The Ultimate Hash Brown Casserole

Written by
Derrick Riches
Derrick Riches is a grilling and barbecue expert. He has written two cookbooks.
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Derrick Riches
Updated 01/14/20
The Ultimate Hash Brown Casserole

Sabrina S. Baksh / Regarding BBQ, Inc.
  • Total: 63 mins
  • Prep: 13 mins
  • Cook: 50 mins
  • Servings: 6 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
1159 Calories
84g Fat
75g Carbs
31g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 1159
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 84g 107%
Saturated Fat 39g 196%
Cholesterol 182mg 61%
Sodium 999mg 43%
Total Carbohydrate 75g 27%
Dietary Fiber 7g 27%
Protein 31g
Calcium 775mg 60%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Growing up, hash brown casseroles always made it to every family party, cookout, or potluck. However, not all hash brown casseroles are created equally. For some reason, my great aunt always made the best I've ever tried. After years of asking, she finally relented and revealed her secret ingredient. It was nutmeg, and now I'm sharing her recipe for all of you to try. This is truly a quick and easy classic dish to take to any get-together. Enjoy!

Ingredients

  • 36 ounces shredded hash brown potatoes (thawed)
  • 1 cup onion (diced)
  • 1 (11-ounce) can​ cream of mushroom soup
  • 2 1/4 cups sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 1/4 cups sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons/30 milliliters Parmesan cheese (shredded​)
  • 1/2 cup butter (melted)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • For Topping:
  • 2 cups corn flakes cereal (crushed)
  • 1/4 cup butter (melted)
  • 2 tablespoons/30 milliliters Parmesan (shredded)

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Preheat oven to 350 F.

  3. In a large bowl, combine hash brown potatoes with diced onions, cream of mushroom soup, cheddar cheese, sour cream, 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup melted butter, salt, black pepper, and nutmeg.  If you're a fan of nutmeg, you can certainly add a little more, but don't go overboard.

  4. Carefully mix together all the ingredients.

  5. Place all of the hash brown mixture into a large casserole pan.

  6. Smooth out so that everything is nice and even.

  7. You can prepare the cornflake toppings in two ways. Either place them in a food processor and pulse a few times until they are 1/4 of their original size or process into a breadcrumb consistency.

  8. If you'd rather, you can simply place in a bowl and crush with your hands or place corn flakes into a resealable bag and gently crush with a rolling pin.

  9. Once you've found the right method and achieved the right consistency, combine crushed corn flakes with a 1/4 cup of melted butter and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese.

  10. Spoon topping over hash brown mixture making sure to evenly distribute contents. This will create a delicious crust once baked.

  11. Place hash brown casserole in the oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes.

  12. Once cooked through, remove from oven and let casserole rest for 12 to 15 minutes before serving.

  13. Do not cover with foil right away. This will trap the steam while it's still hot and cause the topping to become soggy.

  14. Serve with your favorite barbecue main dishes or take to any type of event. Enjoy!

Glass Bakeware Warning

For premade casseroles or leftovers that are in a glass baking dish and have been refrigerated, do not place directly into a hot oven as the glass can shatter. Instead, place any cold glass bakeware into a cold oven to warm up while it preheats. Or, allow the bakeware to rest outside of the fridge for 30 minutes to reach room temperature while the oven preheats.

Tips

  • If you are taking it to a party, wait until the casserole has rested for the allotted time before covering with foil.
  • Reheat (if necessary), in a 325 F oven for 10 to 15 minutes with foil off. Watch carefully for burning. 

The best thing about this dish is that you can serve it year-round.