Chicken Hashbrown Casserole

The recipe Sunday was chicken hashbrown casserole — the Midwestern comfort dish with shredded chicken, frozen hashbrowns, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, cheese, all baked into a 9-by-13. Mama’s favorite weeknight comfort.

The recipe is below.

Chicken Hashbrown Casserole

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 55 min | Total Time: 1 hr 10 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1 bag (30 oz) frozen shredded hashbrowns, thawed
• 3 cups cooked chicken thighs, shredded (about 1.5 lbs bone-in, cooked and pulled)
• 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup whole milk

Instructions

1. Preheat oven. Heat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray and set aside.
2. Cook the chicken. If starting from raw, season chicken thighs with salt and pepper and pan-fry over medium-high heat in a little oil for 6–7 minutes per side until cooked through. Let rest, then shred with two forks. (Rotisserie chicken works perfectly here — no shame.)
3. Soften the aromatics. In a small skillet over medium heat, melt butter and sauté the diced onion for 3–4 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook 1 minute more. Remove from heat.
4. Mix the base. In a large mixing bowl, combine both cans of soup, sour cream, milk, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Stir until smooth. Add the sautéed onion and garlic and mix to incorporate.
5. Add the main ingredients. Fold the thawed hashbrowns and shredded chicken into the soup mixture. Add 1 cup of the shredded cheddar and stir until everything is evenly combined.
6. Assemble and top. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar across the top in an even layer.
7. Bake. Place uncovered in the preheated oven and bake for 50–55 minutes, until the edges are bubbling, the top is golden, and the center is set. If the cheese starts to over-brown before the 50-minute mark, loosely tent with foil.
8. Rest and serve. Let the casserole rest for 5–10 minutes before scooping. Serve as-is or alongside a simple green salad or steamed broccoli. Leftovers reheat beautifully for night two.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 415 | Protein: 27g | Fat: 23g | Carbs: 27g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 810mg