Farm Diva Potatoes

I can never seem to get a photograph of these potatoes before the dish is half gone.

Whenever there is an occasion for a rich and tasty potato side dish or simply an urgent need for a fast and simple side dish, this is my go-to recipe. It is perfect with breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner. It works on buffets or served on the plate.  It can be served from a large casserole dish or in individual baking cups.  It’s another one for which I’ve never really used measurements, because I was never given any… and they aren’t really necessary.  My sister got the recipe from her mother-in-law, Ginny, which is how they came to be known in our family as Gigi Potatoes.  Since you’ve probably never met Gigi, you can just call them yours.

Ingredients

28 oz. package frozen hash browns

1/3 stick butter

Lowry’s Seasoned Salt

Onion powder

Pepper

12 oz package shredded Colby Jack cheese

Paprika

½ cup half of half

Preparation 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Butter a 9”x13” baking pan and place the hash browns in the pan.  

Dot the hash browns with butter.  

Sprinkle Lowry’s Seasoned Salt evenly over the top of the hash browns. (The more you add the saltier it will be, so don’t overdo it.) 

Sprinkle onion powder evenly over the top of the hash browns. (Use about the same amount of onion powder as you did salt.) 

Sprinkle pepper over the hash browns.  

Cover the entire dish with the Colby Jack cheese.  

Sprinkle some paprika over the top. 

Pour half and half over the entire dish.  You may wish to add more or less depending upon how wet or dry you would like it. I use glass baking pans, so I  usually add half and half until I can see it pooling at the bottom of the dish.  

Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 25 minutes if thawed potatoes are used or for 45 minutes if frozen potatoes are used.  You may want to take a little bite before taking them out to make sure the potatoes are tender.