Cheesy Hash Brown and Hamburger Casserole

• servings: 8 servings
• active time: 10 minutes
• total time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

1 lb Ground Beef (or any kind of ground meat you like)

1 Yellow Onion, Diced

4-5 Garlic Cloves, minced

30 oz Bag of Frozen Shredded Hash Browns

1 can Cream of Chicken Soup

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup (or you can use 2 cans of any "cream of" soups that you like!)

1 cup Sour Cream

8 oz Shredded Sharp Cheddar (+ 1 more cup for topping)

1-2 tsp Garlic Powder

1-2 tsp Onion Powder

1-2 tsp Black Pepper

1-2 Cups French's Fried Onions

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and minced garlic, cooking until the beef is no longer pink. Drain any excess grease and set the meat aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the frozen hash browns with the cans of cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soup. Add the sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese, then season with garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. Remember to hold off on adding any salt until the end to avoid an overly salty dish.

Mix in the cooked ground beef until well incorporated. Spread the mixture into a 9 x 13 baking dish and bake uncovered for about 45 minutes.

After 45 minutes, remove the casserole from the oven. Top it with an additional cup of cheese and a the French’s crispy fried onions. Return it to the oven and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the onions are golden brown and crispy.

Season to taste if needed. Serve hot and enjoy!

Notes

This can be made up to 2 days ahead. Assemble but do not bake or add the extra cheese or crispy onions on top. When ready, bake as directed.

You can freeze for up to 3 months. Assemble but do not bake or add the extra cheese or crispy onions on top. Wrap tightly in foil or plastic wrap. When ready to bake, allow it to thaw to room temperature and bake as directed.