The Frozen Breakfast Favorite That Is A Perfect Casserole Topper

We've all been there: It's a weeknight. You're tired. You desperately need to go on a grocery run, but you also need to get dinner on the table — fast. You start rummaging through your fridge and pantry to assess what ingredients you have to whip up something filling and tasty. Maybe you've managed to find enough items to throw together a decent tuna casserole or chicken noodle soup, then you open your freezer and find the perfect way to finish off your dish: frozen breakfast hash browns.

While hash browns are delicious with a side of ketchup to accompany your scrambled eggs or pancakes in the morning, they can replace breadcrumbs as a tasty and crunchy topping to casseroles, or any dish that would normally benefit from a sprinkle of carby crumbs. It's important to note that this tip works best with shredded hash browns, as opposed to cubed home fries or the crispy patties you find at fast food restaurants.

All you have to do to prepare your hash browns for their dish-topping debut is pan fry them with some oil, bake them, or pop them in the air fryer — just be sure to get them nice and crispy. Let them cool, and then chop them up into your desired size. Then, sprinkle them on top of your dish, and you have a flavorful and crunchy topping that goes great with comfort food dishes like creamy carrot casserole, baked macaroni and cheese, or a tomato soup. If you're using the hash browns to top your casserole and you're craving some extra crispiness, try putting your dish under the broiler for a couple of minutes to allow the flavor of the potato-y goodness to really get to know the rest of the ingredients.

While breadcrumbs have a subtle flavor, hash browns add a deeper, more savory taste thanks to their potato base. That flavor is punched up a notch when fried with oil until golden brown and sprinkled with a pinch of salt, especially when added to a dish with melted cheese, a creamy base, or anything rich and savory. Hash browns also bring another layer of texture to your dishes with a delightfully crispy crunch that breadcrumbs sometimes don't quite achieve. Another positive? Frozen hash browns are pre-cooked, so they take only a few minutes to prepare instead of having to painstakingly wash, peel, and slice whole potatoes. Give this trick a try next time you make your favorite, filling comfort food dish.