Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole -- original & adapted so it's more of a made from scratch dish

Cheesy Potato Casserole made by
Keely Meade for the Parents as Teachers
pot-luck holiday meal.

Keely Meade brought this creamy, cheesy casserole to a Parents as Teachers holiday pot-luck dinner and it was delicious.  I am including her recipe  + providing some suggestions on how to give it more of a "made from scratch" spin.  It is delicious either way!

Read more about the event where these potatoes were served — Abilene Kansas App News Center: Favorite Dishes Parents as Teachers Pot-Luck Dinne...: Just a few of their FAVORITE DISHES by Meta West  Tables laden with turkey and crisp apple strudel Plates full of beans...

Original Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole      Makes a 9x13-inch casserole.

10 cups (32 oz. pkg.) frozen shredded hash browns

¼ cup + 2 tablespoons butter

1 (10.75 oz.) can condensed cream of chicken soup

12 ounces sour cream

½ cup milk

½ cup chopped green onions

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups grated Cheddar cheese

1 cup crushed corn flakes 

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Melt ¼ cup butter and pour into 9x13-inch baking dish, then add 5 cups of frozen hash browns.
3. In separate bowl, mix soup, sour cream, milk, and green onions; then pour half of this mixture over hash browns. Salt and pepper to taste.
4. Sprinkle 1 cup grated cheese on top.
5. Add remainder of hash browns and pour remainder of mixture on top, salt and pepper.
6. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top, then cover with crushed corn flakes.
7. Drizzle two tablespoons melted butter over mixture and bake for 60 minutes.

Options that could be utilized for more of a "made from scratch" spin . . .

• Instead of frozen hash browns, peel and grate russet potatoes. One average potato yields about 1 cup of grated hash browns. Note: Be sure to grate potatoes right before you need them and to rinse them thoroughly under cold water to remove some of the starch. If you don't do this, the freshly grated potatoes may turn a grayish color as they cook.

  

  Use your food processor to grate the potatoes.

• Instead of using canned condensed soup, make flavored cream sauce using the recipe on our blog—Basic White Sauce. To get a chicken flavor, substitute chicken broth for all or part of the milk.

  

  Chicken broth flavored cream (white) sauce mixed with sour cream, milk and green onions.

• If you don't have corn flakes on hand, try using panko bread crumbs for another crunchy topping.

  

  Panko-topped Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole.