Cheesy Hash Brown Potatoes

179 Replies
Cheesy Hash Brown Potatoes2 @ NancyC

My friend Jane Ann made this cheesy potato casserole the other day. Her department was having a special lunch at work, and this was a side dish she made for the meal. So I took some photos of it and then, of course, I had to eat it…couldn’t let any of this creamy potato cheesiness go to waste! 🙂 It’s a yummy blend of hash browns, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and cheddar cheese, finished off with a crunchy, buttery cornflake topping. You can definitely call this comfort food! It’s very easy to make and Jane Ann found the recipe at Cooks.com. Not only is it great as a side dish for lunch or dinner, it’s perfect for breakfast or brunch…so that gives you plenty of opportunities to try it out!

Cheesy Hash Brown Potatoes

  • Servings: 10-12
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

CHEESY HASH BROWN POTATOES adapted from Cooks.com

Makes a 9×13″ pan of potatoes, about 10 to 12 servingsCheesy Hash Brown Potatoes2 @ NancyC

  • 2 lbs. frozen hash browns, thawed
  • 3/4 cup  (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted and divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion or green onion (Jane Ann substituted dried minced onion)
  • 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of chicken soup (or substitute cream of celery soup)
  • 1 pint (2 cups) sour cream (regular or light)
  • 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 2 cups crushed corn flakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or spray a 9×13″ pan or baking dish; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine thawed hash browns with 1/2 cup of the melted butter, pepper, salt, and chopped onion, blending well. Add in the soup and sour cream, then the cheddar cheese, mixing everything well. Spread mixture evenly into a 9×13″ baking dish. Mix remaining 1/4 cup melted butter and the crushed corn flakes together and sprinkle over top of casserole. Bake at 350 degrees, uncovered, for 50 to 60 minutes. Serve hot.

NOTE: Jane Ann said she would have liked a little more seasoning in this, but I liked it just the way it was…so, you may or may not want to use a little more salt and/or pepper to suit your taste.

Recipe from NancyC | nancy-c.com

Cheesy Hash Brown Potatoes @ NancyC

If these potatoes sound good to you, you may want to try this Cheesy Cream of Onion Hash Brown Casserole…it’s really yummy, too!

Sharing at Weekend Potluck, Mix it Up Monday, Wonderful Wednesday, Hearth & Soul, Inspire Me Monday, Thursday Favorite Things, Full Plate Thursday, Happiness is Homemade, Meal Plan Monday

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179 thoughts on “Cheesy Hash Brown Potatoes”

    1. nancyc Post author

      Thanks, Katie! I use a Canon Rebel XT digital camera–it’s about 5 or 6 years old, and it’s been a great camera for me! I tend to take a lot of shots from different angels to make sure I get one I can use, and using natural light always gives the best color and brightness. So I try to plan ahead and take shots during the day when I can!

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    2. Connie Behnken

      I have used this same recipe for many years- However I have a variation you may like. Instead of regular hashbrowns, use Obrien Hashbrowns. You do not have to add the onion and you get more flavor. In addition, use Frosted Flakes instead of Corn Flakes. The Sweet and Salty taste is addictive!!
      Connie B.

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      2. Denise

        We make this dish with cream of celery soup…makes them vegetarian friendly. Also we use French’s Onions in place of cornflakes…gives a great extra kick.

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          1. Terry Bush

            I can’t seem to be able to make a comment so I’ll just piggyback off your comment. This is the best hash brown casserole I’ve ever eaten. 3rd time making for Valentines dinner. The second time I made it I used light sour cream…. mistake …. I will only use the traditional. 1st time I made it I didn’t have any corn flakes so I hand crushed some Frenchs Crispy Fried onions over it… It is even more incredible with those over it. So that’s what I do now. Thanks for the recipe!

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            1. nancyc Post author

              Thanks so much for leaving a comment, Terry! (Sorry you were having some problems with that!) I’m so glad to hear you like this recipe. I like your idea of topping this with the crispy fried onions—I’m a big fan of those! 🙂 Have a great rest of the week!

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    3. Carlene

      Ok so like every time I make this..I forget to put the melted butter in the hash browns. But it still taste good. What does the butter do?? Please.

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    4. Billie Ruiz

      It’s so nice to open a recipe and see it quickly. So many people have tons of things written that I could care less about. I love the way you get down to business ❤️

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  2. Teresa

    I’ve tried this before and always wanted to get the recipe for it. Thanks for sharing. I agree with the previous commenter that your pictures are really nice.

