Bigly Cheesy Potatoes
Prep
15m
Cook
45m
Total
60m
Bigly says
Folks. Cheesy potatoes. BIGLY cheesy potatoes. This is the casserole that will get you invited back to every potluck, every holiday, every weird office party in the conference room where they brought in a folding table and somebody's playing Christmas music in October — and you walk in with the cheesy potatoes, and the ROOM SHIFTS. The energy changes. People stop talking. Brenda from accounting puts down her store-bought veggie tray and she WEEPS. I've seen it. It happens every time.
Some people — I'm sorry to do this, somebody has to and the combover is the only one with the courage — some people call this 'funeral potatoes.' FUNERAL POTATOES. What a sad name. What a depressing brand. The marketing department on this dish has been ASLEEP, totally checked out, possibly drunk, for about a hundred years. We're rebranding. As of this moment. These are BIGLY cheesy potatoes. Tremendous. Celebratory. They are not for funerals. They are for VICTORIES. They are for the good days. Tell everyone.
The key — and most so-called chefs are afraid to do this, they'll tell you breadcrumbs are fine, breadcrumbs are NOT fine, breadcrumbs are wallpaper paste on a casserole, that chef on TV — you know the one — does this wrong every single time — the key is the cornflake topping. With BUTTER. Crushed cornflakes melted into butter and showered across the top so when it bakes it goes golden, it goes crunchy, it goes 'announcement' on the casserole. Some sites use crushed Ritz, which is fine, I respect it, but cornflakes are the king. Cornflakes are the move. Hands down.
Ingredients
- 2 lb (about 30 oz bag)frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
- 2.5 cupssharp cheddar, grated(grate from a block, the pre-shredded stuff is dusted with cellulose, a scandal)
- 1.5 cups, full-fatsour cream
- 1 can (10.5 oz)cream of chicken soup(or homemade, but the can is honest and we don't apologize)
- 1/2 cup, dividedunsalted butter, melted
- 1 smallyellow onion, finely diced
- 1 tspgarlic powder
- 1 tspkosher salt
- 1/2 tspblack pepper
- 2 cupscornflakes, lightly crushed(crushed, not pulverized, leave some texture)
- 2 tbspfresh chives, sliced (for serving)
Steps
- 1
Heat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- 2
In a small skillet, melt 2 tbsp of the butter over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook 4-5 minutes, until softened and translucent. Let cool slightly.
- 3
In a large bowl, combine the thawed hash browns, 2 cups of the cheddar (reserve 1/2 cup), sour cream, cream of chicken soup, sautéed onion (with its butter), garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Fold everything together until evenly mixed.
- 4
Spread the potato mixture into the prepared baking dish in an even layer. Scatter the reserved 1/2 cup cheddar across the top.
- 5
In a separate bowl, toss the crushed cornflakes with the remaining 6 tbsp melted butter until every flake is coated.
- 6
Sprinkle the buttered cornflakes evenly across the top of the casserole.
- 7
Bake uncovered 40-50 minutes, until the casserole is bubbling at the edges, the center is hot through, and the cornflake topping is deeply golden brown.
- 8
Let rest 5-10 minutes before serving — this is when it sets up. Top with fresh chives and serve hot.
One more thing
You bring this to the gathering, you set it down on the table, you take a step back, and you watch. Watch the room. Watch the line form. Watch your aunt Carol — who has been cold to you for two Thanksgivings over a misunderstanding about a fruit salad — watch her come up and ASK FOR THE RECIPE. That's reconciliation. That's healing. That's what cheesy potatoes do. They bring people together. They mend the family. They're not just a side dish. They're a UNITY ENGINE. And there you have it.
★ QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS ONE? ★
Ask Bigly about Bigly Cheesy Potatoes.
Substitutions, what to serve it with, why other chefs are wrong about it. He's got opinions.
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