I am not the biggest fan of Cracker Barrel. Why you might ask? I just don’t think that it’s anything special. For the most part everything they make I can make myself, as well, if not better. Therefore, it’s just not a place I frequent anymore. When you live in a city the size I do, with the amount of restaurants we have, Cracker Barrel isn’t high on the list. We have one restaurant for every six people. My exception to my Cracker Barrel rule is their hash brown casserole recipe. To me it’s the very best. This is a copycat recipe, but to me it’s just as good! I would recommend cooking it until it’s golden brown. Not only does it add flavor, but it also gives it a little crispiness.
SERVES 8
Ingredients
- 1 (2 lb) bag frozen southern style hash brown potatoes
- 1 medium onion, chopped fine
- Season-All salt
- 1/2 cup melted margarine
- 1 1/2-2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 (10 1/2 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
Directions
- Spray a 13″ X 9″ X 2″ baking pan with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.
- In a bowl, combine soup, cheese, butter, onion, season salt, and pepper. (I mixed everything in my Kitchen-Aid Mixer… this made it super simple)
- Gently fold the potatoes into the mixture and pour into prepared pan.
- Bake in a 350 degree oven for 50-60 minutes, until heated through and top is browned.
colieskitchen.com 
I used to make this and we would add ham to it. SOOOOOOOO good! I've actually never been to cracker barrel. The only one we had around here closed down. My brother and his friends lamented for months after it closed down. They would go to breakfast every Friday for the pecan pancakes. I hear they are the best in the world.
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I used to cook there and can say without cooking this recipe that it is pretty much the real deal. By the way – most meals I eat at CB contain two or three items that are not cooked correctly. I never – ever get a good corn muffin. The biscuits are never as good as they should be. The hashbrown casserole is supposed to be a lovely golden brown like you describe. I never order it because it is always greasy from too much margarine added, not cooked long enough (cooks in a hurry), and served way too long after they are supposed to be \”dead\” and tossed. If I were back there in the kitchen, you would not believe the difference. And I guarantee you that you would visit at least once a month to get more, because it is just so much easier to relax than cook yourself. We used to have a saying, \”that food isn't par.\” Par means cooked just the way it's supposed to be. Most that I get there isn't par and managers would listen if enough people say something. Just thought I'd mention it. And try different stores, there is a difference. You should find one with someone who knows what they are doing in the back.
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