Hashbrown Casserole

Way back on Easter, I tried out a new hashbrown casserole recipe. My old one calls for cream of stuff and even though I have a substitute for it, I wanted to find a recipe that doesn't call for it at all. My other recipe also just uses bread crumbs, while this one uses cornflakes. I loved the crunchiness of this one. It was so good! Definitely a hit at the dinner table!

Hashbrown Casserole
from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients:
Potatoes:
3 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup milk
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese 
26-ounce bag frozen shredded hash browns
1/2 cup light sour cream

Topping:
3 cups cornflakes, lightly crushed
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt  butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until the onion begins to soften and is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about a minute. Slowly whisk the chicken broth and milk in the mixture. Add the salt, pepper, and thyme to the mixture. Stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring frequently, until the mixture is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

Take the pot off the heat and stir in the cheese until smooth. Add in the frozen hash browns and mix until it is well combined. Finally, stir in the sour cream.

In a medium bowl, toss the lightly crushed cornflakes with the butter until evenly combined. Scoop out the potato mixture into a 9X13-inch baking dish, a deep 9x9, or baking dish of your choice. Top with the buttered cornflakes. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, until hot and bubbly around the edges. Let the potatoes rest for 10 minutes before serving.