Equipment Needed
- 9×13 inch baking dish
- Large skillet
- Large mixing bowl
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Aluminum foil
Step-by-Step Instructions
First, I preheat my oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly grease that 9×13 baking dish. Then, in my large skillet over medium-high heat, I brown the ground beef with the diced onion. This is where the foundation is built—I cook it until there’s no pink left, breaking it up into crumbles, and then I drain any excess grease. That’s when I stir in the minced garlic for just 30 seconds until fragrant. You can literally smell the flavor building right here.
While the beef is browning, I make the creamy sauce in my large mixing bowl. This is the magic glue. I whisk together the can of Cream of Chicken soup, the sour cream, milk, paprika, garlic powder, a good pinch of salt, and a few cracks of black pepper until it’s completely smooth. I then fold in the thawed hash browns and 2 cups of the shredded cheddar cheese. The mixture will be thick and chunky, and that’s exactly what you want.
Now, I combine everything. I gently stir the drained beef and onion mixture into the hash brown and sauce base. I’ve found that folding it carefully, rather than stirring aggressively, keeps the hash browns from breaking down too much. Once it’s evenly mixed, I transfer the whole lot into my prepared baking dish, spreading it out into a nice, even layer.
For the final flourish, I sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese over the top. Then, I cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil—this is crucial for the first half of baking to steam the potatoes and melt everything together. I bake it covered for 40 minutes, then remove the foil. This is the moment of transformation! I bump the heat up to 400°F and let it bake, uncovered, for another 15-20 minutes until the top is beautifully spotty-brown and the edges are bubbling fiercely.(See the next page below to continue…)