Halloween Hash Browns

Okay, this dish really has nothing to do with Halloween, other than the fact that I made it for dinner on Halloween, but the title stands. Honestly, I did not expect to like this casserole. I essentially made it for Joe - his mom makes a hash brown casserole that he loves and I wanted to try a new version for him. But I ended up really enjoying it! It's nice and creamy and has a great flavor. The recipe is from Cooking Light but it came to my attention on an article from All Recipes, 10 Casseroles Under 300 Calories. I prepared it the night before as suggested in the recipe and refrigerated it all day. Then I just popped it in the oven when I got home and I was free to answer the door for trick-or-treaters while it baked. I served it as a side dish to chicken breasts but it would be perfect for a brunch too.

Hash Brown Casserole with Bacon, Onions, and Cheese

Ingredients
6 bacon slices (I used turkey bacon)

1 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 (32-ounce) package frozen Southern-style hash brown potatoes

1 cup (4 ounces) preshredded Classic Melts Four Cheese blend, divided (I used shredded sharp cheddar)

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 (10.75-ounce) can condensed 30% reduced-sodium, 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

Cooking spray

Preparation

Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, and crumble. Discard drippings in pan. Add 1 cup onion and garlic to pan; cook for 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in the potatoes; cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Combine crumbled bacon, 1/4 cup cheese, green onions, sour cream, salt, pepper, and soup in a large bowl. Add potato mixture; toss gently to combine. Spoon mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Cover with foil coated with cooking spray. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350°.
Remove casserole from refrigerator; let stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Bake casserole, covered, at 350º for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes or until bubbly around edges and cheese begins to brown.

Yield
6 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 293(31% from fat); FAT 10g (sat 4.8g,mono 3.3g,poly 0.7g); PROTEIN 12.2g; CHOLESTEROL 31mg; CALCIUM 214mg; SODIUM 720mg; FIBER 4.7g; IRON 0.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 41.4g

Happy Halloween!