When some refined, backwoods cuisine is calling your name, we have just the bit of hee-haw good eating you’re craving! Country Hash Browns are the best down-home way to eat taters in a more elevated, sophisticated manner. You know it’s sure to be a hit when you assemble tart sour cream, mild melted cheddar cheese, lots of seasonings, and smooth half-and-half to make these creamy, delicious 5-star spuds! The always versatile Country Hash Browns can be the star of the backyard barbecue or the golden moment at a black-tie affair. You can take the tater out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the tater. Yee-haw, let’s enjoy!
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup half-and-half
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 cups mild cheddar cheese, shredded, divided
- 1 (30-ounce) bag frozen shredded hashbrowns, thawed
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter.
Step 3 –In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the remaining butter.
Step 4 –Add the garlic powder, the onion, 1/2 teaspoon the salt, and the black pepper and cook until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes.
Step 5 –Add the flour to the butter mixture and whisk until it is sizzling and lightly golden, about 2 minutes.
Step 6 –Add the half-and-half and the chicken broth to the flour-butter mixture, return to a simmer, and cook until thickened, about 1 minute.
Step 7 –Transfer the sauce mixture from the heat, add the sour cream and 1 1/2 cups of the cheddar cheese, and stir to combine.
Step 8 –Add the hashbrowns to the sauce mixture and stir to combine.
Step 9 –Add more of the salt and the black pepper if needed and stir to combine.
Step 10 –Pour the hashbrown mixture into the prepared baking dish and evenly sprinkle with the remaining cheddar cheese.
Step 11 –Bake the hashbrown mixture until browned and bubbling around the edges, about 45 minutes.
Step 12 –Increase the oven temperature to 475 degrees F and bake until the top of the hashbrown mixture is crisp and browned all over, about 5 minutes.
Step 13 –Serve.
