Hashbrown Casserole from Scratch

This Delicious “Hashbrown Casserole from Scratch”  is another blast from the past of the famous Casserole Queens of America, usually made from frozen and pre-packaged ingredients. I have broken down the tasty and, unfortunately, somewhat unhealthy casserole and built it from scratch, omitting the frozen hash browns, canned soups, and other prepackaged convenience food items.

I love retro and vintage casseroles a mile long; however, my distaste for prepackaged convenience items far outways my love for past recipes. Over the years, I have broken down old methods and revamped them to be more wholesome and healthy. My general rule of thumb for a few of my favorite retro recipes, since they may still have a higher calorie content, is to enjoy them on the Holidays. Guess what? It’s the Holidays, which means it’s time to enjoy the things I love more healthily with friends and family.

 

So you are probably wondering what I changed and how I did it. The first step is leaving those prepackaged frozen Hashbrowns in the market’s freezer this time; the second is walking by the canned soup section and not even making eye contact with that isle, skipping over the processed cheeses as well, then bypassing the standard brands of Corn Flakes that contain GMO’s and other unnatural ingredients.

What should you replace these items with? Freshly grated potatoes from your local trusted farmers or market, simple and delicious homemade from scratch cream of celery soup, low sodium broth or stock, real dairy products such as cheese and unsalted butter, and organic GMO-certified free cereal flakes, trust me, you and your family aren’t going to miss a one prepackaged, frozen or convenience ingredient when you taste this delicious rendition of the famous Retro Hashbrown Casserole.

Below you will find a healthier version of an old-time favorite recipe for Hashbrown Casserole with simple direct, and easy-to-follow instructions to make your own this Holiday Season.

Sidenote: I am doing this to try to be a bit more healthy. However, I have used all those prepacked items, canned soups, and regular cornflakes and survived over the years. Will my health kick last? I have no clue.

 

 

 

 

Hashbrown Casserole from Scratch

• 6-8 medium to large Russet potatoes,  peeled and grated

• 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil

• 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder

• dash of black pepper

 

Directions for hash browns

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Grate 6 to 8 russet potatoes (may be done with or without skins). Place a small part, no more than 2 cups of potatoes, in a clean dish towel or cheesecloth — using a firm squeezing motion, remove all the excess water from the potatoes and place them in a large glass dish.

3. Drizzle 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil on potatoes, add 1/4 of a teaspoon of garlic powder and 1/8 of a teaspoon of ground black pepper and mix to coat potatoes with olive oil and spices evenly.

4. Place potato mixture on a large, lightly oiled, nonstick baking sheet.

5.  Place the baking sheet in a preheated oven at 400 degrees F.

6. Bake uncovered and undisturbed for 8 minutes, then flip over potatoes and bake another 8 minutes.

7. Once done, remove from oven and place on a heatproof area till ready for the next steps.

 

 

Homemade Cream of Celery Soup for the  Hashbrown Casserole from Scratch

• 2 tablespoons of real unsalted sweet cream butter

• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

• 1 cup  chopped good-quality celery

• 3tablespoons all-purpose unbleached flour

• 1 cup of low-sodium vegetable broth

• 1/2 cup of half and half

• 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt

• 1/8 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper

 

 

Directions for Cream of Celery soup

1. Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and cook the onions, celery, and garlic until soft and translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add the flour and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Add the low-sodium vegetable broth,  half and half cream, kosher salt, and fresh ground pepper, and stir.

2. Increase the heat and bring it to a low simmer. Reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.  Add more salt to taste if desired.

3. Remove from heat to cool enough to place in a glass blender to purée to a smooth consistency completely. Once done, set it to the side till needed.

 

 

Other ingredients for the Hashbrown Casserole from Scratch

• One medium onion, finely chopped

• 8 ounces of Wisconsin-style Extra Sharp Yellow Cheddar, grated, divided by 2

• 8 ounces of plain Greek yogurt or sour cream

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

• kosher salt, to taste

• ground pepper, to taste

• 1 cup of Organic certified GMO-free cereal flakes, crushed

 

Directions and assembly of casserole 

1. Place pre-cooked hash browns in an extra-large glass bowl. Add one medium onion that has been finely chopped, 4 ounces of grated Wisconsin style Extra Sharp Yellow Cheddar, 8 ounces of plain Greek yogurt, or 8 ounces of sour cream, homemade cream of celery soup, two tablespoons of chopped parsley, kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste, mix thoroughly to join all in ingredients.

2. Lightly oil or spray a large glass baking dish before adding the Hash Brown mixture. Once the Hash brown mixture has been added, you may want to smooth the mix before adding 4 ounces of grated Wisconsin-style Extra Sharp Yellow Cheddar. Top Hashbrown Casserole with  1 cup of Organic certified GMO-free cereal flakes that have been crushed.

3. Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven uncovered for 45-50 minutes, careful not to over-brown Organic certified GMO-free cereal flake topping.

4. Once done, remove it from the oven and enjoy a healthier version of your favorite Retro Recipe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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