When comfort food is at stake, there is no one dish that is more popular than a creamy, cheesy Grandma’s Hashbrown Casserole. This is a dish, eaten in some parts of the world as funeral potatoes, which has found its way to the family dinners, potlucks, and holiday tables of hundreds of families throughout the United States. Are golden hashbrowns that have been cooked perfectly, creamy cheese, and a buttery crispy topping it is just no wonder that the recipe is one of the most searched winter casseroles.
You can make this hashbrown casserole recipe whenever you feel like having a nice dinner, and this tastes good and comforting when you are in the mood to cook it during the best moments, like when you feel like celebrating your special occasion.
What Is Hashbrown Casserole?
Hashbrown casserole is a baked food prepared using shredded or cut potatoes blended with cream, cheese, and occasionally sour cream or cream of mushroom soup, in the top with crisp, buttery layer – commonly in the form of breadcrumbs, crushed cornflakes, or even crackers.
All this is made with very basic ingredients and yet, the outcome is completely lavish, as the inside part of the dish is made of cream, and the top is golden and crunchy. Its popularity has been attributed to its ease of preparation, comfortableness, and versatility it offers as you can make it with bacon, ham, or some green onions, or even some vegetable like bell pepper.
Why Hashbrown Casserole Is So Popular?
Simple to prepare: It is simple to make beforehand and bake right before the dish.
Crowd-pleaser: Ideal with potlatch, family reunions and holiday dinner.
Comforting Taste: Creamy, cheesy, buttery – A meal that everybody is fond of.
Made to Your Style: Buy bacon, sausage or vegetables to your liking.
Winter Favorite: Due to its warm and hearty taste, the dish is one of the most searched one during winter.
Grandma’s Hashbrown Casserole Recipe
Ingredients You’ll Need
The following is a typical list of ingredients of a hashbrown casserole:
- 1 (30 oz) bulk frozen shredded hashbrowns.
(or approximately 6 cups of fresh, shredded potato) - 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese.
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded (otherwise optional, to add an additional cheesiness)
- 1 can (10.5 oz), cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup.
- 1 cup sour cream.
- 1/2 cup melted butter.
- 1/2 cup diced onions.
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder.
- 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
- 1 1/2 cups finely crushed cornflakes, Ritz crackers or breadcrumbs (to top)
- 2 Tbsp melted butter (to serve over)
Optional Add-Ins:
- And crunchy bacon, or ham diced.
- Finely chopped green onions or chives.
- Sliced pepper or jalapenos to add the hotness.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Preheat the Oven
Turn on your oven to 350 deg F (175 deg C). Grease a 9x 13- inch casing dish with butter or a non-stick spray.
Step 2: Get ready Potato Mixture.
In a large bowl, combine:
- Shredded hashbrowns
- Coupe of chicken or mushroom soup.
- Sour cream
- 2 cups shredded cheddar (some to be used as topping)
- Melted butter
- Diced onions
- Pepper, garlic powder and salt.
Blend until all is well blended and creamy.
Step 3: Transfer to Baking Dish
Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish of size 9×13 evenly.
Step 4: Prepare the Topping
In a medium bowl, mix the cornflakes (crushed- can be substituted with breadcrumbs/ crackers) and the melted butter, 2 tablespoons. This mixture should be sprinkled evenly on the top of the casserole. To be even cheesier, the remaining cheddar cheese can be sprinkled on top too.
Step 5: Bake the Casserole
Bake covered in the preheated oven 45-50 minutes or until the casserole is bubbly and the topping is golden brown.
Alternative: Monitor at 40mins – when the top starts to browning too quick, loosely wrap up with foil to finish the baking period.
Step 6: Serve and Enjoy
Allow the casserole to perform 5-10 minutes of serving. This is so that it can set slightly hence making it easier to serve.
Eat with roast meats, or have as a main dish served with a plain salad as a really satisfying winter dish.
Tips for Perfect Hashbrown Casserole
- Fresh potatoes are best, provided you have them so be sure that you stretch them in water before hand and empty them thoroughly before baking.
- Blend the types of cheeses, sharp cheddar is added to provide flavor to the mixture but mozzarella provides the stickiness.
- Garnish with customization some crunchy topping, and more traditional would be some breadcrumbs.
- The casserole should be prepared by arranging and refrigerating the casserole a day before hand; bake when ready to eat.
- Add extras bacon, ham, or green onions also take the flavor to the next level and make it exceptional.
Variations to Try
Bacon Hashbrown Casserole
Potato mixture is topped with crispy bits of bacon which adds great savory flavor, this would be a great meal at brunch and to have before a dinner.
Spicy Jalapeno Hashbrown Casserole
Stir in chopped jalapenos or cayenne dash to add spiciness.
Veggie-Packed Hashbrown Casserole.
Add bell pepper, spinach or broccoli as nutritious and colorful ingredient.
Garlic Lovers Hashbrown Casserole
Multiply the amount of garlic powder 2 times or add roasted garlic to make it spicy.
Grandma’s Hashbrown Casserole Can be Served With
- Roast chicken, turkey, or ham.
- Meatloaf or baked pork chops.
- Green beans, roasted carrots or steamed broccoli.
- Tart Cranberry sauce or pickles.
Storage and Reheating
- Store refrigerator good in airtight container of up to 3-4 days.
- Put back in the oven at 350degF 10-15 to crisp again.
- Freeze ahead: Purchase it ahead Before baking, the casserole can be frozen; it can be kept up to 2 months at a time. Bake using frozen, requiring 10-15 more additional minutes.
This dish is perfect for
- Family dinners – simple to prepare in great amounts.
- Potlucks– Never lasts long.
- Holidays– especially brunch at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
There is no coincidence that it becomes popular in the winter time thanks to cuddly, cozy, and cheese-infused casseroles of various kinds that appear first in the seasonal lists of Google, Pinterest, and other social media platforms.
Fun Facts About Hashbrown Casserole
It is commonly referred to as Funeral Potatoes in the American Midwest since it was typically served at after funeral gatherings.
Several of these recipes are family recipes that have secret differences, such as a family recipe that uses cream of chicken in place of cream of mushroom soup or even splash of milk to make it creamy.
Its crunchy top, a cornflake, breadcrumb, or Ritz cracker is the signature so that it could not be resisted.
Final Thoughts
The hashbrown casserole is much more than a side dish, it is a comfort food icon. It has a creamy, cheesy base, soft potatoes, and blended, crunchy topping, which is a dish that warms up the soul as well.
This casserole is popular at a holiday brunch, winter dinner, or potlatch. The best part? It is quick and easy to make, can be tailored and never gets tiresome.
Happy Baking!