Hash brown casserole
Posted: July 8, 2009 Filed under: 365 Life in the Bogs Challenge, Adventures in art, Earth, food, Photography, recipes, Summer | Tags: hash brown casserole, potatoes 16 Comments
(056: New potatoes. Photo © 2009 by Robin)
Way back when, around the time of the wedding, I was asked for the recipes for the cherry pudding and the hash brown casserole that were served at the pre-wedding brunch for the groom’s side of the family/friends. The cherry pudding recipe has already been posted at Life in the Bogs and you can find it here.
The hash brown casserole is fairly simple and remarkably fattening. I got the recipe from some friends from West Virginia. If you want to do a veggie version (something I’m not sure they’d approve of in West Virginia), I’d suggest cream of mushroom soup instead of the cream of chicken. Or cream of celery. If you want a vegan version, you’re on your own figuring that out. This casserole is chock full of dairy.
- 2 lb. bag frozen hash browns (the diced or cubed variety)
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 2 cans cream of chicken soup
- 12 oz. sour cream
- 2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (save a little to put on top)
Combine all and put in 3 qt. casserole dish (9×13). Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes (longer = browner). Cover with foil until last 10 minutes, then cover with reserved cheese and brown for final 10 minutes.
I don’t bother adding the salt. There is plenty of salt to be found in the soup and cheese.
I have not tried to make this with fresh potatoes. With all the other unhealthy stuff in this recipe, I’m not sure it would make a difference in the end.
Enjoy and good luck. Hopefully it won’t clog your arteries too much.
Life in the Bogs 
Cream o’ puke-o. No offense. Hehehe. I’ve made a bunch of your recipes (and always forget to come back and say thanks), but I’ma give ‘is ‘un ‘ere a pass. If I ate that and went out in the pond, I’d sink to the bottom.
Biz: Yeah but you’d probably gain about 20 sticky pounds eating that stuff.
I’m not big on cream-o’ soups either. Not even for casseroles, not even in our poorer days when I cooked a lot of casseroles. But I have to admit to liking this hash brown casserole. It’s a good thing I’ve only made it twice in my life. Any more than that and I’d be looking at having to lose hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds.
I’ve made this and it is wonderful.
I agree, Dnay. Which is why I rarely make it. It’s a killer. lol!
Everyone’s got to have at least a few really awful recipes that taste SO good and are SO bad for you. Moderation and it all evens out. Pat your back on those days when your meal looks like it was just pulled from the garden because it was, and you can pat your belly on those very occasional days when you eat those that aren’t quite from the garden.
Sounds kinda yummy. In a make-it-three-times-in-your-life way.
I have plenty of taste-good, bad-for-you recipes, Bo. Too many. lol! But yes, it’s nice to have something for special occasions or those days when you just need some comfort food.
hmmm
this one sounds like a fried mars bar
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep-fried_Mars_Bar
something you try just because it’s intriguing 🙂
That’s about right, Kel.
I’m craving some chocolate this morning and a fried mars bar really doesn’t sound all that bad. lol!
Looks like this could be made the night before and popped in the oven for a crowd. You could use Smart Balance instead of butter (I never use salt) and healthier (but not healthful) cream soups, but the bottom line is company expects to splurge a little on the diet. I’ll try it. Thanks.
Anhinga: That’s what I did this time around (made it the night before). I cooked it as well. The plan was to partially cook it so the potatoes wouldn’t thaw and get mushy, but with everything that was going on I forgot to set a timer and I’m pretty sure I cooked it for at least an hour. The guys reheated it in the oven the next morning for about 30 minutes and it was delicious so I’m guessing it’s hard to overcook it.
Smart Balance is a good idea. You could probably use the reduced fat cheese as well (forget the no-fat cheese, that stuff doesn’t cook up right).
Now you’re cooking! LOL…am I the only Southerner in the group? Garden fresh this, and organic that was my way of life growing up. Heck cream of chicken soup was considered a LUXURY item in our pantry, while free-range eggs, pesticide-free produce and fresh dairy meant WORK. LOL!
No, Jeni, you’re not the only Southerner. I didn’t realize I grew up on organic veggies and fruit and free range chicken. I just called it home cookin’ from Daddy’s garden. You want fried chicken, you wring a neck, dip it in boiling water and pluck it (hated that job). Milk was straight from the cow, butter made from cream. Fertilizer came from the barn and I don’t remember any pesticides except the yellow powder Daddy sprinkled on the tomatoes. Anything store bought was luxury. And we thought we were POOR!
It’s just too bad the store bought foods didn’t remain a luxury. What they’re putting into things these days barely resembles food anymore.
The hash brown casserole looks good and I will have to give it a try. I like casseroles and haven’t made casseroles in a long time. I even have casserole cookbooks I haven’t looked at in ages. LOL
I was thinking I’d like to make more casseroles this winter, Anna. And maybe even use my crock pot every now and then. It’s funny how I moved away from that kind of cooking. For me that’s probably a result of not working (outside of the home). Those one-dish meals were convenient when I was working and didn’t have a lot of time to cook dinner.
I see everyone is in disagreement with me, total disagreement, lol.