This is a classic hash brown casserole, a favorite recipe shared by a visitor. Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes can cream cheese be frozen and thawed articles in her 20 years as a food writer. 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. Not counting the thawing of the frozen hash browns, it takes a mere 10 minutes to assemble all the ingredients and pop the casserole in the preheated oven. Baking the casserole uncovered is important to obtain a nice crunchy top. This simple recipe is a good base for flavor variations and more elaborate dishes.

Instead of cream of chicken soup, use cream of celery or cream of mushroom soup. For a richer casserole, add bacon bits, cubed ham, ground beef, chopped leftover turkey from your Thanksgiving bird, or sunny-side up eggs on top. If you are a parent looking to find ways to feed your children their daily servings of vegetables, you can add fresh or frozen vegetables such as frozen peas or broccoli florets into the casserole. Mixing veggies into the casserole is a great way to make children less reluctant to eat them plain. For some extra texture, you can add a buttered breadcrumb topping.

If you’d like the topping extra crunchy, top it with crushed cornflakes mixed with melted butter. For an extra layer of salty tang, top it with some grated Parmesan or pecorino. You can even make a vegan variation by swapping the dairy and eggs with vegan ingredients. The possibilities for this casserole are virtually endless.

Since you are already using the oven to bake the casserole, try to make a whole dinner without turning on your stove. You can bake dishes that require the same oven temperature, such as the basic baked chicken breasts, alongside the casserole in the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking pan. In a large mixing bowl, combine the thawed hash browns with the melted butter. Add the sour cream, condensed soup, onion, and cheese to the potatoes.

Mix well until all of the ingredients are well combined. Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking pan. Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Breadcrumb Topping: Toss 1 cup of fine soft breadcrumbs with 2 tablespoons of melted butter, 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley, 1 minced clove of garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the mixture over the hash brown potato casserole and bake as directed. 2 cup of crushed cornflakes with 1 tablespoon of melted butter, and salt and pepper to taste.

Sprinkle over the potatoes and bake as directed. Creamy Switch: Use cream of celery or cream of mushroom soup in place of the cream of chicken. Cheesy Alternative: Use equal parts of American and cheddar cheeses or a cheddar jack blend. Vegan Friendly: Use vegan margarine instead of butter.