These Crack Potatoes are loaded with bacon, cheddar, and ranch - one of the easiest, most flavorful dishes, perfect for a potluck or party!
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🧡 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Loaded with flavor. It's got that classic bacon, cheddar, and ranch combo that everyone loves!
- So easy. You literally just mix ingredients together and bake in a casserole dish. You don't have to chop anything.
- A crowd favorite. This is a mainstay at a potluck or party. Trust me, you won't bring home leftovers.
🥔 Ingredients
(See recipe card at the bottom of this post for exact ingredient measurements.)
- frozen shredded hash browns - No need to thaw the hash browns before making this casserole - they can be baked when still frozen! If needed, you can also shred your own potatoes (about 4 cups worth).
- sour cream - I like using full-fat sour cream for this dish, but light sour cream would cut a little bit of fat if needed.
- cream of chicken soup
- bacon - I like using cooked & crumbled bacon for my potatoes. If you want to make the recipe even easier, you could use bagged real bacon bits (about 2.5 ounces would work for this recipe.)
- butter - The butter should be melted.
- sharp cheddar cheese - I'm a big advocate for shredding your own cheese. The pre-shredded stuff just doesn't get melty enough!
- dry ranch dressing mix - You can either use 1 pack or 3 tablespoons from a big shaker bottle - it's roughly the same amount.
- chopped green onions - These will be used both in the casserole and for garnish.
Additions & Substitutions
- Change up the cheese. This casserole would be great with pepper jack, Colby jack,
- Add some spice. Add ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper to give this dish a kick! 🔥 You could also add an equal amount of crushed red pepper flakes.
- Substitute the meat. Instead of bacon, you can use an equal amount of sausage, pulled rotisserie chicken, or ground beef.
👩🏻🍳 How to Make Crack Potatoes
Step 1: Mix ingredients.
Really - just dump all of the ingredients (reserving half of the green onions) in a large bowl and mix. Nothing else to it.
Step 2: Bake in the oven.
Pour potato mixture into an 8x8" glass baking dish (prepared with cooking spray). Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until the top of the potatoes gets brown and crispy.
Garnish with the remaining chopped green onions.
If you love that bacon/cheddar/ranch combo, you've got to check out my Crack Chicken and Crack Chicken Soup!
🥡 Leftovers & Storage
This potato casserole should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. I recommend enjoying your potatoes within 3-4 days of baking this dish.
Can I freeze Crack Potatoes?
Yes, this is a great freezer casserole!
Bake as directed, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and/or aluminum foil, and freeze right in the baking dish. (Use a disposable square aluminum dish so you don't tie up your glass bakeware for months at a time.) This one should be enjoyed within 3-4 months of freezing to get the maximum flavor out of it.
When you're ready to enjoy, thaw the casserole overnight in the refrigerator. To warm, bake (covered in foil) at 300 degrees for 20-30 minutes.
🍽️ Great Recipe Pairings
This is the perfect side dish for so many different main courses. A few easy ideas...
- Instant Pot Mississippi roast
- Grilled chicken breast
- Italian beef sandwiches
- Skillet French onion chicken
- Steaks
- Pork chops
💡 More Helpful Tips & Tricks
- Make this dish up to 24 hours in advance - just mix all ingredients and pour them into a casserole dish. Wrap tightly and store in the refrigerator until you're ready to bake.
- Plan on serving this really soon after you bake it. It's best when it's warm out of the oven!
I hope you enjoy this melt-in-your-mouth comfort food! If you give this recipe a try, I'd love for you to leave a quick review 💭 or rating ⭐️ below. And before you go, make sure to follow along for the latest recipes on the blog!
Crack Potatoes
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Ingredients
- 16 oz frozen shredded hash browns
- 8 oz sour cream
- 10.5 oz cream of chicken soup
- 8 oz bacon cooked and crumbled
- ½ cup melted butter 1 stick
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 pack dry ranch dressing mix about 3 tablespoons
- ½ cup chopped green onions
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix all ingredients (reserving half of the chopped green onions).
- Pour the potato mixture into an 8x8" glass casserole dish. Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes, until the top of the casserole begins to brown.
- Garnish potatoes with reserved chopped green onions.
Notes
- Make this dish up to 24 hours in advance - just mix all ingredients and pour them into a casserole dish. Wrap tightly and store in the refrigerator until you're ready to bake.
- Plan on serving this really soon after you bake it. It's best when it's warm out of the oven!
- To freeze: Bake as directed, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and/or aluminum foil, and freeze right in the baking dish. (Use a disposable square aluminum dish so you don't tie up your glass bakeware for months at a time.) This one should be enjoyed within 3-4 months of freezing to get the maximum flavor out of it.
- This should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. I recommend enjoying your potatoes within 3-4 days of baking this dish.
