Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole Recipe with Simply Potatoes

Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole is an easy side dish with Simply Potatoes or fresh hash brown potatoes and a few simple ingredients. This easy recipe is perfect for holiday dinners, family dinners and potlucks!

Simply Potatoes Hash Brown Casserole Recipe

This easy hash brown potato bake is creamy, cheesy, rich and tastes so good. My entire family loves these cheesy hash browns — definitely comfort food! Best of all, you only need 5 main ingredients, plus spices to make it!

Some people call these cheesy potatoes funeral potatoes because it is such a comforting side dish. You may know this delicious casserole as Cracker Barrel potatoes or Cracker Barrel hash brown casserole.

This classic casserole is also perfect for family gatherings since you can make it ahead of time. And, it’s one of the first dishes to go at potlucks!

Cheesy Potato Casserole Ingredients

You can find these pantry staples in your local grocery store if you don’t have them at home. Full amounts are in the printable recipe card below.

• Shredded Hash brown potatoes — I love a bag of fresh shredded potatoes for convenience. They are already thawed, so that saves a step. You can use frozen hash browns and thaw them or grate your own fresh potatoes.
• Cream of chicken soup — or cream of celery soup or cream of mushroom soup for the creamy sauce
• Sour cream — blends with the cream soup to make a tangy sauce
• Butter — adds delicious flavor
• Shredded cheese — Use Colby cheese or Colby Jack or cheddar cheese or a blend of cheeses for cheesy goodness
• Seasonings — salt, black pepper, garlic powder and onion powder for extra flavor

How to Make Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole Recipe

This casserole is one of the easiest recipes ever! I make it even easier by mixing everything in the casserole dish — no need to dirty more dishes!

But, you can mix the ingredients in a large bowl if you prefer.

Just mix your thawed hash brown potatoes with cream of celery soup, sour cream, butter and shredded cheese. I like to season it with a little salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder.

If you want to make this a 5 ingredient hash brown casserole, you can leave out the seasonings. But, they add so much more flavor!

And, if you want to make hashbrown casserole without sour cream, you can. But, sour cream makes it a little tangier. And, there’s only a half a cup in this recipe.

Next, spread the mixture evenly in the casserole dish. Smooth the top with a large spoon.

Cooking Time

Bake the casserole for 40 minutes. Before it’s done, add some more shredded cheese to the top of the casserole.

Bake for another 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. You want to let the casserole cool down for a little bit before serving. It stays hot for awhile, so don’t worry about it cooling down too much!

Make Ahead Instructions

To make the casserole ahead of time, mix all ingredients, except for the final layer of cheese and bacon. Cover and refrigerate until ready to bake.

You can also freeze hash brown casserole for later. Just add the cheese topping when baking.

How to Store and Reheat

Refrigerate leftover casserole in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap for 3-4 days. You can freeze leftovers for up to 3 months.

Reheat individual portions of this cheesy casserole in your microwave. You can reheat larger portions in the oven at 300 degrees.

Helpful Tips

You need to use thawed hash browns in this recipe. If you have frozen hashbrowns, thaw them in the refrigerator and squeeze out any excess water before preparing the casserole.

My hash brown breakfast casserole is perfect for holiday breakfast or Sunday brunch. It’s a favorite on Christmas morning or Easter.

For a crunchy topping, mix 1/4 cup melted butter with crushed cornflakes or panko bread crumbs, and sprinkle over casserole before baking. Cooked crumbled bacon is a great option for a topper.

Casserole can be made in 13 x 9-inch pan, but will be thin and will cook faster.

More Side Dish Casserole Recipes

Jiffy corn casserole is a favorite holiday side dish. We also love green bean casserole and the kids’ favorite sweet potato casserole with marshmallows. Browse more easy side dish recipes your family will love!

For more easy recipes, sign up for the weekly newsletter and follow me on social media.

Recipe published in 2020 and updated in 2023.