by Jaimi Hemmerich

Created on: September 02, 2009

Potatoes are the perfect side dish to compliment just about any meal (and a very effective comfort food, too). I am going to share with you a family favorite that's simple to prepare and delicious - cheddar harvest potato casserole. You will need the following ingredients:

1 bag of frozen hash brown or shredded potatoes or 6 or 7 large potatoes shredded

1 can of cream of chicken condensed soup

1 can of cream of mushroom condensed soup

1 cup of sour cream

2 tablespoons of butter or margarine

1 large onion chopped

1 bag or 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese (I use sharp cheddar to enhance the flavor of the casserole.)

2 cups of either corn flakes or French fried onions

Salt and pepper (to taste)

Start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a 9 x 13 baking dish (I typically use a glass dish, but any baking dish will do) by spraying it with a non-stick spray. Place your frozen or hand-shredded potatoes in the baking dish. Add the chopped onions and salt and pepper to the potatoes and mix thoroughly.

Next, in a large mixing bowl, combine the cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, butter and shredded cheese. Mix the ingredients with a whisk or fork until blended. Then, add the mixture to the potatoes and onions in the baking dish and mix together until all of the potatoes and onions are evenly covered with the sauce mixture. Cover the dish with foil and bake at 375 degrees for approximately 45 minutes or an hour if you are using fresh potatoes (baking time might vary depending on your particular oven).

After the casserole has cooked for 45 minutes, take it out of the oven, cover it with either the corn flakes or the French fried onions and return to the oven without the foil cover for about 15 minutes (or until the top looks nice and crispy).

This is a great dish to make at home for dinner, take to a carry-in or a holiday family gathering. You can create a healthier dish by using low fat and low sodium soups, sour cream, cheese, corn flakes instead of the French fried onions and margarine. This casserole can also be prepared in a crock pot or slow cooker. Just place all of the ingredients in the crock pot or slow cooker and mix thoroughly. You may set the slow cooker on low and cook all day or set it on high and the casserole will be ready to eat in as few as two hours. Remember to garnish with the corn flakes or French fried onions before your serve.

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