This hamburger hashbrown casserole is the perfect brunch or Christmas morning breakfast idea! A creamy hearty meal using frozen shredded potatoes and meatballs.
I could eat breakfast for dinner most nights. It is perfect year round but also great if you’re serving brunch and a great addition to our Christmas morning spread. This is definitely one of our favorite quick and easy casseroles.
Cowboy Hash Brown Casserole
Casseroles to me are great, and the perfect way to use leftovers of any kind really. I always have cups of shredded cheese and cream of mushroom in the house. We have had this for dinner too a few times and the kids love it. It’s a complete meal all by itself and the perfect comfort food for all ages.
You can make it with any kind of meat really but we used frozen meatballs this time. It is a great leftover ham casserole too. You can stuff it full of whatever meat you have left over really. A bit like our easy Swedish Meatball Casserole except we used shredded potatoes instead of noodles this time. 😉
Ingredient Notes
You will need a bag of frozen hash browns potatoes. I typically use whatever brand is on sale but you do want the shredded kind vs. diced. You do not have to know how to cook frozen hashbrowns, they just need to be defrosted.
I typically will use 1 Bag of premade meatballs defrosted on counter, microwave or in pressure cooker. If you wanted to make this more homemade I would opt to make meatballs in oven and then make these once cooked.
Diced onions are nice diced but optional of course. If you do choose to add them, smart, I would use white or yellow varieties.
Shredded cheddar cheese, a lot of us in our case, is added. I like sharp but choose your favorite.
Homemade or canned condensed cream of mushroom soup and some Sour Cream makes this hamburger hash brown dish nice and creamy.
Butter or use plant based dairy free alternative. Salt and pepper and any other seasoning you love can be added and use a casserole dish or baking dish that is 9×13″
Hamburger Hashbrown Casserole with Sour Cream Recipe
Equipment
- 1 9×13 pan
Ingredients
- 1 bag frozen meatballs, defrosted
- 2 c cheddar cheese
- 1/4 c chives, optional
- 3/4 onion, diced
- 24 oz frozen hashbrowns, defrosted
- 1/2 c butter, melted
- 1/2 tsp salt, optional
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 2 c sour cream, light is okay
- 1 can chiles, diced
Instructions
- Leave meatballs and hashbrowns on the counter for 1-2 hrs. or until they are mostly defrosted (or use microwave at half power for 1 minute at a time, stirring in between until they are mostly defrosted).
- Empty hashbrowns and all other ingredients except 1 c. of your cheddar cheese, chives, and your meatballs. Stir well.
- Fold in meatballs (can cut them into fourths or leave them whole…or use leftover ham instead).
- Dump mixture into a baking dish and put it into the oven at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or until bubbly and warm.
- Sprinkle the last cup of shredded cheese on the top and put back into the oven for 10 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted.
- Sprinkle with remaining chives and serve!
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Substitutions
Now if you didn’t want or have sour cream on hand there is an alternative, Greek yogurt. Choose plain instead of flavored just be aware that the flavor will be different than with this original ingredient.
It is really wonderful after Easter using our leftover ham as well, we make this and our little turnover leftover ham recipe then as well to use it ALL up.
with Frozen Meatballs
Yes you can make this with a homemade hamburger mixture and bake those first, but honestly it is a great way of how to cook frozen meatballs and make an entire meal with them.
Without Cream of Mushroom Soup
If you need a dairy free option I have found Daiya brand to offer great shredded lactose free cheddar that tastes pretty close to the same. As far as using condensed soup goes we have our Hash Brown Casserole without Soup for you too.
It is a great breakfast, or occasionally we make breakfast for dinner like our Ground Beef Hash Brown Casserole and it’s super easy to throw together. In the case that you don’t have hamburger on hand just defrost a bag of these babies, dice it up into small pieces and it can be used just like if you browned it yourself from raw.
FAQ
If you are just trying to crisp those without adding them into a casserole or other dish then yes it is recommended to defrost them ahead of time. Reason for this is that they will get crispier without ice on the outside of your shredded potatoes. Go a step further and lay on paper towels to absorb the excess moisture before frying in a skillet with a bit of butter or oil.
There are so many dishes you can make with frozen meatballs. Defrosted you can cut in half and throw into spaghetti to add protein. Fold into a casserole like we did here along with shredded potatoes and cheese for a hearty brunch idea. Toss in a sauce for an easy appetizer, or dice up and it makes a great alternative to ground beef in chili.
How to save a leftover casserole
When it is at room temperature transfer it into a freezer bag, my personal choice. Suck all the air out of it and leave in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When you reheat put it on a plate with a Tbsp of milk on the top to make it moist again and heat in the microwave for about 1 minute until warmed to your liking. Same goes with our cheesy potato casserole recipe.
Other easy casserole recipes you’ll love
Crock pot breakfast casserole has similar ingredients in it but is made in a slow cooker which is nice during the holidays for sure. Crockpot monkey bread is a sweet treat you can try sometime too. Our Crockpot potato soup with frozen hashbrowns is another winner.
Give it a whirl and let us know what you think. Did you add some other type of meat that turned out great? Let us know, I’d love to try your version too.
