Here is a very tasty Hash Brown Potato Casserole recipe.
- 1 10.75-oz can condensed cream of chicken soup
- 0.25 cup onion chopped
- 32 big clumps
- 1 8-oz can american or cheddar cheese shredded
- 0.5 stick butter or margarine melted (for sauteing onion)
- 8 carton sour cream
- salt; and pepper
- 0.5 stick melted margarine (for crisping cornflakes)
- 2 cups cornflakes cereal
- cooking; oil spray
- Carbohydrate 13.3466476629867 g
- Cholesterol 170.012229794667 mg
- Fat 68.3060246813867 g
- Fiber 0.17333333492279 g
- Protein 7.29671970048 g
- Saturated Fat 38.4851398965813 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (325g)
- Sodium 393.33022212 mg
- Sugar 13.1733143280639 g
- Trans Fat 7.44721077916001 g
- Calories 682 calories
Step-by-step
- Saute 1/4 cup onion in 1/2 stick melted butter or margarine.
- In a very large mixing bowl, combine sauteed onion, 32 oz. frozen hash brown potatoes, 10 3/4 oz. cream of chicken soup, 8 oz. Cheez Whiz, and 8 oz. sour cream.
- Add salt and pepper to taste
- Mix thoroughly with a large spoon.
- Melt 1/2 stick margarine, and add 2 cups cornflakes.
- Heat the cornflakes, until they are crispy and the margarine is absorbed.
- Do not over-brown the cornflakes!
- Spray a 13-inch by 9-inch by 2-inch Pyrex dish (or similar oven-proof dish) with cooking oil spray.
- Spoon the casserole mixture into the baking dish, and smooth it out with the back of the spoon.
- Sprinkle the crisp cornflakes evenly over the top.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes in an oven that has been preheated to 350 degrees.
- Remove from the oven, and serve while hot!
Ingredient quantities fail to explain the thermodynamic properties of a 13-inch by 9-inch by 2-inch Pyrex glass baking dish, which retains heat differently than metal pans and requires careful monitoring during the 40 to 45 minute bake time at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Glass conducts heat more slowly than aluminum, meaning the interior dairy and potato mixture needs adequate time to reach a bubbling state without scorching the bottom edges. Sautéing the chopped onion in melted butter before mixing softens the cellular walls of the allium, releasing moisture that would otherwise steam the frozen potatoes unevenly inside the casserole mass.
Combining frozen hash brown potatoes directly with condensed cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and melted cheese creates a dense emulsion that relies on thorough manual incorporation to prevent pockets of unseasoned fat. When warming the cornflakes in margarine, maintain medium-low heat and stir constantly until the fat is fully absorbed without letting the cereal turn dark brown. This preparatory step ensures the cereal maintains structural integrity when exposed to the moisture of the baking casserole beneath it.
Visual cues dictate doneness since internal temperature probes are rarely deployed for potato bakes. Watch for bubbling edges where the cream soup and cheese mixture begins to brown slightly against the glass walls, indicating the interior has reached a uniform heat. The cornflake crust should achieve a crisp texture that contrasts against the soft, storable starches underneath.
Portioning this dish into twelve servings requires a wide spatula to cleanly separate the dairy-heavy layers without collapsing the cereal crust. Leftovers remain structurally sound when sealed tightly in the refrigerator for up to three days, though reheating requires lower temperatures to prevent the fats from separating out of the sour cream base.
