Hash Brown Casserole

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Hash Brown Casserole can be made in advance and is perfect as either a breakfast or special dinner side.

Ingredients

  • 20 ounce bag of shredded hash browns, thawed
  • 2 cups of cheddar jack cheese, shredded
  • 1/4 cup of heavy cream
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon of sour cream
  • 2 cans of cream of onion soup
  • 2 large yellow or white onions, diced
  • 8 tablespoons of butter
  • 2 teaspoons of garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons of onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon of paprika
  • 1 teaspoon of black pepper
  • 1/2 tablespoon of dried parsley
  • 1 tablespoon of dried chives
  • 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire powder or 2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 cup of cooked, diced bacon *optional
  • 1/2 cup of thinly sliced green onions *optional

Instructions

  1. You will want to prep your onions ahead of time. Dice your onions, add two tablespoons of butter to a skillet and cook them low and slow until they are golden brown. This will take about an hour if done right. At the end of cooking, add a sprinkle of black pepper and either the Worcestershire powder or sauce. After adding, sauté for a minute or two.
  2. Add the cooked onions to a large bowl. Whisk in the two cans of cream of onion soup. Then add all of the dry seasonings and salt and pepper.
  3. Fold in your hash browns and stir well to coat.
  4. Fold in your shredded cheese.
  5. I taste this at this point and see if this needs any seasoning adjusted.
  6. In a separate bowl, whisk together the two eggs, the heavy cream and the sour cream.
  7. Fold the egg mixture into the potatoes. Spread this all in a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Thinly slice the rest of the butter and place it all over the top of the casserole before baking.
  8. Bake at 375 degrees for one hour. All ovens are different, so check this the first time you make it. It should “puff up” and be set in the middle, golden brown on the top and extra golden brown on the edges.
  9. If you want to make this ahead of time, after adding it to the casserole, you can cover and refrigerate overnight. Let this sit out before baking for at least 30 minutes, then bake as instructed above.
  10. If you want to bake this off ahead of time, you can. Refrigerate overnight after baking and then place in a cold oven set to 350 degrees to warm up with the oven.
  11. While the casserole bakes I like to slice my green onions and chop my bacon and cook until crispy. Let the bacon drain on some paper towels. As soon as the casserole comes out of the oven I top with the bacon and green onions.
  12. Let the casserole rest in a warm spot for 15 minuets before serving.

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