This delicious cheesy chicken hash brown casserole recipe uses 5 ingredients to create an easy breakfast casserole that's the ultimate comfort food. Made with frozen shredded potatoes, diced cooked chicken, eggs, cheese, and sour cream, it’s a great recipe for busy mornings and works as a perfect side dish or, a main dish, served with a side of fresh fruit!
If you’ve followed me for very long, you all know how much I love breakfast. I LOVE whipping up a fun meal, whether it’s smoked salmon breakfast pizza, sheet pan pancake, super soft and creamy eggs, or a big ole’ pile of bacon. Breakfast is my jam and this 5-ingredient cheesy chicken hash brown casserole is one of the best ways to start the day. It's the perfect breakfast casserole since it combines all my breakfast favorites - eggs, hashbrowns, cheese, and protein, in an easy casserole form.
In This Post
Why This Recipe Works
There are oh so many reasons, but here are just a few:
- Easy. This is a great recipe to make for busy mornings. With just a few minutes of prep you'll have an amazing dish to serve for the best part of the day.
- Only 5 ingredients. This recipe uses just a handful of simple ingredients to create the perfect egg breakfast casserole.
- Customizable. This recipe works perfectly as is, but you can also customize this cheesy casserole by adding different ingredients, substituting or omitting the meat, and choosing different cheeses for a totally unique and delicious breakfast every time!
- Great for a crowd. This cheesy potato casserole is a perfect brunch recipe, great for family gatherings, and a great holiday meal since it’s easy to make ahead (just like this easy breakfast frittata!) Add some air fryer biscuits and a side of fruit and you've got an easy and delicious brunch!
- Perfect for picky eaters! If you have little ones, they’ll love this simple breakfast casserole - the simple ingredients are everything toddlers like -cheesy potatoes, eggs, and chicken!
Ingredients
The best thing about this hash brown casserole is that it has literally just a handful of ingredients - 5 ingredients to be exact! Here are the main ingredients needed to make this cheesy breakfast casserole:
- Frozen hash browns. I opted for the frozen shredded potatoes here, but you could also use hashbrown patties, or even tater tots if you wanted something slightly different.
- Cooked Chicken. Use whatever is easiest - leftover grilled chicken or even rotisserie works well here, or just cook up a couple of breasts for this on the stove beforehand.
- Cheese. You can use whatever cheese you like but I love a good Mexican blend, which is typically some combination of mild and sharp cheddar cheese, Monterey jack, and queso quesadilla cheese. These melt to a cheesy perfection and go great with this egg breakfast casserole.
- Eggs. It wouldn’t be a breakfast casserole without eggs. These help bind everything together and taste delicious while providing lots of extra protein.
- Sour Cream. The secret ingredient! You could use milk here, but sour cream gives this hash brown breakfast casserole a certain level of creaminess that milk can’t provide.
Substitutions and Variations
- Meat. This is great with chicken, but you could sub in breakfast sausage, ground turkey sausage, ground beef, diced ham, bacon, or even chorizo. Alternatively, you could omit the meat altogether.
- Milk. The sour cream really does produce the best results with this easy recipe, but if you don’t have sour cream on hand, you can use milk. (Try to use whole milk if you can!)
- Use different cheeses. As I said above, a good Mexican blend works perfectly here, but you can really vary the flavor by mixing up the cheese. Especially if you’re also swapping out the meat.
- Add some veggies. This is a great simple casserole, but you can amp up your veggie intake by adding in things like spinach, red bell peppers, green onion, or mushrooms.
- Add some toppings. Spice this recipe up by adding some hot sauce to the top, a side of salsa, or even some guacamole!
- Add in extra seasonings. A pinch of onion powder or garlic powder would be great with this recipe. Or, if you want to spice it up a bit, add a pinch of paprika and cayenne!
How To Make This Easy 5-Ingredient Cheesy Chicken Hash Brown Casserole
Alright, I told you this is an easy recipe. Here’s how to make it:
- Start by thawing your hash browns, then brown them slightly in a skillet with just a small bit of oil or butter for about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the egg mixture. Add the eggs, salt and pepper, and sour cream to a large bowl and whisk well to combine.
- Combine hash browns, cooked chicken, and 1 ¼ cup of cheese in layers in a greased casserole dish.
