I recently reviewed an excellent cookbook, The 30-Minute Cooking from Frozen Cookbook, which I highly recommend for those who are busy and find themselves pulling out frozen ingredients to make a quick dinner. One of the recipes in the book is for Individual Cheesy Potato Casseroles, which I adapted to make a large casserole to serve a crowd. This Easy Cheesy Potato Casserole starts with a package of frozen hash browns, and most of the other ingredients are on pantry shelves or are fridge staples, so you may not even need to go to the grocery store to make this delicious dish. It goes well with plain or grilled meats, poultry, or fish, and is a hearty dish on its own for a vegetarian option (substitute cream of mushroom soup for the cream of chicken soup in that case).

While this makes enough for 12 servings and is perfect for a large family dinner, leftovers are the main ingredient in Shortcut Bacon and Potato Soup, which is perfect for a cold night, and will insure that the leftovers won’t go to waste.

12 Servings

1 26 ounce package frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
6 tablespoons melted butter, divided
1 10 3/4 ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup, or cream of mushroom for vegetarian
1 cup plain Greek non-fat yogurt, or sour cream
1 cup milk
1 bunch green onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Topping
3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Spray a 9" x 13" shallow glass baking dish with non-stick spray.
3. Place the frozen hash browns in the microwave and microwave 3 minutes; break up the potatoes and place them in the prepared baking dish.
4. Pour 4 tablespoons of the melted butter over the potatoes and toss slightly.
5. Whisk together the soup, yogurt, milk, green onions, garlic, cheese, salt, and pepper in a bowl; spread evenly over the potatoes.
6. Toss the breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese with the remaining two tablespoons butter; sprinkle evenly over the potatoes.
7. Bake one hour to one hour and fifteen minutes or until bubbly and brown.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 239 Calories from Fat 122
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 51% Protein 16% Carb. 33%

Nutrient Amount per Serving
Total Fat 14 g
Saturated Fat 8 g
Cholesterol 37 mg
Sodium 541 mg
Total Carbohydrate 20 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Sugars 1 g
Protein 10 g

Vitamin A 10% Vitamin C 9% Calcium 0% Iron 6%