I have a TON of potato casseroles in my recipe files. You need them. Perfect for taking to potlucks, always welcome at cookouts, and the perfect comfort food to take to new parents or sick loved ones. This one is creamy and delicious and I’d even eat it with eggs and bacon the next morning.

CREAMY AUTUMN POTATOES

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon butter
1 cup chopped onion
¹⁄₂ – 1 garlic clove, minced
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, cut in cubes
1 (10 1/2 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup or (10 1/2 ounce) can cream of celery soup
3 -4 cups southern style hash browns
¹⁄₂cup shredded cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400°F Butter a 1 quart casserole dish. In sauce pan, sauté onion and garlic in butter over med heat until tender. Stir in cream cheese cubes and undiluted soup; cook, stirring constantly, until smooth and hot. In casserole, alternate layers of frozen potatoes and cream cheese sauce, ending with sauce layer. Cover and bake 45 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and potatoes are tender. Remove from oven and sprinkle with shredded cheese.

If you prefer a crunchier topping try these:

Potato Casserole Sargento

2 pounds Hash Browns; thawed
3/4 cup butter; divided (1/2 and 1/4)
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon Pepper
1 can cream of chicken and mushroom soup
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
16 oz. Sour cream
10 oz. Cheddar cheese; grated
2 cups crushed corn flakes

Mix first 8 ingredients together well, saving 1/4 cup butter. Pour into big buttered casserole dish. Top with cornflakes and drizzle with 1/4 cup melted butter reserved. Bake at 350 for one hour. Can be halved at half the cooking time.

Winter. Ugh. After Christmas is over, I’m kind of done with it. Recently we had a snow storm that shut down our Southern city for a few days, so I took that time to cook. So, not all bad. I’ve been neglecting that part of my life lately, so was nice to get back to it, even if it was forced.

Snow Cream!

So easy, you don’t need a recipe! Stick a big bowl outside to collect fresh falling snow. When full mix with sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. Scoop into a mason jar and garnish with snow if you want to be bougie.

I find myself really stepping up my pasta game in the winter, since it’s heavier and sticks with you in the frigid 40 degree temps of the Carolina tundra. I found this recipe while searching for one to take to a friend who was in need of a casserole and a visit. It was pretty to look at and yummy!

To view the recipe, head over to Very Best Baking

“BEST”-OVER HAM & PESTO PASTA

INGREDIENTS

1 box (12 oz.) dry tri-color rotini or spiral shaped pasta (about 3 1/2 cups)
1 bag (16 oz.) frozen broccoli, cauliflower and carrot medley
1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
2 cups (8-oz. pkg.) shredded Italian cheese blend or Monterey Jack cheese
3 tablespoons jarred or refrigerated pesto with basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups (8 oz.) cooked ham, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

COOK pasta according to package directions, adding frozen vegetables to boiling pasta water for last 2 minutes of cooking time; drain. Return pasta and vegetables to cooking pot.

MEANWHILE, COMBINE evaporated milk, cheese, pesto and black pepper in medium saucepan. Cook over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until cheese is melted. Remove from heat.

POUR cheese sauce over pasta and vegetables. Add ham; stir until combined.

Winter is when I’m ready for carbs. These potatoes are simply delicious. Seriously. Not a lot of ingredients, and the hardest thing is slicing the potatoes thinly, but I have a mandolin so that was just plain fun.

Oh, and I forgot to snap a picture of this when it was done. Curses! But here’s the cookbook where I tried the recipe:

Potatoes Dauphinoise

INGREDIENTS

6 medium russet potatoes (2 1/2 lbs)
3 cups whole milk
1/2 cup salted butter, plus more for baking dish
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. ground white pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 oz. Swiss cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350. Scrub and peel potatoes, then cut them into 1/8 inch thick slices.
Combine potatoes, milk, butter, salt and white pepper in a large saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Add the garlic; partially cover pan and simmer until potatoes are almost tender when tested with point of small sharp knife, about 20 minutes.
Pour potatoes with liquid into a buttered 13×9 inch casserole dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake until sauce has thickened and cheese is melted and golden brown, about 35 minutes.