Hash Brown Chicken Casserole

a skillet of hash brown casserole ready to serve.

5 from 26 votes

This cheesy hash brown chicken casserole is hearty, comforting, and ready in under an hour! Try this easy chicken hash brown casserole today!

Prep Time5

Cook Time45

Total Time50

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Casserole, Dinner, Make Ahead, chicken dinner, creamy chicken, cracker barrel hash brown casserole, cheesy potatoes, hash brown casserole, chicken casserole, chicken hashbrown casserole

Servings: servings

Calories: 481kcal

Author: Renae Gerhardstein

Equipment

skillet pan oven-safe casserole dish or baking dish
large mixing bowl
baking sheet

Ingredients

16 ounces (1 small bag) shredded hash browns, fresh or frozen thawed; I prefer Ore Ida frozen or Simply Potatoes fresh
3 cups shredded, cooked chicken use rotisserie chicken, Instant Pot shredded chicken, or see notes to make your own
2 cups (10 ounces) frozen green beans thawed
2 cups (8 ounces) sharp cheddar cheese grated, divided; you may use mozzarella, Monterey Jack, or Colby
2 cups (16 ounces) sour cream may also use Greek yogurt
1 can (10¼ ounces) cream of chicken condensed soup or use homemade condensed chicken soup
1 cup onion finely chopped; 1 small onion
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375° Fahrenheit. Prepare the casserole dish by spraying it with cooking oil spray.
In a large bowl, mix together hash browns, chicken, green beans, 1 cup cheddar cheese, sour cream, soup, chopped onions, and pepper.
Pour hashbrown chicken casserole ingredients into the prepared casserole dish and top with the remaining shredded cheese.
Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until hot and bubbly and golden on top, and edges are puffy. Let cool 5-10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Thaw frozen potatoes on a baking sheet at room temperature for 30-60 minutes. They defrost without sitting in water, so the shreds stay nice and tender.
To thaw the hashbrowns faster: Spread them on a baking sheet, and bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 175 degrees F oven.
Alternatively, you can defrost them overnight in the refrigerator. Place the frozen shreds in a colander, and set them in a shallow bowl or dish in the fridge so that the water is collected as they thaw.
Do not rinse hash browns (frozen or fresh). The shreds soak up water and become soggy.

Recipe Variations:

Add mushrooms or spinach: For extra nutrients and flavor, stir in sautéed mushrooms or fresh spinach before baking.
Swap the meat: Use turkey, ham, or even ground beef instead of chicken.
Go spicy: Add diced jalapeños, pepper jack cheese, or a dash of hot sauce to kick up the heat.
Try different veggies: Peas, corn, or diced bell peppers can easily be mixed in.
Top it off: Add crushed buttery crackers or panko breadcrumbs before baking for an extra crispy topping.
Herb it up: Add fresh herbs like thyme or rosemary to elevate the flavor profile.
Chicken hashbrown casserole without soup: In a small bowl, whisk together 2 teaspoons of cornstarch with 1/2 cup of cold chicken stock or broth until combined. Then slowly stir in 1/2 cup of cream. Microwave for 30 seconds and heat in a saucepan until thickened.
If you don’t have cream, then use 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1/2 cup of stock, and 1/2 cup of whole milk.
Add this homemade cream soup substitute in place of the cream of chicken soup in the recipe below for an equally delicious casserole!

Storing Instructions:

Leftovers will keep well for up to 4 or 5 days in the refrigerator. Let the casserole cool completely and transfer to a sealed container before placing it in the fridge.
If you plan to make this dish in advance and freeze, I suggest you use a foil container: Not only is it freezer-safe, but the container can be safely used in the oven as well to reheat it.
Prepare the dish up to 3 days in advance and keep it in the refrigerator. Or freeze it and have it ready to pop in the oven whenever you need a delicious meal with minimal effort.
Or prepare casserole without baking in a freezer-safe container, cover with a layer of aluminum foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Again, a foil casserole pan works really well here. Then bake from frozen (do not defrost) as directed, plus an extra 15 minutes or so until it's heated throughout and the cheese is golden.

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