Receta Cracker Barrel Loaded Hashbrowns
I know, you have loved the Hash Brown Casserole found at Cracker Barrel. They have now raised the bar, check out the new Cracker Barrel Loaded Hash brown casserole.
This was a dish that was recently served as part of their seasonal menu. They often switch out menu items on a seasonal basis, and I fell in love with this new heartier casserole. It featured sausage, 4 different types of cheeses, and red bell peppers. This casserole is hearty enough to be served for dinner. While I love both versions of this casserole, this one is more sophisticated.
What makes this hash brown casserole different? Four types of cheese, would be one. This one has American cheese, Colby cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, and Cheddar. All of these cheeses together combine to make a wonderfully rich cheese sauce that is smooth and creamy. You won’t be disappointed in here. I also like the addition of the red bell peppers and sausage. The sausage adds a nice touch to this casserole. I like to use sage style breakfast sausage, bit must be those Midwest roots in me showing. You could make this with a spicy sausage as well.
If you wanted to make this casserole your own I would suggest adding some onions into the sausage while you are browning it, or perhaps even a jalapeno pepper. Both of these additions would make this casserole very tasty. I did find this casserole reheated fairly well, so if you don’t finish it all at once, it will reheat just fine.
If you love Cracker Barrel recipes, be sure to check out my copy cat Cracker Barrel Recipe Collection
Cracker Barrel Loaded Hash Brown Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound sausage
- 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped red bell pepper
- 1 pound package hash browns
- 1/2 cup grated american cheese
- 1/2 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Monterey jack
- 1/2 cup grated Colby cheese + 1 additional cup grated Colby cheese for topping casserole
- 2 cups milk
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 pound package hash browns
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Brown sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, be sure to break the sausage into small bite sized pieces when browning. When sausage is almost done add 2 to 3 tablespoons of chopped red bell pepper into the sausage. Drain sausage when finished cooking.
Add 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium sized sauce pan. Add 2 tablespoons of flour to the butter. Allow the butter and flour to cook over medium heat for about 1 minute. You must cook the flour and butter mixture together so that the flour won't taste raw. Add 1/4 of the milk to the roux, and stir until thickened. Once the sauce is thick add another 1/4 of the milk, and stir until thickened. Finally add the remaining milk to the sauce once it has thickened. Once the sauce has gotten thick add the cheese and stir until the the cheese has melted.
In a large bowl combine hash browns, cheese sauce, and sausage. Stir to combine. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Top with additional grated Colby cheese. Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes.