A few weeks back, a dear buddy of mine prepared these fantastic jalapeño poppers. I started thinking what else could I build with this fantastic taste feeling. I instantly thought of my favorite potato casserole dish and decided to ramp the heat up on this recipe. I altered from using cheddar cheese to smoked gouda, sliced the jalapeños and sauteed them with red onions until the peppers were slightly scorched and added them to the mixture. This gave the peppers the smokey taste that you would get when roasting the poppers. This re-creation of the homemade potato casserole recipe turned out excellent. To add extra spice to this dish, you may easily add additional peppers or add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce. This recipe is really easy to alter and you absolutely may include your favorite add-ins.
The Ingredients
Fresh shredded hash brown potatoes. You may shred fresh potatoes of course, but I cut the corner and purchase the packs of potatoes already shredded. These are available frozen or unfrozen. Thaw first if using frozen.
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Sour cream.
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Condensed cream of chicken soup. Opt for name brand and not generic for this soup. I have tried generic brands and they do not work.
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Shredded strong cheddar cheese.
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Unsalted butter. Bring your butter to room temperature so it will whisk into the remaining ingredients.
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Jalapeno slices from a jar. Meaning, the pickled sort. I have used fresh/raw, and if you like your casserole spicier go with that! But because I cook this to feed people, I keep it milder with pickled jalapeño.
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Seasonings: kosher salt and cracked pepper
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Bacon.
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Chives for garnish. If chives are not available, scallion (green onion) is a good substitution.
How To Make Loaded Potatoes
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Coat potato with a drizzle of olive oil and a nice sprinkling of salt and pepper. Bake till golden.
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Slice off the top, then scoop off most of the center.
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Combine in a bowl with your fillings.
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Mix until smooth.
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Place back in the potato skins, cover with any remaining toppings and bake again.
Steps For Preparation
Making this recipe is SO simple and it feeds a crowd, which I why I call it “pot-luck perfect”. It is no brainer, no-fail, and no experience necessary.
First, Mix Components And Assemble
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At this time the potatoes should be shredded and bacon cooked and crumbled, so we are just combining things in a bowl. This stage takes just a couple minutes.
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Potatoes, condensed (undiluted) soup, sour cream, butter, spices, half the jalapenos diced, and half the cheese put into the bowl.
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Simply combine these ingredients together and pour into a normal 13×9 or comparable baking dish. Cover with foil, and you are ready to bake your jalapeño popper hash brown casserole.
Read Also: Step-by-Step Guide to Perfect Egg Salad
Second, Bake The Casserole
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Once our jalapeño hash brown casserole is mixed together and tucked away behind a layer of foil in the bake dish, we bake… For a while.
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See, one secret to great hash brown casserole is ensuring that the potatoes cook thoroughly through, even to the center. I cover with foil and bake a full hour to allow for full cook-age but also keep covered so the top does not dry out or burn.
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After an hour, we remove the foil and top with the remaining cheese and remainder of the jalapeño sliced (not chopped this time) and let her simmer another 20 minutes or until cooked entirely through the middle.
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If the cheese on top starts to cook too much, simply lightly wrap a piece of foil over top. Just know that a key to GREAT hash brown casserole is having the potatoes cooked thoroughly. Potatoes should not be al dente, if you know what I mean.
Finally, finish by topping with bacon and chives and we are ready.
Tips
Cover this jalapeno popper hash brown dish with foil to bake first for a full hour. This is to assist ensure potatoes are cooked all the way through.
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I get pre-shredded potatoes and even pre-diced jalapenos to assist in simplicity of preparation, but this is optional.
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Note that just half the cheese and half the jalapeño are added when the jalapeno breakfast casserole components are initially combined together. The rest of the cheese and jalapeño are added after an hour of cooking when we remove the foil.
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Also notice that the bacon is only added at the end once the casserole is done because the bacon is already cooked.
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This dish can be made in advance and cooked later provided that purchased fresh shredded potatoes are used as they have been treated not to brown. Potato your shred yourself will brown and I honestly do not know about frozen.
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So, if preparing ahead is desirable, I recommend cooking ahead of time as well because this breakfast casserole reheats like a rockstar. Either reheat individual or smaller amounts in the microwave, or reheat covered with foil in the oven.
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Regardless, wait until serving to top with the chive to leave them fresh and green.
