Crockpot Hashbrown Casserole
Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole is the perfect comfort food! Frozen hashbrowns are paired with sour cream, cheddar cheese, and ham to make the ultimate side dish! This simple potato recipe requires no prep work and can be made in the crock pot or oven!
Why You’ll Love This Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole
This Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole is a great dish for a busy week. It is the perfect side dish or potluck meal to make ahead of time. It’s also great for breakfast. All you will do is combine frozen potatoes with cream of chicken, sour cream, butter, spices and cubed ham in a Crock Pot or oven. It really is that simple. If you have time to toss in a few ingredients and mix them in a slow cooker then you have time to prepare a tasty meal or side dish.
Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole is a great comfort that can be served as a main dish, but it is at its best when paired with a main dish like these Perfect Baked Pork Chops. For the busy day, you can pair these cheesy crockpot potatoes with this Air Fryer Bacon for breakfast or these Cajun Air Fryer Chicken Thighs for dinner.
Ingredients for Crockpot Hashbrown Casserole
As always, here is a quick overview of the ingredients used in our Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole. For the complete recipe, just scroll to the bottom of the page.
- Frozen Diced Potatoes: you will need four cups of diced frozen potatoes for this recipe.
- Cream of Chicken Soup: if you are gluten free, or prefer homemade cream of soup simply scroll down, we have a recipe for 3 ingredient homemade cream of soup that is ready in about 10 minutes.
- Sour Cream: this provides the ultra creamy texture and helps prevent the potatoes from drying out as they cook. You can use full fat, reduced fat or dairy free sour cream in this recipe.
- Butter: I use salted butter in this recipe.
- Spices: You will need garlic salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper.
- Cheese: I use sharp cheddar cheese because it pairs perfectly with potatoes, but another variety such as colby jack will also work well.
- Ham: Cooked, cubed ham works best in this recipe.
How to Make Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole
In addition to ingredients listed above you will need a crockpot, cooking spray, and a spatula to mix the ingredients. To make this Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole follow this guide:
1. Add the Frozen Diced Potatoes
First, coat the slow cooker with cooking spray then add the frozen diced potatoes.
2. Add the Remaining Ingredients
After adding the frozen diced potatoes, top with cream of soup, sour cream, butter, spices, ham, and half of the cheese. Then mix well.
3. Cook
Cook on low for 6 hours, stirring at least once. Or cook on high for 3 hours, stirring at least once. Just before serving top the potatoes with the remaining cheese place the lid on the potatoes for 5 minutes to melt the cheese.
Tips for the Best Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole
- Ensure you use frozen diced potatoes or you will end up with something more like mashed potatoes
- Utilize this recipe in your meal planning. It works well with so many other foods and can be made ahead of time.
- Even if only planning to use this for one meal we often encourage making multiple servings as it is great to combine with other leftovers on those busy days
- To save time, purchase already cubed ham at the grocery store. We use Kentucky Legend, cubed ham.
Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole Substitutions & Variations
- Use the cheese of your choice. We prefer sharp cheddar because it is a great flavor combo with potatoes but if you prefer another flavor of cheese use it.
- Swap out proteins. Ham and potatoes go great together, but if you prefer another protein don’t be hesitant to switch them out.
- Add a vegetable. If serving this as a standalone dish add a vegetable or two of your choice for a well-rounded meal.
Substitutions for Diced Hash Brown Casserole
- Cream of Chicken Soup – Any “cream of” soup will work here.
- Sour Cream – You could use plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt, cottage cheese that has been blended smooth. A splash of lemon juice helps add some “tang” that the substitutes often miss.
- Butter – Plant-based butter works fine in this recipe.
- Ham – Any cooked meat (shredded chicken, crumbled bacon, andouille sausage, ground beef, etc.) can replace the ham.
- Cheddar Cheese – Any melty cheese (mozzarella, havarti, gouda, pepper jack, etc.) will work, but avoid crumbly cheeses (like feta, cotija, etc.)
