In a Hurry Country Scalloped Potatoes

These are titled In a Hurry Country Scalloped Potatoes on the paper my grandmother wrote out, but the recipe is actually made with hashbrowns! That is why you can get this recipe together in a hurry. There is no tedious peeling and thinly slicing multiple potatoes. You just open a bag of hashbrowns and pour them in the casserole dish! I mean, who doesn’t love a great short-cut, when you want to have a delicious dinner but you find yourself short on time!

This is a casserole of potatoes and cheesy goodness! It is so simple to put together. You can even make it in advance, freeze it, and cook it when you need it! Since, to me, this hashbrown casserole feels very vintage, we paired it with the Old-fashioned Salisbury Steak with Gravy and Marg’s Simple Oven Sauteed Carrots with Cheese! A feel-good, old-school meal, you just have to try!

I remember having this potato dish, or one similar to it, every Easter. We would always go visit my Great Aunt and our cousins. I remember, before dinner, there was always a pumpernickel loaf scooped out with a spinach dip inside. Of course, after everything, an easter egg hunt in the back yard!

I feel like we don’t make casseroles very often any more. Casseroles used to be so much more common place at dinner tables. Now, for my family anyways, we seem to only bring out the casserole dishes during special occasions like Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving. I do remember eating more casseroles growing up. In fact, for our birthday we got to pick a special dinner to have that day. I always requested this chicken and rice casserole that my grandmother made!

Casseroles are certainly easier, as far as placing everything you are going to be eating in one dish and baking it. Now it seems more in fashion to do sheet pan meals, when it comes to cooking everything together.

Either way, I think it’s time to bust out that old casserole dish waiting in the back of the pantry from last Christmas and have that special occasion casserole for dinner tonight!

Ingredients

2 lb bag of frozen hashbrown potatoes

¼ cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup butter

2 ½ cups milk

¼ cup cream cheese

1 cup shredded cheese (I used sharp cheddar)

½ cup sour cream

salt and pepper to taste

½ cup onion chopped (optional)

½ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ cup melted butter

2 cups cornflakes, crushed

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 °F (176 °C).
2. In a large sauce pan, melt the butter and sprinkle in the flour to make a roux, this resembles a thick paste.
3. Slowly add the milk, while whisking. Mix until all of the milk is incorporated, and the mixture heats back up and has a few bubbles. The mixture should thicken as it heats back up.
4. Add in the cream cheese. I usually break it up and squish it around until it is fully melted and incorporated into the sauce. Add the sour cream, cheese, salt and pepper, garlic powder, and onion (if using). Mix to combine and melt the cheese.
5. In a 9×13 in. rectangular casserole dish, add the hashbrowns. Pour the cheese mixture on top of the hashbrowns and mix to combine. (If it seems too dry, add a little milk.)
6. Place in the preheated oven for 30 mins.
7. Remove from the oven and add the crushed cornflakes. To crush them I usually place them in a sealed bag (like a large freezer bag) and crush them up with a rolling pin. You could also place them in a bowl and crush them with your hands or a large serving spoon. Pour the melted butter evenly overtop the casserole.
8. Return to the oven for 15 mins.
9. Remove from the oven and cool slightly. Serve hot.

If you are planning to cook if from frozen, you will need to cover with foil and increase the initial cooking time about 20 mins. Insert a knife into the centre of the casserole to check that it is hot and cooked through, before you add the cornflake crust on top. At this point return to the oven uncovered so the crust can crisp and brown nicely.