Cheesy Cream of Onion Hash Brown Casserole

My friend Tammy made these potatoes one day for a group breakfast and they were so delicious...so creamy and cheesy! She gave me her recipe and I recently made them...and now I'm sharing the recipe with you! I modified her recipe slightly by adding an extra cup of cheese. You can also add some crumbled bacon...or green onion slices would be good in this, too. Either mix the ingredients the night before and bake it in the morning, or mix it and bake it the same day. It's a wonderful side dish to serve at any meal...it works just as great for breakfast or brunch as it does for lunch or dinner.

Here's the recipe...

TAMMY'S CHEESY CREAM OF ONION HASH BROWN CASSEROLE 

Makes a 9x13" pan of potatoes

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter
• 1 (10 1/4-ounce) can condensed Cream of Onion soup
• 8 ounces sour cream
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2/3 cup cooked and crumbled bacon or green onion slices (or 1/2 cup of each), optional
• 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided (save 1 cup for sprinkling on top of the casserole)
• 1 (29 to 32-ounce) package shredded or Southern-style hash browns, thawed 

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Grease a 9x13" pan; set aside.

In a large bowl, mix the melted butter with the Cream of Onion soup and sour cream. Add the salt and pepper, blending well. Stir in crumbled bacon or green onion slices, if using, and 2 cups of the shredded cheddar cheese. Add in the thawed hash browns and stir all ingredients so the potatoes are incorporated evenly in the mixture.

Spread potato mixture evenly into the prepared  9x13" pan and top with the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Bake at 350˚F for 40 minutes. Serve hot and enjoy!

Here's what it looks like before you put it in the oven (left photo below)...

...and when it's finished baking (right photo above).

This is a great recipe as the holidays are approaching because it's so easy to put together! Do you have a favorite potato dish that you like to make for the holidays?

Linked to Foodie Friday and Full Plate Thursday.