🐷🧀🥔 This EASY casserole is made with just six ingredients and serves a crowd! Frozen hashbrowns are mixed with diced ham and coated in a CHEESY sauce before being baked until golden. A perfect recipe to use up leftover ham from the holidays! The casserole can even be assembled in ADVANCE and baked off later which makes it handy for brunch or busy weeknights.
½cupcream cheesesoftened to room temperature (do not use lite, fat free, whipped, or 'spreadable' cream cheese)
½cupmilkwhole or 2% recommended
1 ½cupsshredded cheddar cheese, divided(mozzarella, Jack, pepper Jack may be substituted)
3cupshash brownsI use frozen that I thaw, refrigerated are also fine, see FAQs for more info
1cupcooked hamdiced (leftover ham of almost any kind works, or use a piece of ham from your grocery store's deli case, and cube it; don't use thin-sliced ham like cold cuts)
½teaspoonsalt, or to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
fresh parsley or thinly sliced green onions, optional for garnishing
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375F, spray your baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.
To a large mixing bowl, add the condensed soup, cream cheese, milk, half the cheese, and whisk to combine. Tip - It's important that the cream cheese be very well softened to room temp or this step is unnecessarily challenging.
Add the hash browns, ham, salt, pepper, and stir to combine.
Turn mixture out into prepared baking dish, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula.
Evenly sprinkle the remaining half the cheese over the top, cover tightly with foil, and bake for about 30 minutes. Tip - If you're making this in advance, cover and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours before baking. Before baking, allow the casserole dish to sit on your counter for 30-60 minutes, or until it's not chilled. Baking with a cold casserole dish may cause uneven baking, or may unnecessarily add time to the baking process.
Remove the foil and allow the casserole to bake, uncovered for about 10 minutes, or until the top is lightly golden browned.
Optionally garnish with parsley or green onions and serve immediately. Anything with melted cheese is always better served hot and freshly made.
Notes
Storage: Leftovers will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat gently in the microwave or as desired.