HOliday family favorite at my house!
Make ahead!

HASH BROWN CASSEROLE

14 cup onion, diced
1/4 cup melted butter
1 (8 oz.) container sour cream
1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheese
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1 (2 lb.) bag frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
3/4 cup crushed potato chips or corn flakes
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Stir together well the diced onion, sour cream , grated cheese, melted butter, and Cream of Chicken soup, salt and pepper. Add the hash browns and mix well.
Spread this mixture evenly in a 2 qt casserole dish and
top with crushed chips or corn flakes that has been mixed with 1/2 cup melted butter***I don't do the corn flakes

Bake at 350°F 45 minutes
If you put it together, the nite before, need to let it set out, the day you cook for a while, before baking, so center gets heated!

Makes 8 to 12 servings.

This'll send 'em running to the CICU :)

POTATO GRATIN WITH BOURSIN

2 cups heavy cream
1 - 5 ounce package Boursin cheese with Herbs
3 pounds small red potatoes, thinly sliced
Salt and Pepper

Butter a 9 x 13 baking dish. In saucepan, melt Boursin cheese with the cream. In the baking dish, layer 1/2 the potatoes, salt and pepper, pour half of the cheese mixture over, and repeat the layers. Bake 1 hour at 400*.

Linda, Just in case your are including sweet potatoes in this request:

Sweetnana and Buttered Pecans

6 pounds (about 6) sweet potatoes
4 ripe bananas, skins on
2 ounces (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup pure maple syrup
½ cup Brandy
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound pecans
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Pierce the sweet potatoes with a fork and bake until tender, about 1 hour. Roast the bananas, with the skins on, for the last 15 minutes of cooking time. When cool enough to handle, peel the potatoes and bananas, and transfer to a food processor. Pulse until the potatoes are chunky.
Add the butter and maple syrup, puree until smooth. Add the cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt; puree to combine. Transfer to a shallow baking pan and smooth out the surface with a spatula.

In a skillet, cook the pecans in butter over low heat and sprinkle with salt. Sauté until well-coated, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Transfer the pecans to paper towels to drain. Arrange pecans on top of puree and sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake at 300 degrees F until heated through, about 20 minutes.

Mustangs, I am so glad you posted that! I was eyeing it last year and never did it - will definitely make it this year! Sounds great. Thinking no problem to make day before up until pecan stage. Is it a typical Southern dish?

Thanks!

Linda, how is the turkey being cooked, deep fried or roasted? If its roasted, won't there be gravy? If there is someone has to make some type of mashed potatoes... dontchano (did I spell that right?) If the mashed are already being done then I wonder if a type of sweet potato dish is what would go best...

I've made this one the last few years and will again this year.

Praline Apples and Sweet Potatoes

Great dish to slide into the oven just as the turkey comes out.

4 large sweet potatoes, cooked and peeled.
4 tart cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut in ¼" slices
1 stick butter
1C brown sugar
½C sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp salt
1 C pecans, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350°.
Spray a 9X13 pan with non-stick cooking spray
Cut the sweet potatoes in 1" cubes and put into baking pan

Melt butter in a large skillet, over med. high heat. Add apple slices to the melted butter, saute about 5 min., just until the apples begin to soften. Sprinkle with sugars, spices and salt, continue cooking until sugars are melted and apples are cooked but still firm enough to hold their shape. Remove from heat and distribute evenly over the sweet potatoes.

Bake approx. 30 mins

Nancy

Woodie, I copied your recipe some time ago, and have contemplated making it several times, but the quantity of whipped cream always makes me decide not to go ahead. I was wondering if you've ever made it with 1/2 and 1/2 or coffee cream and had good results?

Catherine

Catherine, I don't see where subbing half/half for whipped cream would be a problem. I have a similar recipe only you slice the potatoes and add bacon and it calls for half/half.

I made it without the cheese and it is still very good!

Michelle

Catherine...I'm not Woodie....but I've made the Boursin Gratin recipe and if you didn't want to use heavy cream you could use 1/2 and 1/2, just whisk a couple of tablespoons of flour into the 1/2 and 1/2 so that it thickens when cooked. Otherwise it might be a little runny.

Sometimes it's worth it to splurge on the heavy cream, it really adds a special dimension.

Nancy

Here is one of our favorites from Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook. It is delicious, but definitely full of calories!

Gratin Dauphinois

8 servings

- 7 medium Yukon Gold potatoes

- 1 cup heavy cream

- 1-½ cups whole milk

- 5 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled, divided

- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme

- 1 sprig rosemary, about 4 inches long

- 2 sprigs Italian parsley

- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

- 2 teaspoons kosher salt or to taste

- ¼ teaspoon ground white or black pepper

- 1 tablespoon butter

- 4 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel potatoes and cut lengthwise into quarters; cut crosswise into slices about ¼-inch thick. Place in a 6-quart pot with cream, milk, 4 crushed cloves garlic, thyme, rosemary, parsley, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Bring to a high simmer over medium-high heat, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently 6 minutes. (Stir often to prevent potatoes from sticking to bottom of pot.) Remove pot from heat and discard garlic and herb sprigs.