    Enjoy your weekend!

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  3. Emily

    this was one of my very favorite dishes growing up! I now live in Hong Kong where I can’t buy those frozen hashbrowns. I miss it so! I’ve tried making my own, but haven’t had sucess, any tips?

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    1. nancyc Post author

      Hi Emily! I thought about your question, and thought maybe you could substitute mashed potatoes for the hash browns…the texture would be creamier, but I think it would be good. Or slice your potaotes, like you would for a scalloped potato dish, and use that instead of hash browns. I haven’t tried either of those ways myself yet, so if you do give them a try, please let me know!

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          1. Melissa

            If your looking for the same texture as the store bought hashbrowns I’ve taken left over baked potatoes from the refrigerator grated them and they r pretty close to the store bought

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        2. Paula

          Did it turn out really good using just regular potatoes? Because I thought about doing the same thing but wanted to make sure that it turned out about the same as frozen hash browns

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    2. Lindsey

      Peel your potatoes and grade them on a cheese grader. It is the same….you can even do it and freeze them!

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  5. The Red Shoe Girl

    Those are what we, in UT, call “funeral potatoes” (because they are almost without exception served at funerals in these parts). Whenever my mom would make them just for dinner she’d re-name them “sunshine potatoes”. Yum!

    I definitely prefer using dried onion. I also replaced the corn flakes with crushed Lay’s Balsamic Sweet Onion chips for a little variety. SO good!

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    1. nancyc Post author

      I had heard from another friend about the different names for these potatoes, and they mentioned that they often show up at church suppers and potlucks, too! Those Balsamic Sweet Onion Chips sound great for a topping! I haven’t tried that flavor out yet, but I will have to get some!

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  6. Allison

    These are called “funeral potatoes” in Utah as they’re standard fare at every funeral we have. In my family, we don’t like that so we call them sunshine potatoes 🙂 We’re also sensitive to the MSG found in Cream of Chicken soup so you can substitute Campbell’s Healthy Request Cream of Chicken if you have the same problem.

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  7. Tracey M

    I love potato dishes and I’ve wanted to make one like this sometime. It looks and sounds YUMMY! (Found you at Mommy’s Kitchen Potluck link up).

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  8. Mike

    I love this recipe, been making it for years. If you really want people talking about how good it is, then I suggest replacing half of the sour cream with 1 cup of cream cheese. I promise you that you won’t regret it 🙂

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  10. Sarah

    I was introduced to this recipe when I was about 10 years old, but I’ve always had it with Cream of Celery soup instead. My family and I love the extra zing it adds.

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  11. Melanie

    I see that someone else from Utah has already replied about the “funeral potatoes”. The funny thing is that if you called15 people to make them, you would get 15 variations! haha A few other notes: For Emily in Hong Kong, I have either baked my potatoes & grated them, or boiled them, peeled the skins away & then grated them. They are actually moister that way. Also, I always add 1/4-1/2 C of Parmesan cheese to my cornflake topping. SOOOOO…Yummy!

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  12. Carlee

    I make the same hashbrown casserole but use one can of cream of chicken and one can of cream of mushroom. It’s yummy!

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  14. happy mrsc

    I like these because my hubby is gluten-free and her loves the crunchy topping. I can also make this for my daughter who is a vegetarian, just use cream of mushroom soup instead of cream of chicken.

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  15. Kat Armstrong

    I use cream of mushroom soup instead of the chicken and add a couple small cans of mushrooms to it, as well. Potato-y – cheese-y – mushroom-y – what more can you ask for?

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  17. Katharina

    I’ve been making these hash brown potatoes for years…I but Lays chips crushed on top instead of the corn flakes. It is soooooo Yummy!!!

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  18. Marilyn Webb

    My friend made this dish at Christmas. She told me she had gotten the recipe of Pinterest – I Joined Pinterest Just For This Recipe……… Finally I had time today and I made this dish tonight. My husband loved this dish – Thank You For Sharing

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    1. nancyc Post author

      That’s great, Marilyn! Glad you and your husband like the recipe! I think you’ll love being in Pinterest–there are so many great ideas and recipes there!

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      1. Marilyn Webb

        Yes – I love Pinterest and you made me first love it- This site makes me look forward to dinner every night – I have to prepare food for a lot of people every day. I use to be SOOOO stressed about what to cook and always over spent at the grocery store – Now I save money by buying what I need for exactly what I am going to cook – Now I find recipes on here with the yummy pics and I am not stressed anymore about dinner -YEAH !!!

