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Epicurious

Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole

4.8

(6)

Hash brown casserole in a baking dish being served with a spoon.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Judy Haubert

Crisp on the outside and cheesy on the inside, hash brown casserole is an easy dish that will please a crowd whether it's served at breakfast or dinner. A béchamel, or creamy roux-based sauce, serves as the base for the casserole alongside thawed frozen shredded hash browns. A cup of sour cream adds a tangy silkiness to the mix, which counters the starchiness of the potatoes.

Looking for a crispier top on your hash brown casserole? Mix in all of the shredded cheddar cheese instead of reserving some for the topping, and the casserole should come out with a beautiful golden brown crust. This hash brown casserole recipe is simple but can be adapted by adding in some of your other favorite ingredients: crumbled cooked bacon, sliced scallions or mushrooms, fresh herbs, different cheeses—have fun and experiment! And while making the béchamel for this breakfast casserole isn’t difficult, you could substitute a low-sodium cream of chicken, cheese, or celery soup, being sure to adjust your seasoning—start with less salt and taste before baking. 

The casserole can be made up to two days ahead and reheated just before serving. To do so, bake it until bubbling but not browned on top—about 10 minutes shy of the cooking time. Let cool, then cover and chill. To serve, heat in a 350° oven until bubbling and browned on top. This family favorite can also be cooked completely and cooled, cut, and frozen to be reheated and enjoyed by the slice later on.

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    1 hour 30 minutes

  • Yield

    10 servings

Ingredients

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, plus more for pan
1 small onion, finely chopped or coarsely grated
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2½ cups whole milk
1 cup sour cream
2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp. garlic powder
1 30-oz. package frozen shredded hash browns, thawed
10 oz. sharp cheddar, coarsely grated (about 2½ cups), divided

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat oven to 350°. Butter a 13x9" baking dish. Melt 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until foaming, about 2 minutes. Cook 1 small onion, finely chopped or coarsely grated, stirring often, until softened and translucent but without taking on any color, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle ¼ cup all-purpose flour over and stir until evenly distributed and no lumps remain. Pour in 2½ cups whole milk in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly until combined. Bring to a simmer, still whisking constantly, and cook until béchamel is thickened to the consistency of a thin pudding, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.

    Step 2

    Add 1 cup sour cream, 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, and ¼ tsp. garlic powder, to béchamel and mix well. Add one 30-oz. package frozen shredded hash browns, thawed, and 2 cups coarsely grated cheddar and mix again to combine. Scrape mixture into prepared dish and spread into an even layer. Scatter remaining ½ cup coarsely grated cheddar over.

    Step 3

    Bake hash brown casserole until golden brown on top and bubbling, 50–70 minutes. Let cool 5–10 minutes before serving.

TagsBreakfastButterOnionRoot VegetableVegetableCreamSour CreamDairyGarlicCheddarCheeseSidePotatoBrunchDinnerThanksgivingEasterChristmasEpicurious
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Reviews (6)

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  • Disappointing. I made this for Christmas morning breakfast. It definitely needs additions. Scallions? Herbs? Pretty bland. Not worth the trouble. Next year, I’ll do a make-ahead b’fast casserole instead…

    • Oldmayor

    • Portland, MeE

    • 12/31/2023

  • Sounds good but I don’t want to use preprocessed frozen hash browns(I don’t allow that sort of thing in my kitchen). How would people modify to use real potatoes? Just shred them in the food processor and maybe add a few extra seasonings?

    • Anonymous

    • Texas

    • 11/30/2023

  • Soooo delicious!

    • Anonymous

    • Carmel

    • 9/17/2023

  • This was great!

    • Ricky

    • 11/17/2022

  • This recipe is so good that it’s getting a place on my “day after Thanksgiving” leftovers buffet!

    • Lisa Swartz

    • Irvine, CA

    • 9/23/2022

  • I really loved this! I subbed homemade cream of chicken for the cup of sour cream and it added great flavor. I also broiled it for an additional 2ish minutes and I’m glad I did. Will be making again!

    • Leslie C

    • Denver, CO

    • 3/30/2024

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