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Chicken Hashbrown Casserole Recipe in a casserole dish on a towel with wooden spatula in it.

Chicken Hashbrown Casserole Recipe

What could be better at dinner time than a hot, creamy, cheesy Chicken Hash Brown Casserole recipe? This is comfort that the whole family will love. You get tender chicken, hearty hash browns, and a creamy cheese sauce all mixed in one easy casserole recipe. It's a great recipe to make ahead and reheat on a busy weeknight. Or even freeze for a really busy week!

Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword casserole, chicken, chicken casserole
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Author Carrie Tyler

Ingredients

Chicken

  • 24 ounces Chicken Breasts, boneless, skinless
  • 2 teaspoons Olive Oil for sheet pan
  • ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • ½ teaspoon Ground black pepper

Casserole

  • 2 pounds Frozen Hash Browns
  • 3 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour
  • 3 Tablespoons Butter salted (or unsalted)
  • 1 cup Milk 1% (Skim, 2%, or Whole will work)
  • 1 cup Vegetable Broth or chicken broth
  • 8 ounces Cream Cheese
  • 8 ounces Sour Cream
  • 2 ¼ cups Shredded Sharp Cheddar
  • 3 Scallions (Green Onions)
  • 2 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoon Dried Oregano
  • 2 teaspoon Salt
  • 2 teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper

Instructions

Roast and Shred Chicken

  1. Preheat oven to 400 F degrees. On an oiled sheet pan, season the raw Chicken with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven and let cool enough to handle.

  2. While the chicken is cooking, peel and mince the garlic, thinly slice the scallions, get the other ingredients ready.

  3. When the chicken has cooled, shred it into bite-size pieces with your fingers or two forks.

Make the Casserole

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.

  2. In preheated medium sauce pot, add butter and stir to melt. Add Flour and whisk to combine with the butter. Cook stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the broth adding ¼ at a time and whisking in completely before adding in the next ¼. Then whisk in the milk until the roux is completely and smoothly mixed into the liquids. Continue to stir and cook over medium heat until it comes to a light simmer and thickens. Finally, mix in the cream cheese until it melts smooth. Turn off the heat.

  3. To a large mixing bowl, add the frozen hash browns, shredded chicken, the thickened cream cheese mixture, sour cream, cheese, garlic, scallion, oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix to combine.

  4. Add the hash brown mixture to a 9×13 casserole dish. Bake in the oven center rack for 45 minutes covered with aluminum foil. Remove the cover for the last 10 minutes, add the remaining cheese to the top and turn the broiler on to brown the top. Monitor the casserole to ensure that it does not burn under the broiler.

Recipe Notes

  • Can I Make This Using Ground Beef Instead?
    Ground beef can be used in place of chicken. In fact, check out my Cheesy Hamburger Potato Casserole Recipe! To use ground beef, I would go with 2 pounds. Just cook it in a frying pan or large skillet so that it separates and gets browned. Then add it the same way you would add the chicken.

  • Can I use fresh potatoes in this recipe?  You can use fresh yukon potatoes that have been diced into small ½ inch to ¾ inch cubes. They will take a bit more to cook through, but if you turn the oven heat to 400 F degrees, that should do the trick for 40 minutes covered and 10 minutes uncovered. 
  • Storing, Reheating, Freezing
    • You can make this Chicken casserole ahead, making it great for meal prep! Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 

    • Reheat it in a microwave safe bowl and warm it for 1-2 minutes. In the oven, cover it and warm it for 15-20 minutes at 350 F degrees. Or place it in a covered pot on the stove on medium heat for about 10-15 minutes.

    • You can freeze this cooked recipe by first cooling it in the refrigerator. Then transfer it to a freezer safe airtight container. It will keep in the freezer for up to 9 months. To reheat, thaw it in the fridge 24 hours before cooking. Then place in either the oven at 350 F for 20 minutes or in the microwave oven for 5 minutes and then another minute at a time until fully warmed through.