Cheesy Shredded Hashbrowns

My roommates and I recently hosted a Friendsgiving in our home. I had no idea was I was going to prepare as all of my roommates had claimed the traditional Thanksgiving components. In my head I was going through all of my Mother's recipes and I thought of the perfect recipe, cheesy potatoes. Little did I know this delicious recipe was actually super easy to make. I'd like to share this simple recipe with you today.

Ingredients

• 1 can (10.5 oz) of cream of chicken soup
• 1 (16 oz) container of sour cream
• 2 cups of shredded mild cheddar cheese
• 1 whole yellow onion diced 
• 1 bag (30 oz) of frozen shredded hash browns
• 1 stick of melted butter
• ground black pepper
• Corn flakes and 1/4 cup melted butter (optional)

First preheat your oven to 350° F. All you have to do is combine all of the ingredients except for the corn flakes in a large bowl. Stir until all the way combined. Put the mix into a large baking pan that has been sprayed with nonstick spray. You can also combine the corn flakes and 1/4 of melted butter to put on top to create a casserole, but this portion is optional. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until brown around the edges. 

Go ahead and give this a try. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as me and my family do. 

How To Chose The Right Onion

When you're walking through the grocery store their is always a huge variety of pretty everything. Which potatoes do I pick? Why are their so many kinds of tomatoes? I don't even know the difference between onions. Well that's why I am here!

Onions are one of the most used, and versatile ingredients in the kitchen. Onions are used in so many recipes and it is important to understand the differences among the many onions that their are.

Yellow Onions

Yellow onions are the most commonly and versatile onions in the kitchen. They are perfectly in between sweet and sharp in taste. That makes these onions perfect for stews, roasts, soups, or sauces. This onion should almost always be in your pantry.

Sweet Onions

Pretty self-explanatory right? Sweet onions generally have a sweet taste to them. Have you ever had a blooming onion? Sweet onions are best for making onion rings, or a blooming onion. They are great for frying because they are not to sharp with flavor so they pair well with the deep fried batter. They are great for more than just their flavor. Sweet onions have thick layers, which hold up well when fried.

White Onions

White onions have the crunchiest and sharpest flavor. White onions go great in a salsa, or a stir-fry. They are not the most commonly used onion in the kitchen but they do add a lot of flavor to mexican dishes.

Red Onions

Personally one of my favorite onions as they are the best eaten raw. red onions are great for salsa, guacamole, salads, or for pickling, if you're cuban. But beware because you may have some onion breath for days to come.

So now when you read a recipe that requires onion you have an idea of which onion to buy at the grocery store. I hope these tips will help you make your next grocery visit a little easier.

Making Cheap Pasta Sauce Better

Cheap pasta sauce can sometimes taste bland and far from delicious. I recently discovered a great way to make cheap pasta taste awesome. It only requires a few ingredients that every kitchen has, and it takes your pasta a long way.

The first ingredient you'll need you'll acquire after you've already made the pasta. So boil any pasta of your choice in some salt water. Now before you dump the pasta into your colander and your pasta water down the drain, put a bowl under the colander or use a strainer. You are going to want catch that starchy pasta water for later use. Once you start heating up your pasta sauce put your pasta in the same pan and heat them up together, this will allow the pasta to actually absorb the sauce. Now you're going to take a little of that starchy water and add it to your pasta. Let all of that cook together on a low heat for about a minute. 

For the next portion you'll need a little bit of butter, about a tablespoon, and some extra virgin olive oil. Remove your pasta from the heat and add these two ingredients. Give your pasta a good stir. At this time you may also want to add fresh parmesan, and fresh herbs. 

If you follow these tips you will have some five-star restaurant quality pasta. It really is that easy and it makes all the difference. I found this tip on Chowhound a channel on YouTube, go here to check out their video walk-through.