My Hash Brown Casserole comes to mind when we talk about comfort food. It’s the perfect side dish for breakfast. You could really substitue this for any potato side dish and no one would be disappointed. This is my Hash Brown Casserole.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Yields: 12 servings
Equipment: 1 (13 x 9) baking dish, chef’s knife, 10-inch sauté pan, 6-quart saucepot, large mixing bowl, rimmed baking sheet pan, whisk, small mixing bowl, rubber spatula, dry measuring cup, 2-cup liquid measuring cup

Ingredients:
1 (30-ounce) package of refrigerated hash brown potatoes, substitute frozen
4 tablespoons of butter, unsalted, diced into 1 tablespoon pieces
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups milk, (whole or 2%)
1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese
1 cup whipped cream cheese, substitue sour cream
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
1 teapsoon fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes

Topping:
2 cups Panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
3 tablespoons butter, unsalted and melted
2 tablespoons of sweet paprika, optional
1 1/2 tablespoons of Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepot over medium heat. Add the diced onions and sauté until softened, about 5 to 6 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and cook stirring constantly, 1 minute. While whisking, add the milk, Kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil.

Immediately remove the pan from the heat and add the cheddar cheese and parmesan cheese. Mix until combined and cheese is melted. Finally, stir in cream cheese until melted.

Place hash browns in a large mixing bowl then pour in the milk mixture and dried parsley, toss to evenly coat. Transfer to a baking dish (no need to grease dish) and spread into an even layer.

In a small sauté pan melt 3 tablespoons of butter. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the Panko bread crumbs and dried parsley flakes, stir to combine. Spread coated panko evenly over the casserole. Sprinkle evenly with paprika. This just adds a little color to the topping.

Tightly covered with foil, bake in a preheated oven until hot throughout, about 40 to 50 minutes. Remove foil during the last 10 minutes so the top can become golden brown. Garnish with freshly chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley.

There you have it, my Hash Brown Casserole.

https://lindalouhamel.com/2019/07/10/summer-time-flowers-and-herbs/