Hashbrown Casserole

Ingredients:
2 lbs frozen hashbrowns*
1/2 Cup melted butter
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1 Cup milk
1/2 Cup chopped onion*
1 Tbsp salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese*
2 Cups cornflake crumbs (optional)
1/4 Cup melted butter (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In 9x13 greased dish, pour thawed hashbrowns.  Mix butter, onion, salt, pepper, soup, milk, sour cream, and cheese together.  Crush cornflake crumbs and sprinkle over the top, then dribble 1/4 cup butter.  Bake for 1 hr - 1 hr 15 min.

*Notes*
I like the Ore Ida Country Style hashbrowns.
I like the onion taste, but don't like the crunch, so I replace the chopped onion with about 1 1/2 tsp minced onion.
Sometimes I use shredded cheddar, other times I use the Kraft Pizza cheese mix (I think it's Mozzarella & Cheddar).
I have also added bacon bits, about a tablespoon or two.  I have found that I have to use more of the generic brand bits than the name brand bits.

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Chocolate Oatmeal No-Bake Cookies

Mmmmm...yummmmm

These were one of my favorite cookies growing up, and now they are loved by the husband and boys!

Ingredients:
3 C old fashioned rolled oats (NOT instant oatmeal)
2 C sugar
1 stick margarine (do NOT pre-melt)
1/2 C milk
3 Tbsp cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 C peanut butter (I prefer creamy, but chunky works just as well)



First, you need to spend 20 minutes looking for your tablespoon that you managed to leave in the cocoa when you last made these cookies a few weeks ago.  Then, pour the oatmeal in a mixing bowl.  The one I use holds about 8 cups, and it's just the right size for these.

In a medium pot over medium-high heat, melt together margarine, sugar, milk, and cocoa.  Bring to a boil, then boil 1 minute.  If you melt the margarine in the microwave, your cookies will not set up - trust me.

Remove from heat and add the vanilla and peanut butter.  Stir until peanut butter is melted, then pour mixture over the oatmeal.  Drop spoonfuls onto waxed paper and let sit for at least 30 minutes.

*This is not a recipe that can be doubled.  If you double the recipe, the cookies will not set up right, and you'll end up with a bunch of gooey blobs on your waxed paper.*