FOODIE FRIDAY ~ CHRISTMAS CASSEROLE

Below is a recipe I cut out of a Chatelaine magazine in February, 2006 called Cheddar, pepper and potato bake. Rob and I now call it "Christmas Casserole".

It's the perfect dish to make Christmas morning, as it's easy to prepare and it cooks for an hour and fifteen minutes. I put it in the oven to cook while we unwrap gifts. I only make this dish Christmas morning, hence the name we've given it. I revised the dish after the first time I made it, and put my changes in brackets.

1 Can undiluted cream of mushroom or potato soup (I use mushroom)
1 Cup sour cream
1/2 Cup butter melted. (I only use a couple tablespoons)
1 TBSP paprika (If I bother with this, I just sprinkle it on top before baking)
1Kg Bag of frozen hash browns
1 each red and green pepper finely chopped (I only use half of each or sometimes none at all)
1 Large onion chopped ( I use a container of pre-chopped onion with celery for convenience)
1 Seeded jalapeno, finely chopped (optional, and I've never used one)
1 Cup chopped ham (I now use chopped bacon instead of ham)
2 Cups grated cheddar cheese (I like to use marble or old cheddar)
Salt & Pepper to taste

I suggest sauteing the vegetables in the butter for 3 to 5 minutes, though the recipe doesn't say this.

In a very large bowl stir the soup with the sour cream,butter,paprika,salt and pepper. Mixture will be lumpy. Stir in frozen hash browns until evenly mixed. Prepare and stir in vegetables, ham and 1 and a half cups cheese. Spoon into a 9x13" baking dish, smooth top and sprinkle with remaining cheddar. Cover dish tightly with foil.

Bake in a 400F preheated oven for an hour, remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes.

Good with scrambled eggs and sliced tomato.

Enjoy!