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Who says casseroles can’t be good for you? This hearty Chicken Hash Brown Casserole is packed with protein, nourishing vegetables, all in a dairy-free creamy sauce.
Chicken and hash brown casserole is a simple dish that takes only 15 minutes to prepare and is completely hands-off while it bakes in the oven. This meal works for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and is also great for meal prep for the week. It’s loaded with spinach, potatoes, and chicken, and the whole family is sure to love it!
If you like easy ground chicken recipes, you will love this Ground Chicken Fried Rice and Healthy Chicken Lettuce Wraps!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfect Comfort Food: There’s nothing like a warm, creamy casserole when you’re craving comfort food! This chicken and potato bake tastes like nostalgia, but is good for you!
- Made with Wholesome Ingredients: While this casserole may seem indulgent, it’s made with wholesome ingredients like lean ground chicken, potatoes, fresh spinach, eggs, and coconut cream.
- Enjoy for Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner: With ingredients like egg and potatoes, this dish makes an excellent breakfast as well as lunch and dinner.
- Low-Calorie: This recipe is lighter than traditional chicken hash brown recipes due to the higher calorie nature of the cream sauce. This one is lighter and better for you!
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Ground Chicken: Ground chicken is an excellent lean meat for casseroles because it’s low-fat, but still full of protein.
- Shredded Potatoes: You can use any kind of pre-cooked shredded potatoes, but hash browns are best.
- Baby Spinach: Fresh baby spinach is full of fiber, which is needed to balance the nutrients in this dish to make it healthy.
- Light Coconut Cream: The key to making a thick dairy-free cream sauce is using a can of full-fat coconut cream.
- Almond Milk: Unsweetened almond milk helps thin the sauce a bit without changing the flavor of the dish.
- Arrowroot Powder: Use arrowroot powder or cornstarch to help thicken the sauce so your chicken and hash brown casserole isn’t watery.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations & Dietary Modifications
- Add More Veggies: You can add so many vegetables to this chicken casserole! It works well with peas, carrots, corn, mushrooms, and bell peppers. Just add your favorites to make dinner even better!
- Try Dairy Instead of Coconut Milk: If you can’t have coconut or don’t mind eating dairy, you can use fat free half and half instead and even add a little shredded cheese on top of your chicken and potato casserole.
- Use a Different Meat: Substitute the ground chicken for shredded chicken, ground turkey, or lean turkey sausage. I use the turkey sausage in my hash brown egg bake, and it’s so delicious!
How to Make Chicken Hash Brown Casserole
This hash brown chicken casserole is the perfect easy comfort recipe that tastes cozy and is good for you. You only need 15 minutes to prepare your ingredients and an oven preheated to 400°F to get started.
- Step 1: Saute Garlic and Onion. Cook the onions and garlic in a hot skillet with olive oil for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and the onions are translucent.
- Step 2: Brown the Ground Chicken. Add the ground chicken and seasonings to the skillet. Use a spatula to break up the meat into small pieces. Sauté until it is cooked through.
- Step 3: Mix Ingredients. Transfer the cooked chicken to a large mixing bowl and add the spinach. Stir the meat and spinach together so that the heat from the meat wilts the spinach. Add the hash browns to the bowl and mix them with the chicken and spinach.
- Step 4: Make the Sauce. Place the skillet back on the stove over medium heat and add the almond milk, broth, and coconut cream. Simmer the sauce for about 5 minutes or until it starts to bubble. Then whisk in the arrowroot powder. Continue to whisk for 2 minutes to thicken the sauce. Once it starts to thicken, remove it from the heat.
- Step 5: Add to the Casserole Dish. Transfer the meat mixture to a greased 11 x 7″ casserole dish, then pour the sauce over it. Beat the egg and pour it over the top of the casserole. Bake the dish at 400°F for 40-45 minutes, uncovered, until the casserole is set in the middle. Serve with a side of broccoli salad with Greek yogurt.
Expert Tips
- Use Fresh or Frozen Hash browns: You can use fresh or frozen hash browns for this recipe. If you use fresh shredded potatoes, you’ll need to fully cook them before adding them to your casserole. Frozen hash browns are easiest, but I recommend thawing them in the refrigerator for a few hours before mixing them in. This helps reduce the overall cooking time.
- Crisp the Top: If you’d like the top of your casserole to be golden brown and a little crispy, you can set it under the broiler. Don’t leave it on broil for more than 5 minutes, so you don’t burn the casserole.
