This ham and cheese hash brown casserole is a classic comfort food recipe that is the perfect addition to the breakfast menu. Southern-style hash browns are combined with diced ham, shredded cheese, a creamy sauce, diced green chiles, and baked to perfection.
I love breakfast. Some people call it the most important meal of the day, and I agree. I’m sure they’re talking about something to do with the health benefits of fueling up after sleeping or some such thing, but my love of breakfast is far less health-focused. I just LOVE breakfast food! Bacon, eggs, cheese, ham, potatoes, French toast – anything breakfast-related is absolutely at the top of my food list. And when you make a breakfast casserole? Well, you just can’t beat that. That’s why this ham and cheese hash brown casserole has been in my recipe rotation for years.
I used to make this all the time when my kids were in school because the leftovers made a great lunch or after-school snack. Now that the kids are grown, I still make this casserole quite a bit. My guy and I love it so much, we’ll eat the leftovers exclusively for a couple of days. It’s just that good!
Ham and Cheese Hash Brown Casserole
This delicious breakfast casserole starts with a cheesy mix of sour cream, cream of chicken soup, shredded cheese, and a kick of spice thanks to diced green chiles. I mix thawed freezer hash browns and diced ham steak into it and then top it with more cheese. Then, I bake it until it’s hot, bubbly, and absolutely delicious. It’s a marvel of simplicity and flavor!
Why You’ll Love This Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole
- It’s a hearty breakfast potato recipe with a combination of southern-style hash browns, ham, and cheese, and is a classic comfort food recipe.
- It’s easy to make and can be put together with a few simple steps.
- It is versatile and can be customized by adding different ingredients, such as bacon, different types of cheese, and even chopped vegetables.
Ham and Cheese Hash Brown Casserole Ingredients
You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe, and you’ll find them all in about 10 minutes at your local grocery store. It’s a quick in and out to get them!
- Frozen southern style hash browns
- Medium onion
- Sour cream
- Cream of chicken soup
- Melted butter
- Sharp cheddar cheese
- Garlic salt
- Black pepper
- Diced ham steak
- Diced green chiles
How to Make Ham and Cheese Hash Brown Casserole
Making this recipe is ridiculously easy. It only takes about an hour from start to finish, and you can even do a little prep work the night before for busy weekday morning breakfasts.
Step 1: Prep
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and add melted butter to a 3-quart baking dish.
Step 2: Make the Casserole
Combine the sour cream, soup, diced green chiles, 2 cups of shredded cheese, garlic salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Then, stir in the thawed hash browns and diced ham.
Step 3: Bake
Spread the hash brown mixture out in an even layer in the casserole dish and top with the remaining shredded cheese. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Be sure your hash browns are fully defrosted so they break apart nicely when you mix them into the cheese mixture.
- Tilt the baking dish back and forth on all four sides to coat the bottom of the dish with the melted butter.
- Be sure you dice your onions very small so they sort of melt while the casserole is baking.
Variations
- You can use full-fat Greek yogurt in place of sour cream if you prefer.
- Use your favorite variety of cream soup for this recipe.
- Use green onions and diced red bell pepper for this recipe if you like.
- You can make a mild version by omitting the green chiles.
- Try adding cooked bacon or sausage to the casserole.
- Use different kinds of cheese, such as Colby jack, mozzarella, Swiss, or Monterey jack.
What to Serve with Ham and Cheese Hash Brown Casserole
This delicious casserole is the perfect breakfast all on its own. However, you can serve it alongside your other favorite breakfast items as part of a larger breakfast spread. Pair it with:
- Bacon
- Sausage
- Eggs
- Toast
- Pancakes
- Waffles
- Biscuits and gravy
Recipe FAQ
You can cook them either way in most cases. However, thawing the hash browns first tends to make a more crispy outside because much of the moisture is released during the thawing process.
You should always thaw your hash browns for any kind of casserole. If you try cooking them from frozen, the outside may cook on the outside but remain raw inside. They’ll also cause an uneven heat distribution because they’re essentially potato ice cubes.
A traditional hash brown casserole is made with hash browns, cheddar cheese, condensed soup, sour cream, melted butter, onions, salt, and pepper.
Hash brown casserole will keep for between 3 and 5 days in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
How to Store and Reheat Leftover Ham and Cheese Hash Brown Casserole
Refrigerate this casserole for up to 5 days in an airtight container. To reheat it, bring the casserole to room temperature, then, place it in a baking dish, cover with foil, and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes until heated through.
Try This Delicious Ham and Cheese Hash Brown Casserole Today
This rich, creamy, cheesy ham and cheese hash brown casserole is the perfect way to start the day. With all that cheesy goodness combined with diced ham, green chiles, and tons of hash browns, you’ll be feeling full all day. Give this one a try, and I know it will become a permanent part of your breakfast recipe rotation.
More Delicious Breakfast Recipes You’ll Enjoy
These Breakfast Turnovers are loaded with diced ham, scrambled eggs, cheese, onions, and are seasoned perfectly, and are the perfect quick breakfast recipe the whole family will enjoy.
Ham and Cheese Hash Brown Casserole
Ingredients
- 30 ounce frozen southern style hash browns, thawed
- I medium onion, diced small
- 2 cups sour cream
- 10.5 ounce cream of chicken soup
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 3 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups diced ham steak
- 4 ounce diced green chiles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° and add melted butter to a 3 quart baking dish.
- In a large bowl, add sour cream, soup, diced green chiles, two cups shredded cheese, garlic salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Add thawed hash browns, and diced ham to mixture, stir to combine, and spoon into prepared baking dish.
- Spread in an even layer, and top with the remaining shredded cheese.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes or until it’s golden and bubbly.
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