Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole
My take on a classic Southern hash brown casserole includes fresh hash browns, a homemade soup concentrate, and lots and lots of cheese. This is a Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole you'll want to serve at every meal!
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 305kcal
Ingredients
Chicken “soup”
- 2 tbs butter
- 3 tbs flour
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
- Pinch of salt and pepper
Hash browns
- 20 oz fresh cubed or shredded hash brown potatoes
- Chicken “soup” from above, or 1 can of cream of chicken soup concentrate
- ½ onion diced
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter divided
- 2 cups shredded cheese divided
- 4 oz softened cream cheese ½ block, cut or torn in chunks
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Garnish
- Chopped chives
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, melt butter. Whisk in flour and let cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Slowly stir in chicken broth, then milk. Continue whisking until it begins to thicken. Add bouillon and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to cool
- Sauté onion in 1 tbs butter until just beginning to turn translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and add 3 tablespoons of butter and allow to melt in residual heat.
- Preheat oven to 400° Butter the inside of a 10 inch cast iron skillet or a square baking pan.
- Add all soup concentrate, diced onion with butter, all but ½ cup of your shredded cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, and seasonings to a mixing bowl and Mix well. Add potatoes and fold together until completely combined.
- Transfer to the well-buttered square baking pan or 10 inch cast iron skillet. Top with the reserved shredded cheese and bake at 400 until golden brown on top, about 35-40 minutes.
- If you want the cheese more browned and crispy on top, place the casserole under a broiler for 3-4 minutes - watch it carefully!!
- Garnish with chopped chives if desired.
Notes
Instead of making the homemade soup concentrate, you can substitute with one can of store bought cream of chicken soup.
I like to use a combination of cheeses: cheddar, colby, and mozzarella for the best flavor and melty qualities, but any cheese you prefer is fine.
You can prepare this dish ahead of time. After assembly, cover the baking pan, and refrigerate for up to two days. You may need to adjust the baking time by 10 minutes to account for the chill, and cover the pan with foil if the top is browning too quickly.
Nutrition
Calories: 305kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 482mg | Potassium: 313mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 713IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 201mg | Iron: 1mg