Variations to Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole
- Chicken Bacon Ranch – Replace the ham with crumbled (cooked) bacon and shredded chicken, then replace the seasonings with a tablespoon or two of ranch seasoning.
- Southwestern – Replace the ham with diced bell peppers and drained black beans. Add salsa
- Mushroom Swiss РReplace cream of chicken with cream of mushroom soup, substitute cooked ground beef for ham, and use Swiss cheese instead of cheddar. Saut̩ mushrooms and mix those in as well.
- Philly Cheesesteak РSaut̩ sliced peppers and onions, and replace ham with those in this recipe. Use provolone cheese instead of cheddar. After cooking, stir in thinly sliced, cooked steak.
How to Serve Crockpot Cheesy Hashbrowns
As mentioned earlier, this Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole is great as a main dish but at its best as a filling side dish. It would be great as a stand-alone dish at your next potluck or party. For breakfast, you can top these cheesy potatoes with a fried egg or this Air Fryer Sausage for breakfast. Keto Sausage Balls or Steak and Eggs would be two fantastic breakfast combos with this casserole.
There are tons of great options when using Crockpot Cheesy Potatoes as a side for dinner. Sausage and Peppers could be placed atop the casserole for a hearty, well-rounded meal. For meat lovers, try these cheesy potatoes with a Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin. Spinach Stuffed Chicken or Asparagus Stuffed Chicken, whichever you prefer, would also be great combinations that would include more vegetables for a healthier, well-rounded meal.
How to Store Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole
This hashbrown casserole can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. Potatoes, even cooked potatoes can emit water as they sit so if you notice extra moisture in the leftovers you can use a paper towel to dab out any moisture. To reheat simply microwave single servings in 30-second increments until warm. To rewarm the dish in larger quantities place in an oven-safe dish and lightly cover it with foil. Bake the potatoes at 325 degrees F for 20 minutes or until warmed through.
Diced Hash Brown Casserole FAQ’s
Yes, but they need to be frozen shredded potatoes or they will turn out more like mashed potatoes.
Yes, if making in the oven, use a 9×13 casserole dish and cook at 375 F. You should cover and bake the casserole for 30 minutes. Then remove the foil, add the remaining cheese, and bake another 15-20 minutes.
Yes, this recipe can be easily doubled but you will need a 6-8 quart slow cooker. The cooking time will not change.
If your hashbrown casserole has too much liquid, you can easily fix this by giving it a good stir, then allowing it to cook a bit with the lid off. I haven’t had this issue much with these ratios, but allowing that moisture to evaporate will fix a soggy casserole in no time.
For this recipe, you have to use frozen, diced hashbrown potatoes. Fresh potatoes will cook too quickly and become extremely soft, making this more like a gritty mashed potato recipe.
Other Potato Side Dishes
- Cheddar Ranch Au Gratin Potatoes
- Air Fryer Breakfast Potatoes
- Homemade Potato Chips
- Stuffed Potato Skins
- Spicy Ranch Potatoes
Get the Recipe: Cheesy Potatoes with Frozen Hash Browns
Ingredients
- 32 ounces frozen diced hashbrown potatoes
- 1 10.5 ounce cream of chicken soup
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons butter, cubed
- 1 teaspoon EACH garlic salt, garlic powder, onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 cup ham, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 2 cups shredded cheese, divided
Equipment
Instructions
- Spray a 4-6 quart slow cooker with cooking spray.
Pour the frozen potatoes in the bottom, and top with cream of soup, sour cream, butter, spices, ham, and half of the cheese. - Cook on low for 6 hours, stirring at least once. Or cook on high for 3 hours, stirring at least once.
- Just before serving top the potatoes with the remaining cheese place the lid on the potatoes for 5 minutes to melt the cheese.
I could not find the 3 ingredient gluten free cream of chicken soup you said to scroll down for!
Hi Susan, it is in the notes section of the recipe card. You will need butter, gluten free flour and chicken stock.