Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole (COPY CAT RECIPE)

Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole, yum!! This copycat recipe that tastes JUST LIKE cracker barrels infamous breakfast side dish casserole and is perfect to feed the whole crowd. Makes delicious left overs, can be made ahead, and is super cheesy and delicious. 

Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole

Wow, this hashbrown casserole is SO SO good!! You only need a few things to whip up this breakfast and most you probably have in your pantry already. Thawed out hashbrowns are the basis of this meal so go ahead and get those out of the freezer. Additionally  you can change cream of cheddar soup to cream of chicken soup if you need to with just as delicious results. I know personally I hate to run out for such a minor thing as a soup change, but no worries no matter which one you have at home.

I also have added just a half a cup of diced onions in this recipe, but I LOVE onions and if you do too, you can really safely add a cup if you want an onion in every bite. Sorry, this recipe is def not dairy free with all the added cheese, butter and cream cheese, so if dairy is not your thing, this might be one you move on from (I am sorry!). 

Copycat Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole

Alright let’s get cooking on this casserole! Remember that you can assemble this one ahead the night before if needed to make the morning quick and dirty dish free.

• 30 oz back of Hashbrowns (I use the red ORE-IDA Bag in frozen foods)
• 1 10.5 can of Cream of Cheddar
• 1/2 cup diced white onions
• 2- 2.5 cups of cheddar cheese
• 1 16 oz container of Cream Cheese
• 1 stick of butter (is equal to 1/2 a cup of butter)

Casserole Dishes

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You can use a 9×11 or 9×13 casserole dish, just make sure you grease it first so the potatoes don’t stick. There is nothing worse than spending time on a great meal to have it stuck to the pan! 

If you are deciding ahead of time and don’t have a great casserole dish yet, here is a 9×13 casserole dish that I like that comes with a lid so you can store left overs.

Why you will love this Easy Hashbrown Casserole!

We can’t all run out to restaurants in the morning but you can bring the restaurant right to your own kitchen with this easy to prepare and delicious breakfast casserole. Hearty, creamy, and so filling you could probably eat it by itself, its the best dish to serve a hungry crowd and tastes just like Cracker Barrels delicious side. 

• Delicious
• Inexpensive to make
• CHEESE! 
• Fan favorite 
• Reader approved recipe

And as a bonus its one of the best copycat cracker barrel hashbrown casseroles out there!

Make Ahead Copycat Cracker Barrel Casserole

This casserole is PERFECT to make ahead.

Just like my french toast cinnamon roll casserole, it can be assembled the night before, popped in the fridge and covered till morning.  And everyone likes a great make ahead casserole!

I used to not quite understand why you would make ahead casseroles like this when its so easy to assemble, but keeping the kitchen clean in the morning and being able to get up and put straight in, is heaven.

This is why this casserole recipe is amazing for holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas.

You can get started on your morning without heading in the kitchen! Just preheat the oven and let it bake. 

Doesn’t get much simpler to make breakfast than that!

How to make Copycat Hashbrown Casserole

1. To get started, always preheat your oven. I used to go through life not doing that, but I swear it makes your recipes go a lot more smoothly. So go preheat your oven to 350 and let it get all the way there before you put anything in it. 
2. Spray your casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray- because potatoes will stick if you dont. 
3. Combine all your casserole ingredients (place 1/2 – 1 cup of cheese aside for topping) in a bowl and mix well. That includes your hashbrowns, soup, cheeses, seasonings, onions- all of it!  Season one more time and mix well again.
4. Put your mixed hashbrowns  in casserole dish and try to even out. You do not need to push it down too much, just make sure its even to ensure cooking perfectly
5. Layer the rest of the cheddar cheese on top! You can add a half a cup or a full cup, I always prefer MORE CHEESE. 
6. Bake hashbrown casserole for 40-45 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly. 
7. You can let rest if you want it to slice more like a casserole or serve with a spoon immediately. 
8. Serve with hotsauce if you like 

Breakfast Recipes

Looking to have a big breakfast OR a breakfast as dinner?

You can whip up any of these amazing breakfast recipes, all tested and delicious. My favorite unique breakfast items to enjoy are the fried apples and amazing oven roasted potatoes, but you really cannot go wrong with any breakfast foods! As a bonus, these also go great if you are making breakfast for dinner, which my kids adore.

• Southern Fried Apples  – These cinnamon apples from the skillet are so good and done faster than you realize. Top with pecans for dessert or a side dish. 
• Fried Breakfast Potatoes – I love breakfast potatoes, roasted, fried, you name it. These are simple ones and go with about every breakfast meal
• Blueberry Breakfast Cake
• Blueberry Cake Donuts
• Orange Bread with Orange Glaze
• Cinnamon Roll French Toast Casserole– Very sweet and rich, this is a filling cinnamon roll casserole that is hands down a favorite. Bring it to morning meetings in the office or a church brunch, everyone will thank you!
• Pie Crust Breakfast Pastries – Think pop-tarts without the toaster~ these pie crust pastries don’t need a whole lot, just 2 ingredients to an awesome pastry that is so fresh and lip smacking yum
• Roasted Breakfast Potatoes (in oven) – so easy to season or add a little heat to these and they go great with eggs

 

Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole

Yield: 12

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole, authentic and easy, this is a breakfast casserole that is savory and filling for any morning. Plus, you can prepare this hashbrown casserole ahead, which makes it perfect for holiday mornings. Cheesy, melty, creamy and oh so filling!

Print

Ingredients

• 30 oz bag of thawed Hashbrowns (you can buy froze and thaw)
• 1 stick of butter
• 1 can of Cream of Cheddar
• 1/2 cup of diced onion (more if you like more onion)
• 2-2.5 cups of cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper
• 16 oz full fat Sour Cream

Instructions

1. Preheat oven: 350
2. Spray your casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray
3. Combine all your ingredients (place 1/2 - 1 cup of cheese aside for topping) in a bowl and mix well. Season and mix well again.
4. Put hashbrown mix in casserole dish
5. Layer the rest of the cheddar cheese on top
6. Bake for 45 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly

Notes

Hashbrown Casserole Alterations

THAW POTATOES: Your hashbrowns need to be thawed out. If there is too much water in them, you can drain but mine didn't have too much so I was able to thaw and dump. I just put mine in the fridge so they can thaw out a few hours before I assemble this casserole.

CHANGE POTATOES: Hashbrowns are just potatoes, so you can substitute the shredded ones for the diced ones if you like. And while I always grab the frozen ones and leave on the counter or fridge to thaw, you can actually buy pre-thawed ones right in the fridge section, typically by the eggs. 

PROTEIN: I do have a sausage hashbown breakfast casserole if you prefer eggs and sausage that is very different from this one, but you can also add cooked sausage into this hashbrown casserole pretty easily.

TOPPING: Prefer your casseroles with a crunch? Try topping with a cereal base (like corn flakes), panko crumbs or even crushed butter crackers. Just mix with some melted butter and add to the top

*Recipe also notes how to make ahead this casserole*

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 543 Total Fat: 44g Saturated Fat: 20g Trans Fat: 1g Unsaturated Fat: 19g Cholesterol: 93mg Sodium: 814mg Carbohydrates: 25g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 2g Sugar: 2g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 14g

Nutritional information is automatically calculated with ingredients and serving size and may not be accurate. Please always double check with your own nutritional apps as well.