The Soup Diva

There’s a reason why there are rarely any leftovers of this dish; it’s basically a deluxe baked potato in casserole form). In some parts of the country, it’s also known as Funeral Potatoes (often topped with corn flakes soaked in butter). In the past, I have made this dish with canned cream-of-something soup; this version is just as easy and far tastier.

• 2 30-32 oz bags frozen hash browns (cubed or shredded)
• 24 oz sour cream
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 3 cups shredded cheese (sharp Cheddar, Gouda, Monterrey Jack, or combination)
• 1/2 stick butter, melted
• 8 chives or 2 green onions, diced
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme or dill (optional)
• Black pepper to taste

Place potatoes in colander in sink and rinse until thawed and separated; let drain very well. In large bowl, mix all other ingredients except butter together until well blended and add potatoes; stir to incorporate. Pack into sprayed 13 x 9 x 2 baking dish, pour melted butter evenly over the top. and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. These went really well with Mississippi Pot Roast.

We also found that leftovers can be scooped out, formed into balls, pressed flat into a skillet with 1/4″ of oil, and reborn into latkes (potato pancakes; and for anyone who argues that latkes should not contain cheese, I offer this article that states otherwise.)