Pork Chop and Hashbrown Casserole

This one comes from my old, spiral bound church cookbook — you know the type: the recipes in them are lacking specific measurements, as they seem to assume that you know how many hashbrowns fit into a casserole dish… Ha!

Here’s how it goes: Five bone-in pork chops that have been seared for a few minutes and placed on top of creamy, cheesy frozen hash browns and then cooked all together in one, glorious, 9×13 pan.

I make this dish on some Sunday nights (especially in the Winter). It’s hearty, filling and oh so good!

Why This Casserole Works

This is much richer than I usually cook for weeknight eating (thanks to the sour cream and the cream of chicken soup) but I love easy clean-up – the kitchen will be waiting for me Monday morning, clean, shiny, and dish-free.

Prep time is only about 15 minutes (just stir everything together in a bowl and empty into a pan) and once this is in the oven to bake I’m good for the evening.

At this point the hashbrowns will not look appetizing but don’t be discouraged … trust me! The sour cream/soup sauce will help keep the potatoes moist. Also as the pork chops are baking the flavor/drippings will drip down into the potatoes.

The sear is the one step you can’t skip

You can’t skip browning the pork chops. This recipe does depend on first browning the chops in a skillet for that color and flavor.

Brown on both sides (about 2-3 minutes a side in a HOT skillet), they do not need to be completely done at this stage as they will continue to cook in the oven. If you just placed them on top raw you wouldn’t get the same end result.

Bake it uncovered

This dish needs to cook uncovered NOT under a layer of foil. It needs to brown and cook off some of the moisture.

If you cook this under foil you won’t get a nice brown color and the potatoes will be really wet/watery.

The Ingredients, One at a Time

Bone-in pork chops

This recipe requires 5 bone in pork chops that are 3/4″ -1″ thick. This casserole bakes for quite some time for pork (45-50 minutes), so I recommend bone-in cuts to insure that they remain juicy.

If your cuts of pork are on the thin side, they will be overdone when the casserole is done. Boneless cuts of pork can be used, but start checking them at about 35 minutes to make sure they are done.

Oil

The recipe calls for 1 Tbsp. of a neutral flavored oil, such as vegetable or canola. Add oil to skillet and heat until it begins to shimmer. It should adequately cover the bottom of your skillet.

Sour cream

The sour cream contributes fat, in addition to acting as a binder for the potatoes, so that they form a cohesive (easily scoopable) mass, instead of remaining as individual shreds.

Do NOT substitute low fat plain yogurt because the results will not be the same.

Cream of chicken soup

Do not feel that you need to add the water called for on the soup label. It will go in the casserole straight from the can.

The condensed cream of chicken soup lends much of the creaminess to this recipe and contributes a lot of savory flavor.

Milk

1/2 cup milk, which helps thin out the sour cream and soup (both pretty thick) and help it all incorporate well so that each and every potato is coated and everything mixes well and doesn’t lump.

Frozen hashbrowns

1 (32 oz) bag frozen shredded or diced hashbrown potatoes, and I much prefer to use the shredded potatoes as they incorporate better but diced do work well too.

Add them frozen, right out of the bag, or they will defrost & get wet and your entire casserole will be watery.

Onion

1 cup of chopped onion. If someone at your table likes potatoes but always picks out the onions, then chop ’em really really small and they will be disguised!

The onions will cook along with the potatoes as the mixture is in the oven for quite some time, so add it raw.

Shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup of shredded cheddar. If you use sharp cheddar or a mexican cheese blend it has a more intense flavor so you can get away with using a tad less cheese.

You can get a block of cheese and shred it yourself, or you can buy it already shredded in a bag. The block of cheese, freshly shredded, will melt better though.

Salt and pepper

Add your 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Taste the potato mixture before you add all of the salt though, as the soup has salt in it already and so do some brands of hash browns.

How to Make Pork Chop and Hashbrown Casserole

Preheat oven to 375°. In a large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat until it just begins to shimmer.

Add pork chops; cook, turning once, 2 to 3 minutes per side or until nicely browned (chops do not need to be cooked all the way through; they will continue to cook in the oven). Set aside.

Mix sour cream, cream of chicken soup and milk in large bowl until smooth. Stir in hashbrowns, onion, cheddar, salt and pepper, mixing well to coat potatoes evenly.

Spread into an even layer in an ungreased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.

Place pork chops on top of potatoes in a single layer, pressing down on meat slightly to nestle into potatoes.

Bake, uncovered, in preheated 375° oven 45 to 50 minutes or until casserole is heated all the way through and chops register 145° when an instant-read thermometer is inserted into thickest part.

Allow casserole to stand 5 minutes before serving (this will help casserole to set up slightly for easier serving).

Tips for Getting It Right

An instant read meat thermometer is the easiest way to make sure that you neither over or under cook the pork chops. Remove from the oven at 145° F.

The pork will be perfectly cooked at that temperature (don’t be worried about a little pinkness, that’s ok!).

I LOVE cast iron for searing. Cast iron holds and distributes the heat so evenly. It will form an even brown crust on your chops (no hot spots), however you can certainly use whatever skillet you have on hand!

Use thicker cut bone in pork chops. They hold up better for the duration of cooking.

Arrange them on top of potatoes in an even layer, do not overlap them so they will cook more evenly.

