church potatoes

I'm sure you've seen and used a version of this recipe about a million times, but this one is my favorite. My mom has always called them "church potatoes" because they're a hit at church luncheon's or suppers, and easy to make/reheat!


Ingredients:
*1 large package frozen hash brown style potatoes (or "country style" potatoes, which are cubed with peppers and onions)
*2 cans cream of celery soup
*1 - 8 oz carton of Garden Vegetable Philadelphia cream cheese
*Optional: Italian bread crumbs & melted butter for topping
*Optional: 1 cup cheddar cheese

Directions:
Heat the soup & cream cheese in a bowl in the microwave until the cream cheese begins to melt. Stir or whisk to blend. Fold in the frozen potatoes. If you're using the cheddar (like I did!) you can fold in half of the cheese now. Pour into a buttered casserole dish (if I'm making a full batch, I usually use a large round casserole or 9 x 13 rectangular casserole. If I'm making a half batch for home, I just use an 8" round casserole dish). Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until bubbly. Toppings: For the last 10-15 minutes of baking time, sprinkle Italian bread crumbs over the top and drizzle melted butter/margarine over the crumbs to create a crunchy, yummy topping. Or, sprinkle the 2nd half cup of cheddar over top (I'm usually lazy and sprinkle the cheese before baking, that way I don't have to pull them out again until eatin' time!)

Yummo!