HASH BROWN CASSEROLE

One of my cousins brought this dish to a family Christmas party and we all fell in love with it.  I personally like to use frozen O’Briens for the extra color and textures, but it’s great either way.

 It’s a huge casserole and great for parties. It’s also a great recipe to freeze and re-heat.  For a family meal to make ahead, line two 1 ½  quart casseroles with tin foil and divide casserole in half before baking.  After baking, let cool, cover casserole and place in freezer.  After it’s frozen, you can take it out of the casserole dish, wrap completely in foil or place in freezer bag (leave the original foil on the frozen casserole). 

When you want it for dinner, take it out and place it back in the original casserole dish and bake covered at 350^o f for 30 - 40 minutes or until heated through.  I’ve also made this and frozen it before adding the toppings.  If you do this, bake the covered casserole about 20 minutes, then follow the instructions for adding the topping and completing the baking.   Either way, it’s a really great tasting easy recipe.

HASH BROWN CASSEROLE

Ingredients-Casserole

2 lb bag frozen hash browns or O’Brien potatoes

1 cup sour cream

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 – 2 tablespoons minced onions

1 stick ( ½ cup ) butter or margarine, melted

Pre-heat oven to 350^o f. 

Combine all ingredients and pour into a greased casserole dish.  Cover and bake for 45 – 50 minutes.

Ingredients-Topping

1 stick ( ½ cup ) butter or margarine, melted

1 stack Ritz crackers, crushed

1 cup grated cheese (cheddar or Colby-jack are best)

Add topping to casserole and bake uncovered for an additional 15 to 20 minutes.

EASY CHICKEN CASSEROLE

Here is an easy chicken casserole that normally I would say is fool-proof.  Unless my husband is replacing old oven dials and gets them marked wrong!  He was at his Mom's and wanted to fix her this recipe. He followed all my instructions and 2 ½ hours after he put it in the oven, it was still half raw.  He called me and we finally figured out that the new oven dial had been marked wrong for the oven.  He was pre-heating instead of baking!  At least he hadn't been broiling!!!  He would have burned the house down.

EASY CHICKEN CASSEROLE

Ingredients:

1½ cups raw rice                                             

1 can cream of celery soup                         

1 can cream of chicken soup                        

1 can cream of mushroom soup           

1 cup milk

7 or 8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

½ cup butter or margarine (1 stick)

1 ½ oz. Grated parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon paprika

One note:  7 or 8 chicken breasts are around 2 lbs of chicken.  I usually use 3 lbs and layer them because my family really, really loves this recipe.  The grated parmesan cheese and paprika are more to taste rather than exact measurements.  I love both, so I am generous when I use them.

Mix together soup and milk.  Sprinkle rice over the bottom of a 3 quart (or larger if you use more chicken) greased casserole.  Pour ¾ of the soup mix over the rice and stir, making sure you get to all the rice.  Place chicken breasts evenly on rice.  Cut butter into small pats and place on chicken.  Cover with remaining soup mix.  Sprinkle cheese and paprika on top.  Bake at 275 ⁰ f. for 2 ½ hours or at 350 ⁰ f.  for 1 ½ hours.

This can be made the night before and refrigerated.  Don’t sprinkle cheese and paprika until just before baking.