You Ugly Casserole–a one-pot chicken dinner with hashbrowns, spinach and cheddar topped with toasted buttery panko. Make it in your Instant Pot or slow cooker.
You Ugly Casserole
This dish might not win a beauty contest but it’s the kind of dish where the taste speaks louder than the presentation. Chicken, cheese, spinach and hashbrown potatoes all topped with toasted buttery panko is a winning combination. It’s not too fancy but it’s a simple, wholesome dinner.
Ingredients/Substitution Ideas
- Water
- Better than Bouillon chicken base
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs–or chicken breasts, tenderloins
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Poultry seasoning
- Cornstarch
- Milk–or half and half, evaporated milk, cream
- Frozen hashbrowns–or thawed
- Cheddar cheese–I like sharp
- Spinach–fresh or frozen
- Panko–or regular bread crumbs
- Butter
Steps
Pour water into Instant Pot and stir in the Better than Bouillon. Lay the chicken into the pot. Sprinkle the chicken with the onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, red pepper and poultry seasoning.
Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set manual/pressure cook button to 4 minutes.
While chicken is cooking melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat. Add in the panko and toast until golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
When time on Instant Pot is up let the pot sit for 10 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid.
In a small bowl stir together cornstarch with equal parts cold water until smooth. Turn Instant Pot to saute setting and stir the cornstarch slurry into the pot to thicken the sauce. Stir in the milk, hashbrowns, cheese and spinach until heated through.
Taste test and add salt and pepper to taste.
Scoop into bowls and top each serving with some of the panko topping.
Notes/Tips
- Serve with steamed or roasted green beans or asparagus.
- I like using chicken thighs for this dish since they stay more moist and tender than chicken breasts.
- I like to buy a bag of spinach from Costco and just immediately freeze it. The spinach comes in handy for recipes like one.
- I used my 6 quart Instant Pot*. You can also make this in a 3 or 8 quart pot.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Other recipes you can make with spinach are Holy Casserole and Instant Pot Garlic Parmesan Chicken.
Did you know you can filter the recipes on my website to search by meat type, IP or Crockpot, low carb, gluten free, etc.? Use the filter to find exactly what you are looking for.
You Ugly Casserole
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 minutes (plus 10 minute NPR)
- Total Time: 24 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
A one-pot chicken dinner with hashbrowns, spinach and cheddar topped with toasted buttery panko. Make it in your Instant Pot or slow cooker.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 Tbsp Better than Bouillon chicken base
- 18 ounces boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat and cut into chunks (frozen is fine)
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- Dash of crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
- 1–2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 1/2 cups frozen hashbrowns
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup chopped spinach (fresh or frozen)
- 1/3 cup panko
- 2 Tbsp butter
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions:
- Pour water into Instant Pot and stir in the Better than Bouillon. Lay the chicken into the pot. Sprinkle the chicken with the onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, red pepper and poultry seasoning.
- Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set manual/pressure cook button to 4 minutes.
- While chicken is cooking melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat. Add in the panko and toast until golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
- When time on Instant Pot is up let the pot sit for 10 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid.
- In a small bowl stir together cornstarch with equal parts cold water until smooth. Turn Instant Pot to saute setting and stir the cornstarch slurry into the pot to thicken the sauce. Stir in the milk, hashbrowns, cheese and spinach until heated through.
- Taste test and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Scoop into bowls and top each serving with some of the panko topping.
Slow Cooker Instructions:
- Pour water into slow cooker and stir in the Better than Bouillon. Lay the chicken into the slow cooker. Sprinkle the chicken with the onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, red pepper and poultry seasoning.
- Cover and cook on low for 2 hours.
- While chicken is cooking melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat. Add in the panko and toast until golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
- After 2 hours, in a small bowl stir together cornstarch with equal parts cold water until smooth. Stir the cornstarch slurry into the slow cooker to thicken the sauce. Stir in the milk, hashbrowns, cheese and spinach. Cover and cook on high for 30 more minutes.
- Taste test and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Scoop into bowls and top each serving with some of the panko topping.
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Instant Pot
More recipes with hashbrowns…
Instant Pot Cheesy Hamburger Hashbrown Soup
Seasoned ground beef, frozen hashbrowns and cheddar cheese come together in a hearty soup that is so addicting! Slurp slurp!
Glorified Hashbrowns
A 5-ingredient Instant Pot, Crockpot or oven recipe for glorified hashbrowns. These are the yummiest hashbrowns with lots of flavor and cheese. Serve this hashbrown casserole as a side dish to any dinner or with eggs for breakfast.
Southern Style Hashbrown Casserole (Instant Pot, Crockpot or Oven)
This hashbrown casserole with bacon, sour cream and cheddar cheese is a winning side dish for any dinner! It can be made in your Instant Pot, crockpot or in the oven.
Tennessee Hashbrown Casserole
Tennessee Hashbrown Casserole has cheddar, hashbrowns, peppers, sausage and a creamy sauce. It’s the ultimate hashbrown casserole!
*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
Using the hashbrowns (shredded I used) did nothing for the recipe. I recommend cooking it on side or serve something on side like noodles or rice. Over all very tasty.