Slow Cooker Hashbrown Casserole
This cheesy hashbrown casserole made in the slow cooker is a tasty easy side dish! A crockpot full of cheesy potato is great for potlucks.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter salted
- 8 ounces ham diced
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
- ¼ cup flour all-purpose
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ cup beef broth
- ½ cup heavy cream can also use half and half or whipping cream
- 26 ounces hash browns shredded, frozen
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded, divided
Instructions
- In a medium sized skillet over medium heat add the butter and melt. Pour diced ham into the pan and sautee stirring frequently until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic to the pan and cook until fragrant; about a minute.
- Sprinkle flour over ham. Stir continuously and cook for a minute. The flour will just begin to brown.
- Pour beef broth and heavy cream into the pan. Stir gently until heated through and it begins to thicken. Remove the mixture from the heat.
- Spray a crockpot base with cooking oil. Add hash browns, sour cream, 1 ½ cups cheese, ham with sauce, onion powder, garlic powder and pepper all to the crockpot base. Mix well with a silicone spatula, then use the spatula to wipe down any of the sauce from the sides of the crock. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese over the top of the potato mixture.
- Cover and cook for 4-5 hours on low heat or on high heat for 2-3 hours. The dish will be done when it is bubbly and cooked all the way through. See notes for more details. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Cooking the dish too long, especially on high heat can turn the potatoes too much. Start checking at the minimum time to avoid overcooking. When the entire dish is warm and bubbly, the dish can be served. If the dish is ready sooner then you expect, flip the slow cooker to warm.
Prepping this dish the night before totally works but for the best results I recommend using this process. When it comes time to mix all the ingredients together leave out the potatoes and don't top with the last 1/2 cup of cheese. Then when you are ready to cook mix in the frozen shredded potatoes and top with the shredded cheese, then turn the slow cooker on. This will keep the potatoes from defrosting before you cook, which can cause them to get too mushy.
For the frozen shredded hashbrowns, you can use up to 30 ounces or down to 20 ounces before you have to start adjusting the sauce amount a lot more by simply doubling the recipe. If using a 30 ounce bag of shredded hashbrowns I recommend adding an extra 1/2 cup of sour cream and an extra splash of heavy cream in the slow cooker to help add a little more creamy sauce.
Nutrition
Calories: 513kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 104mg | Sodium: 869mg | Potassium: 565mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 852IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 328mg | Iron: 2mg