Melissa's Southern Style Kitchen: Au Gratin Ranch Potatoes

Melissa's Southern Style Kitchen: Au Gratin Ranch Potatoes:

You'll need:
1 32 oz bag frozen hash brown potatoes, unthawed
16 oz sour cream
1 [10 3/4 oz] can cream of onion soup
1 [0.4 oz] pkg dry buttermilk dressing mix
2 chopped green onions
6 Tbsp melted butter or margarine, divided
2 cups grated white cheddar cheese, divided 
1 1/2 cups crushed ranch flavored potato chips
black pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325°F.  Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.  In a mixing bowl, mix together the frozen hash browns, cream of onion soup, sour cream, buttermilk dressing mix and chopped green onions.  Season with black pepper to taste.  Stir everything together.  Since the hash browns are frozen this takes a little effort.  It's quite helpful if the hash browns are loose, and not stuck together in chunks.  Just give the bag a hearty pounding on the counter to loosen before you pour them into the mixing bowl.

Next add 4 tablespoons of melted butter and 1 1/2 cups of shredded white cheddar cheese.  Of course, any cheddar you like will work.  Mix well.

Pour the mixture into the baking dish and drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter.  Sprinkle 1/2 cup of cheese on top then spread the crushed ranch flavored potato chips evenly over it all.

Place into the oven and bake for 1 hour and 20-25 minutes until golden and bubbly.  Serve hot. 

Yield: 10-12 servings