My favorite way to eat hashbrowns! From Scratch Cheesy Sharp Cheddar and Hashbrown Casserole is all made in one skillet and only takes 15 minutes to prepare! It's cheesy, creamy, and so delicious!! The homemade sauce sets this hashbrown casserole apart! No canned soup in this recipe! Hashbrown casserole is so versatile, it can be served as a side dish for brunch or dinner.
I love any kind of potato covered in creamy sauce and lots of cheese, and this From Scratch Cheesy Sharp Cheddar and Hashbrown Casserole is just that! The best part about this hash brown casserole is that it's made with a homemade sauce similar to cream of chicken soup, but it's both better for you and tastier than any cream of soup from a can!
To make the sauce, start by cooking some onion in butter, then add flour to make a roux. Next in is chicken broth and milk, making the sauce nice and creamy. Then season the sauce and you've just created a homemade cream of chicken soup!
To amp up the creaminess and add a pop of flavor, you will also need a cup of sour cream. That gets mixed into the sauce.
From there, you will mix together the hashbrowns (no need to thaw them first!), the creamy sauce, and lots of sharp cheddar cheese! Instead of mixing the cheese into the sauce, I prefer to mix the cheese in during this step because it creates little pockets of cheese in the casserole. So good!
Top the hashbrown casserole with more sharp cheddar cheese and bake until the hashbrowns are tender and the cheesy is melty and golden brown.
Although I love to make this casserole as a side dish for brunch, it is also great as a dinner side! I mean, after all, it's potato. We all eat potatoes for both breakfast and dinner.
Ingredients.
Butter. I like to use salted butter.
Onion. Half of a sweet yellow onion.
Flour. Just all-purpose flour to make the roux.
Chicken broth. One cup of chicken broth or stock.
Milk. Use whole or 2% milk to make sure the sauce is creamy.
Better than bouillon. I like to add a teaspoon of Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base to amp up the flavor. Or you can add a chicken bouillon cube. I just always have Better Than Bouillon in my fridge.
Seasoning. Salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and a pinch of nutmeg. You guys, nutmeg in cream sauce is the BEST. It's a little (not so) secret ingredient.
Cheddar cheese. The sharper the better.
Hashbrowns. One 30-32 ounce bag. The bag size varies depending on the brand.
More of my favorite side dishes!
Cheesy Au Gratin Mixed Potatoes
Best Classic Potato Salad
Spinach Parmesan Stuffed Mushrooms
Cheesy Vegetable Bake
Three Cheese, Asparagus and Bacon Tart
From Scratch Cheesy Sharp Cheddar and Hashbrown Casserole
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ½ onion, finely chopped
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base (or one chicken bouillon cube)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon each black pepper, onion powder and garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup sour cream
- 30-32 ounce bag hashbrown potatoes
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- Chives for garnishing (optional)
Instructions
- In a large oven-safe skillet or a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and add the onions. Cook for about 5 minutes until translucent.
- Whisk the flour into the butter and onions; look cook for one minute. While whisking, pour in the chicken broth then the milk. Let simmer until thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the better than boullion, salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and nutmeg. Remove from heat and whisk in the sour cream.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- If using an oven-safe skillet, mix the hashbrowns and 1 ½ cups of cheddar cheese into the sauce. If your pot or pan isn't oven-safe, transfer the sauce to an oven-safe baking dish before mixing in hashbrowns and cheese. Sprinkle the top with remaining ½ cup of cheddar cheese.
- Cover and bake for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 30-35 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the cheese is melty and slightly browned. If desired, garnish with chopped chives.
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