Mom clipped this from a magazine in 1958. Still the most requested side dish at Easter.

This oven baked 4-ingredients hash brown pie is exactly the kind of recipe you’d expect to find clipped from a 1950s magazine and tucked into a church cookbook—simple, economical, and endlessly dependable. It bakes up into a golden, crispy pie with a tender, layered potato interior, all in a clear glass pie dish so you can see the browned edges. With just frozen hash browns, butter, sour cream, and shredded cheese, it’s the kind of side dish that shows up at Easter once and then gets requested every single year afterward because everyone remembers “that potato pie” more than the ham.

Serve this hash brown pie hot, cut into wedges right from the glass pie dish, alongside baked ham, roast turkey, or a simple glazed pork loin. It’s rich and creamy, so balance the plate with something bright and acidic—think a crisp green salad with a sharp vinaigrette, steamed green beans with lemon, or roasted asparagus. Leftovers reheat well in a skillet for breakfast; top a warmed wedge with a fried or poached egg and a spoonful of salsa for a hearty morning-after-Easter brunch.

Servings: 6-8

4 cups frozen shredded hash browns, thawed and well drained

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 9-inch glass pie dish with a bit of butter, making sure to coat the bottom and sides so the potatoes don’t stick and the edges can crisp.

Thaw the frozen shredded hash browns completely. Spread them out on a clean kitchen towel or paper towels and press firmly to remove as much excess moisture as possible. This step is key to getting that golden, crisp exterior instead of a soggy pie.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the thawed, well-drained hash browns, sour cream, 1 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese, and the melted butter. Mix until everything is evenly combined and the potatoes are well coated, but don’t overwork it; you want the shreds to stay distinct for a nice layered texture.

Transfer the potato mixture to the prepared glass pie dish. Gently press it into an even layer, smoothing the top and making sure the mixture reaches all the way to the edges and up the sides just slightly. This helps form that classic pie shape and ensures the edges brown nicely.

Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the top of the pie. This top layer will melt, bubble, and brown, giving you that old-fashioned, magazine-worthy golden crust when it comes out of the oven.

Place the pie dish on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 35–45 minutes, or until the top is deeply golden and crisp, the edges are browned, and you can see a bit of bubbling around the sides through the glass. Ovens vary, so start checking at about 30 minutes and continue until the color looks rich and toasty.

Remove the hash brown pie from the oven and let it rest on a cooling rack for at least 10 minutes. This short rest allows the layers to set up so you can cut clean wedges that show the interior shreds instead of collapsing into a scoop.

Cut into 6–8 wedges directly in the glass pie dish and serve warm. If you like, loosen the edges gently with a thin spatula before cutting, then lift out the first wedge carefully so you keep that layered look intact.

To keep the recipe true to its 1950s clipped-magazine spirit, the base stays at four ingredients, but you can still play a bit at the edges. For a slightly smokier version, use smoked cheddar instead of sharp cheddar. If you want a bit more richness without changing the ingredient list, swap half of the sour cream for full-fat plain Greek yogurt—it keeps the tang while adding a bit of protein. You can also divide the mixture between two smaller glass pie dishes for more browned edge pieces; just start checking for doneness about 5–10 minutes earlier. For make-ahead prep, mix the ingredients, press into the buttered glass dish, cover tightly, and refrigerate up to 8 hours before baking; add a few extra minutes to the bake time if it goes into the oven cold. Food safety notes: always thaw frozen hash browns in the refrigerator or in the microwave, not on the counter, and be sure they stay out of the temperature danger zone (40–140°F / 4–60°C) for as little time as possible. Use sour cream before its expiration date and keep it refrigerated until you’re ready to mix. If you cool leftovers, refrigerate them within 2 hours of baking, store tightly covered, and reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven or in a skillet until the center is hot and steaming before serving.