Easy Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

I don’t know why I waited so long to try a scalloped potatoes recipe with hash browns but here we are. It cuts out all that slicing and the texture ends up softer than I expected in a good way.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Takes 10 minutes of actual work before the oven does everything
• Hash browns thaw while you’re doing other stuff so no knife work
• That cream of chicken soup tastes way better than it should in this context
• You get two cheese moments: mixed in and melted on top
• Feeds 8 people from one dish which is clutch for weeknight dinners
• The garlic and onion powder ratio here is weirdly spot-on

The Story Behind This Recipe

I needed something for a potluck last Tuesday and I was not about to stand there with a mandoline. My friend Sarah mentioned she does cheesy potato bake with frozen hash browns and I thought that sounded fake but then I had a bag in my freezer anyway.

Turns out thawed hash browns hold onto cream and soup in a way sliced potatoes don’t. They’re already shredded so the sauce gets everywhere without you forcing it. I added the cheddar in two stages because I hate when all the cheese sinks to the bottom and you’re left with bland potato on top.

The covered baking keeps everything from drying out and then you uncover it to get that bubbly cheese finish. It’s not fancy but it works and I made it again three days later because my roommate asked.

What You Need

You’re starting with 2 teaspoons garlic powder and 2 teaspoons onion powder because those two seasonings do most of the heavy lifting flavor-wise. Don’t cut them down or you’ll end up with bland cream sauce that tastes like nothing. Add 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper to round things out.

The base is 1 can cream of chicken soup at 10.5 ounces and don’t drain it because that gloppy stuff in the can is what thickens everything. Pour in 1 cup heavy cream to loosen it up so it’s not too thick and stodgy. I tried half-and-half once and it was just watery and sad.

You need 1 (30-ounce) package frozen shredded hash browns and they have to be thawed or they’ll release water while baking and turn the whole thing into soup. I left mine on the counter for like 3 hours while I was working and that did it.

For cheese you’re using 3 cups shredded cheddar divided into two parts. Half goes in the mix and half goes on top so you get that melted cheese crust situation. Pre-shredded is fine here even though people get weird about it. Grab nonstick cooking spray for the dish because this stuff sticks like crazy if you skip that step.

How to Make Easy Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

Turn your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a 9 by 13 inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Get it really coated in the corners because that’s where the hash brown casserole always wants to weld itself to the pan.

Grab a big bowl and dump in the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, cream of chicken soup straight from the can, and the heavy cream. Mix it all together until it looks like one uniform creamy sauce with no lumps of soup sitting there. The soup doesn’t want to blend at first but just keep stirring and it’ll give up.

Add your thawed hash browns to the bowl and stir them around so every shred gets coated. This takes a minute because the potatoes clump together but you want them separated and covered in sauce. Fold in about half your shredded cheddar which should be around 1.5 cups and mix it through.

Spread the whole cheesy potato situation into your greased dish and try to get it level so it bakes evenly. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and make sure it’s sealed around the edges to trap the steam in there.

Bake covered for 60 minutes and your kitchen will start smelling like garlic and cheese around the 40-minute mark. When the timer goes off pull the dish out and peel back the foil but watch out because there’s a ton of steam that comes up. The potatoes should be tender if you poke them with a fork and the sauce should be bubbling at the edges.

Sprinkle the rest of your cheese over the top in an even layer. It’ll start melting immediately from the heat of the potatoes which is weirdly satisfying to watch. Put the dish back in the oven without the foil and bake another 20 minutes until the cheese gets melted and bubbly with some golden spots forming.

Let it sit for 5 minutes before you serve it because if you dig in right away it’s like molten lava and also it needs a second to firm up. The sauce thickens as it cools just enough that you can actually get a clean scoop out instead of it sliding everywhere.

What I Did Wrong the First Time

I didn’t thaw the hash browns all the way because I got impatient and figured they’d thaw in the oven. They released so much water during baking that the whole scalloped potatoes situation turned into potato soup with cheese floating on top. The texture was wrong and the sauce never thickened up properly.

Now I just leave the bag on the counter in the morning if I’m making this for dinner. Sometimes I’ll squeeze the thawed potatoes in a clean dish towel to get extra moisture out if they seem really wet and that helps too.

Easy Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

By Emma

Prep:

10 min

Cook:

1h 20min

Total:

1h 30min

Servings:

8 servings

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 can cream of chicken soup, 10.5 oz, not drained
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 (30-ounce) package frozen shredded hash browns, thawed
• 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• Nonstick cooking spray

Method

1. 1 Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 9 by 13 inch baking dish thoroughly with nonstick spray so the potatoes won’t stick and cleanup is easier.
2. 2 In a large bowl, mix the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, cream of chicken soup, and heavy cream until evenly combined. Add the thawed hash browns and give it a good stir to distribute the potato strands in the creamy mixture.
3. 3 Fold in about half the shredded cheddar cheese to the potato mix. Spread this cheesy, creamy heap evenly into the prepared dish. Cover tightly with aluminum foil to trap moisture as it bakes.
4. 4 Bake covered for 60 minutes. At that point, the oven will smell rich and savory, and the potatoes should be tender when poked gently. Remove the foil carefully to avoid steam burns. Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese evenly over the top, watching the crisp melt into golden goo.
5. 5 Return the dish uncovered to the oven and bake for another 20 minutes until the cheese is melted, slightly bubbly, and just turning golden brown along the edges.
6. 6 Let the casserole rest about 5 minutes outside the oven so it firms up slightly and is easier to serve.

Nutritional information

Calories

344

Protein

9g

Carbs

18g

Fat

25g

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Tips for the Best Easy Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

Press the thawed hash browns between paper towels if they’re sitting in a puddle. Extra water ruins the sauce ratio and you’ll end up with soup instead of cheesy potato bake.

The foil needs to seal tight around the edges or steam escapes and the top layer dries out before the bottom cooks through. I crimp mine twice around the rim.

Your cheese melts better if you let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before you sprinkle it on top. Cold cheese takes forever to melt and sometimes forms that weird separated oil layer.

Don’t skip the 5-minute rest after baking. The sauce is still liquid when it comes out and it needs that time to thicken up so your servings don’t slide apart on the plate.

I noticed the potatoes at the edges of the pan get crispier than the middle ones. If you want that texture throughout, spread the mixture a bit thinner and use a larger dish.

Serving Ideas

This works next to grilled chicken or pork chops when you need something that soaks up sauce. I put it on the table with pot roast once and everyone ignored the vegetables.

It’s really good for breakfast with fried eggs on top. The runny yolk mixes with the cheese sauce and turns into something I didn’t know I needed.

Serve it in bowls instead of on plates if you’re eating it as a main dish. Add some bacon bits or green onions on top for texture contrast.

Variations

Swap cream of mushroom soup for the chicken version if you want earthy flavor instead of savory. The texture stays the same but it tastes more like Thanksgiving.

Mix in a cup of cooked crumbled sausage or bacon with the hash browns before baking. The meat adds salt so cut your added salt in half or it’ll be too much.

Try half cheddar and half Monterey Jack for milder cheese flavor. My roommate doesn’t like sharp cheddar and this worked without losing that melted cheese pull.

Add a can of diced green chiles to the sauce mixture for Southwestern vibes. It doesn’t make it spicy really, just gives it a little kick that works with the cream.

FAQ

Can I use fresh potatoes instead of frozen hash browns? You can but you’ll need to shred them yourself and squeeze out the moisture first. Fresh potatoes release more water than frozen ones and they take longer to get tender.

Do the hash browns have to be completely thawed? Yes they really do. Frozen hash browns release too much water during baking and turn your hash brown casserole into watery mush that never sets up right.

Can I make this ahead and bake it later? Mix everything and put it in the dish, cover it with plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Add 10 minutes to the covered baking time since it’s going in cold.

What if I don’t have heavy cream? Half and half makes it thinner and less rich but it still works if you add 2 tablespoons of flour to the sauce mixture to thicken it up. Don’t use milk because it’s too watery.

Can I freeze leftovers? Yeah it freezes fine for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Reheat it covered at 350 for about 30 minutes from frozen or until it’s hot in the middle.

How do I reheat this without drying it out? Cover it with foil and heat at 325 for 15-20 minutes. You can add a splash of cream or milk before reheating if it looks dry.

Why did my cheese get greasy on top? You either baked it too hot or used pre-shredded cheese with too much anti-caking powder. Lower the temp next time or shred your own cheese from a block.

Can I use a different type of soup? Cream of mushroom or cream of celery work fine. Avoid tomato-based soups because they make the sauce separate and taste weird with cheddar.

Do I need to grease the foil too? No just grease the dish. If you’re worried about cheese sticking to the foil spray the underside lightly but I’ve never had an issue.

What size dish do I really need? A 9 by 13 inch pan is non-negotiable here. Smaller and it overflows, larger and the layer is too thin and dries out before the potatoes cook through.

Can I add vegetables to this? Diced onions or bell peppers work if you sauté them first to remove moisture. Raw vegetables release water and make the sauce too thin.

How do I know when the potatoes are actually done? Stick a fork in the center after the covered bake. If it slides in easily without resistance the potatoes are cooked and you can move to the cheese topping step.

Why is my sauce so thick it won’t mix? The soup can be gloppy straight from the can. Keep stirring and it’ll eventually loosen up once the cream works its way through everything.

Can I use something other than cheddar? Gruyere makes it fancier, mozzarella makes it milder, pepper jack adds heat. Whatever melts well works but stay away from hard cheeses like parmesan as the only cheese.

My top didn’t brown at all, what happened? Your oven might run cool or you didn’t bake it long enough uncovered. Stick it under the broiler for 2-3 minutes but watch it constantly so it doesn’t burn.

Can I double this recipe? Use two 9 by 13 dishes instead of one giant pan. One big pan means the middle won’t cook at the same rate as the edges and you’ll have texture issues.

How long will leftovers last in the fridge? 4 days in a covered container. After that the potatoes start tasting off and the texture gets weird.

Do I have to use the full amount of garlic powder? You could cut it to 1 teaspoon if you don’t like garlic but honestly that’s what makes this taste like something instead of just cream and cheese. The onion powder is less critical if you need to reduce one of them.