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Cheesy Potato Casserole is a cornerstone holiday recipe in the Midwest. This version has from-scratch cream of chicken soup and a crunchy cornflake topping.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Cream of chicken soup: 1 can of condensed cream of chicken soup may be substituted for the homemade version written in to the recipe.
Step-by-step instructions
- To make the cream of chicken soup, combine chicken broth, onion powder, garlic powder, poultry seasoning, parsley, paprika, and salt and pepper to taste (I like ½ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper) in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer.
- Whisk together milk and flour until smooth. Pour into saucepan, whisking continuously, until the mixture bubbles and thickens, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. In a large bowl, add cream of chicken soup, hash browns, sour cream, cheddar cheese, and salt and pepper to taste (I like 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper).
- Stir to combine, then pour into prepared baking dish. Bake uncovered for 1 hour, then remove from oven.
- Melt butter in the microwave. In a large bowl, add corn flakes. Drizzle with melted butter, then spread over the top of the casserole in an even layer. Bake uncovered 20 minutes longer, then garnish with parsley if desired.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes serving for at least 12, more if you have a bountiful buffet.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerated for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: Assemble the casserole through step 2 of the “casserole” section (step 4 overall). Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours in advance. Proceed with the baking instructions as directed in the recipe.
- Freezer: Assemble the casserole through step 2 of the “casserole” section (step 4 overall). Cover and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then proceed with the baking instructions and directed in the recipe.
- Mushroom soup: Substitute cream of mushroom soup for the cream of chicken soup.
- Meat lover’s: Stir in cooked bacon or chopped ham with the hash browns.
- Tex-Mex: Stir in one (4-ounce) can of diced green chiles or some cooked chorizo with the hash browns. Or, use the O’Brien style hash browns with the peppers and onions.
More holiday favorites
Pork, Ham, and Lamb Recipes
Baked Ham with Crumb Topping
Beef Recipes
Prime Rib with Mustard Cream Sauce
Bread Recipes
Homemade Crescent Rolls
Vegetable Recipes
Roasted Asparagus
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Cheesy Potato Casserole
Cheesy Potato Casserole is a cornerstone holiday recipe in the Midwest. This version has from-scratch cream of chicken soup and a crunchy cornflake topping.
Ingredients
For the cream of chicken soup (see note 1):
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 pinch parsley
- 1 pinch paprika
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
For the casserole:
- 1 (30 ounce) package frozen hash browns thawed
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cups cornflakes crushed
- 1/4 cup butter
- fresh parsley minced, for garnish, optional
Instructions
To make the cream of chicken soup:
- In a 1 1/2-quart saucepan, combine chicken broth, onion powder, garlic powder, poultry seasoning, parsley, paprika, and salt and pepper to taste (I like ½ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper). Bring to a simmer.
- Whisk together milk and flour until smooth. Pour into saucepan, whisking continuously, until the mixture bubbles and thickens, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
To make the casserole:
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, add cream of chicken soup, hash browns, sour cream, cheddar cheese, and salt and pepper to taste (I like 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper). Stir to combine, then pour into prepared baking dish.
- Bake uncovered for 1 hour, then remove from oven. Melt butter in the microwave. In a large bowl, add corn flakes. Drizzle with melted butter, then spread over the top of the casserole in an even layer. Bake uncovered 20 minutes longer, then garnish with parsley if desired.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Cream of chicken soup: 1 can of condensed cream of chicken soup may be substituted for the homemade version written in to the recipe.
- Yield: This recipe makes serving for at least 12, more if you have a bountiful buffet.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerated for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: Assemble the casserole through step 2 of the “casserole” section (step 4 overall). Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours in advance. Proceed with the baking instructions as directed in the recipe.
- Freezer: Assemble the casserole through step 2 of the “casserole” section (step 4 overall). Cover and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then proceed with the baking instructions and directed in the recipe.
- Mushroom soup: Substitute cream of mushroom soup for the cream of chicken soup.
- Meat lover’s: Stir in cooked bacon or chopped ham with the hash browns.
- Tex-Mex: Stir in one (4-ounce) can of diced green chiles or some cooked chorizo with the hash browns. Or, use the O’Brien style hash browns with the peppers and onions.
Nutrition
Calories: 189kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 6gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 275mgPotassium: 88mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 580IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 172mgIron: 2mg
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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
Delicious. Served with ham. Going to try with chicken or hamburgers. Will Keep this in my favourites file.
Thank you for your comment, Nan! I’m so glad you loved it! – Meggan