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a plain dark skillet of creamy shredded hashbrown casserole with melted orange cheddar, irregular browned potato strands and one scoop missing to reveal the soft filling, with no cornflakes, bacon, eggs or garnish
Andre Lewis

Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole

Brown some of the potato shreds before sour cream and cheddar turn them into a casserole. Those darker strands give the soft filling something to work against, even without a crumb topping. A wide oven-safe skillet handles the browning and the final bake, but don't try to crowd all the potatoes into the first batch. Squeeze thawed hashbrowns firmly, cook them in two rounds and keep the cheese sauce off the burner while you fold everything together. The finished spoonful should be creamy between recognizable shreds, with golden patches across the surface and enough tang that another heavy sauce on the plate would be unnecessary.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 8
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 30 oz frozen shredded hashbrown potatoes thawed overnight in the refrigerator
  • 2 tbsp neutral oil divided
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 small yellow onion finely diced
  • 1 cup full-fat sour cream
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 8 oz sharp cheddar grated and divided
  • 3/4 tsp fine salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

Method
 

  1. Heat the oven to 375°F. Squeeze thawed potatoes in a clean towel until they stop dripping, separating compacted shreds afterward.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Spread half the potatoes loosely in the pan, cook for 6 to 7 minutes until the underside browns and turn in sections for 3 minutes; transfer to a large bowl and repeat with remaining oil and potatoes.
  3. Reduce the heat to medium, melt butter in the same skillet and cook onion for 5 minutes until soft. Remove from the heat.
  4. Whisk sour cream, milk, salt, pepper and 6 ounces cheddar together. Fold this mixture and the cooked onion into the potatoes, then return everything to the skillet and spread evenly without packing it down.
  5. Scatter remaining cheddar over the top and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until bubbling in the center and golden in patches. Rest for 10 minutes before scooping.