Crockpot Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole

Sorry for the lack of posts!  I feel so crazy busy lately.  I think I forgot what it was like to balance life, work and classes since I took a 3-month break from my coursework, but now I'm back in and any spare minute here at home, I am reading a terribly dry textbook or writing really boring papers (this is my least favorite class).  Oh and there's the added time-sucker of this tiny face:

I now own a three-dog wolf pack :) And with a 3-month-old puppy, a 3-year-old scrruffball, and a geriatric hound dog, we're busy!

But, I'm never too busy for delicious food!  This recipe was for a few weeks ago when the fifth grade team put on breakfast for the school.  Each grade only does it once a year, but these 3 days are like Christmas.  We have noticed over the years that people really go for the hot dishes at these breakfasts;  you can make a gorgeous muffin or banana bread, but people just want a quiche and a casserole!  So I was trying to find something that was hot, vegetarian, and preferably in the slow cooker so it can cook overnight and be easy to transport to school.

One of my personal favorite dishes at these breakfasts is cheesy hash brown casserole; someone makes it for every breakfast and I always take seconds!  I wanted to make it, but worried about how to carry big dishes of it to work and keep it work on my commute.  Voila: enter crockpot cheesy hash brown casserole!  Sauce some onions in butter, then throw everything into the crockpot at night, turn it on, and wake up to this deliciousness.  Every last shred of potato was scraped up and eaten before lunchtime, and I doubled the recipe, so I guess we can assume it was a good one!  If I had to be picky, I would say that I still love the baked casserole a tiny bit more, but this is an excellent alternative when that is not a possibility.  I think I miss the crunchy bits.  I decided to throw some crushed corn flakes on top before I left for work to add a little more texture, and that made me feel better :)

I think next week is our next Friday breakfast... let's hope someone makes hash brown casserole, baked or slow cooked!

Recipe:

crockpot cheesy hash brown casserole
from Family Fresh Meals 
serves 8 - 10

Ingredients:
2 20-ounce bags hash brown potatoes, thawed
2 cups sour cream
1 can condensed cream of potato soup
1 tablespoon all-purpose seasoning (i.e. Mrs. Dash)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup diced onions
1 tablespoon butter

Instructions:

1) Over medium-high heat, saute onions in butter until translucent and soft, about 3 -5 minutes.

2) In a large mixing bowl, mix together hash brown potatoes, shredded cheese, sour cream, seasoning, salt and soup.  Stir until well combined.

3) Spray crockpot with cooking spray and place mixture inside.  Cook on low 5 - 6 hours.