HASH BROWN POTATOES UPGRADED

[Jherrith]

HASH BROWN POTATOES

Ingredients

32 ounces bag shredded hash browns, thawed and patted dry
1 stick butter
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves fresh garlic, diced
10.75 ounces cream of chicken soup
16 ounces sour cream, equal to 2 c.
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 dash hot sauce
2 c. cheddar cheese, separated

Topping:

2 c. ridged potato chips, slightly crushed
1 tbsp butter, melted
1/3 c. Parmesan cheese, grated

Garnish:

Chives, diced

Directions:

Step 1: Prepare the oven. Preheat it to 350 degrees.

Step 2: In a large saucepan, melt 3 tbsp butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the diced onions to the pan and cook for about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook for a minute more.

Step 3: To the pan, add the rest of the 5 tbsp butter. Stir until melted, then take away from heat. Add the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, salt/pepper, hot sauce. Stir well until mixed. Reserve half cup of the cheese and add the remaining to the saucepan mixture.

Step 4: Add the potatoes to the sauce and mix using a silicone spatula until well incorporated.

Step 5: Into a lightly greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish, transfer the mixture and top with the reserved half cup of cheese.

Step 6: To a bowl, mix well the melted butter, potato chips, and Parmesan cheese. Then, evenly spread it on top of the potatoes. Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 40 minutes, uncovered. Remove from the oven when done and allow the dish to rest for at least 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy garnished with chives.

Notes:

Thaw the frozen hash browns in the fridge overnight, or defrost them in the microwave. Alternately, you can place the hash browns in a large bowl and allow them to sit for about 45 minutes at room temperature.

Make sure to thoroughly rinse the fresh potatoes with cold water. Completely pat them dry, then shred. For this recipe, you need about 10 cups of shredded potatoes.

To make this in the crockpot, assemble the casserole as instructed, keeping some of the cheese aside for later. In a lightly greased crockpot, place the mixture and heat for 4 to 5 hours on low or 3 to 3 1/2 hours on high. Top with the reserved Cheddar and Parmesan cheese. Put the lid on until the cheeses are melted. To serve, lightly sprinkle with crushed potato chips.