Hashbrown Casserole Makeover...Vegetarian Friendly Style ;)

If you grew up in the South, chances are you're probably a fan of the cheesy potluck favorite known as Hashbrown Casserole.  My mom makes the best hashbrown casserole, and it was usually one of the side dishes that I requested for her to make as part of my family birthday dinner.  I remember asking for her recipe after I began delving into the cooking world during college, and it has become the basis for my go-to casserole recipe (next to baked mac & cheese, of course ;) when I need to make something that requires minimal prep time or that can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated for several hours until I'm ready to pop it in the oven.  I made this casserole for Mother's Day lunch yesterday, and while it was baking, I realized that I had never actually posted the recipe on my blog, despite making it dozens of times over the past several years.  Time to fix that...

Although hashbrown casserole is a far stretch from being "healthy" by any means, I have tweaked the recipe to cut out as many calories and grams of fat as possible, while still maintaining the creamy texture and cheesy deliciousness of the original version.  My version also replaces the cream of chicken soup with cream of celery in order to make it a vegetarian friendly dish. :)

"Healthified" & Vegetarian Friendly Hashbrown Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 (32 oz.) package frozen southern-style diced hashbrown potatoes, thawed
• 1 (10.75 oz.) can reduced-fat cream of celery soup (I've also used cream of mushroom before, but prefer cream of celery)
• 10 oz. fat-free sour cream (from a 16 oz. container)
• 1 1/2 cups reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat mild cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp. paprika

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine soup, sour cream, mild & sharp cheddar cheese, onion, garlic powder, black pepper, hash brown potatoes, and melted butter (add butter last, pouring over top of the mixture).  Mix well and transfer potato mixture to the prepared casserole dish.  

3. Sprinkle parmesan cheese and paprika evenly over casserole.

4. Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes, or until bubbly.

With summer potluck season upon us, consider making this for your next family or church picnic!  If my family's reaction is any indication, it is sure to be a big hit! :)