Loaded Hashbrown Casserole

My favorite single food is the potato.  I love everything involving potatoes: french fries, baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, and especially hashbrown casserole.  It is the epitome of comfort food to me and such a perfect, warm meal for these snowy and cold winter days.  The recipe I use is super simple and has all of the delicious ingredients that you want in a casserole: bacon, cheese, sour cream, and lots of butter!  It's topped with cornflakes tossed in melted butter (yes, MORE butter!) which adds the perfect amount of texture and crunch to the dish.

Here's what you need for your casserole:

1 (30 ounce) bag frozen hashbrowns, thawed

12 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese

8 strips of cooked bacon, crumbled

16 ounces sour cream

1/2 tablespoon salt

1/2 tablespoon pepper

1/2 tablespoon garlic powder

1 1/2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons butter

2-4 cups Cornflakes

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  
• Grease a large baking dish or casserole dish.  
• Melt 1 1/2 sticks of butter in the microwave or on the stove top. 
•  In an extra large mixing bowl add your hashbrowns, cheese, sour cream, melted butter, crumbled bacon, and spices.  Stir thoroughly until well combined.
•  Spoon the mixture into your greased baking dish.  
• Melt the additional 2 tablespoons of butter.  Toss the melted butter in a bowl with 2-4 cups of crushed Cornflakes.
•  Top your casserole with the buttery Cornflake mixture. 
• Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes until the topping is golden brown and the casserole is bubbling.  

Casseroles just don't get much better than that!  Whether you make this for brunch or as a yummy side for dinner, it is sure to be a hit with just about everyone.  I love how the crunchy texture of the cornflakes and bacon contrasts with the super melty and warm cheese, sour cream, and butter mixture that all coats the hashbrowns perfectly.  I'm sure to add plenty of salt, pepper, and garlic powder to tie all the flavors together (I usually end up adding a little more than is listed but I just eyeball it).  This even makes delicious leftovers or you can divide the casserole into individual ramekins before baking for smaller serving sizes!  Try not to eat the whole pan at once, it's not easy!

xoxo

Emily