Crockpot Hash Browns cooked in creamy chicken soup, sour cream, and a shredded cheese mixture are slow-cooked to perfection. These Slow Cooker Cheesy Hash Brown Potatoes are the perfect side to any dish!
We like to call these potatoes “Emily’s Wedding Potatoes” because they are inspired by potatoes that were served at my good friend’s wedding last fall. This easy side dish is something we like to whip up with a variety of different meals, from steak and chicken to holiday ham.
Crockpot Cheesy Potatoes are an easy side that you can whip up in your slow cooker while you focus on the main entree.
These cheesy hashbrown potatoes are also perfect for when you’re cooking for a crowd. The recipe is easy to double or triple (if your crockpot can fit it!), and it is easy to reheat.
These easy slow cooker cheesy hashbrown potatoes are sure to be what everyone raves about at your next potluck. If you’re having a crowd, break out that slow cooker for an easy, cheesy side everyone will love!
The edges get a little crispy, and that’s almost the best part – it’s like the cheesy edges of lasagna that get crispy in the oven or those keto cheese crackers that almost make not eating carbs worth it.
Table of Contents
🥘 Ingredients Needed
- Hashbrowns – Just grab a big bag of frozen hashbrowns. Or, make your own.
- Diced Onion – We love the flavor that onion adds to things – you don’t need to add them if you don’t like onions (and there was probably no onion in the original Emily’s Wedding Potatoes because her husband hates onions 😉 but we like them! Add a little extra onion powder if you don’t use diced onion to compensate.)
- Melted Butter – The melted butter really adds something to these potatoes that is hard to explain. You’ll find that some of the butter will pool on the top of the potatoes when cooking, but when you stir the hash browns, it soaks back in and is SO delicious.
- Sour Cream – If you don’t want to use sour cream, you can use plain Greek yogurt instead. The sour cream adds a creaminess and tanginess that is so good.
- Cream of Chicken Soup – Do not add water to the can of soup. It will come out creamy and delicious just the way it is.
- Shredded Cheese – I use freshly shredded cheddar cheese (not the kind in the bag that has anti-caking agents in it) because cheddar melts so well and has such a great flavor – it makes this dish super cheesy and yummy.
- Seasonings – You will need kosher salt, garlic powder, and onion powder to season your cheesy potatoes.
🍽 Equipment Needed
- A 6 quart Crockpot or Slow Cooker
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
How to Make Crockpot Hashbrown Casserole
The beauty of using your slow cooker is that you can put everything in it and walk away! Get this side dish started and let it cook so you can work on your main course.
- First, spray the slow cooker with cooking spray. (You can also line it with a bag if you use those – they kind of scare me so we don’t use them.) (Picture 1)
- Place the bag of frozen hash browns in the slow cooker and sprinkle diced onions over the top. (Picture 2)
- Then, mix the sour cream, cream of chicken soup, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and half of the shredded cheese together in a bowl. Save the remaining cheese for later. (Pictures 3 – 4)
- Pour the sauce mixture over your hash browns. (Picture 5)
- Then, stir everything together really well. Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 4 hours at high heat, letting the sauce really soak into the potatoes. I like to stir it every 30 minutes to an hour because I’m impatient, but it really only needs stirring once or twice during these four hours. (Pictures 6 – 10)
- You can see below how the potatoes start to soften and absorb the sauce mixture.
- After four hours, add the other half of the shredded cheddar cheese to the crockpot right over the top of the casserole. (Pictures 11 – 12)
- Cook for 10 -15 more minutes, then stir the cheese into the potatoes. The cheese will get really melty and delicious and will melt right into the hashbrowns. (Pictures 13 – 15)
- This comes to a total cooking time of 4 hours and 10 – 15 minutes – 4 hours with just the sauce and 10 – 15 minutes with cheese on top.
- Turn the temperature to warm and let it sit until you are ready to serve. Stir before serving. Enjoy!
*You can also cook the potatoes for 6 hours at low heat, but I have found that high heat makes softer potatoes with a richer flavor.
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Share with friends🍱 Recipe Yield
This recipe is perfect for serving larger crowds, as it yields about 8 regular-sized servings. You could get even more out of this recipe with smaller servings.
🙋♀️ Frequently Asked Questions
No, this is optional. However, spraying your crock pot with cooking spray can help keep the melted cheese from sticking to the crock pot while it is cooking and it will make clean-up easier. So, it is a good idea to use it.
