Mashed Potato Casserole

Mashed potatoes are a favorite comfort food of mine, but they are often a restaurant treat since all too often they come out of the box in my house and my parents' house. The first time I made mashed potatoes was when I hosted Easter in my home during the first year of marriage. It was an extremely stressful experience; I have avoided making them for the past 7 years until now. Recently, Joyce was weighing the benefits of buying a mixer, she asked me if I used mine to make mashed potatoes; I didn't until now. The beauty of this recipe is that you can prep it early in the morning or the night before a party or holiday and eliminate the stress.


INGREDIENTS:

• 6-7 large cooking potatoes
• 8 ounces of cream cheese
• 1 cup (8 ounces) of sour cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 t ground nutmeg
• 2 t parsley flakes
• 1 t garlic salt
• shredded cheddar cheese
• bacon (optional)
• salt, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Peel, quarter, and boil potatoes for about 20 minutes (or until soft).
3. Place potatoes in mixer. Beat until smooth.
4. Add cream cheese, milk, sour cream, and spices. Mix on medium speed until creamy.
5. Put potato mixture into a 9x11 sprayed baking dish. Top with shredded cheese (and cooked bacon/bacon bits if desired). Cover. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove cover, bake an additional 10 minutes.

Difficulty: Medium (I did have to peel and cut potatoes)

Time: 30 minutes prep time, 40 minutes baking time

Source: Gooseberry Patch

Cheesy Potatoes

My favorite side dish for parties, Cheesy Potatoes are always a hit. I make these every year for my kid's birthday dinners. For an added kick, mix some Frank's Red Hot into the soup and sour cream mixture. Try greasing the dish for easier clean up.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 32-oz package of Southern style hash browns (thawed)
• 2 cups Ritz crackers  (crushed)
• 3 T melted butter

OR AN ALTERNATE VERSION (that is perhaps a little less healthy):

• 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3 cups cheddar cheese
• 1 32-oz package of Southern style hash browns
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 stick margarine - melted
• 2 cups crushed corn flakes

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine soup and sour cream.
3. Add potatoes (and onions if using the alternate recipe ingredients). Mix well
4. Add cheese. Mix.
5. Spoon mixture into 13 x 9 baking dish.
6. Combine crushed crackers and butter; sprinkle evenly over potato mixture.  (Or, if using alternate version, sprinkle the top with the corn flake crumbs and pour butter over top.)
7. Bake 45-50 minutes.
   

Difficulty: Easy
Time: 10 minute prep, 50 minutes cooking
Source: Kraft Food and Family (alternate version is from Joyce's mom)