Potato Casserole Recipe!

My grandmother used to make this casserole, but the version I have is in my sister's handwriting on a 3 X 5 card that has definitely seen better days. I used to make this with Ore Ida hash brown patties, but since I can never find them anymore, I've tried using hush puppies or the shredded hash browns. The shredded are easier, although the bag is bigger than 1 lb 8 oz original. If you want to use the full bag, you can use up to 2 cups of sour cream and increase the salt by about 1/4 to 1/2 tsp.

Potato Casserole

Ingredients:

1 pkg frozen hash browns (1 lb. 8 oz.)

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

½ cup chopped onion (sautéed if desired) 

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

Topping:

Mix together:

½ cup melted butter

1 ½ cup crushed corn flakes

Directions:

Thaw potatoes. If using tater tots or hash brown patties, break them up after thawing. Combine ingredients and mix well. Spread evenly in a greased 9 X 13 pan.

Spread corn flake and butter mixture on top of potatoes. Bake at 350 F for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Eggplant and Hamburger Casserole Recipe!

Been meaning to post this recipe for a while now. Finally took a picture so I have no more excuses.

My mother used to make something like this, but it always seemed a bit watery to me, as did the recipe for Hamburger Eggplant Casserole I posted several years ago. I have recently discovered that pre-cooking the eggplant and adding the cornstarch solves the problem quite nicely.

Enjoy!

Eggplant and Hamburger Casserole

Ingredients:

1 lb hamburger (at least 85 % lean)

1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped

3 tbsp olive oil, divided (basil flavored oil if available)
1 eggplant, peeled and cubed
1 ½ cups tomato puree
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp salt, divided  

½ tsp pepper
½ tsp oregano

¼ tsp red pepper flakes

6 sprigs fresh thyme (leaves stripped from stems) or ¼ tsp dried thyme
2 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 tbsp water

Topping:

Mix together:

1/3 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano or other parmesan cheese

¾ cup Panko breadcrumbs (may substitute regular breadcrumbs or crushed Ritz crackers)

½ tsp Italian seasoning (omit if using Italian seasoned breadcrumbs)

Directions:

In a large skillet, sauté onion and green pepper in 1 tbsp oil until soft. Add hamburger and garlic and cook until the meat is done. Spoon off excess fat. Place peeled and cubed eggplant in a large microwaveable bowl, toss with 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp olive oil. Microwave until soft, stirring occasionally, about 4 min. Add eggplant to the hamburger mixture, then add tomato puree, 1 tbsp oil, and the remaining seasonings.  Cook until hot and bubbly. Adjust seasoning to taste. Dissolve cornstarch in 2 tbsp water and stir in. Pour into greased casserole dish and top with breadcrumb and cheese mixture. Bake at 375 until hot and bubbly and topping is lightly browned, about 30 min.