Sunday, September 13, 2009

hashbrown casserole

I made breakfast for dinner last night. And out our house, if you are going to take the time to make breakfast, you MAKE BREAKFAST.

We had eggs scrambled with cheddar, bacon, sausage, Grands biscuits, and hashbrown casserole. Go big or go home, people.

Here is Matt's mom's hashbrown casserole recipe:

32 oz package frozen hashbrowns, thawed
3/4 cup butter, melted
2 cups cornflakes, crushed
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 can of cream of chicken soup
8 oz sour cream
2 cups shredded cheddar

Mix cornflakes and melted butter and set aside.

Mix all other ingredients, and spread into a 9 X 13 pan. Top with cornflake mixture.

Bake on 350 for 45 minutes to an hour until golden bubbly.

Alterations:
I had to use cream of mushroom soup instead of cream of chicken because I was out. It still turned out okay, but I like the cream of chicken better.

I didn't want to big box of name brand corn flakes for one recipe, so I decided to buy one of the assortment packs of the small boxes of cereal. Matt's gotten into eating cereal lately, so I figured that would end up being more economical knowing the corn flakes would probably waste. HOWEVER, I did not realize that one of those boxes of cereal crushed up only makes about 1/2 cup. So... we crushed up one box of corn flakes, one box of Special K, one box of Rice Krispies, and one box of Crispix. Matt and Sarah held me back when I was also trying to mix in some Frosted Flakes. Anyway, it was humorous, but it turned out tasting just the same. Put enough butter on something and all it's going to taste like is butter.

This is, by no means, a healthy recipe, but if it makes you feel better, use the Healthy Request soup and lite sour cream. It will distract you from the fact that you just used one and a half sticks of butter just for the topping. Whatever.

On my last recipe post someone asked how in the world I stay so thin. My answer is this: there's no "staying" about it. The only reason I'm so thin now is from all that pumping I did for five months. I could eat anything I wanted and just pump those calories right off. One of the benefits to pumping over nursing (maybe the only one???), is that you can pump way more than he's actually going to eat. I seriously considered continuing to pump just for the weight loss factor, but just didn't have enough hours in the day. (And also realized that's partially psycho.) So anyhow, I'm starting to gain weight now that I'm not pumping anymore. I'm not excited about it. I have gotten into a bad habit, after being pregnant or pumping for two years, of eating whatever I want in massive quantities. I've always eaten more than Matt. I use to have the metabolism or the Medela to back it up, but alas, no more.

My body is ticked.

A reckoning is coming.

20 comments:

Wanda Wilkinson said...

I love me sum breakfast...anytime of the day, but especially for supper (as we call it here in Durham) I am going to have to try your hashbrown receipe...sounds delicious.

glad to see you go some "girl"time out, can't wait to see the adorable fella in his new cloths..

I have some medical supplies for you (gloves, some sterile towels, some aquafor, but mainly gloves) just need to find out a way to get them to you..

hope you make it to church today..maybe jonah will want to show off his new clothes (if he doesn't puke on them ha).

love & prayers

Jenn said...

You totally crack me up!

I absolutely love your humor!! I always find myself laughing when I read your posts.

Thanks for brightening my day,

P.S. I really thought you were going to post about the Duggars (aka "18 Kids and counting" fame)...they are ALL about the Hashbrown Casserole! :)

Claire said...

Oh man, how I love brinner! One of my favourite things!

Cxx

Cathy said...

Yum! I think we're going to be having breakfast for dinner tonight!

Debby@Just Breathe said...

It sounds wonderful. I am going to try this one, especially on Christmas morning. Thank you.

Gee, wouldn't it be nice if we could just pump away our weight.
Too bad it doesn't work when your 57!!!

Anonymous said...

"The Medela to back it up". You crack me up :) You look like you could handle gaining weight and it wouldn't even show. I do know how you feel, though. I'm up 15 pounds now that I'm not breastfeeding anymore. At first I was ticked too, but in all honesty I think I look better with a few more curves. If only my loose, flabby stomach would magically snap back into place I'd be set!

~Amy

Trina and Jophie said...

Yum! We love this but call it breakfast casserole. We have several versions of it including frech toast breakfast caserole...If your interested I could give you the "healthy" version of it and it "TRULY" is delicious! We put out a cookbook about a year ago that included nothing but healthy versions of all the foods we all love. It took ALOT of trial and error to get the foods to "taste good" and not like diet food but in the end we succeded! Not only with the taste but collectively my friends and I have lost over 300 pounds with me losing 100 of those! Wheeeeeeee!

