Cracker Barrel Cheesy Potatoes with a crispy topping mixed with a creamy filling - YUM! This is the BEST cheesy potato casserole recipe ever! It's so easy to make and a real crowd pleaser. Perfect as a side for dinner and yummy for breakfast or brunch!
I even remember the first time I went to Cracker Barrel - it was when I lived in Virginia and I thought I died and went to food-coma heaven!
Chicken fried steak and cheesy hash brown potatoes and I think about 45 minutes later I rolled out of the restaurant.
It's been a favorite ever since!
If you love cheesy deliciousness then you've came to the right place! This is such a tasty side dish (or meal, if you're like me and really like potatoes!) and it's super easy to make with freezer and pantry staples.
What's not to love?!!!
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🛒 Ingredients
- shredded frozen hash browns - I love this easy shortcut of using frozen vegetables.
- cheese - use store bought shredded cheese, what can be easier?!!
- cream of chicken soup and sour cream - low fat or the full flavor version, both will work and give this casserole great flavor.
- butter - just a tablespoon.
- salt and pepper - to add flavor.
⏲️ Instructions
You're going to love how simple this recipe is to make!
- Put the thawed hash brown to a large bowl, pour in diced onions.
- Add in sour cream.
- Next goes the cream of chicken soup.
- Now the cheese.
- Pour in the butter.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Mix, mix, mix everything really well!
- Prepare the pan by spraying with non-stick spray.
- Pour all of the ingredients into the pan - place into the preheated oven and bake until hot and bubbly and the top of the casserole is golden brown.
🙋🏼♀️ Recipe FAQ's
This recipe uses less butter than most that you'll see, but it doesn't loose any of the flavor! In my opinion the excess butter just makes it greasy.
Yes, you can! And it doesn't make it less flavorful. This cheesy potato casserole recipe has the best flavoring with half the fat!
Yes, you'll want to thaw the potatoes first.
Absolutely! If you'd like to take the time to peel the potatoes and grate them, that works too. Just be sure to squeeze the excess water from them.
Yes! This casserole freezes well. Mix all of the ingredients together and store in an airtight, freezer-safe container - I use a ziplock bag. You can store it up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then bake as directed.
✔️ Tips
If you want to prep the Cracker Barrel Cheesy Potatoes Casserole the day before, remove the hash browns from the freezer and mix all of the ingredients together and refrigerate overnight. The potatoes will thaw and the next day pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish and bake as directed.
Don't press the ingredients into the pan, it may cause it to stick to the pan. Just gently fill the casserole dish.
This cheesy potato casserole recipe is simple to reheat as well. Simple tuck the dish (uncovered) into the preheated oven and bake until heated through - 25-30 minutes.
🥣 Variations
There are several variations for the Cracker Barrel Cheesy Potato Casserole - here are some easy substitutes to consider for your menu.
- Add one pound cooked breakfast sausage to the mixture for an easy complete meal. An extra cup of shredded cheese will bring everything together.
- Crushed potato chips or Panko bread crumbs mixed with a touch of parmesan cheese will create a super crispy topping. You'll need about 1 ½ cups of chips or bread crumbs mixed with about ½ of cheese.
- Got Ritz Crackers - these are perfect for a buttery topping also!
- Dare I say bacon? It does make everything better! Cook one pound of bacon until crispy, drain will. Crumble it and combine with the mixture, saving about ¼ cup to sprinkle on the top. What's not to love?!!!
What goes with this dish?
The easy answer is lots of things! Oh... you're looking for ideas, I gotcha! If you're serving a fancy meal like Prime Rib, this is a great side and much easier to make than twice baked potatoes.
It's super yummy for casual meals too - slow cooker pork chops, meatballs or steaks on the grill - YUM!!
More Potato Dishes
I've said more times than not - potatoes were BIG when we were growing up. They can be epic, like smashed potatoes or colcannon potatoes - literally a meal by themselves. Or your everyday side dish - I mean nothing beats a baked potato, right?
There's a TON of recipes all centered around potatoes on the blog - just type the word in search and you'll find them all.
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🍳 Recipe
Cracker Barrel Cheesy Potatoes
Ingredients
- 30 oz. frozen hash brown potatoes thawed
- 2 cups colby jack cheese shredded
- 10.75 oz. condensed cream of chicken soup fat free is delicious!
- 1 cup sour cream low fat works here1
- 1 cup yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 tbsp butter softened
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray 9x13 inch pan with non-stick cooking spray or coat with butter.
- In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Mix gently and pour into prepared pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven - no need to cover or top with foil. Bake until bubbly and brown, about 35 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!!!
