Cheesy Hash Brown Stacks are simple to make and an excellent side dish. This recipe is both rich and creamy. It is also a spin-off from a more complicated French potato gratin. While you can bake this in a casserole dish, using cupcake tins is perfect for making individual servings. When my neighbors tasted this side dish for me, their response was, “We need the recipe!”
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 6 large cupcake pan or a 9-inch by 9-inch pan with olive oil. Place the hash browns in a bowl and set aside.
Sauté the mushrooms and green onion in olive oil until soft and set the pan aside.
In a bowl, add the chicken broth and milk and warm in microwave for 30 seconds.
In a small pan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. When melted, add the flour and whisk until smooth for about a minute.
Then whisk in the milk and broth mixture stirring constantly until all the liquid is incorporated. Salt and pepper to taste.
Turn off the heat. Add the mushroom/onion mixture and the ½ cup melted butter to the pan.
In the bowl with the hash browns, add the sour cream and ¾ cup of cheese (reserving the remaining ¼ cup for a topping).
Add the creamy mushroom mix and pepper.
Stir well until all ingredients are combined.
Divide the mixture into 6 portions in the large cupcake pan (or all the mixture into a 9x9 inch pan). Sprinkle with the remaining ¼ of cheese.
Bake for 45 minutes until browned. If you like a crispy top, broil for a minute or two. Serves 6 as a side dish.
*A simple way to wring out any water from the hash browns is to place them in a colander in the sink and press down with paper towels. You can also put them in a clean kitchen towel and over the sink just twist until all the water comes out.