This cheesy hashbrown casserole, filled with 3 different cheeses, is a Midwest classic at its best. Top it with your choice of more cheese, crushed potato chips, or corn flakes. Perfect for potlucks and backyard BBQs!
This recipe was created in partnership with Coleman Natural. All thoughts & opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting me and the brands I love!
Grandma Betty’s Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole
I’m curious — do any of you still use actual cardstock recipe cards? You know, like the handwritten kind? I still have a small stack of classic family favorites that I’ve held onto over the years, and every once in a while, I’ll look through them for inspiration. Which is how I stumbled on this gem of a recipe from my Grandma Betty that I’d forgotten all about…
Her cheesy hashbrown casserole was legendary. Everyone always RAVED about this dish and begged for the recipe, which is unlike any other I’ve ever come across thanks to a combination of three different cheeses. It’s actually quite humorous, because my grandma HATED cooking, but she really knocked it out of the park with this hashbrown casserole recipe!
I mean, what’s not to love?! We’re talking:
✔ a budget-friendly side dish
✔ made with just EIGHT pantry staple ingredients
✔ that’s super easy to prepare
✔ even simple to make ahead
✔ a creamy, cheesy, and delicious Midwestern classic
✔ perfect for any occasion!
If you also grew up in the Midwest, you probably know this recipe under a variety of names: funeral potatoes, cheesy potatoes, potluck potatoes, or hashbrown casserole (or maybe hash brown casserole, it seems no one can agree whether it’s one word or two) just to name a few.
All of which speaks to its versatility as a side dish for just about any occasion, from church basem*nt celebrations of life to backyard cookouts. And my grandma showed up to them ALL toting this casserole wrapped in newspaper, always leaving with the dish scraped completely clean.
A Backyard BBQ Staple
With the beautiful weather we’ve been having lately, my family has been enjoying this cheesy hashbrown casserole often as an easy weeknight BBQ side dish. You’re probably thinking: how does anyone have time for a BBQ on a weeknight? Well, it’s a cinch with Coleman Natural Budweiser BBQ Pulled Pork…
This bold, juicy, succulent pulled pork, fully-cooked and smothered in a Budweiser-infused BBQ sauce in classic or spicy flavor, makes a BBQ come together quickly. Coleman Natural has done all the hard work up front, so all you have to do is heat and serve. Which means you can focus on the sides! For us this means sweet potato fries from a bag, Instant Pot frozen corn on the cob (so fast & simple!), and this yummy hashbrown casserole.
What I love even more is that Coleman Natural Budweiser BBQ Pulled Pork is soooo versatile. It’s ready to serve in just 4 minutes and is obviously perfect for pulled pork sandwiches. But you can also use it in tacos, on tostadas, stuffed in a sweet potato, and much, much more. So many possibilities!!
Want to learn more? Visit www.BudweiserBBQ.com to check out the Coleman Natural Budweiser BBQ Collection and find a store that carries it near you. I got mine at my local Kroger store.
Hashbrown Casserole Ingredients
This cheesy hashbrown casserole recipe simply could not be easier to make. Basically, you just add the following ingredients to a 30-oz. bag of frozen shredded hashbrown potatoes. BTW, if you prefer the diced potato hashbrowns, you can use those instead!
Additional Ingredients:
melted butter — my grandma’s recipe actually calls for melted margarine (bless her heart), but you know I prefer to use real butter when cooking.
cream of chicken soup — really you could use any “cream of” type soup or even your own homemade version, if you’d like.
sour cream — I’m not picky when it comes to sour cream, especially when it’s an ingredient and not just a topping, so choose whatever brand you prefer.
chopped onions — you could also use frozen potatoes O’Brien (diced potatoes with onions and peppers) as the base for this recipe, in which case, you can skip chopping up an onion.
shredded mozzarella cheese — I like a good whole milk variety because it melts more smoothly, but my grandma always used whatever store brand was on sale with excellent results.
shredded cheddar cheese — personally I prefer to use an extra sharp cheddar for bold flavor, but you can use whatever variety of cheddar you like best.
shredded velveeta-style cheese — not gonna lie, this stuff is HARD to shred since it’s so soft! I recommend refrigerating it ahead of time to firm it up some for easier shredding, and the large holes on a box grater work best.
