Start by preparing all your vegetables: dice the red onion into 1/4-inch pieces, mince the garlic cloves, dice the carrot into 1/4-inch pieces, dice the green bell pepper into 1/2-inch pieces, and set them aside. While prepping, thaw your frozen hash browns and squeeze out the excess moisture using a clean kitchen towel—this is crucial for getting a crispy crust rather than a soggy one. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook the hash browns for 5 minutes until the bottom begins to brown, then flip and cook for another 5 minutes until golden and crispy on both sides. Transfer the cooked hash browns to a plate and set aside.

In an oven-safe skillet, brown the ground beef over medium-high heat, breaking it apart as it cooks. Once the beef is mostly cooked through, add the diced red onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until the onion softens. Pour off excess grease if needed, then add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Sprinkle the flour over the meat mixture and stir constantly for 2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste and create a light roux base for your sauce.

Add the tomato paste and stir it into the meat mixture for 1 minute to deepen the flavor. Pour in the beef broth, diced tomatoes (with their juice), and add the carrot and green bell pepper. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, ketchup, Dijon mustard, chili powder, dried oregano, paprika, and dried parsley. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook for 7-10 minutes until the vegetables soften and the sauce thickens. I like to taste the filling at this point and adjust the heat with hot sauce if I want more spice—start with just 1/4 teaspoon and add more to your preference. Stir in the sweet corn in the last minute of cooking.

While the filling simmers, combine the cooked hash browns from Step 1 with the sour cream, 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, salt, and black pepper in a bowl. Mix gently until everything is evenly combined—the sour cream acts as a binder to hold the hash browns together. I find that freshly ground black pepper makes a real difference in the final taste here, so don't skip that step if you have a mill.

Preheat your oven to 400°F. Spread the finished meat and vegetable filling from Step 3 evenly into the bottom of your oven-safe skillet. Spread the hash brown mixture from Step 4 evenly over the top of the filling, using a spatula to gently press it into a relatively even layer. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese over the top.

Bake the assembled pie at 400°F for 30 minutes until the filling is bubbling around the edges and the top is set. Turn your oven to broil and place the skillet under the broiler for 2-4 minutes, watching carefully, until the cheese is melted and the top is golden brown and crispy. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving—this allows the layers to set slightly and makes serving much cleaner.