Casseroles
$1.50per plate
Prep
15 min
Casseroles · Hashbrown Casserole
Hashbrown Casserole
Hashbrown casserole is the ultimate cheap crowd-pleaser: creamy shredded potatoes folded with sour cream and sharp cheddar, baked under a golden, lightly crisp top. This version skips the can of condensed soup for a quick homemade cream sauce, so you control what goes in, and it still comes together in one baking dish for pennies. A big 9x13 feeds ten for under seventy cents a plate. It sits right alongside our other cheap casserole dinners and potato favorites like our tater tot casserole and loaded baked potatoes, price up front. It is one of the cheapest of our casserole recipes at 68 cents a serving.
$0.68per plate
Estimated recipe total
$6.80 · serves 10
Cook
45 min
Total
1 hr 10 min
Serves
10
Recipe from Budget Plates · https://www.budgetplates.com/hashbrown-casserole
Equipment
- 9x13 baking dish
- Saucepan
Variations
- Stir a 10.5 oz can of cream of chicken or mushroom soup into the sour cream and cheese instead of making the sauce from scratch.
- Toss crushed cornflakes with melted butter and scatter over the top before the final bake for a diner-style crunch.
- Use colby-jack, a Mexican blend, or Monterey Jack instead of cheddar.
- Fold in a cup of diced cooked ham, sausage, or bacon to turn the side into a main.
1 How to make it
1
Heat the oven and thaw the hash browns
Heat the oven to 375 F and grease a 9x13 baking dish. Make sure the shredded hash browns are fully thawed, and blot them dry with a towel. Thawing matters: frozen hash browns release a lot of water as they heat, and if they go in still frozen that water turns the casserole soupy and steams the potatoes instead of baking them. Thawed, blotted potatoes bake up creamy and set, not watery.
2
Make the creamy sauce
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and cook the diced onion for 2 to 3 minutes until soft. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, then slowly whisk in the milk and the chicken bouillon. Cook, stirring, until it thickens into a smooth, creamy sauce, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. This from-scratch sauce replaces a can of condensed cream-of-chicken soup, and thickening it now is what keeps the casserole creamy instead of watery.
3
Combine the filling
Take the sauce off the heat and stir in the sour cream and 2 cups of the cheddar (save the last 1/2 cup for the top). Fold in the thawed hash browns until everything is evenly coated. Mixing most of the cheese through the potatoes is what gives you a creamy, cheesy interior, while the reserved cheese browns on top. Spread the mixture evenly in the greased dish.
4
Bake covered, then uncovered
Cover the dish with foil and bake at 375 F for 30 minutes: covering it first heats the casserole through and keeps the inside creamy without drying out or over-browning the top. Uncover, scatter the reserved 1/2 cup cheddar over the top, and bake another 15 minutes uncovered, until the top is golden and lightly crisp and the edges are bubbling. Uncovering at the end is what lets the cheese brown instead of steaming.
5
Rest and serve
Let the casserole rest 10 minutes before serving so it sets into scoopable portions instead of sliding apart. Serve warm as a hearty side or a cheap main.
2 Cheaper ingredient swaps
- Canned soup shortcut. To skip the homemade sauce, stir one 10.5 oz can of cream of chicken (or cream of mushroom) soup into the sour cream and cheese in place of the butter, flour, milk, and bouillon. It is faster, though the from-scratch sauce is cheaper and skips the additives.
- Crushed cornflake topping. For the classic diner-style crunch, toss 1 cup crushed cornflakes with a tablespoon of melted butter and scatter over the top before the final uncovered bake. Figured separately from the base cost.
- Any melting cheese. Sharp cheddar is classic, but colby-jack, a Mexican blend, or Monterey Jack all melt well.
- Make it a meal. Fold in a cup of diced cooked ham, sausage, or bacon to turn the side into a main. These add-ins push it toward a loaded or breakfast version and are figured separately from the base cost.
3 Budget tips
- A bag of frozen hash browns, a little cheese, and pantry staples feed ten for under seventy cents a plate, one of the cheapest sides going.
- A homemade butter-and-flour sauce costs pennies and replaces a can of cream-of-chicken soup with no additives.
- Buy a block of cheese and shred it yourself, and use store-brand hash browns, to shave the cost even lower.
- It reheats and freezes well, so a single 9x13 can stretch across two meals.
- See more recipes priced per serving in the Budget Plates Index.
4 Storage, freezing & reheating
Fridge
Refrigerate leftovers, covered, for up to 4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave, or a larger amount in the oven to bring back the crisp top.
Freezer
Freeze cooled portions for up to 2 months. You can also freeze it unbaked; thaw overnight in the fridge, then bake as directed, adding about 10 minutes. The texture stays creamy, though the top is crispest fresh from the oven.
Reheating
Reheat in a 350 F oven for 15 to 20 minutes to warm through and re-crisp the top, or microwave single portions in a pinch.
5 Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
260
Protein
8g
Fat
17g
Carbs
20g
Estimates per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not a substitute for medical advice.
6 Frequently asked questions
Do I have to thaw frozen hash browns for casserole?
Yes, thaw and blot them dry first. Frozen hash browns release a lot of water as they heat; added frozen, that water makes the casserole soupy and steams the potatoes. Thawed and patted dry, they bake up creamy and set. Thaw them overnight in the fridge or a few hours on the counter, then blot with a towel.
Why do I bake it covered and then uncovered?
Covering it for the first 30 minutes heats the casserole through and keeps the inside creamy without drying out or scorching the top. Uncovering for the last 15 minutes, with the reserved cheese on top, is what lets the top brown and crisp instead of just steaming.
Can I use a can of soup instead of the homemade sauce?
Yes. Stir one 10.5 oz can of cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup into the sour cream and cheese in place of the butter, flour, milk, and bouillon. The homemade version is cheaper and skips the additives, but the canned shortcut is faster.
How is $0.68 a plate figured?
About $6.80 for the whole 9x13, ten servings, so roughly 68 cents each. The cheese and hash browns are the biggest costs; the pantry sauce is cheap. Served as eight larger portions it is still an affordable 85 cents a plate.
Helpful Tools for This Recipe
As an Amazon Associate, Budget Plates may earn from qualifying purchases.
- 9x13 baking dish. A 9x13 dish is the standard size for casseroles and baked pasta, so one dish feeds the whole table. Best for casseroles, baked pasta, stuffed peppers, and baked oatmeal.
- Mixing bowls set. A set of nesting bowls handles prep, mixing, and marinades without dirtying every dish in the house. Best for mixing meatball and patty mixtures, tossing ingredients, and holding prepped components.
- Measuring cups and spoons set. A basic set of measuring cups and spoons keeps amounts consistent, which keeps budget recipes reliable. Best for rice, liquids, and any recipe where the ratio matters.
- Instant-read meat thermometer. An instant-read thermometer takes the guesswork out of doneness, so lean or cheap cuts stay juicy instead of overcooking. Best for chicken, pork, and meatloaf, where a few degrees decides juicy or dry.
Feeding a crowd tonight? This one is also part of our Easy Family Dinner Recipes collection.
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