Hashbrown Casserole

I remember my mom making this when I was a kid....and I loved it....and it has onions in it....which...well...I HATE onions...unless they are cooked...so raw onions...blech...but that is my personal opinion...so to say I loved this...is a BIG thing...

I love this casserole soo much it has become my personal little gem....I get asked to make it quite often....and it has gotten to the point that I could probably make it in my sleep....it's so tasty and delicious, how could anyone NOT love it...(note to my friend Biff...you can leave the onion out...and it would STILL be delicious...ok)

Alrighty....lets get this started....

If you please, preheat your oven to 350 degrees

For this recipe you will need....

 cream of chicken soup, butter, sour cream, hash browns (the cubed kind), an onion, cornflakes, salt, pepper, and shredded cheese

Now, don't ask me why I have fat free cream of chicken soup and sour cream...I don't know...maybe I'm trying to balance out the butter....LOL....

First things first....lets take care of that onion...now it needs to be "grated" with juice....so if you don't have a food processor (the Man KNOWS how much I appreciate that)...you can use the grater.....but use this side...

the one with the little pokie out star shapes....I know that isn't a technical name, but you know what I mean...

if you are going to grate your onion...leave it whole and just cut the ends off and peel the skin off...be prepaired....you might want to start singing "Cry Me A River"....cause that is what you will do....

if you are going to use the food processor....cut it into sections...and throw them in...

turn that puppy on and pulse/scrape the sides off and on till you end up with something like this...see the juice down at the bottom...

quick, put the lid back on till later...you don't want to cry....

Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray and set aside....(I'll add a picture for once...LOL)

I'm not sure what that brown stuff on the outside of the pan is...I just know it won't come off...LOL

In a large bowl....

add 16 oz of sour cream....

one can of cream of chicken soup...

1/2 cup (1 stick ) of melted butter

your grated onion and juice

one teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon of pepper (I was out so I used Mrs. Dash table blend....we use it all the time anyway...and nobody could tell the difference)

2 cups of shredded cheese...I used medium cheddar here...but other cheeses would work too...

I think if you wanted....you could add some diced ham here....and make it a little more "meal-ish" but...the purists at my house might burn me at the stake if I tried...

Mix that all together...

then add your hash browns (frozen, 32 oz)

it needs to be the cubed ones....if you use the shredded ones...it just isn't the same...

mix the hash browns in....

spread evenly into your pan

now lets work on the topping...

ok, I'll admit it right now...I love the topping...and most other recipes like this I've seen, call for 2 cups of crushed cornflakes and 1/2 cup of melted butter...but I say BOOO to that....I don't want a measly, scrimpy, barely covers anything topping...oh no....not in this house....

so, take 2/3 cup of butter and melt it....(in stick speak that is 1 stick, plus 2 2/3 tablespoons from another stick of butter)

that much, basically....

next we need to crush our cornflakes....now, it's 3 cups of crushed cornflakes....not 3 cups of cornflakes crushed....there is a difference....what I do is...pour some cornflakes into a ziploc baggie...smash them up

use the rolling pin...it's very therapeutic....lol....now, pour those into a measuring cup (I have one that measures up to 4 cups).....keep crushing/ adding cornflakes till you get to 3 cups...if you go a little over...no biggie...

pour them into a bowl and add your melted butter

then you need to mix that up well....

if my mouth wasn't still hurting some...I'd have probably stolen a bite...but alas...not today...

spread them evenly over the top of your casserole....you can do it...there is plenty of topping now...

Bake in the oven (350*) for 45 minutes....

I know this looks about the same as before...but trust me...it's been cooked!

mmm...it looks all yummy and delicious......I ate one small potato piece...very tasty....

Hashbrown Casserole 

Ingredients

32 oz. frozen hash browns (cubed kind)
1 onion, grated with juice
16 oz carton of sour cream
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup melted butter (or margarine)
1 tsp. of salt
1/4 tsp. of black pepper
2 c. of shredded cheese

Topping

3 cups of crushed cornflakes
2/3 cup of melted butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13x9 pan with cooking spray. Combine sour cream, soup, butter, onion, salt, pepper, and cheese. Add hash browns and mix well. Pour into pan and spread out evenly. Combine cornflakes with melted butter. Place evenly over the top of the hash brown mixture. Bake for 45 minutes....and enjoy