Slow Cooker Hash Brown Casserole is a must-have for family gatherings and holiday meals. What better occasion for tasty sides that you simply can’t pass up? This recipe includes a flavorful, cheesy sauce without any canned extras and you can make it entirely in the slow cooker – easy as that!

Slow Cooker Hashbrown Casserole served and garnished next to the slow slow cooker with meal inside

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What’s To Love About This Recipe

Hash brown casserole is the best dish to make in the slow cooker for holidays and events where you have multiple things to prepare. Just add everything to the slow cooker and serve when it’s ready.
The recipe won’t leave you with lots of dishes to clean! Everything will cook right in the slow cooker. Unless you want to shred the cheese yourself, there is no other prep needed.
Hash brown casserole is a true comfort-food that appeals to just about everyone. It makes a great side for traditional roasts, BBQ, or holiday turkey or ham.
You can serve this as a side for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. (My family has certainly eaten it for all of those meals!)
When I’m cooking meals to share with family and friends, it’s very important to me to use quality, whole (unprocessed) ingredients where I can. This recipe does not use any canned soups, added oils, or packaged seasoning mixes. You’ll approve every ingredient in this casserole!

Ingredients Needed

Frozen hash browns – Pick up a bag of frozen, unseasoned shredded potatoes. I prefer certain brands over others since I like to use hash browns that only contain potatoes without any additives. Choose the brand that works best for you and keep them frozen until ready to add to the slow cooker.
Flour – Flour is used to thicken the cheese sauce and combine the ingredients into a true casserole. You can use regular all-purpose flour, or make a swap for gluten-free all-purpose flour.
Shredded cheddar cheese – The hallmark ingredient of hash brown casserole! Choose mild or sharp cheddar cheese and, if you have time, I recommend grating the cheese yourself. By using fresh-grated cheese, you can avoid the anti-caking additives in bags of pre-shredded cheese, and it tends to melt a bit smoother.
Chicken broth – Chicken broth adds flavor to the base of the sauce and replaces the liquid needed from a canned soup. You will get excellent results with organic chicken broth or chicken bone broth – plus extra protein and nutrients!
Heavy cream – Fair warning, this is NOT a recipe where you’ll want to count calories. Every bit of the heavy cream is worth it here to achieve the rich, cheesy sauce!
Sour cream – Use regular, full-fat sour cream for this slow cooker recipe. Don’t opt for other varieties since it can potentially curdle or separate during cooking.
Seasonings – Just a bit of salt and onion powder will add a light seasoning to the cheesy, creamy goodness!

bowl of hashbrowns, cup of cheese, cream, flour, seasonings, chicken broth, 1/4 cup of of heavy cream

How To Make Hash Brown Casserole In The Slow Cooker

It’s so easy to throw this together. You will want to add it to your menu for entertaining to stay hands-free in the kitchen!

Add the hash browns to a large bowl.

uncooked hashbrowns in bowl next to wooden spoon

Sprinkle with flour and toss with a spoon to coat evenly.
Add the remaining ingredients (except for a handful of shredded cheese for the top) and stir it together until evenly combined.

uncooked hashbrowns with flour poured on top with measuring spoon in bowl

uncooked hashbrowns in bowl being stirred by wooden spoon

Add the mixture to the slow cooker. Scrape or wipe extra food off the sides to prevent any burning during cooking.
Sprinkle a handful of cheese across the top of the hash brown mixture.

Hashbrown Casserole uncooked in slow cooker with shredded chicken poured on top

Cover and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours.

Slow Cooker Hashbrown Casserole completed next to wooden spoon, plate, and cheese

Recipe Substitutions and Variations

Try a few substitutions or make your own version of hash brown casserole. It’s so versatile!

To make this casserole gluten-free, use gluten-free flour and check the label for the hash browns to ensure it doesn’t have added ingredients containing gluten.
Shredded cheddar is the classic option for this casserole, but you could try out new flavors with other shredded cheeses that melt well. Try colby jack, pepper jack, gouda, or a combination of cheeses.
Make this an all-in-one meal by adding leftover cooked meat like ground beef, pork, chopped ham, or even shredded chicken.
Add in some veggies like frozen peas or finely chopped carrots. Or, add about half of a yellow onion – diced into small pieces!

What To Serve Hash Brown Casserole With

Think of practically any of your favorite main meals with meat, potatoes, and veggies. Hash brown casserole is the perfect variable for a meal like this!

Serve it as a side to Shredded BBQ Chicken, with fresh corn on the cob and salad. Or, make this for a classic holiday dinner featuring sweet sliced ham, rolls with butter, and Green Beans. You can also serve hash brown casserole as a brunch option with eggs, bacon, and anything else you want to add to the spread!

Slow Cooker Hashbrown Casserole and wooden spoon scooping some up

Storing and Reheating

You will definitely want to save your leftovers to eat for breakfast, lunch, or dinner the next day! Store leftover casserole in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave for short intervals.

This casserole won’t freeze well due to the separation of the dairy ingredients.