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  19. Jan Howell

    Hi, I’m from the UK and would love to make this recipe but I am unsure about the hash browns you use defrosted. The only frozen hash browns we get are triangular shaped and ready to cook. Are these the same as are used innthis recipe.

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    1. nancyc Post author

      Hi Jan,
      The hash browns I used were shredded and ready to cook, so your triangular-shaped hash browns should work fine in this recipe. Just thaw them and mix with the other ingredients. Their different shape won’t affect the taste or the overall appearance of the casserole–I’m sure it’ll turn out great! 🙂

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  20. jamie

    I make this with a slight kick…use the hashbrowns with peppers and onions and use either a can of cheddar cheese soup or nacho cheese soup. Spices it up just enough!!!

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  21. Linda

    I have been using this recipe for years, but my twist to it is I add minced garlic, and the topping is 1-pkg of Ritz Crackers crushed up still in the package and throw this on top and the melted butter. Enjoy.

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    1. nancyc Post author

      I love garlic, so adding that sounds really good to me! 🙂 And the crushed cracker topping sounds really good, too, Linda!

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  22. Janet D

    I too have always used Cream of Celery soup. And i use either southern hashbrowns (the cubed kind) or slice fresh potatoes. I make mine in the crockpot though. On low 6 to 7 hours for fresh pots or about 4ish for hashbrowns.

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  27. Susan Phillips

    I found this same recipe in San Francisco newspaper back in 1995, and made it for a family gathering. It has since been one of my most requested side dishes..

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  31. Brandi

    Can this be frozen? If so, before or after cooking? It is DELICIOUS but always makes more than my family can eat so I was going to freeze half of it.

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    1. nancyc Post author

      I would freeze it after cooking–whatever you have left over can be reheated later! Or, you could always halve the recipe and make in a 9×9 square pan.

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  32. amy

    I had these at a bbq recently and loved them! Just one question…do you use a small or large can of cream of chicken soup?

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    1. nancyc Post author

      Use the standard smaller can size for this–I’ll have to add the ounce information so it will be more clear–thanks for checking with me, Amy!

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  33. Elisabeth

    I made this this morning, but instead of sour cream I substituted Fage total 0 Greek Yogurt (I’m on a Greek Yogurt Kick), it was soo creamy and delicious. I also substituted French Fried Onions in place of the Corn Flakes, because well, I love those things. lol. I’ve had this recipe this way before too and is sooooo amazing! Could never go wrong with Hash Brown Casserole. Yum =)

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    1. nancyc Post author

      Yes, you just can’t go wrong with a recipe like this! 🙂 I love Greek yogurt too and substitute it for sour cream often, although I haven’t done that in this recipe, so I’ll need to try it!

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  36. Cathy Miller

    I used Frenches Dried onions and sprinkled a little garlic on it…It was wonderful..also, I didn’t use hash brown! I had 2 huge baking potato’s left over from a cookout and left the skins on…it was extremely good.

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  37. Sue Turnbeau

    ok even after eating dinner, I want to make the original recipe plus several more ….and don’t have the ingredients on hand (that’s probably a good thing!) .. but will have to get and make at least one!

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      1. nancyc Post author

        I haven’t tried it with the chips yet, Evelyn, so not sure what to say. If I were trying it for the first time that way, I’d probably try it with the butter just to see what it’s like.

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  40. Christin

    I came across this on Pinterest yesterday. Made it tonight. I used an Italian Sharp cheese that I love (…is that considered sharp chedder?)… this is MEGADELICIOUS!

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  41. Laura Hyden

    Maybe I’m missing it but I dont see how many this serves? Its just me and my husband so not sure if I should cut it in half or a third? & thank you I have been looking for this recipe for years! An old old family friend use to make it and called it Jackrabbit potatoes, not sure why 🙂

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    1. nancyc Post author

      Hi Laura–thanks for pointing that out! I added a note that it makes about 10 to 12 servings. If it’s just you and your husband, you could halve or fourth the recipe–halving it and making it in an 8×8″ or 9×9″ pan would probably be easiest–they’re always great as leftovers! 🙂

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  42. Brandy

    I make this same recipe but add 1 package of Lipton’s powdered onion soup. It gives it the extra seasoning.

