This copycat Cracker Barrel hashbrown casserole is the perfect cheesy, tangy, creamy hashbrown casserole from the popular chain restaurant! This can be made in advance and baked in the morning for brunch, or eaten as a side dish all week long! Pro Tip: This is really really really good with Cajun Glazed Bacon on the side!
Oh, hey.
How are you doing on restaurant food? Back in restaurants? Outside? Inside? More takeout than you've ever imagined? Missing everything like whoa?
No matter where you are on the "how much is too much" dumpster fire of reopening currently happening in the US, one thing is certain: Cracker Barrel is yummy and Cracker Barrel hashbrown casserole is the only side dish worth getting, honestly.
I stand by it.
So, I'm a thousand percent NO on restaurants except for takeout, and we have so many good local restaurants in Greenville that we aren't really going to go out of our way for Cracker Barrel takeout, sorry to say.
But that doesn't mean we can't make copycat hashbrown casserole at home.
So that's exactly what we're doing. This is copycat Cracker Barrel hashbrown casserole. It has just a few REALLY easy ingredients, has hardly any prep work (you have to chop an onion, you can do it), can be made in advance, IS GLUTEN FREE (check labels obviously), and really just checks so many boxes for a side dish.
How To Make Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole
Get some ingredients! Frozen hash browns, cream of chicken soup, butter, chopped onion, salt and pep, grated cheddar (do it yourself or use bagged, your call!), and sour cream. YUM, you know?
Melt the butter is another really complicated prep step for this hashbrown casserole recipe. Add it to a big bowl with the rest of the ingredients!
I like lots of pepper. Makes it feel ... healthier.
Stir everything together.
Spread into a baking dish. Mine is similar to this one, but an 8x8 square would work well here too.
Top with some more cheese if you saved any! If you didn't no worries. Bake!
Let it rest if you can manage. We bake this for just about an hour, maybe a little less, until the whole thing is hot and bubbly and the cheese is slightly browned.
And, done. Serve this copycat hashbrown casserole for breakfast, brunch, as a side dish for lunch or dinner, all the times.
OK, some questions:
Can I grate a potato instead of using frozen hashbrowns?
Would not do. It would WORK, but not be the same. Hashbrowns aren't just grated potato, they've got some oil and sometimes spices and other stuff that keeps them separate-but-equal, and a grated potato wouldn't have the same effect.
Can I make Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole in advance?
One million times yes! Honestly it can go either way. You can make this in advance and NOT bake it, then bake it for an hour before you'd like to eat, or you can bake it and reheat it (covered with foil, until warmed through) and it'll still be delicious.
This copycat cracker barrel hashbrown casserole is suuuuper forgiving, so easy to throw together, and the resulting creamy, cheesy, tangy casserole is just so yummy. I love it so much.
And, not to be outdone, this Cajun glazed bacon is one of our favorite "omg when I come visit can you make THE BACON" recipes. If you haven't made it, HIGHLY recommend a batch with this casserole. Enjoy this!
Print
Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: Serves 8 1x
Description
This Cracker Barrel hashbrown casserole copycate recipe is the BEST. With just 8 ingredients, everything gets stirred together, baked, and the result is a ridiculously creamy, cheesy, TANGY frozen hashbrown recipe that simply can't be beat.
Ingredients
- 1 pound frozen hashbrowns (thawed or not, doesn't matter)
- 1 can cream of chicken soup (sub cream of mushroom or celery for vegetarian)
- ½ stick butter, melted
- ¼ onion, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon EACH salt and pepper
- 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- ⅔ cup sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Combine all ingredients except for a bit of the cheese in a large bowl.
- Spray a medium baking dish with cooking spray and spread the mixture into the dish. Top with any remaining cheese.
- Bake the casserole uncovered for 45-60 minutes until bubbly and lightly browned on top. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving if you can stand it.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Make Ahead: This can be made in advance and kept in the fridge for a few days, then just bake and let rest right before you'd like to eat. Also delicious reheated as leftovers!
This is very VERY good with a side of Cajun Glazed Bacon. They can bake in the oven at the same time!
Don't stress about the baking dish size. This can be in a 9x13 in a thin layer, in a large loaf pan, or anything in between that fits all of the hashbrown casserole. Just be sure it's hot and bubbly all the way through before you take it out of the oven!
Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. Thank you for reading and seeing the stuff I use and love!
Keywords: hashbrown casserole, cracker barrel hashbrown casserole, brunch recipes, frozen hashbrown recipes
This might be the single greatest thing ever. I can't wait to try making it!
This likely means that we would be best friends, because I AGREE. I hope you love it!
"I like lots of pepper. Makes it feel … healthier." lolol 🙂
I am feeling attempting this with grated potatoes and some random spices...on the other hand, it definitely has potential as a Dutch Oven car camping/rafting meal with approximately zero work...