bbstx, I note that you have no room in your freezer, even though unfilled they freeze nicely. They'll keep in an air tight container for a couple of days, and then, as LindaC mentioned, you can reheat them and they'll crisp back up a bit. I love the darned things, and you've reminded me that I haven't made them for quite a long time. Maybe this weekend, my family really likes them with the cream cheese/cornbed beef filling but I definitely don't want to make them very far in advance and fill them. Annie

I made this the other day and we thought it was pretty good. Hamburger Potato Casserole a.. 1 tablespoon olive oil b.. 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced c.. 1 pound ground beef d.. 1/4 cup butter e.. 1/4 cup all-purpose flour f.. 3 cups milk g.. 1 pint heavy cream h.. salt and pepper to taste i.. 5 potatoes, sliced j.. 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese k.. 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese l.. 1 cup milk DIRECTIONS 1.. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 2.. Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onions until translucent; set aside. Cook ground beef until evenly brown. Drain excess fat, and set beef aside. Melt butter in the skillet. Add flour, and stir with a whisk for 5 minutes. Gradually whisk in 3 cups milk, then the cream. Simmer, stirring frequently, over medium-low heat for 10 minutes until the sauce has thickened and is smooth. Season with salt and pepper, and remove from heat. 3.. Spread a small amount of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch casserole dish. Alternate layers of potatoes, onions, ground beef, cheese and sauce, with 2 to 3 layers of each. Reserve some cheese to sprinkle on top. If you run short of sauce, press down on all layers, and add milk as needed. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. 4.. Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes, or until potatoes are soft.

Guess because of the farm and time being a premium as well as oven space we got use to a lot of things made ahead. We usually have 12-15 people. I make my desserts (cakes, pies but not the Pistachio Salad) ahead and freeze them. Definitely make the cranberry relish ahead and after letting it set a day freeze it. It gets better with time.(Usually make several gallons for the rest of the year.) Sometimes I'll make up my crescent rolls and freeze them before baking but they are better fresh Then the night before I make up all my casseroles, (squash, sweet potatoes, onion, etc._ and get them ready and in the dishes. Cover them with foil and mark the temp and cooking time on them and put them in the frig. On TD I start at about 4 am. I mix up my stuffing, and get the turkey going. I cook my ham in my roaster, the turkey in the gas oven and the last 2 hours I'll use the electric oven to cook the casseroles. Veggies like corn, peas, mashed potatoes are last minute. Mom makes her Waldorf salad :-/ last minute usually so it doesn't get watery. Some of the family and friends I don't get to see very often so I'd rather be visiting with them instead of trying not to miss something in a recipe listening into all the fun in the other room or measuring while trying to have a conversation. (Not one of my strong suits. I always leave something out when I'm talking to somebody and cooking) It's not all fresh but a lot of the folks that come fix dinner out of a TV dinner box so they're always happy and stuffed with the fare that's put on the table. And I get to spend time with everyone.

I have just rediscovered dehydrated vegetable flakes. Many of the larger brand spice companies carry them and they used to be a regularly stocked item at my market. However, they must not have been a popular item because they disappeared from the shelves some time ago and I had to go internet hunting to find them. Long story short...I have created some fabulous side dishes with these flakes in the last few weeks once they're re-hydrated. Adding them to brown rice is one but stuffing is one of my latest success stories. I use Pepperidge Farm seasoned dry crumbs to which I add the re-hydrated vegetable flakes, the remaining juice they've hydrated in, melted butter and chicken broth to make the mixture moist enough. Of course, if your daughter is a strict vegetarian...chicken broth and butter may be out...but you can substitute either more flavorful juice from the hydrated flakes or some other moistening agent. I was amazed at how tasty this creation is. The seasonings mixed in with the flakes are wonderfully flavorful and the hydrated veggies themselves make the whole concoction positively delicious.. The last time I made it, I made enough to freeze serving sizes for future dinners. Experiment on your own. I don't think you can go wrong. Here's the link to the company I ordered my product from. I post it only for further descriptive reference considering that these flakes may not be so well known. http://www.a1spiceworld.com/vegetable_flakes.html