How to Bake Hash Browns

Potatoes are a versatile and customary side dish, whether served fried, sauteed or baked. While baked potatoes require lengthy cooking times in a conventional oven, shredded potatoes, or hash browns, cook quicker, due to their thin size. Frying hash browns in butter or bacon fat in a skillet is the traditional way to prepare them, but by baking them instead of frying, you can serve a healthier version of this delicious root vegetable, without sacrificing taste.

A plate of hash browns garnished with parsley. (Image: Paul_Brighton/iStock/Getty Images)

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and line the bottom of a cookie sheet with aluminum foil, shiny side up.

Step 2

Spray the foil lightly with butter flavored cooking spray.

Step 3

Spread out fresh or frozen hash browns in a 1/2 inch thick layer on the foil. Use one cup of hash browns for each serving.

Step 4

Spray the top of the hash brown layer lightly with the cooking spray.

Step 5

Bake for 30 minutes, turning the hash browns over halfway through, and re-spraying the top of the potatoes before returning to the oven for the second half of the baking time. When fully cooked, the hash browns will be golden-brown and crispy on the top. Remove them from the oven, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Things You'll Need

• Fresh or frozen hash browns

• Butter flavored non-stick cooking spray

• Cookie sheet

• Aluminum foil

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Optional: onions

Tip

For added flavor, dice or thinly slice onions and toss with hash browns before baking.

Let guests salt and pepper their own hash browns to taste, instead of salting before baking or serving.

To make your own fresh hash browns, wash and peel russet or red potatoes,and grate on the large holes of a box grater.

If you won't be baking freshly grated hash browns immediately, cover with cold water in a large bowl, and add 1 tsp. of fresh lemon juice to keep the potatoes from turning brown.

For added flavor without adding fat, serve baked hash browns with fresh tomato salsa or hot sauce.