Cheesy Hash Browns

Comfort food! Everybody has some. This dish is mine. I got this recipe from a friend a long time ago. We like to have it at least once a month, sometimes twice. It's been a long week of sickness in my house, and I'm praying the worst is behind us. I needed some good comfort food tonight. This is one of those meals where every person is happy, which makes mom really happy. We usually can get 80 percent of us happy, 100 percent is rare. There is nothing like seeing contentment on the faces of those you love. It can ruin a meal you love to know that others are suffering through it. This meal brings happiness all around!

It may not look very pretty, but it tastes wonderful!

You can leave the hash browns out to thaw for a couple hours, or if you're like me and don't decided until minutes before starting dinner, you can do the quick thaw method. I heat the oven to 200°, put the potatoes in the oven on a tray and let them thaw while I prepare the rest of the casserole.

In a large bowl, you mix together:

16 oz. container sour cream
10 oz. package shredded cheddar cheese
10.5 oz. can cream of chicken soup
¼ to ½ cup chopped onion
½ package real bacon bits (optional)

After you have everything mixed together, you can add your thawed hash browns. Mix well, and place in 9x13 greased pan. After it's flattened in the pan, you add 6-8 oz. of cubed Velveeta cheese on top.

Your final layer of the casserole is corn flakes. You can crush them first, or if you're lazy like me, I shake them right out of the box. I make sure the casserole is covered completely with corn flakes. This is my favorite part so I do a pretty good sized layer. Melt 2 tablespoons butter and drizzle over the cornflakes.

Bake at 350° for 30-45 minutes. I think it depends on how thawed out your potatoes are. If you were in a hurry, you might need to cook the casserole a little longer so the middle comes out hot. The edges will always be nice and hot, but the middle is the trick. This meal is a huge winner with my children. Everyone in the family loves it!