Texas Hash Brown Casserole (Oven Baked or Traeger Smoked)

smoked hash brown casserole on a Traeger grill

Texas Hash Brown Casserole (Oven Baked or Traeger Smoked)

Shredded hash browns, bacon, and poblano peppers in a green chile queso sauce topped with a crunchy tortilla chip crust.

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1 15

Total Time 1 30

Servings Servings

Calories 519kcal

Author Mason Woodruff

Ingredients

6 slices Bacon
2 Poblano Peppers diced
16 oz H-E-B Easy Melt Queso Blanco or Velveeta
1 can H-E-B Cream of Poblano Soup or cream of mushroom
8 oz Sour Cream
1 stick Unsalted Butter
1 can (4oz) Diced Green Chiles
2 bags (20oz each) Shredded Hash Browns

For the Topping

8 oz Tortilla Chips crushed**
1 stick Unsalted Butter melted

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350ºF or a Traeger grill or pellet smoker to 425ºF.
Cook the bacon in a large skillet before transferring to a paper towel and setting aside. Chop or crumble once cooled.
Add the diced poblano to the remaining bacon grease and cook for 2-3 minutes to soften before adding the queso blanco, sour cream, cream of poblano, green chiles, 1 stick of butter, and cooked bacon. Reduce the heat to low and stir everything together until evenly melted.
Add the shredded hash browns to a large baking dish and pour the cheese sauce over the top. Fold everything together and smooth the top to create an even surface.
Top the dish with the crushed tortilla chips and pour the remaining melted butter over the top.
Bake in an oven for 50-60 minutes at 350ºF or smoke for 50-60 minutes at 425ºF on a Traeger. You're looking for a crispy golden brown crust with fully cooked, tender hash browns. If the tortilla chip topping is browning too quickly, cover with foil to complete the cook.

Notes

*I used Simply Potatoes shredded hash browns O'Brien, but the regular shredded hash browns work as well. You'll find these in the refrigerated section of your grocery store, usually near the eggs. Equal parts frozen shredded hash browns work as well. And finally, you can make your own hash browns by grated potatoes into a bowl of water to remove excess starch. Just drain and pat dry before using for this hash brown casserole.

**You'll see corn flakes on most traditional hash brown casserole recipes. Feel free to use equal parts corn flakes if you'd like.

Nutrition