How To Make Cheesy Hashbrown Potato Casserole
You know how I said this cheesy hashbrown potato casserole is super easy to prepare? I don’t think that even conveys just how insanely simple it is to make. You pretty much just stir everything together and bake. Order doesn’t truly matter — although, I do loosely follow a general order that I think makes mixing everything slightly easier and faster.
But first, there’s the whole debate on whether or not you should thaw your hashbrowns. Do you really need to thaw them? In a word, NO. I think I’m going against the grain when I say that, but there are two reasons why I feel this way: 1) this mama doesn’t have time for that, and 2) it maintains the integrity of the hashbrown shreds better.
Yes, it requires a little more muscle to stir everything together, but it’s nothing a sturdy wooden spoon can’t handle! And yes, it also increases the baking time a little, but I’m perfectly okay with that.
1| Pour the frozen hashbrowns into a large mixing bowl. Drizzle the melted butter over top. Then add the cream of chicken soup and sour cream and mix thoroughly.
2| Fold in the chopped onions, mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, and velveeta-style cheese. Transfer the mixture to a 9×13 baking dish. Add topping, if desired.
3| Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Serve warm.
Ridiculously easy, am I right?!
Crushed Potato Chips vs Corn Flakes vs Cheese
One last decision to make — what to top your casserole with. Do you want to top this cheesy hashbrown casserole with corn flakes? Or with crushed potato chips? Or copycat restaurant-style with just more cheddar cheese?
While all of the above are totally delicious, we’ve always gone the crushed potato chips route. Wavy potato chips to be precise — I think they retain more crunch. Whichever you choose, sprinkle about a cup to a cup-and-a-half over top before baking.
I can’t wait to hear how much your family loves this dish!!
3-Cheese Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole
Yield: 12 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
This cheesy hashbrown casserole, filled with 3 different cheeses, is a Midwest classic at its best. Top it with your choice of more cheese, crushed potato chips, or corn flakes. Perfect for potlucks and backyard BBQs!
Ingredients
- 1 (30-oz.) pkg. shredded hash brown potatoes
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1 (16-oz.) container sour cream
- 1 (10.5-oz.) can cream of chicken soup
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 4-oz. Velveeta cheese, shredded
- crushed potato chips, corn flakes, or additional cheese (for topping)
Instructions
- Pour the frozen hashbrowns into a large mixing bowl. Drizzle the melted butter over top. Then add the cream of chicken soup and sour cream and mix thoroughly.
- Fold in the chopped onions, mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, and velveeta-style cheese. Transfer the mixture to a 9×13 baking dish. Top with crushed potato chips, corn flakes, or additional cheese, as desired.
- Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Serve warm.
Notes
To make ahead: freeze completed casserole before adding topping. To bake from frozen, let the casserole thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Add the topping before baking, and bake at 350 for an hour and 15 minutes or until heated through.
Recommended Products
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 202Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 439mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 0gSugar: 2gProtein: 6g
P.S. The Coleman Natural Budweiser BBQ Collection also includes Budweiser Bratwursts, and these cheesy potatoes would make a fantastic side for them, as well. Be sure to keep an eye out for them!
More Easy Midwestern Classic Recipes
If you like this cheesy hashbrown potato casserole recipe, you might also enjoy these other delicious Midwestern classic recipes:
- Corn Casserole (Just Like Grandma Made It!)
- 3-Ingredient Easy Green Bean Casserole
- Corn Pudding with Jiffy Mix
- Copycat Lawson’s Chip Dip
- Macaroni and Cheese Casserole
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