Cheesy Potato Casserole with Ore-Ida Shredded Hash Brown Potatoes #shop

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This Cheesy Potato Casserole with #OreIdaHashbrown has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for #CollectiveBias and its advertiser.

Those who are regular readers on my blog and those who follow me on Instagram know that I’ve been a bit, well, whiny here lately regarding my grocery bill. I had never dreamed when our family doubled in size a year ago that I would already be making double portions of every meal. Last night we polished off two boxes of shells and cheese, a can of green beans, and a rotisserie chicken with no left overs in sight. An hour later the boys all had a yogurt. Thirty minutes after that they were at their dad’s knees begging like puppies for a taste of his smoothie. Feeding a big family is tough. But could you imagine being responsible for feeding TEN children and teenagers every day and night? I’ve been blessed to know one community hero for several years now who does exactly that. I recently took the opportunity to hopefully be a blessing to her by giving her a night off of cooking dinner and providing her family a Cheesy Potato Casserole with delicious Ore-Ida Shredded Hash Brown Potatoes.

I met Ms. Penny close to ten years ago now. At that time, she was a foster parent with two children in her care. But she had love for these children that desired to give them a permanent home. So she adopted the two small boys that I have been thrilled to watch grow up to turn into awesome teenagers. Yet Ms. Penny’s heart for children didn’t stop there. Throughout the years, I’ve witnessed many foster children come through her home, and I saw her strength when her husband passed away. Her resilience is amazing, and through it all her big heart for children never changed. She is a true community hero with a deep love for those without a home. Ms. Penny now has three adopted children, three foster children who have been in her home for several years, three children whom she has unofficially adopted who stay in her home, and a grandchild whom she keeps regularly. And since I’m something akin to a math wizard, I know that tallies up to TEN children and teens who eat under her roof multiple times a day. Wow!

The big meals that I’ve been cooking lately inspired me to think about her. Surely for one night I could ease her burden by providing a home cooked meal for her family. A meal to feed eleven calls for one specific dish- Cheesy Potato Casserole made with Ore-Ida Shredded Hash Brown Potatoes. I doubled the dish to guarantee that there would be enough for the entire crew (and maybe enough for left overs!). This hearty dish has everything growing kids love- cheese and potatoes! Recipe is courtesy of Ore-Ida.

Ingredients {for a double portion}:

• 2 (10.5 oz.) cans of condensed cream of chicken soup
• 4 Cups Sour cream, divided
• 2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ground black pepper
• 4 Cups Shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 2/3 Cup Sliced green onions, divided
• 2 Packages (30 oz.) Ore-Ida® Shredded Hash Brown Potatoes
• 4 Cups Crushed corn flake cereal, divided
• 1/2 Cup Butter, melted and divided
• If taking the casseroles to a large group or organization, I recommend using disposable aluminum 13×9 baking pans.

Begin by measuring out and dividing all the ingredients. When making a double or triple batch of a dish, I get easily confused. If I begin organized, surely I’ll stay organized– right?

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat the 13×9 baking dishes with nonstick cooking spray. Take two large bowls, and whisk together 1 can soup soup, 2 cups sour cream, 1 Teaspoon salt and 1/4 Teaspoon pepper in each bowl.

Stir in 2 cups cheese, 1/3 cup onion, and 1 package hash browns in each bowl until well mixed.

Spoon the contents of each bowl evenly into two baking dishes.

Mix together 2 cups cereal and 1/4 cup butter in a medium sized bowl, then repeat in a separate medium sized bowl.

Sprinkle each bowl evenly on top of the two hash brown mixtures.

If using the aluminum baking dishes, place each dish on top of a cookie sheet before placing it into the oven. This is a hearty dish, and the cookie sheet will help to support the disposable dishes.

Bake uncovered for 45 to 50 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Allow to rest for about 10-15 minutes before covering with aluminum foil for delivery.

I also tossed together a quick salad as a side for the meal. The teenagers in the home are a big fan of my Chocolate Eclair Pudding, so I included that as a special treat for them.

My hubby and I loaded our meal in the car and set out for a special delivery. The hubby was the designated driver while I strapped the food in the car seat. He makes a pretty good looking delivery driver. Don’t you think so? I’d deliver food with him anywhere. Oh, wait, I’m getting totally off track here. Pardon me.

 

We arrived at the house to a hungry crew! My daughter sneaked in the photo, too.

 

We didn’t stay for dinner. We only left the food and visited for a few minutes. I was pleased to get some awesome text messages after we left, though! I could try to use words to express how thankful the family was and how much they enjoyed the meal, but I think these picture messages that my husband and I received speak for themselves!

Want to surprise a community hero or charity with a home cooked dish large enough to feed a crowd? This Hash Brown Recipe is sure to please! Purchase the Ore-Ida Shredded Hash Brown Potatoes from Walmart with the coupon from their website to save a little jingle in your pocket, too!