Monday, November 7, 2011

The Best Hashbrown Casserole Ever!

This is probably my most requested recipe for family dinners. I started out with the traditional recipe, using cornflakes for topping. The original recipe also has less cheese and is cooked at a lower temp. I sort of took a generic hashbrown casserole recipe trying to copy the ones served at Cracker Barrel Restaurants, which isn't all that fabulous in my opinion, and totally made it mine! I tweaked it in all the right places! I will admit, I usually am very generous with my measurements of sour cream, an extra tablespoon or two can't hurt, right? Also, sometimes add a little more onion. depending on who I'm serving. Some of my people don't do onion, but love this! The trick to pleasing everyone with this is chop the onion very fine and make sure it is mixed well.  Four tablespoons is enough to give it a nice flavor without offending the no onion crowd. I simply cannot make it without it. The chips on top are like a little party going on in your mouth, way better than corn flakes. This is awesome, you should give it a try.
Enjoy!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

1 bag of frozen shredded hashbrowns (thawed)
4 tablespoons of finely chopped onion
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
8 ounces sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup (can substitute cream of mushroom for vegetarians)
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all these items together very thoroughly in a large mixing bowl. Make sure all the ingredients are mixed well. It's okay to just dig in with your hands if necessary.
Place in a buttered baking dish.

Topping:

3 cups crushed potato chips ( I recommend plain chips, although it is a good way to get rid of those partial bags of chips. I have used a mixture of BBQ, sour cream and onion flavored. Get creative here to find your favorite.)
1/2 to 3/4 stick of butter or margarine melted

Mix together and place on top.
Bake at 375 for about 40 minutes. Make sure that it is lightly browned on top and around the edges.

7 comments:

  1. Nice! I have made one similar to this and loved it and I use crushed corn flakes instead of chips...Cutting back on some of the fat :)

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  2. This is one of Mamas staples since you gave her the recipe years ago. Everyone loves it.

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  3. M.J. The potato chips make it delicious! I eliminate the butter in the casserole and add it to the chip topping. I suppose you could leave it out all together, since the chips are oily. I can relate to cutting back on the fat, just not during the holidays!That is usually the only time I make this dish. Thanks for checking it out!

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  4. Mary, get her to try the Chicken Florentine. Y'all will love it. You can go a little crazy with the spinach and cream. I wouldn't recommend getting to heavy on the cheese,it tends to get stringy. The measurements can be tweaked to suit taste. It is awesome with pasta, and excellent leftover, if you are lucky enough to have some left.

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  5. Can't wait to make this one too. Gosh, I need a double oven. :)

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  6. Debbie, If you haven't made this yet, I recommend that you do. It is so good. If you plan on eating healthier in the new year, go ahead and get this out of the way first while there's still time! not very healthy, but fabulous!

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