Hash Brown Potato Casserole

2 tablespoons butter
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 can cream of chicken soup, reduced sodium
8-10 oz of 2% Velveeta cheese, cubed,
1 cup sour cream, light
1 pkg hash brown potatoes, we like the southern style cubes

Topping:
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cups cornflakes, crushed
In a small bowl, mix the two together. 

Saute onions in butter in a large skillet over medium heat until onions are soft.

Add cream of chicken soup, combine well.

Add Velveeta cheese and stir until melted.

Remove from heat and add sour cream, stirring well to combine.

Add hash browns and stir to incorporate sauce through the potatoes.

Transfer potato mixture to a well greased 9 X 13 inch casserole dish.

Top with cornflake/butter topping.

Bake at 350* for 50-60 minutes.

This dish is so good served with lots of main courses. It's great for brunch with an egg casserole, with turkey or ham for Christmas dinner or one of our favorite ways...a juicy cheeseburger with all the fixins! Where's my fork?

it's an "oldie but a goodie"


p.s. we might get another snow day this week! yippee! Jonah has requested 
 Snow Day Doughnuts
 if we do,  you should make them for your kiddos too...snow or no-snow!!

Snow Day Doughnuts!

How lucky are we to get a snow day? Actually it's an "ice" day, so...much...sleet! I should be doing house work instead of posting doughtnut recipes, but this is so much more fun!

These are so simple and really tasty. Oh, they don't compare to a good old fashioned homemade donut, but I promise your family will eat these up and you will be out of the kitchen in no time.

One can of canned biscuits, more if you have a big crew to feed!

Canola oil for frying...I know I hardly ever fry things!

cinnamon and sugar mixture 

or 

powdered sugar glaze (1 cup powdered sugar, and enough milk to make a smooth glaze, 1-2 tablespoons, mixed until smooth and creamy)

Heat oil in a small saucepan or skillet.

Meanwhile open biscuits and cut a small hole in center to make a doughnut or cut into quarters to make donut "holes".

Dip a slotted spoon into the hot oil, then sit one of the donuts on top of the spoon and gently lower it into the oil. Even if making "holes", just lower one at a time into the oil. It's okay to cook more than one at a time, but to keep them from sticking together, put them in individually.

Watch closely and when browned on the bottom, gently flip over to brown the other side.

When both sides are browned remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

If sprinkling with cinnamon and sugar, do so quickly after removing from hot oil. The mixture will stick better. 

If dipping in glaze, simply dip one side then flip over and dip the other. Remove to a plate to let the glaze set a bit, and the excess to drip off. 

Tips for cooking the doughnuts...

• Don't get your oil too hot, you want the doughnuts to immediately rise to the top of the oil and gently fry, not brown as soon as you lower them into the oil. Just be careful and adjust your heat as needed.
•  
• Make sure your oil is hot enough...you don't want to lower your doughnut into the oil and have it sink to the bottom.

• Between each set I fried, I left my burner on and just moved the pan off the heat so I could sprinkle with cinnamon/dip in glaze without being in a hurry and it kept the oil from becoming overly hot.
• Don't fret if the first few aren't just right. Canned biscuits are cheap and you can afford a few trial runs before you get it perfected.

Ham and Cheese Omelete

We had a very large ham given to us at Christmas time. Too big even for a family with 4 guys! I cut it up in different size pieces and slid it in the freezer to use later. I had plans to make Crockpot Ham and Potatoes , but didn't get going earlier enough in the day for it to have time to cook. So I changed last nights dinner plans to "plan b"....Ham and Cheese Omelets. Really easy to put together and we like to change things up once in a while and have breakfast for dinner.

Here's how I make them...

To make one omelet:

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup ham, diced

1/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated

1 tablespoon red onion, diced very small

In a skillet over medium high heat, rub a stick of butter over the bottom to prevent eggs from sticking. You can totally use a non-stick spray if you prefer.

Pour the eggs in the center of the skillet and if needed swirl the pan around or use the back of a spoon to spread the eggs out in a thin circle. Don't worry if it isn't a perfect circle...it will taste great no matter what the shape is!

Turn heat down to medium and let eggs cook until beginning to set on top. If you have never done this before, don't fret...it's easy and you won't mess it up. 

When eggs are almost set, sprinkle ham, cheese and onions down the center of the omelet. 

Using a spatula, flip one side over the middle, then flip the opposite side over the top of all, creating almost a burrito effect with the ends open. Make sense? 

Let cook for 30 seconds or so until the cheese begins to melt and the ham has had a chance to warm through.

Transfer to a plate and top with a little salsa for a little kick, or a little ketchup if you like.

I served this with some Hash Brown Potatoes and Pumpkin Bread. My Fruit Bowl fruit salad would be a delicious  addition, too.

You could make this a Lenten recipe by using only cheese and onion. Maybe use different cheeses to make a unique flavor...hmmm, I may have to try that this Friday!