2. Use remaining clove garlic to run around the inside of a 2-½-quart gratin or baking dish. Butter the inside of the dish well so that it's evenly coated. Transfer potatoes and cream to the dish and sprinkle top with Gruyere cheese. Bake about 45 minutes or until browned and bubbling. Remove from oven and let rest 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

From "Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook"

This had been a a family favorite for years - and it travels wonderfully!

Baked Potato Casserole

8 cooked, peeled, diced potatoes
1# American Cheese (from the deli) sliced in strips
1 cup mayo
1/2 onion, chopped
salt & pepper, to taste
1/2 # partially cooked bacon

Combine first 5 ingredients. Top with bacon. Bake (covered) 1 hour at 325 degrees.
Serves 12

Barb

This one travels well.

IRISH POTATO CASSEROLE

8 to 10 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 (8 oz.) pkg. sour cream
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup chopped chives
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp. salt
Paprika

Cook potatoes in boiling water about 30 minutes or until tender. Drain potatoes, and mash. Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Add potatoes and remaining ingredients except paprika; beat until just combined. Spoon mixture into a lightly butter 2-quart casserole; sprinkle with paprika. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove from refrigerator 15 minutes before baking. Uncover and bake at 350° F. for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

My best friend made this for her Thanksgiving luncheon at work this past week and said it was heavenly:

THREE CHEESE GARLIC SCALLOPED POTATOES

1-1/2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, thinly sliced
2 Tblsp. butter, divided
1 pint heavy cream
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced salt and pepper to taste
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
4 slices Provolone cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 325° F. Grease a 1-1/2 quart or larger casserole dish with butter or nonstick spray.
2. Layer half of the potato slices in the bottom of the casserole dish. Dot with half of the butter cut or pinched into small pieces. Arrange half of the garlic slices over the potatoes, and then pour half of the heavy cream over. Sprinkle one cup of Cheddar cheese over the layer, and season with salt and pepper. Repeat layering of potatoes, garlic, cream and Cheddar cheese, and then top with the slices of provolone cheese. Season again with salt and pepper.
3. Bake for 1/2 hour in the preheated oven, then sprinkle the Parmesan or Romano cheese over the top. This will create a semi-hard cheese crust. Continue baking uncovered for another 30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender when tested with a fork. Yields: 6 servings.

Submitted by: KarlaLV. © 2007 Allrecipes.com.

We love this potato dish. It tastes just like twice-baked potatoes:

COMPANY POTATOES

6 medium potatoes
3-4 green onions w/tops, chopped
1 8-oz. carton sour cream
8 oz. mild cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 stick butter, melted

Cook potatoes until just done. Cool and remove skin. Grate potatoes into large bowl. Add onions, sour cream and cheese. Toss to mix. Put in casserole and pur melted butter evenly over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25-30 min. or until bubbly.

This recipe is very versatile. I don't even follow it anymore and usually cook more potatoes and just add more of the other ingredients. I think it would travel well. Just mix it altogether and put in a casserole and take it in a cooler and bake it after you get there.

Made this a few times, it's very good!

Autumn Potato Gratin
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray
See this recipe on air Sunday Nov. 18 at 8:00 AM ET/PT.

4 pounds mixed baby potatoes, such as Red Bliss, Peruvian Purples, and Fingerlings
2 cups heavy cream, plus some to cover
4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick)
2 sprigs each fresh thyme, sage, and rosemary
2 garlic cloves, cracked
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Halve the potatoes and toss them into a large baking dish and season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, put the cream, butter, herbs, and garlic in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for about 5 minutes, to infuse the cream with flavor. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour the hot cream mixture through a strainer over the potatoes, (discard the herbs and garlic), if there is not enough cream to go 3/4 of the way up the potatoes then pour some additional cream on top to make up the difference. Sprinkle the Parmesan evenly over the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked through and top begins to brown. Cover and keep warm until ready to serve.

Here is a link that might be useful: Autumn Potato Gratin

Pat, I LOVE that Irish potato casserole. My mom has been making it for awhile now and it's become a family favorite.

Tracey

Nancy, I am not sure what his sister will make for the meat course. If it is turkey, it will likely be pieces of turkey cooked in a crockpot with broth. Very bland.

If you all remember, my sisters-in-law are NOT cooks. Lots of boxed crap and cool whip served at Tim's family get-togethers! LOL

Dishes, I saw RR make that gratin on TV the other day. It looked good, glad to hear from someone who has tried it, thanks! Unfortunately, I can only get reds, russets and yukon golds around here, so mine would not look as pretty.

The Boursin Gratin and Three Cheese Garlic Saclloped look wonderful, too! That Gratin Dauphinois recipe is very similar the one I have. Maybe it's time to try it. Now I have to choose! Oh darn!

Linda

i just LOVE nancy's recipe for the asagio bacon gratin--very lush stuff! and the recipe that glenda posted? if i hadn't tried it myself i never would have guessed at how tasty it was! i did cut back on the butter and the cheese but seriously, that is a delicious recipe!

That hash brown casserole has been made by various people and I note that there's hardly any leftovers of it. I had it once and looked over the recipe. For me, it's best to make a wide circle around it. I love potatoes and am anxious to try some of these. They all look YUMMY.