Toaster Oven Cheesy Hashbrowns

Recipe development

I started buying these potatoes and working on this recipe back when my kitchen was under construction. It’s so easy to make and they always come out great.

All of my recipe testing has been just because I make these fairly regularly for breakfast. Simply potatoes hash browns in the oven are my go-to for an easy and delicious breakfast or brunch.

I love these Bob Evans Farms Simply Potatoes. No fussy peeling, shredding, or squeezing out the liquid from potatoes. They’re just potatoes with some added preservatives for freshness and color.

You could use frozen hashbrowns that have been defrosted. Or make your own by shredding the fresh potatoes and squeezing out the excess liquid. But, that’s way more work than this lazy girl wants to do.

Where to buy Simply Potatoes hash browns

I have seen these potatoes in the dairy case of almost every store I visit. They’re usually right next to the eggs in the cold case.

Can you make hashbrowns in a toaster oven?

Yes, these hashbrowns are great from the toaster oven! Honestly, when I make these in the mornings, I don’t even measure; I just add in a pinch or drizzle that feels right.

But, in order to write this recipe, I actually came up with some measurements for you, so you know how to make simply potatoes hash browns crispy and nice.

Preheat the toaster oven. All of my recipe testing has been in my Breville countertop oven. I love this handy appliance, and I highly recommend it, especially if you have a small kitchen or cook for just a couple of people. I also wanted to note that while my times are specific, your cooking times may vary because different ovens may have different temperatures.

Line a baking tray with parchment paper. I recommend Reynold’s brand parchment paper. I’ve used other brands and some don’t perform as well as Reynold’s. Also, I’ve found that hash browns will stick to aluminum foil. And silicone baking mats don’t produce the same crispy outcome as parchment paper.

Place the shredded potatoes and shredded cheese on the tray. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt. Using two forks, toss everything together, and form into two patties on the tray, spreading the patties evenly.

Bake in the preheated oven, on the correct rack setting for baking, for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges are crispy and golden brown. That’s it! No stirring necessary, and all hands-off time to get evenly cooked hash browns.

Can I make this in the regular oven?

Yes, the toaster oven or regular oven are the easiest ways to make hash browns, and these crispy hashbrowns work just as well in the big regular oven. Just follow the same directions and you’ll get great crispy potatoes with no stirring necessary.

If you want to make the whole bag for a crowd, they’re still nice and easy.

The measurements on the recipe card are slightly different for the whole bag than if you took my toaster oven version and calculated all the ingredients out for the full bag. These measurements just work better than having to figure out fussy ¼ teaspoons and such.

Changes to the recipe

Feel free to change up the basic potatoes by mixing in some garlic powder, dried onion flakes, or dried herbs.

You could make it more of a skillet meal by adding in some cooked breakfast sausage or some veggies like chopped red pepper, green onions, or chopped tomatoes.

You can add some more shredded cheese on top of the potatoes if you want. Especially after they’ve baked, top them with more shredded cheese, and pop them back in for a minute or two to melt the cheese layer.

Oh, and I often cook the hashbrowns without any cheese. They come out great that way too.  

Want to cook up some English muffins while the hashbrowns cook? That’s easy too. Simply place the English muffins, cut side up, on top of the potato patties when there’s 11 minutes left on the timer to cook the hashbrowns. They’ll both come out at the same time, nice and hot.

These hash browns are great in a breakfast burrito too! Scramble the egg with a little salsa in it, add some cheese, toast up the tortilla – all kinds of yum!

Breakfast meal

Want a great breakfast? Here’s a menu idea for you: