at 8:11 pm

    Honestly, this was absolutely amazing!! I followed the recipe exactly and it was so good that I had to write a review! I’ve tried many recipes over the years and never felt compelled to do that until now.  This is a keeper! 

    Reply
  18. Brent Hevenor says

    Posted on 4/20 at 9:50 am

    Can I use half and half for the milk?

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 4/22 at 10:00 am

      You could, it would be extra rich that way 🙂

      Reply
  19. Melyssa says

    Posted on 12/25 at 6:28 pm

    I made this for Christmas morning.  I used bacon instead of sausage and sautéed shishito pepper instead of green chilies.  Everyone loved it.  

    Reply
  20. Laura says

    Posted on 12/23 at 3:41 pm

    This is a great recipe. I made it recently and didn’t use sausage or green Chiles and stil came out awesome. Like nothing was missing. I’m going to make again for Christmas Eve. 

    Has anyone not used the sour cream in it? I of course just went to to store and forgot to buy it. Thoughts? 

    Reply
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