Hashbrown Casserole

Casseroles tend to be some of the ugliest foods you can possibly make. Seriously, I don't think I've ever had a truly photogenic casserole. That said, this is one of the tastiest unphotogenic casseroles I've ever eaten.

This is one of the recipes that my mom would make when I was growing up. Actually, that's technically not entirely true - she first made it when I was a teenager. But I still had a bit of growing up to do at that point so I guess I can still say that. Anyway, no matter how long it's been since the first time I tried it, I still very much love it every time I eat it! It's a rich, fattening casserole that is full of comfort food goodness. Yummy potatoes baked with a tangy, cheesy, creamy sauce - yum! I made it tonight because it's a pregnancy craving I've been feeling for at least a week. Had to have it.

The recipe calls for frozen hashbrowns, but you can also use tater tots or other form of frozen potato food.

Hashbrown Casserole
2 lb. frozen hashbrowns
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) margarine, melted
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
16 oz. sour cream
1 lb. shredded cheese
1 lb. ground sausage or hamburger, cooked (having an aversion to ground beef lately, I skipped this)

Spread hashbrowns in bottom of 9x13 pan. Sprinkle with cooked meat. Mix soup, cheese, margarine, salt, and pepper. Pour over hashbrowns. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. You can sprinkle additional cheese on top.


This time I only made a half recipe; the full thing is a bit large for our little family, plus I only had enough sour cream for half. I didn't have frozen hashbrowns (we rarely buy them), so I microwave-baked one pound of fresh potatoes (3-4 medium) and diced them up. Since the potatoes were already fully cooked and I was only using an 8-inch baking pan, I was able to get away with cooking the casserole for only half an hour. I also skipped the additional cheese on top. Prepared this way, the casserole was even cheaper than usual. But still just as delicious!