Karen's Easter Potatoes and a bit of family history and mystery...

It is just a month since my father passed away and like all survivors, those of us left behind have the responsibility to go through the material items that are left behind. If you are new to my blog my dad passed away in March and my mother before him in September of 2010.

My sister and I were going through his worldly possessions and this overwhelming task was made somehow a bit lighter in finding one of the many notes my father would leave my mother everyday of their marriage.  My father would often leave before my mother and leave her a quick note in the most beautiful handwriting, on the table beside her book so that it would be the first thing she saw when she sat down. These were sometimes scribbled on scrap paper, the back of receipts or envelopes and often discarded at the end of the day, so how in the midst of my sadness and grieving this one particular love note survived not only the passing of my mother, but also my father and ended up in a box of photos destined for my place.  As I flipped through the old family photos this one particular note caught my attention, I smiled at the memory of note, and as I unfolded it I found a recipe of mine, in my mother's handwriting on the back for Easter Potatoes.  I don't think I had made them since 2005 when the recipe was copied down by my mother after a telephone call we had.

Having this once loved recipe was a particularly exciting find, how it ended up in the box is a mystery but one I am happy to have stumbled on. So I made it again and thought I would share with all of you....

 Karen's Baked Easter Potatoes

1 package of thawed frozen shoestring potatoes (I used two boxes of dried that I got a costco and rehydrated them)

1/2 a white onion

1 cup cream cheese

2 cups sour cream

2 cups of grated medium cheddar

1 can of cream of chicken soup

2 cups of corn flakes

1/4 cup Butter

Salt and Pepper (*I have since discovered Slap ya Mama spice so I used that instead)

Method:

Preheat oven to 375

Thaw or rehydrate your hashbrowns and add to a large metal bowl. Use a box grater to grate half a large white onion and add that to the bowl. Use a spatula to add and combine cream cheese and sour cream. Mix well until evenly distributed. Add one cup of the cheese and combine. *Add some of salt and peper Open the can of cream of chicken soup and stir that into your mix.  In a 9X13 baking dish that has been sprayed or greased spread out your potato mixture. 

In a medium sized bowl place your cornflakes and the remaining cheese. Melt the butter in the microwave and add to your cheese and cornflake mixture. Stir until combined and place on top of the potato mixture and spread evenly. 

Place your baking dish into the oven and bake one hour or until the potato mixture is golden and bubbly. 

Thank you for joining me today for a cup of tea and a recipe. I look forward to sharing more with you again soon. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com