- Pour the egg mixture over the chicken, cheese, and hash browns, then add the remaining cheese to the top of the casserole.
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake at 375 degrees F for about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the casserole has set and the cheese is melty and golden brown.
And that’s it! In under an hour, you’ll have a delicious cheesy, chicken hash brown casserole that the whole family will enjoy.
Frequently Asked Questions
You should definitely thaw the hashbrowns slightly before adding them to the casserole. The best option is to brown them slightly in a skillet to get them a bit crunchy, however, if you don’t have time for this step, just allow them to thaw for 15 minutes or so outside of the freezer before adding them to the casserole is fine.
You can substitute milk for sour cream.
Yes, you could make this in a standard 9x13-sized casserole dish if that’s what you have. Just watch your cooking time as it probably won’t take quite as long to bake in a shallower baking dish.
Yes! This is an easy slow-cooker meal. To cook this 5-ingredient hashbrown casserole in the crockpot, follow the same instructions below, just add everything to your crockpot. Set the crockpot on low for 6-7 hours, or on high for 3 hours. Once the casserole is cooked (insert a toothpick in the middle to make sure the eggs have set), allow it to rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Yes! One of the best parts of this recipe is that you can prepare it in advance for an easy morning. You can make everything as directed, and then just reheat the dish at 375, covered for about 30-40 minutes. Or, you can prepare the casserole to the point of baking, cover it, pop it in the fridge, and then just bake it as directed when you’re ready.
This casserole freezes really well. We like to let it cool completely to room temperature, then place it into an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. (I usually let it cool in the refrigerator overnight, then freeze cut portions in ziplock bags).
You can reheat the casserole from frozen, covered at 375 degrees for about 90 minutes, or allow it to thaw overnight and reheat it in the morning (covered) at 375 for about 40 minutes.
If you have any leftovers cover the egg casserole with plastic wrap, or transfer the leftovers to an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
What to serve with this easy hashbrown casserole
This cheesy dish is a great main, or the perfect side dish if you’re feeding a crowd. Fresh fruit is an obvious choice, but it’s also great with other classic breakfast staples:
- Oven-Cooked Bacon
- Sheet Pan Pancakes
- Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins
- Mini Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Homemade Blueberry Waffle Recipe
- Air Fryer Canned Biscuits
If you make this Easy 5-Ingredient Cheesy Chicken Hash Brown Casserole, let me know what you think in the comments. And don’t forget to tag me @frontrangefed on Instagram. I love to see your creations!
More Easy Breakfast Recipes
- Breakfast Charcuterie Board
- Best Homemade Salt Bagels
- Pancake Tacos
- Quiche Florentine
- Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Blueberry French Toast Casserole
- Fruit Bruschetta With Whipped Honey
- Huevos Con Chorizo Y Papas
- Egg Muffin Cups
- Fig Toast With Cream Cheese And Honey
- Sheet pan Pancakes From Pancake Mix
- How To Make Biscuits In The Air Fryer
Recipe
Easy 5-Ingredient Cheesy Chicken Hash Brown Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
- 20 oz frozen hash browns shredded potatoes
- 1 cup sour cream
- 8 eggs
- 2 cups cooked diced chicken
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and grease a 9x9 casserole dish with butter or cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and sour cream together. Add salt and pepper.
- Add the hashbrowns, chicken, and 1 ¼ cup of cheese to the casserole dish.
- Pour the egg mixture over the hashbrown mixture.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of the casserole.
- Cover the casserole dish with foil and bake for 35 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the top is golden, the casserole has set and the cheese has fully melted.
- Remove from the oven and let the casserole rest for 5 minutes.
- Serve!
Notes
- Make this dish ahead of time! Either cook the entire dish, then reheat at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. Or, prepare the casserole just to the point before baking, then store, covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator until ready to bake.
- To freeze, allow to cool completely and freeze in an airtight container.
- For best results, thaw the hash browns slightly before baking. (For an even tastier casserole, brown the hash browns in a skillet for a few minutes before adding to the casserole.)
Sarah says
I always cook enough chicken to have leftovers so I can make something else; that's why I tried your casserole recipe. By the way, it is totally delicious and feeds my hubby lunch for several days. Loved how easy this was to make and the simple ingredients.