Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 30 ounces frozen shredded hash browns
- 1 cup sour cream
- 10.5 ounces cream of chicken soup (one can)
- 10.5 ounces cream of mushroom soup (one can)
- 16 ounces shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups French's fried onions
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C) to ensure it’s hot enough for baking the casserole to a golden-brown finish.
- Cook Ground Beef: In a large 5-quart cast-iron skillet or stainless steel pan, brown the lean ground beef together with diced onion until the beef is no longer pink. Add minced garlic and cook for another minute. Drain excess grease if desired but leaving some drippings is optional when using lean meat. Set cooked beef mixture aside.
- Prepare Hash Brown Mixture: In a large mixing bowl, combine frozen shredded hash browns, cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, 8 ounces of shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. Mix thoroughly.
- Combine Meat and Potatoes: Add the cooked ground beef and onion mixture to the bowl with the hash brown mixture and stir everything together evenly. Pour this combined mixture back into the original skillet or transfer to a lightly greased 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Bake the Casserole: Place the casserole in the preheated oven and bake uncovered for 45 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the hash browns to cook through.
- Add Toppings and Final Bake: Remove the casserole from the oven. Evenly sprinkle the remaining shredded cheddar cheese and French's fried onions on top. Return to the oven and bake an additional 10 minutes until cheese is melted and the fried onions turn a deep golden brown and crunchy.
- Serve: Remove from oven and let the casserole cool slightly. Serve warm and enjoy this cheesy, savory, and crispy ground beef hash brown casserole.
Notes
- You can substitute cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soup with your preferred cream soup flavor or make homemade cream soups for a fresher taste.
- Using a cast-iron skillet allows you to go from stovetop to oven for easy preparation and cleanup, but a baking dish works just as well.
- For a crispier topping, add the fried onions at the very end of baking to keep their crunch.
- Lean ground beef works best to reduce excess grease, but you can use regular ground beef if you drain the fat thoroughly.
- This casserole can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated before baking; just add a few extra minutes to the baking time if baking from cold.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Casserole
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
