Cheesy hash brown potatoes

Cheesy hash brown potatoes is a quick and easy casserole dish. If you love potatoes, you'll really love this! It is delicious comfort food at its best.

This recipe is the perfect size for 4 to 6 people. You'll need a 7 x 11 rectangle casserole dish or a 8 inch square pan. If you'd like to make them for a pot-luck or larger family brunch or dinner, I recommend doubling the recipe and using a 9 x 13 casserole or lasagna dish. I'll definitely be serving these cheesy hash brown potatoes for friends. Everyone loved them.

Grate your own cheese for this recipe. Pre-shredded cheese has additives and flour mixed in so it doesn't clump or stick. It's not great in sauces because it doesn't melt smooth. For the cheese, I used a mix 50/50 regular medium cheddar and white sharp cheddar (Tillamook brand). I also topped the casserole before baking with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning.

If you're gluten free, you can enjoy this recipe too. Substitute the cream of chicken soup with a homemade version which you can utilize in other casserole recipes. It consists of only 3 ingredients. I'll list these below.

I hope you enjoy this recipe.

Happy cooking,

Michelle

Cheesy hash brown potatoes

Ingredients:

1 pound hash browns (4 oz) bag. (Simply potatoes brand recommended). Thawed.

1 can cream of chicken soup

2 cups (8 oz) grated cheddar cheese.

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup onion, diced (cooked optional)

1/4 cup melted butter. (The original recipe says 1/4 cup, but I personally think 2-3 tablespoons is enough)

Optional: 1/4 cup crisp bacon bits (about 2 slices of bacon cooked, chopped).

Optional topping:

1 1/2 cups corn flakes, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon melted butter

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

Sprinkle with fresh grated Parmesan cheese (a couple tablespoons)

Serves 4-6 Pan size 7 x 11 rectangle or 8 inch square Double recipe 9 x 13

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 350 F

Spray the baking dish with non-stick cooking spray

Combine the ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Spread into the prepared casserole dish.

Combine optional topping corn flakes and melted butter in a small bowl. Top the potatoes evenly with this mixture. Add optional topping if desired. Then sprinkle the seasonings and parmesan cheese on top.

Bake 45 minutes until the hash browns are tender and golden brown.

*Gluten free cream of chicken soup

This makes the equivalent of 2 cans of cream of chicken soup. So, for a 4-6 person serving as above, make this and use half for the casserole.

3 cups of milk (regular cow's milk, oat or almond)

6 tablespoons of cornstarch

6 teaspoons of "better than bouillon chicken" base flavoring

Combine everything into a pot on the stovetop over medium heat. Whisk gently to incorporate. Add a pinch of pepper if desired. Stir frequently and it will begin to thicken. Once thickened, it's ready. Let it cool and store in jars. Store in the fridge up to 3 days.

#potatoes #casserole #sidedish