In a Hurry Country Scalloped Potatoes (Hashbrown Casserole)

This hashbrown casserole is packed with tender potatoes, surrounded by a rich and cheesy cream sauce, then topped with a crispy crust. This is the perfect quick and easy side dish to any meal!

These country scalloped potatoes are basically a hashbrown casserole. But that is what my grandmother called it so I have to stick with the original!

There is no tedious peeling and thinly slicing potatoes. Just open a bag of hashbrowns and pour them in the casserole dish! I mean, who doesn’t love a great short-cut, when you want to have a delicious dinner but you find yourself short on time!

These potatoes are rich and creamy with a crispy crust to perfectly balance the gooey cheesy sauce. This is a great recipe to prepare ahead of time for any family dinner!

Can I make this hashbrown casserole in advance?

Yes! This hasbrown casserole recipe is perfect for preparing the day before and cooking right before it is needed! It can also be prepared in advance and frozen.

This is especially nice for big family dinners or special occasion meals when you need to prepared multiple dishes. Make this hashbrown casserole in advance to make dinner prep a breeze!

How to store a hashbrown casserole?

If you are making this creamy potato bake in advance or just need to store your leftovers, the proper storage will ensure this casserole stays perfectly creamy and delicious!

Fridge

To store left over hasbrown casserole in the fridge,

• Allow the casserole to cool to room temperature
• Cover completely or store in an airtight container
• Store the casserole in the fridge for up to 5 days
• To reheat place the casserole in an oven proof dish and cover with foil. Heat in a preheated 350 °F (180 °C) oven for 30 minutes or until heated through.

If you are making this casserole in advance and storing in the fridge unbaked,

• Make the recipe up to the point of adding the crust.
• Cover completely in the oven proof dish
• Store in the fridge for up to 2 days.
• When you are ready to bake the casserole, add the crust and bake according to the recipe

Freezer

This hashbrown casserole freezes very well. If you are making this casserole unbaked to store in the freezer,

• Make the recipe up to the point of adding the crust
• Cover the oven proof dish completely
• Store in the freezer for up to 3 months
• When you are ready to bake the meal, add the crust and bake covered at 350 °F (180 °C) for 1 hour. Remove the foil and allow the crust to crisp in the oven for 15 minutes.

Hashbrown casserole crust

For this recipe the crispy crust is made with lightly crushed cornflakes drizzled with butter. This is always a family favourite topping for casserole recipes like this, or even for breakfast recipes like strata.

If you don’t have any cornflakes on hand or just prefer to use something else, some other great options are,

• Bread crumbs (fresh or store bought) drizzled with butter
• Cheese. A simple layer of shredded cheese to melt and crisp on top is a perfect topping for this recipe
• Bacon bits and chives. This gives the casserole a loaded baked potato taste.
• Crispy chow mein noodles
• Crushed crackers. This casserole would pair perfectly with a buttery cracker crust like from ritz crackers or pair with a cheesy cracker for even more flavour.
• Crumbled chips. I have eaten and enjoyed a very similar casserole with crunched up plain flavoured chips on top. They stay crisp and give the casserole a great savoury flavour.

Ingredients

2 lb bag of frozen hashbrown potatoes 900 g

¼ cup all purpose flour 37 g

1/3 cup butter 75 g

2 ½ cups milk 625 ml

¼ cup cream cheese 60 g

1 cup shredded cheese (I used sharp cheddar) 90 g

½ cup sour cream 125 ml

salt and pepper to taste

½ teaspoon garlic powder 2.5 ml

¼ cup melted butter 60 ml

2 cups cornflakes, crushed 500 ml

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 °F (180 °C).
2. In a large sauce pan, melt the butter and sprinkle in the flour to make a roux, this resembles a thick paste.
3. Slowly add the milk, while whisking. Mix until all of the milk is incorporated, and the mixture heats back up and starts to bubble. The mixture will thicken as it heats back up.
4. Add in the cream cheese, sour cream, cheese, salt and pepper, garlic powder. Mix to combine and melt the cheese.
5. In a 9×13 in. rectangular casserole dish, add the hashbrowns. Pour the cheese mixture on top of the hashbrowns and mix to combine.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 mins.
7. Remove from the oven and add the crushed cornflakes. To crush them I usually place them in a sealed bag (like a large freezer bag) and crush them up with a rolling pin.
8. Pour the melted butter evenly overtop the cornflake crust.
9. Return to the oven for 15 mins or until the crust is lightly golden and crispy.
10. Serve warm with your favourite meal.

If you are planning to cook if from frozen, you will need to cover with foil and increase the initial cooking time to 1 hour. Insert a knife into the centre of the casserole to check that it is hot and cooked through. At this point return to the oven uncovered for the last 15 minutes, so the crust can crisp and brown nicely.

craving more comfort food meals? Find them here!

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