Absolutely! If you want to double the recipe, you definitely can. Simply double all ingredients. The crock pot will be very full, but it can be done. You may need to add an extra hour of cooking time, though.
Sure! The process will take a little longer, but you’ll still have delicious cheesy hash brown potatoes. You will need to shred the potatoes so they look like hash browns.
Then, you need to put the shreds into a bowl of cold water. Stir, drain, and add more water to the shreds. Repeat this process a few times to remove the starch from the potatoes. Dry the potato shreds and continue with the recipe as written. (You can also use small cubed potatoes, but they will take a few more hours to cook.)
How to Store Leftovers
You can store any leftovers in an air-tight container in your refrigerator. Cheesy hashbrown potatoes can be stored for up to 3 days in the fridge.
To reheat any leftovers, heat them up in a bowl in the microwave. Or, if you have a lot left over, you can put them in a casserole dish and cook them for 25-30 minutes at 350℉ in the oven, covered with foil.
Helpful Tips
- Check the hashbrowns for doneness after 3 hours. Some slow cookers run hotter than others and they might cook faster. So, be sure to check your hashbrowns after they have been cooking for 3 hours. However, the longer they cook, the softer and more delicious they will be.
- Add more cheese. If you like your potatoes really cheesy, you can add more cheese to the top and let it melt after the potatoes have finished cooking.
- Allow the hash browns to thaw just a little before cooking them. Your hash browns will cook more evenly if they are not frozen, and it is easier to stir the cream and cheese mixture into them if they are not a solid block. You can set them on the counter for 15 – 30 minutes to defrost. (If you don’t have time to let them defrost, it isn’t a big deal – just try to break up the block of frozen potatoes.)
Have You Tried This Recipe?
Please rate it and leave a comment below. I would love to hear what you think!
Crockpot Hashbrown Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 bag frozen hash brown potatoes 32 oz.
- ½ cup onion, diced
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 10.5 oz can cream of chicken soup
- ½ cup salted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded & divided into two portions
Instructions
- Spray slow cooker with cooking spray (this is optional, but it can keep the melted cheese from sticking to the crock pot.)
- Put frozen hash browns and diced onions in a slow cooker and break up hash browns if they are frozen into a giant block.1 bag frozen hash brown potatoes, ½ cup onion, diced
- In a bowl combine sour cream, cream of chicken soup, melted butter, garlic powder, onion powder, 1 cup of cheddar cheese, and salt, and mix well to combine.1 cup sour cream, 1 10.5 oz can cream of chicken soup, ½ cup salted butter, melted, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Pour this mixture on top of the potatoes then mix well.
- Put the lid on the slow cooker and cover. Cook for four hours on high*, stirring at least once during that time. (I usually stir once an hour.)
- After four hours, stir again, then add the remaining 1 cup of cheddar cheese to the crock pot on top of the potatoes. Do not stir the cheese in, just sprinkle it over the potatoes, put the lid on the crockpot, and let it sit for about 10 minutes with the heat still on.
- Once melted, stir the cheese into the potatoes.
- Turn the temperature to warm and let it sit until you are ready to serve. Stir before serving. Enjoy
- *You can also cook the potatoes for 6 hours at low heat, but I have found that high heat makes softer potatoes with a richer flavor.
Notes
4 hours with just the sauce and 10-15 minutes with cheese on top.
Slow Cooker Hashbrown Casserole Recipe Tips
- Check the hashbrowns for doneness after 3 hours. Some slow cookers run hotter than others, and they might cook faster. So, be sure to check your hashbrowns after they have been cooking for 3 hours. However, the longer they cook, the softer and more delicious they will be.
- Add more cheese. If you like your potatoes really cheesy, you can add more cheese to the top and let it melt after the potatoes have finished cooking.
- Allow the hash browns to thaw just a little before cooking them. Your hash browns will cook more evenly if they are not frozen, and it is easier to stir the cream and cheese mixture into them if they are not a solid block. You can set them on the counter for 15 – 30 minutes to defrost. (If you don’t have time to let them defrost, it isn’t a big deal – just try to break up the block of frozen potatoes.)
Special Equipment Needeed
Nutrition
Nutrition information is approximate and is automatically calculated, so should only be used as a guide.
What to Serve with Crockpot Hashbrown Casserole
These slow-cooker cheesy hashbrown potatoes are the perfect side dish to serve with any entree. You can whip them up for dinner and have leftovers with any meal – breakfast, brunch, lunch, or another dinner. Here are a few things I like to serve my cheesy hashbrown potatoes with:
