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This sourdough hash brown casserole is a cheesy, comforting dish that’s perfect for breakfast, brunch, and holiday gatherings. Sourdough discard adds flavor and helps thicken the creamy white sauce that brings together tender hash browns and melted cheese for an irresistible casserole. Easy to make and ideal for feeding a crowd, this sourdough hash brown casserole is sure to become a family favorite for everything from weekend breakfasts to festive holiday meals.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
Comfort Food – This from scratch recipe is one of those comfort food dishes you look forward to at Christmas and Thanksgiving, along with ham and turkey!
Feed A Crowd – This is the perfect sourdough breakfast casserole to feed a crowd! It can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator and is perfect on it’s own or as a tasty breakfast side dish. We love serving it as a side dish to bacon and eggs on a weekend morning.
Uses 150 grams of Sourdough Discard – You can add 150 g of sourdough discard to this sourdough hash brown casserole to thicken the white sauce, similar to when you make sourdough mac and cheese.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Butter – I’ve used salted butter. Melted butter is the foundation of the creamy white sauce in this casserole.
- Potatoes – You can use fresh shredded potatoes or frozen hash browns or frozen shredded potatoes. I’ve chosen to use fresh potatoes which I’ve shredded on a box grater.
- Cheddar Cheese – I always grate my own cheese. Store-bought shredded cheese never melts the same because it has additives to stop it sticking together.
- Sourdough Discard
- Whole Milk
- Salt and Black Pepper
- Onion Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Sour Cream
- Breadcrumbs – I’ve used stale sourdough bread that I’ve run through a food processor to make into breadcrumbs to sprinkle on the top of the casserole, giving this comfort food dish a deliciously crunchy top.
- Green Onions or Scallions – These are just for garnish.
How To Make Sourdough Hash Brown Casserole
This easy sourdough hash brown casserole uses simple ingredients you would normally have in your pantry and fridge. It’s a great sourdough recipe to have in your collection if you have lots of potatoes to use up (like we do when my husband harvests our potato patch).
Preheat your oven to 200ºC (400ºF) and grab a 9 x 13″ baking dish or casserole dish (this dish is a little deep however I find it saves the white sauce spilling over into the bottom of the oven).
Grate the potatoes using a box grater (I have chosen to leave the skin on but you can peel yours if you prefer). Place the grated potatoes onto a flour sack tea towel and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Set the potatoes aside in the dish towel while you prepare the other ingredients.
In a medium sized saucepan, melt the butter gently. Once the butter is melted, add the sourdough starter and whisk until combined. Then add the milk on top and whisk over a medium heat until the sauce thickens. Add the pepper, salt and onion powder and whisk until well combined. Depending on which type of pepper you use, the sauce might look a grey or brown color – don’t stress, it will be fine!
Now take the saucepan off the heat and whisk the sour cream through the white sauce you’ve just made. Set this aside for now.
In a large bowl, add the potatoes and about 3/4 of the cheese and stir together until well distributed. Now pour the white sauce into the bowl and stir through the potato and cheese mixture.
Transfer mixture into your baking dish. Top with the remaining cheese and breadcrumbs (if using). Cover with foil and place into the oven for 45 minutes.
Once 45 minutes has passed, remove the aluminium foil and place back into the oven to brown for 15 minutes (increase the temperature to 220ºC (430ºF) for this bit to ensure the top browns).
Once golden brown and bubbly on top, remove from the oven and allow to sit for 15 minutes before serving. This allows the sauce to thicken and the casserole to “set” before you serve it.
How To Store + Freeze
This sourdough hash brown casserole can be made up to 2 days ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Bake it and then allow to cool and wrap in aluminum foil. Warm through in a moderate oven, uncovered, before serving.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
You can freeze this recipe. Once baked and cooled, cover the baking dish in aluminium foil (I do a double layer). Store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Allow to thaw overnight in the fridge. Warm through in a moderate oven before serving.
More Sourdough Breakfast Recipes
Sourdough Hash Brown Casserole
Equipment
- 9" x 13" baking dish
- Box Grater
Ingredients
- 80 g Butter
- 1.2 kg Potatoes, (shredded, all the moisture squeezed out – see notes for frozen alternative)
- 350 g Cheddar Cheese, (shredded – see notes for best cheese to use)
- 150 g Sourdough Starter
- 150 g Milk
- 7 g Salt, (approx. 1 tsp)
- 5 g Pepper, (approx. 1.5 tsp)
- 3 g Onion Powder, (approx. 1 tsp)
- 250 g Sour Cream
- 3 Green Onions, (optional – finely sliced for garnish)
- 50 g Breadcrumbs, (I've used stale sourdough bread blitzed but you can use store bought if you prefer)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200C (390F) and grab a 9 x 13" baking dish (this dish is a little deep however I find it saves the white sauce spilling over into the bottom of the oven).
- Grate the potatoes using a box grater (I have chosen to leave the skin on but you can peel yours if you prefer). Place the grated potato onto a flour sack tea towel and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Set the potatoes aside in the dish towel while you prepare the other ingredients.
- In a medium sized saucepan, melt the butter gently. Once the butter is melted, add the sourdough starter and whisk until combined. Then add the milk on top and whisk over a medium heat until the sauce thickens. Add the pepper, salt and onion powder and whisk until well combined. Depending on which type of pepper you use, the sauce might look a grey or brown color – don't stress, it will be fine!
- Now take the saucepan off the heat and whisk the sour cream through the white sauce you've just made. Set this aside for now.
- In a large bowl, add the potatoes and about 3/4 of the cheese and stir together until well distributed. Now pour the white sauce into the bowl and stir through the potato and cheese mixture.
- Pour the potato mixture into your baking dish. Top with the remaining cheese and breadcrumbs (if using). Cover with foil and place into the oven for 45 minutes.
- Once 45 minutes has passed, remove the aluminium foil and place back into the oven to brown for 15 minutes (increase the temperature to 220C (430F) for this bit to ensure the top browns).
- Once golden brown and bubbly on top, remove from the oven and allow to sit for 15 minutes before serving. This allows the sauce to thicken and the casserole to "set" before you serve it.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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