THE ULTIMATE HASH BROWN CASSEROLE

The Ultimate Hash Brown Casserole image

This hash brown is the king of comfort foods. Not only is it simple to make and delicious to eat, it can be served year round. You'll love the secret ingredient!

Provided by @MakeItYours

Number Of Ingredients 14

Ingredients

36 oz shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
1 11 oz can cream of mushroom soup
2 1/4 cups sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup onion, diced
1 1/4 cups sour cream
2 tablespoons/30 mL shredded Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
for topping:
2 cups corn flakes cereal, crushed
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons/30 mL shredded Parmesan

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.2. In a large bowl, combine hash brown potatoes with diced onions, cream of mushroom soup, cheddar cheese, sour cream, 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup melted butter, salt, black pepper, and nutmeg. If you're a fan of nutmeg, you can certainly add a little more, but don't go overboard. Carefully mix together all the ingredients.3. Place all hash brown mixture into a large casserole pan.
Smooth out so that everything is nice and even.4. You can prepare the corn flake toppings two ways. Either place them in a food processor and pulse a few times until they are 1/4 of their original size, or process into a breadcrumb consistency. If you'd rather, you can simply place in a bowl and crush with your hands or place corn flakes into a resealable bag and gently crush with a rolling pin. Once you've found the right method and achieved the right consistency, combine crushed corn flakes with a 1/4 cup of melted butter and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese.5. Spoon topping over hash brown mixture making sure to evenly distribute contents. This will create a delicious crust once baked.6. Place hash brown casserole in oven and bake for 45-50 minutes. Once cooked through, remove from oven and let casserole rest for 12-15 minutes before serving. Do not cover with foil right away. This will trap the steam while it's still hot and cause the topping to become soggy. If you are taking to a party, wait until the casserole has rested for the allotted time before covering with foil.
Reheat (if necessary), in a 325-degree oven for 10-15 minutes with foil off. Watch carefully for burning.7. Serve with your favorite barbecue main dishes or take to any type of event. The best thing about this dish is that you can serve it year around.