- Let It Rest: Remove the casserole from the oven and let it cool for 15 minutes before serving. This gives the casserole time to set so that it doesn’t fall apart when you serve it.
Storage Directions
- Storing: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze this casserole for 3 months.
- Reheating: Reheat your leftovers in the microwave in 60-second increments until heated through. You can also reheat the leftovers in a 350°F oven for 15-20 minutes.
- Make Ahead: Combine all your ingredients in the casserole dish and refrigerate overnight to make baking easier the next day.
Serving Suggestions
This chicken hash brown casserole recipe is the perfect comfort food meal that is full of wholesome, nourishing ingredients. This dairy-free dish works as a breakfast, lunch, or dinner meal. It’s perfect for meal prep because it’s a full meal, though a light side dish will also pair well!
- You can never go wrong with a crisp, fresh salad alongside a rich casserole. A simple apple walnut salad has a bit of crunch, sweetness, and tanginess, which breaks up the creaminess of the casserole.
- You can always add more veggies to dinner. Roasted broccoli is a simple way to add cruciferous greens to your meal with minimal effort.
- If you’re enjoying this hash brown casserole for breakfast, it goes best with an easy strawberry Greek yogurt smoothie.
Recipe FAQs
Frozen hash browns can retain a lot of water when thawed. Try patting them dry with paper towels before mixing them into the casserole filling if you notice the recipe tends to turn out watery.
Baking this casserole uncovered allows the moisture to cook off. If it’s turning out dry, try baking it covered with foil for the first 20-25 minutes. Then remove the foil so the top can fully cook.
You can’t serve this ground chicken casserole straight from the oven. It’s important to let it cool and fully set for at least 10-15 minutes so it doesn’t completely fall apart.
More Healthy Comfort Meals
If you tried this Chicken Hash Brown Casserole recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below.
Chicken Hash Brown Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil, or oil of choice
- ½ cup Onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons Garlic, minced
- 1 lb Ground Chicken Breast, or any lean protein of choice
- 1 teaspoon Rosemary
- ½ teaspoon Thyme
- 1 teaspoon Basil
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 2 cups Baby Spinach
- 2 ½ cups Shredded Potatoes, thawed
- ½ cup Unsweetened Almond Milk, or milk of choice
- 7 ounces Light Coconut Cream, liquid drained
- 1 cup Chicken Broth, reduced sodium
- 2 tablespoons Arrowroot Powder, or corn starch
- 1 Egg White, beaten (or whole egg)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F. Grease an 11×7 casserole dish and set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the extra virgin olive oil, onions and minced garlic. Cook 2-3 minutes until the onion is translucent.
- Add the ground chicken to the pan with the salt, pepper, thyme, basil and rosemary. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to break up the meat as it cooks so it’s not clumpy.
- Once the meat is cooked, transfer the contents of the skillet into a large mixing bowl. Add the spinach and stir it in with the meat. It will wilt from the heat. Then add the thawed potatoes to the bowl with the cooked chicken and stir in.
- Return the skillet to the stovetop and add the almond milk, broth and coconut cream to the skillet. Simmer at a medium heat about 5 minutes until it bubbles.
- Add the arrowroot flour to the mixture and whisk it continuously for 2 minutes to thicken the sauce. Turn off the heat.
- Transfer the meat mixture to the prepared casserole dish then pour the sauce over it. Add the beaten egg over the top of the casserole.
- Bake at 400 F 40-45 minutes uncovered or until the casserole is set in the center.
Video
Notes
- Thaw frozen hash browns for a few hours before cooking the casserole so they aren’t soggy and don’t lengthen the cook time.
- Leave the casserole under the broiler for up to 5 minutes if you want a crispy, golden crust on top.
- Let your chicken and potato casserole sit at room temperature to cool and fully set for 15 minutes. This keeps it from falling apart when you serve it.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hello- could you shred fresh potato instead of frozen do you think?
Thank you!
You can. You will need to precook them. Frozen hash browns are already precooked before freezing so by using fresh you would need to cook them before using in a casserole.
Even my non dairy free family got seconds. Honestly, I would eat this for breakfast too.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for taking the time to rate the recipe.
I just found your website tonight on YouTube. I was looking for a mayo free coleslaw recipe and saw your short video. Then your website.
I want to make this casserole but have a son who does not like coconut anything. What would be a good low calorie substitute for the coconut cream?
You cannot taste the coconut cream in the recipe at all, but you could try yogurt or blended cottage cheese.