cheesy hash brown casserole

Potatoes and cheese. Always good. Shredded potatoes with a crispy, cheesy crust... Even better.

I know this is a classic recipe and you've probably had it many times before, but it's so good it deserves to be made again! It's also really easy to make. Just throw a bunch of stuff in a big bowl, dump it into a greased 13x9, put the topping on and bake. That's my kinda recipe.

It starts with sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese.

Then add salt, pepper, chili powder and cream of chicken soup. I know, not too appetizing right? It will be soon...

Ahh. There we go. Drizzle in some melted butter and mix it all up. I like the slightly smoky flavor the chili powder gives this dish. It's very subtle, just makes it taste warm.

I like crushed up corn flakes for the topping. It gets so crispy and crunchy. Just put a couple cups of corn flakes in your food processor. Then scatter a few pieces of butter over the whole casserole. This will help the crisping process while it's in the oven.

Look at that pretty thing in there. Trust me, it smells SO good.

Oh gosh. The crispy, cheesy crust. I made this for my parents and Michael. They couldn't wait to dig in.

This has such a great texture and flavor. I know you will love it.

Here's the recipe:

Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole

adapted from Cooking Light

1 8oz. container sour cream (about a cup)
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 10.75 ounce can cream of chicken soup
1 8oz. can chicken broth (about a cup)
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon butter, diced
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 or 3 teaspoons chili powder, depending on your spice preference
15-20 ounces of shredded hash browns*
1 1/2 cups coarsely crushed corn flakes

Combine sour cream, cheese, soup, spices and broth in a large bowl. Add hash browns and combine. Spread evenly in a 13 x 9 baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle cornflakes over whole dish, spreading out evenly. Dot with small pieces of butter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour, until bubbly and golden brown. Serve immediately.

*If you are using frozen hash browns, make sure they are thawed.