This delicious, savory, and creamy Hash Brown Casserole is a lighter variation of Paula Deen’s famous recipe. Each serving is just 6 WW points! You’ll love the cheesy and creamy sauce, perfectly tender hash brown potatoes, and the crispy potato chips on top.
I’ve always loved Paula Deen’s recipes and style of cooking. If there’s one person who knows how to make comfort food, it’s definitely her. From her southern chicken and dumplings to goulash and peach cobbler, her recipes always impress. This hash brown casserole is no different. I stuck to the same cooking methods and ingredient base as her recipe but just did some tweaking to make it a little more suitable for those who follow WW.
For instance, I used reduced-fat cheese instead of regular and a combination of Greek yogurt and light sour cream (instead of just regular sour cream). I also found low-point potato chips for the topping and used 98% fat-free cream of celery soup!
The only ingredient I added was an egg for some additional structure since the Greek yogurt is nonfat, and I felt the egg could help bind the casserole together. However, you don’t have to include the egg! And even with the modifications, the recipe was so easy to cook up, and it took the same amount of time in the oven as the original recipe. Her hash brown casserole is definitely a tried and true recipe that works every time.
Why You Should Try This Recipe
- It can be a side or main dish. You can serve this lovely casserole as a side dish for any meal of the day. Enjoy it with some scrambled eggs and fruit for breakfast, or have it alongside some chicken or turkey for dinner.
- It’s a lighter version of a classic recipe. Hash brown casserole is a well-known dish, but it isn’t always WW-friendly. This version will help satisfy your craving but keep your points amount at bay.
- It is versatile! This casserole can be enjoyed with a variety of foods and in different settings. You don’t need a special occasion to make it, but it does make a fantastic addition to holiday and party food spreads.
Recipe Overview
- Serving Size: 190g
- Number of Servings: 9
- Time to Cook: 45-50 minutes
- WW Points Per Recipe: 6 WW points per serving, 52 for the entire recipe (Click here to view the recipe in the WW app. WW login is required)
Ingredients in WW Creamy Hash Brown Casserole
- 3 tbsp Light butter substitute (I used I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter, light)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 8 oz Nonfat plain Greek yogurt
- 8 oz Light sour cream
- 1 can (10.5 oz) 98% fat-free cream of celery soup
- ⅔ cup Reduced-fat shredded cheese
- ½ tsp Garlic powder
- 30 oz Frozen shredded hash browns, thawed
- 1 tsp Table salt
- 2.5 oz Low-point potato chips, broken into pieces (I used Kettle Brand Air Fried)
- ½ tsp Black pepper
- 1 Egg (optional, for structure)
Instructions for making WW Creamy Hash Brown Casserole
- Preheat oven to 350 °F. Grease a medium-sized casserole dish.
- In a small skillet, melt the butter substitute and cook the onions for 3 to 4 minutes or until translucent.
- Combine the cooked onions with the remaining ingredients except for the potato chips. Stir until all of the ingredients are dispersed and the hash browns are completely coated.
4. Transfer the mixture to the prepared casserole dish and top with crushed potato chips.
5. Bake for 45 minutes or until the shredded potatoes are cooked and the chips on top are extra crunchy and golden. Be careful not to overcook because the yogurt can begin to separate.
Variations and Substitutions
- Lower the Points: If you want to lower the points even more, you can omit the light sour cream and use all nonfat plain Greek yogurt instead. Also, you can use fat-free cheese instead of reduced-fat cheese, which will lighten up the recipe even more.
- Extra Cheese: Paula Deen’s casserole calls for 8 oz of shredded cheese by weight. You can follow this measurement if you want. It will increase the WW points if you use reduced-fat cheese, but it might not affect it too much with fat-free cheese.
- Hash Brown Casserole with Bacon Bits: if you have some extra points to use up, you can cook bacon bits and then mix them into the casserole!
- Hash Brown Casserole with Corn Flakes: Instead of potato chips, cornflakes are another tasty and crunchy topping for hash brown casserole.
Tips and Tricks for Making WW Creamy Hash Brown Casserole
- Be careful not to overcook the casserole because the Greek yogurt is sensitive; if it overheats, it might start to separate, and it won’t be as smooth.
- If you don’t thaw your hash browns, the casserole will need to cook 15-20 minutes longer, so I suggest thawing them as Paula Deen’s recipe recommends.
- This can easily be served as a main course, but you will need to adjust the servings in the WW recipe builder. I have this casserole set at 9 servings, which is ideal for a side dish portion.
- If you wish, you can add dry or fresh herbs such as parsley, oregano, or Italian seasoning. I personally thought this casserole had a simple yet delicious flavor. The cream of celery soup, garlic powder, and salt and pepper made it savory and comforting.
Related Recipes
Weight Watchers Creamy Hash Brown Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp Light butter substitute, I used I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter, light
- 1 small onion, diced
- 8 oz Nonfat plain Greek yogurt
- 8 oz Light sour cream
- 1 can, 10.5 oz 98% fat-free cream of celery soup
- ⅔ cup Reduced-fat shredded cheese
- ½ tsp Garlic powder
- 30 oz Frozen shredded hash browns, thawed
- 1 tsp Table salt
- 2.5 oz Low-point potato chips, broken into pieces (I used Kettle Brand Air Fried)
- ½ tsp Black pepper
- 1 Egg, optional for structure
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a medium-sized casserole dish. In a small skillet, melt the butter substitute and cook the onions for 3 to 4 minutes or until translucent.
- Combine the cooked onions with the remaining ingredients except for the potato chips. Stir until all of the ingredients are dispersed and the hash browns are completely coated.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared casserole dish and top with crushed potato chips.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until the shredded potatoes are cooked and the chips on top are extra crunchy and golden. Be careful not to overcook because the yogurt can begin to separate.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