You do not need to defrost the hash brown potatoes. Defrosted ones have too much moisture added making them a little too soggy for my preference.

You are going to bake this dish uncovered so there is a chance for some of that moisture to evaporate in the cooking process, but the frozen potatoes will release less moisture into the dish than the defrosted potatoes.

I find that the shredded hash browns release a little more liquid in the cooking process than the diced so it comes out just a tad less wet with shredded hash browns.

The soup already adds plenty of salt and some frozen hash brown potatoes also come seasoned, so taste the mixture before adding the full amount of salt.

What to Serve With It

Meat and potatoes in one pan? Yeah, it’s pretty much a full meal in itself. I still like to serve these casseroles with a side of veggies, though.

• Steamed broccoli
• Roasted green beans
• Simple side salad
• Rolls or crusty bread

We typically have rolls or bread with it, since there’s always some creamy sauce left behind that’s good for wiping up.

Ways to Change It Up

Sprinkle an additional ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese over the top of dish, during last 10 minutes of baking time to melt on chops.

Substitute an equal amount of cream of cheddar, cream of mushroom, or cream of celery soup for the cream of chicken soup. Straight from the can! Cream of mushroom would be a nice change up as it has a more earthy flavor.

Stir corn, frozen peas, a couple of bell peppers (chopped), or mushrooms into recipe for added veggies and color.

Rub pork chops with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, or smoked paprika before browning for added flavor, as the seasoning will flavor the drippings that work their way into the potatoes.

Sliced fresh potatoes may be used in place of the frozen, shredded variety. Total baking time would be about 55-65 minutes, depending upon how thin potatoes are sliced.

Feeding more people, or fewer

If you’re planning to have more people over than the recipe will yield, you can stir some frozen peas or corn into the hashbrown mixture before pouring into the baking dish and the recipe will serve a few more people.

If you’re cooking for a smaller crowd, you can cut the recipe in half and prepare in a smaller baking dish. It will still take roughly the same amount of time, but be sure to check the chops with your meat thermometer!

A lighter version

Light sour cream tastes almost identical to full fat, and will still give a creamy texture to your casserole. You can swap out reduced fat or sodium cream of chicken soup for the same effect.

You could also add more vegetables (like peppers, peas or mushrooms) to help extend your potatoes and meat even further.

Make Ahead, Storage and Reheating

Making it ahead

This casserole can be made ahead of time. Combine filling up to 1 day ahead of time, cover and refrigerate.

DO NOT brown the chops ahead of time (I don’t like leaving any pork product partially cooked and sitting before it’s finished). Brown the pork chops just prior to baking casserole.

To assemble: Spoon the filling (straight from refrigerator) into baking dish and smooth over evenly. Arrange pork chops on top. Bake as directed.

It will need an additional 5 -10 minutes of baking time because the casserole filling will be starting out cold. The casserole is cooked when the pork chops register 145°F when checked with an instant read thermometer.

Storing leftovers

This casserole will keep about 3 days in the fridge. Allow to cool then cover tightly with foil or a lid. You can store in the baking dish or portion into smaller containers.

Reheating

Either take a serving out and nuke in the microwave or pop the entire thing, covered into a 350°F oven and heat thru. If they seem a bit dry, add a couple of tablespoons of milk or chicken broth.

What to Do With Leftovers

There are lots of uses for this.

For a simple breakfast hash, separate out some hash browns leaving the meat behind and fry in a little butter over med high heat breaking them up with a spatula as they crisp up on the edges, top with fried egg.

Remove some of the meat from the bones, chop and put on a toasted bun and slather with some bbq sauce or mustard or both!

For a loaded hashbrown bowl, microwave a helping of potatoes and top with a fried egg, shredded cheese and a spoonful of sour cream.

Chop up all of it and use as a filling for stuffed peppers, and fill cored pepper halves with casserole, cover with shredded cheese and cook in the oven @375 for about 20 min til hot thru.

Pork Chop and Hashbrown Casserole FAQ

Can I use boneless pork chops?

I would suggest bone in pork chops but you can certainly use boneless. Boneless pork chops have a tendency to get dryer so just start checking for doneness with an instant read thermometer around the 35 minute mark and remove when the internal temp at the thickest part of the chop registers 145*F. At this temp it may still be a little pink which is ok, 145*F is safe to eat.

Can I use cream of mushroom instead of cream of chicken?

Absolutely! Use an equal amount, straight out of the can. I think it’s just as tasty! It would definitely give it a more earthy flavor.

Can I make this ahead?

You can mix up the hashbrown mixture a day ahead and store in the fridge. Bake as directed but plan on 5-10 minutes in addition to the bake time indicated. I would brown the pork chops right before you assemble the casserole and then pop it into the oven to bake.

Do hash browns need to be defrosted before using in recipe?

I like to use them straight out of the freezer. Defrosted ones make it a bit on the wet side I think.

Does it have to be made in cast iron?

You can brown your pork chops in any skillet! Cast iron skillets retain heat so well and so meat browns more evenly in them. That’s why I like to use them!

Can this be made in a slow cooker?

I have tried this recipe in a slow cooker, and it isn’t the same. I don’t think it would turn out the same, the hash browns will probably end up more mushy and the pork will be different as well. I think it will be more successful in the oven, this casserole bakes really well uncovered as excess liquid boils off and the top browns really nicely.