Make this traditional Creamy and Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole extra special by replacing the canned condensed celery soup with an easy homemade version! 

I know.  Thanksgiving is tomorrow, so it’s probably too late to add this to your holiday menu…but my family loves eating this creamy and cheesy hashbrown casserole long after Thanksgiving has passed. Truth be told, my mom usually makes this casserole for Christmas and sometimes even New Year’s, so I view this dish as more of a winter holiday side item than for Thanksgiving.  Plus, we’re usually in a mashed potato coma on Thanksgiving Day, 😉

But since my husband is a potato-fanatic, he’d be willing to eat this any time I make it.  If you want to know the truth, I made it for our little family of three last Saturday, and then made it again Sunday to take to an early Thanksgiving at my in-laws.  It’s super yummy and oh-so-easy.  Aren’t those the main requirements for casserole dishes?

I mentioned in yesterday’s post that I grew up eating casseroles that contained condensed cream of whatever soups – but I totally get that most of us try to avoid those canned products these days.  So for this casserole, I used my own homemade version of condensed cream of celery soup…and I have to admit that it really made all of the difference in this dish.

Hashbrown casseroles are a staple during our family holiday dinners, and like most casseroles, this one is super simple to mix up. You’ll just need a bag of shredded hashbrowns, cheese, sour cream, this fantastic homemade cream of celery soup (it only takes 15 minutes to make, I promise!) and something for crunch to sprinkle on top. We use cornflakes in my family, but I know a lot of people substitute potato chips or buttery crackers (like Ritz). Use whatever you’d like for the top, but promise me you’ll make your own celery soup – you won’t regret it!

Creamy and Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole

 

Print

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
• 1¼ cups homemade condensed cream of celery soup*
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 (30 ounce) package frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups cornflakes

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Combine the sour cream, cream of celery soup, cheese, garlic powder, hash browns, and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Stir together until well blended.
3. Transfer the potato mixture into prepared casserole dish. Top evenly with cornflakes and bake for 45 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Notes

*if you do not make your own condensed soup (but please, please make your own!): saute one small yellow diced onion, 5 stalks of finely diced celery and 1 minced garlic clove in 4 tablespoons of butter until the vegetables are tender. Add the cooked vegetables to the remaining ingredients and proceed as directed in step 2.

3.5.3251