Let me know and I can toss you the "healthy version" and you can eat it to your little hearts content :0)

I'd still love to know about what size your little guy is wearing. I know you said he could finally wear sleeved items but I've had something in mind for a while but can't really whip it out without size/measurements. After following for some time I think I've gotten all the restrictions logged down like the snaps/zippers/buttons ect...

Let me know if your interested..

Have a good one!
Trina and Jophie

Katherine @ Grass Stains said...

I am laughing because in all the years we've made that hashbrown casserole, we've NEVER made it for breakfast. HAVE YOU? I'll have to poll the rest of the girls to see if they have. That is cracking me up. Also, I vote that you and I try to sneak in some Frosted Flakes for the topping over the holidays this year. That would ROCK. Oh, wait. I'm sure Frosted Flakes aren't on Jenny Craig. SNAP.

Anonymous said...

If you'd like, try Simply Potatoes in the dairy cooler, then you don't have to buy frozen hashbrowns only to thaw them.

Be happy.

Becca B. said...

I adore reading your posts! You always bring a smile to my face!

queenmari said...

i make the exact same hashbrown casserole, in fact i made it a few weeks ago and baked a ham with it. i love it!

blessings, mari

and thank you for the links to the three eb kids. i have been checking in on them regularly and keeping them in prayer, especially sam. she is a champion.

Amber Schmidt said...

Kudos to you! I never got the "Medela Metabolism"... darn. I wish I could have though.. that would have rocked!

Glad your casserole turned out well! I agree with you on breakfast... go big or go home... its just not breakfast without biscuits and gravy in my house and now my children think they should have a 4 course breakfast every single day!

Melissa said...

Girl, I'm cracking up at the pump/calorie consumption posting, because I'm so living that right now. My Jonah has been weaned for a little over a year and I still haven't broken out of the eat-all-you-want-because-your-baby-is-consuming-the-extra-calories mentality. The weight packed right back on, and quickly. I feel your pain. And with that, I'm going to start two-a-days today. Doing *something* active twice a day. A little red wagon with two little boys in it is my next appointment, along with some hilly neighborhood streets.

And I just have to say that the Jonah "not happy" picture was so stinkin' cute, it made my day. Happy or not, he's a punkin' pie!

Still praying for you all.

Nancy E said...

This is a family favorite and we've never had it for breakfast! BUT long ago I decided I didn't want to mess with the cornflakes and butter so I sprinkle toasted wheat germ on top (generously).
Used to make it all the time for the weekly GCOC potluck Sunday lunches!
I love your sense of humor, Patrice -- Love, Nancy

Jane said...

Haven't posted in a while Patrice, but Jonah is looking great and and such a cutie pie. He is really growing and I see his hair is also. Glad things are going better now, you will look back and wonder how you did everything you do now. But God gets us through all the trials and tribulations and He is with us alway. Hang in there, you are all in my thoughts and prayers every day.

Stefanie said...

Mmm...I love breakfast for dinner. I've been reading your blog since Jonah was born and I just wanted to say how funny you are! I thoroughly enjoy reading about you and your adorable little boy.

Unknown said...

I love that recipe for hashbrown casserole. My mother-in-law has actually used Honey Bunches of Oats on top before (she was out of corn flakes), and it was FANTASTIC!! I bet the Frosted Flakes would have been just as good. Don't let those people hold you back, girl!! :)
Melissa

Candy said...

Try crushed Cheez-Its on top instead of cornflakes. Crush them up and mix in melted butter with them. It's soooo yummy for the topping! We love it!

Still praying for Jonah! (and yall too)

Twin Mommy said...

I made this for dinner last night... so delicious! I bought a regular box of chex for the topping & made monkey munch with the leftover cereal! Not a bit wasted & both are so delicious! Thanks for sharing!

http://www.recipezaar.com/Puppy-Chow-or-Monkey-Munch-74048

Precious 3 said...

We sometimes use cream of mushroom and chicken in our hashbrown casserole. Some made some for us once, and "messed up" the recipe by adding sausage. We decided it was great that way. But we love to make it for holidays when we have ham. Great stuff!

I totally sympathize with the ticked body thing. I was pregnant, lost the baby after 4 months, then got pregnant again right away, then nursed for 11 months. I kept on eating like I was pregnant/nursing, and now I'm paying for it. Ugh, I'm doing better with my eating now, but trying to find time to exercise is impossible!