Country Store Hash Browns

Recently I was asked if I had a recipe for hash browns like that good old country restaurant where you like to rock on the front porch, eat and shop after. This recipe is as close as I can get. Crunchy brown bottom, creamy inside and lightly browned on top. The flavor is almost identical. Great with breakfast or a meal. Please enjoy!

Ingredients:
30 ounces of frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (use package kind*)
1/2 cup beef stock, not broth
1 small about 1/4 cup Vidalia or sweet onion grated
1 cup milk
1 1/2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a 13 x 9 pan with Pam. In a large skillet, add oil and combine hash browns and cheese. Stir over medium high heat until cheese has melted and hash browns are no longer frozen. The potatoes will still be white at this point.

While potatoes are cooking, in a microwave safe measuring cup, add butter, milk, stock and onion. Microwave about a minute or so until butter has melted. Remove from microwave and stir in salt and pepper.

Once hash browns are no longer frozen and cheese has melted, transfer hash browns in prepared 13 x 9 pan. Pour milk mixture over hash browns and stir to combine. Press with spatula to flatten out the hash browns. Don’t be concerned if this seems like it’s too much liquid. It will be absorbed by the potatoes.

Bake for 45 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting and serving. *I used package grated cheese because if I had grated it off the block, it would have been very greasy. I even blotted a little excess grease from the top of this casserole. Let me know what you think!