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  43. Jessi

    This is in the oven working it’s magic as I type! I used all organic ingredients (to include cream of chicken soup! who knew?!) And half cream cheese half greek yogurt, topped with salt and pepper potato chips! This will pair perfectly with our Easter Ham this afternoon. Thank you for the inspiration! So glad I discovered your blog. -Jessi in North Florida

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  47. Brittanie Ahrens

    Is this something you can make in advance? I want to make it tonight for thanksgiving tomorrow but don’t know if the ingredients will separate over night. Thanks!

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  48. tracy

    A friend of my husband’s always makes what they call potato poof. All i know is that it has hashbrowns and frosted flakes and made like a casserole. I am going to give this a try. If this is it, then it took 15 years to find it. She would not share her recipe.

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  49. Abby Montgomery

    My famiky uses O’Brien hashbrown (the ones with red and green bell peppers already included) to make these! It adds such a depth of flavor! LOVE this recipe! Always a crowd pleaser! I’m actually making them for my in-laws for the first time Christmas day!

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  51. Mommer

    This is my family “go to” side with ham. Last Christmas, we actually had some left over. I chopped up the leftover ham and cooked with the potato casserole and a quart of chicken stock. Made a wonderful soup!!!

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    1. nancyc Post author

      I haven’t done that myself, but I don’t see why you couldn’t do that, Teri. Just keep it well covered in your fridge.

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  63. Lisa M

    I love these but I also add a can of Cheddar Cheese soup, makes it even creamier & cheesier, yum
    Also I haven’t tried this yet but some people have suggested to use cooked crumbled bacon as the topping in place of the cornflakes

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    1. nancyc Post author

      Sounds like a great idea, Yvonne! I love adding green chilies to different recipes–bet it would be wonderful in these potatoes!

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  65. Ala Ladd

    Thank you for the recipe. I might add some fresh garlic as well as diced red roasted peppers for color and chopping some fresh chive or garlic chive on top when serving. I do not use condensed soup because it is processed and make my own by starting with chicken stock and thickening it to produce the same consistency. Thank you for the share and EVERYONE for their tips. Will definitely put some cream cheese in to keep the creamy consistency.

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  66. B

    My aunt made this all the time, but she introduced it as Texas Potatoes. When she split from my uncle, I started making it as a kid, going on almost 20 years now. I tweaked it into 3 lbs. frozen hash browns (I use the exact same brand every year), 2 cans of cream of chicken (same brand again each year .. 98% fat free Campbell’s lol), 1 cup onion, 16 oz. sour cream, 2 c. cheese, salt (1tsp.) and pepper (1/4 + 1/8 tsp.). I’ve never poured melted butter and I never thaw the hash browns. I whisk all the liquids separately, then pour that with the hash browns and cheese. I use plastic gloves because it just mixes better by hand and the plastic/rubber gloves keep your hands from freezing. After mixing, I divide the mixture between 2 buttered (I always use butter) 9×13 pans and then I let it sit covered in the fridge overnight before baking, usually mid-afternoon (so it does keep in the fridge prior) because the flavors merry and become even stronger. I bake it without the crushed flakes and then mix crushed flakes (I crush first, then measure 1.5 cups per pan) and butter, bake an additional 15 minutes and serve straight from the oven hot. Both pans go and rarely are there any leftovers. I make it for almost every major holiday. It’s so yummy. When my cousin was diagnosed with a gluten allergy, I tweaked it with GF cream of chicken.

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  73. Mindy Kosiek

    Can I use country hash browns (the square ones) instead, or are they best with the traditional shaved kind?

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  74. Invisibly Me

    This looks so tempting! Hash browns in general aren’t really that popular in the UK, which is a shame, so I’d never even come across anything like cheesy hash brown potatoes! x

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  75. wholelottarosie

    Oh….I love potato dishes and we call it in Germany ” Käsekartoffelauflauf”.
    I’ve wanted to make one like this sometime.
    Greetings from the beautiful Rhine-Highlands in Germany!

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  77. Carol

    The hash brown potato casserole looked as good as the picture and was easy and absolutely delicious
    No left overs always a good sign 😃

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    1. nancyc Post author

      Hi Kathy, I think you could try substituting your favorite shredded cheese–Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, and Colby are some options.

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  83. sydneypt21

    Hello! Do you have instructions for baking this the day before and then just reheating? I’m concerned the cornflake topping won’t remain crunchy.

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    1. nancyc Post author

      I’ve never reheated this myself, but you’re right, the cornflake topping would probably not be as crunchy. I think it’s best serving it right after it’s done baking!

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  88. Sharon Graham

    I can’t wait to try this recipe. Being from New Mexico, I may have to try it with green chilis…YUM!

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