Cheesy potatoes with a twist

Everyone loves cheesy potatoes, right? I make cheesy potatoes every Easter. My recipe has a slight twist. I use O’Brien style hashbrowns.

O’Brien potatoes are just a version of diced potatoes roasted with diced green and red bell peppers and onions. The hasbrown version is just hashbrowns with the peppers and onion.

I guess Potatoes O’Brien originated at some old time New York restaurants years ago. My idea of “retro food.”

I use Mr. Dell’s hashbrowns every year when I make my cheesy potatoes. However, a few years back I could not find the regular Mr. Dell’s hashbrowns in my local stores.

They were all sold out because everyone else around here was making cheesy potatoes, too. Imagine that!

I pictured all my neighbors busy in their retro post WWII kitchens baking pan after pan of cheesy potatoes.

I was so mad at myself for not making the trip to the grocery store earlier.

Cheesy potatoes with a twist

I didn’t really have time to shop around at other stores, so I grabbed two bags of Mr. Dell’s O’Brien hashbrown potatoes. I figured those were better than nothing.

Needless to say, the cheesy potatoes turned out even better with O’Brien potatoes. They had more zing and substance.

Cheesy potato purists would probably demand regular hash browns. But I was ready for a little extra color and flavor in my Easter dinner.

So, enough of the hash brown drama. Here is the recipe:

Cheesy Potatoes

Ingredients

• 1 large bag frozen hash browns (I prefer Mr. Dell’s brand; especially Mr. Dell’s All Natural O’Brien Hash Browns)
• 10 oz. sharp cheddar cheese (grated)
• 1 bunch green onions (chopped)
• 3 T milk
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 1 pint sour cream
• parsley flakes (some for color)
• 1/3 cup bread crumbs ( I use more. Take day old bread and pinch off small bits with your fingers)
• 2 T. butter (melted)

Directions

• Thaw hash browns in refrigerator (I do it overnight)
• Combine in large bowl: potatoes, sour cream, cheese, milk, salt and pepper, green onions, parsley
• Mix well with spoon
• Mix bread crumbs and butter on the side
• Spread potato mix in greased 9X13 inch pan
• Sprinkle crumb mix on top
• Bake at 300-325 degrees for 50 minutes until piping hot. Cut into squares and serve.

I always make two pans of these at a time. If you do this, mix up two complete batches. Don’t double the recipe.

I use a really big metal bowl to mix the hash browns and other ingredients. It makes it easier to stir.

Chop up one bunch of green onions but you can do more than that per your taste.

Here are the chopped green onions added in to the O’Brien hash browns. Good color and more flavor.

Before adding the cheese I add the sour cream and milk and salt and pepper to the potatoes and onions.

Using sharp cheddar cheese is a must. For some reason I like to grate it myself. Seems to taste fresher.

Here the sharp cheddar cheese is getting stirred in to the potato mix.

To add more color I sprinkle in some parsley flakes.

I pour all of the potato mix from the bowl into a greased pan and smooth it with a wooden spoon.

Last but not least, melt the butter in a small pan and stir in the bread crumbs to coat them then plop them on the pan of potatoes.

The final step. A pan of cheesy potatoes waiting to go in the oven.

A pan of cheesy potatoes piping hot right out of the oven.

Finally, a small helping of cheesy potatoes!

Cheesy Potatoes recipe card

Cheesy Potatoes go well at Easter dinner with:

Spiral cut ham

Roasted asparagus spears sprinkled with coarse salt

Freshly cut fruit salad of mandarin oranges, pineapple, strawberries, blueberries

Jello (cherry)

Dinner rolls (we usually make several batches of Rhodes frozen rolls)

Prosecco

Easter candy for dessert (jelly beans and chocolate eggs for sure)

Follow up with a hard boiled Easter egg

Cheesy Potatoes are also a great dish to bring to a party!

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