Name: The World's Best Potato Casserole
Ingredients: 1 x 2 lb pkg. of frozen hash brown potatoes, southern-style; 2 cups of sour cream; 2 cups grated cheddar cheese; 1 can cream of mushroom soup; 1 medium sized diced onion

Why it works: Potato and onion are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,023 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓

The World's Best Potato Casserole

Oven350°F

Timeabout 45 minutes

Ingredients

1 x 2 lb pkg. of frozen hash brown potatoes, southern-style
2 cups of sour cream
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 medium sized diced onion

Directions

Mix hash browns with sour cream, cheddar cheese, cream of mushroom soup, and diced onion.
Bake at 350°F for about 45 minutes, or a little longer if you forget to defrost the spuds first.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

484Calories

32 gProtein

16 gFat

56 gCarbs

Counts 6 of 7 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 6 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Potato	1 medium (173g) baked	161
Cheddar Cheese	1 oz (28g)	113
Yogurt	170g plain Greek	100
Cream	1 tbsp (15ml) heavy	51
Onion	1 medium (110g)	44
Mushroom	1/2 cup sliced (35g)	15
Soup	not in our table	0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Potato + oniontop 3% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together9,023 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Potato + cheddar cheesetop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together932 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Cheddar cheese + mushroomtop 9% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together705 recipes

Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).
Potato + mushroomtop 9% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together968 recipes

Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).
Mushroom + oniontop 10% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together10,626 recipes

Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Frozen hash brown potatoes: Form the bulk of the casserole and provide its starchy, tender texture.
Sour cream: Adds moisture and tang, keeping the potatoes creamy as they bake.
Cheddar cheese: Melts into the mixture and adds richness and savory flavor, with some browning on top.
Cream of mushroom soup: Supplies moisture and a savory, creamy binder that holds the casserole together.
Onion: Adds aromatic flavor and a little sweetness as it softens in the oven.

The step that matters

Bake at 350°F for about 45 minutes. Frozen potatoes release water as they thaw, so if they are not defrosted first the casserole can stay wet and bake unevenly. Baking until the centre is hot and the top is golden helps the sauce set and the potatoes cook through.

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (potato, cream, cheddar cheese, mushroom):

Chivefits about as well
Onionthe original
Spinachfits about as well
Asparagusfits about as well

Fit is the average pairing score against potato, cream, cheddar cheese, mushroom. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.