The Bestselling Cracker Barrel Menu Item Might Surprise You

Cracker Barrel is one of those iconic American places to eat (and we heard that even Taylor Swift loves it, via Today, which makes it so much better). The porch with the rocking chairs. The welcoming Cracker Barrel General Store. That gigantic game of checkers that virtually everyone waiting for a seat in the restaurant takes turns playing. And, how could we forget the all-day breakfast. 

The menu is full of delicious bites — even ones that aren't breakfast-related. And while it may serve over 160 million eggs annually, according to Cracker Barrel's Fast Facts, there is one item that continues to awe everyone that stops by for a meal: the hash brown casserole. Served as a side or, if you're feeling particularly hungry, as a main course, it's the most popular item on the Cracker Barrel menu. More so, hash-brown fanatics have also been inspired to try to recreate the meal on their own.

Hash browns are a breakfast staple for sure, but this casserole takes it to another level. With cheese (two types!), sour cream, and shredded potatoes, you really can't go wrong with the taste of Cracker Barrel's hash brown casserole. And, according to some of the copycat recipes out there, it's not all that hard to master in your home oven, either. 

Taste of Home's copycat recipe notes that after a good sauté of the onions and the garlic, everything else combines into a bowl. From there, the mix is put in a baking pan, sprinkled with additional cheese and baked in the oven for an hour. Sure, you may have to get up a bit earlier to make this, but it's worth it. Bonus: You may even have leftover casserole that you can reheat for breakfast (or lunch or dinner) throughout the week. 

Even better: You can use frozen potatoes instead of having to peel and shred your own and you can even make it ahead of brunch. Taste of Home says it will store for three days in the fridge or up to three months in the freezer if stored in an airtight container.