I’m bringing together my love of Cracker Barrel and comforting casseroles with my love of slow cookers in this simple yet delicious Cracker Barrel copycat slow cooker hashbrown casserole! It’s creamy, cheesy, and bacon-y, and perfect for weekdays, weekends, and holiday dinners!
Talk about simple comfort food. This Cracker Barrel copycat slow cooker hash brown casserole is similar to my slow cooker cheesy potatoes, but taken up a notch.
Made with hash browns, “cream of” soup, bacon, onions, cheese, and sour cream, this casserole gets tossed in the crock pot, stirred, and slow-cooked until it’s ready to be served.
It’s rich and savory, creamy and crispy all at once, and it couldn’t be easier to make.
Some casseroles, like slow cooker green bean casserole and loaded cauliflower casserole, are served as side dishes; you have others like cheesy chicken broccoli and rice that are served as mains, and then there are ones like this Cracker Barrel hashbrown casserole that can be served as either one.
It’s popular around the holidays, so I’ll be serving it up for Thanksgiving, but it’s also an easy meal for breakfast, brunch, or dinner any night of the year!
Cracker Barrel Hash Brown Casserole
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Saves room in the oven for other dishes when preparing a holiday feast.
- It’s uncomplicated, stress-free, and budget friendly.
- This casserole is one everyone will love!
- It tastes just like the one you’d order at Cracker Barrel.
Helpful Tools
- Slow Cooker – my favorite for years! Read my full review here.
- Cheese Grater – I always recommend shredding cheese from the block if you have time – it doesn’t have anti-caking agents so it melts nicer.
- Veggie Chopper – I use this for everything but it’s especially nice for onions.
Ingredients
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this recipe, why you need them, and possible substitutions. Scroll all the way down for the full recipe card with measurements.
Jump- Hashbrowns: I use the frozen shredded hashbrowns. They’re super easy to throw in there straight from frozen. You could also use the diced potato hashbrowns if preferred.
- Sour cream: Adds a creaminess and tang to the casserole.
- Cream of Onion soup: For flavor and to help thicken it up. If cream of onion is not your preference, use cream of mushroom, cream of chicken, or cheddar cheese soup instead. You can also make a homemade “cream of” soup substitute.
- Unsalted butter: When melted, it adds a delicious buttery flavor but also helps to smooth out the thicker sour cream and soup.
- White onion: Chopped onions are a must with things like bacon, cheese, and sour cream.
- Colby Jack cheese: I always recommend grating cheese fresh from a block, whenever possible. However, we’re taking all kinds of shortcuts here, so use pre-shredded if that’s what you have.
- Scallions: Scallions have a sharp, almost peppery flavor that get a bit sweet when cooked.
- Bacon: This is the only part that needs to be done ahead of time. Cooking bacon in the oven is an easy way to do it without splatter on the stove.
- Salt and pepper: To taste.
How to make Slow Cooker Hashbrown Casserole
This section shows you how to make this recipe, with process photos showing the steps to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
Jump- Step 1: Spray the basin of the slow cooker with non-stick spray.
- Step 2: Pour in the frozen hashbrowns. Then, add the sour cream, creamy soup, butter, onion, half of the cheese, half the bacon, and half the scallions, and season with salt and pepper.
- Step 3: Stir everything and top with remaining cheese, bacon, and scallions. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
Every slow cooker runs differently. Times given are a general recommendation and should be tested in your own slow cooker and adjusted as needed.
How to serve it
- Breakfast: It would be great with birds nest breakfast cups, sausages, or a stack of Cracker Barrel pancakes.
- Lunch: A chopped veggie salad for some crunch, or a fruit salad for some sweetness.
- Dinner: You could have this as a side dish and serve it with meatloaf muffins or roast chicken.
- The holidays: Pair it with other classic side dishes like cracker barrel creamy coleslaw, honey cornbread, cracker barrel fried apples, and cranberry sauce.
- If you want to go the extra mile, I highly recommend using a homemade cream of chicken soup. It’s worth it!
- Swap the Colby Jack for sharp cheddar or pepper Jack cheese instead. Or, use your favorite kind.
- Turkey bacon can be used in place of pork bacon.
- You can also use diced ham, ground beef, or sausage if you don’t have bacon on hand.
- Toss in some veggies like bell peppers or mushrooms.
Storage & Reheating
How to store leftovers
Keep leftovers stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezing Instructions
When you freeze anything with potatoes and creamy dairy, you run the risk of having the texture change once it is thawed. You can store leftovers in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. However, just keep in mind it won’t be the same as it originally was. It’ll still taste great!
Reheating Instructions
If it’s frozen, thaw it in the fridge overnight. Reheat it in the microwave or back in the slow cooker. You could also reheat it in the oven at 350 degrees until warmed through.
FAQs
Can I cook Cracker Barrel hashbrown casserole on high?
You can. Cook it for 3.5 hours, but check it at the 3 hour mark since all crockpots are different.
Is it ok to swap the sour cream for Greek yogurt?
There are some occasions where these can be used interchangeably, but this isn’t one of them. When Greek yogurt is heated, it tends to become runny. I would even suggest sticking with full-fat sour cream for best results.
Need more easy casserole recipes? Try these:
Ham and Potato Breakfast Casserole Recipe
Slow Cooker Broccoli Casserole
Slow Cooker Tater Tot Casserole
Click here to view my entire collection of casserole recipes.
Slow Cooker Hashbrown Casserole – Cracker Barrel Copycat
Equipment
Ingredients
- 30 ounces frozen shredded hashbrowns
- 16 ounces sour cream
- 10.5 ounce cream of onion soup
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 small white onion chopped
- 2 cups colby jack cheese divided
- 4 scallions chopped, divided
- 12 slices bacon cooked, chopped, divided
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Spray a 6 quart slow cooker with non-stick spray.
- Pour in the frozen hash browns, sour cream, cream of soup, butter, onion, 1 cup of the cheese, half the chopped scallions, half the cooked bacon, and salt and pepper.30 ounces frozen shredded hashbrowns, 16 ounces sour cream, 10.5 ounce cream of onion soup, ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 small white onion, 2 cups colby jack cheese, 4 scallions, 12 slices bacon, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Stir everything together and then top with the remaining cheese, bacon, and scallions.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours.
Notes
- Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- If you can’t find, or you don’t care for, Cream of Onion, you can use Cream of Chicken, Cheddar Cheese Soup, or Cream of Mushroom Soup.
- Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup is always a good option.
- Cheddar cheese, or any cheese you prefer, can be used in place of Colby Jack.
- Turkey bacon can be used in place of pork.
- If needed, you can cook it on HIGH for 3 hours but I prefer the low setting for this one.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Delicious!! Huge hit!!!
Yay, I’m so glad you liked it, thanks for letting me know!