From the roundup: 24 Fall Casserole Recipes for Cozy Comfort Dinners
This ham and cheddar hash brown casserole is what I make when I have half a leftover holiday ham in the fridge and zero interest in cooking something complicated. Twenty minutes of mixing, then it goes in the oven covered for 40 minutes and uncovered for 15. That hands-off hour is real. I am not standing over it.
The one thing that will make or break this dish is squeezing the thawed hash browns dry before they go into the bowl. I skipped that step once, convinced it was optional, and pulled out a watery, sunken mess that took an extra 20 minutes to bake through and still never fully set in the center. It is not optional. A kitchen towel and 30 seconds of squeezing over the sink is all it takes.
Deli ham works perfectly fine here, but if you have leftover ham from Easter or Christmas, use that instead. The flavor is noticeably better, and it is a practical way to stretch a big cut across two meals. The casserole feeds eight and reheats well, so it pulls double duty as dinner one night and lunch the next day.
Why you will love this
- One 9×13 pan feeds eight people, which covers a full family dinner or a brunch without doubling anything.
- The thin layer of cheddar pressed into the bottom of the dish crisps up during baking so the casserole releases in actual squares, not a pile of mush.
- Leftover holiday ham is the ideal use here. No extra prep, just dice and stir it in.
- The 40-minute covered bake does the real work. You are not babysitting it.
- Leftovers reheat well in the microwave the next morning, which is a legitimate breakfast.
Tips for success
- Squeeze the hash browns until you think you are done, then squeeze again. The more moisture you pull out, the cleaner the center sets. This is the single most important step in the recipe.
- Shred the cheddar yourself from a block. Pre-shredded cheese has a starch coating that affects how it melts and can leave the sauce slightly grainy.
- Do not skip the 8 to 10 minute rest after it comes out of the oven. Cutting into it too soon means the filling runs. Give it the full rest and the squares will hold their shape.
- If your oven runs hot, check the casserole at the 12-minute mark of the uncovered bake. You want golden and bubbling at the edges, not dark brown and dry on top.
If the center is still wet
- If the knife meets resistance or the center jiggles when you pull the foil, re-cover and bake in 5-minute increments. A cold baking dish or dense hash browns can add time.
- Assembling the casserole straight from the fridge without letting it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes first is the most common reason the center lags behind the edges.
- If the top is browning faster than the center is cooking through, tent it loosely with foil and keep baking.
Substitutions
Diced cooked turkey or crumbled browned breakfast sausage can replace the ham without changing anything else in the recipe. If you only have cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup on hand, either one works in place of the cream of onion, though the flavor will be slightly different. Greek yogurt substitutes for sour cream in equal amounts. Colby Jack or Monterey Jack can replace the sharp cheddar if that is what you have.
For kids who pick out onion pieces, grate the onion on a box grater instead of dicing it. It disappears into the filling completely. Frozen diced hash browns can replace shredded hash browns, but squeeze them the same way and expect a slightly chunkier texture in the finished casserole.
Make-ahead and storage
You can assemble the full casserole the night before, cover it tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate it overnight. Pull it out while the oven preheats, then bake as directed and add 10 to 15 minutes to the covered bake time since it is starting cold. Cover leftovers tightly and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
To reheat, microwave individual squares for about 2 minutes or place the whole dish covered with foil in a 325-degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes. This casserole can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before reheating, and expect the texture to be a little softer than fresh, which is fine for a reheated weeknight meal but not ideal if you are serving guests.
Ham and Cheddar Hash Brown Casserole
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9×13 inch baking dish with the softened butter. Set it aside.
- Spread the thawed hash browns onto a clean kitchen towel or a thick layer of paper towels. Gather the towel and squeeze firmly over the sink to remove as much moisture as possible. This step is not optional. Wet hash browns will make the casserole watery and the center will never set properly.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the sour cream, condensed cream of onion soup, milk, diced onion, minced garlic, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder until smooth. Add the squeezed hash browns, diced ham, and 2 cups of the shredded cheddar. Stir everything together until evenly combined.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar in an even layer over the bottom of the greased baking dish. This bottom layer will crisp up during baking and act as a barrier so the casserole releases in clean squares. Pour the hash brown mixture over the cheese and spread it into an even layer with a spatula.
- Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. The casserole needs this covered time to steam through and cook the potatoes all the way to the center.
- Remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 15 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the edges are bubbling. Insert a knife in the center. If it meets little resistance and the center is hot, the casserole is done.
- Let the casserole rest for 8 to 10 minutes before cutting. This rest time lets the filling firm up so you get clean, even squares instead of scoopable mush.
Notes
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