Product Review Update: Lunch Containers

I wrote awhile back about my search for lunch containers that didn't leak, were easy to open, and weren't plastic.  I kind of failed to find anything, since glass wouldn't work, and all the metal containers seemed difficult for small hands to open (or they weren't water tight).  My mom introduced me to Preserve, she found a cutting board and brought it home from a trip to California.  I ordered a set of the Mini Storage Containers.  We've been using them for several weeks, and the kids haven't had a problem getting the lid off, they don't leak, they're the perfect size for yogurt or fruit, and they seem pretty solid- so they should last for quite awhile.

I'm not getting paid to say this, or being provided any free product, I'm just reviewing this item because I love it.  Check out the website, they have some neat products, all made from recycled #5 plastics.

Funeral Potatoes without the "cream of..." soups

I love funeral potatoes.  It may be a Mormon thing, I don't know.  What I do know is that aside from actual funerals, I don't think I ate "real" funeral potatoes until I was married and my Mother-in-Law made them for dinner (along with a ham, because that's what you do).  My mom made "Cheesy Potatoes" which are also delicious, but they're not the same thing.

My Mother-in-Law's recipe is the gold standard to which I hold all other funeral potato recipes:

6 boiled, peeled and grated potatoes

Combine:
1/4 cup melted butter
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup grated cheese
1 cup sour cream

2 cups corn flakes, crushed

Put half of the potatoes in a 9x13 baking dish.  Spread with half the mixture, repeat with remaining potatoes and sauce.  Cover with crushed corn flakes.  Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes.

Now, I'm trying to get away from using cream of anything soups, because they're full of stuff that's hard to pronounce and maybe we shouldn't be consuming.  I'll keep eating funeral potatoes made this way when other people make them, because they're still delicious, and it's not every day, but I decided when I make them myself I'd try to find a way to make them without the cream of soup can.

Looking around the internet, I found a recipe that looked promising at realmomkitchen.com.  I made it as directed at it was really very good.  I think I'd leave out the thyme, and I used Better than Bouillon added directly, and then just milk in place of the chicken broth.  It was really easy to make, not much harder than the gold standard (easier if you use store bought hash brown potatoes) So here's my version:

{Photo Credit}

-3 Tbsp butter
-1 medium onion, finely diced
-1/4 cup flour
-1 Tbsp chicken flavored Better than Bouillon soup base
-2 1/2 cups milk
-1 1/2 tsp salt
-Pepper to taste
-2 1/2 cups (or so) shredded cheddar cheese
-1/2 cup sour cream
-6 potatoes peeled, boiled and shredded OR 1 26 oz bag of frozen shredded hash browns, thawed
-2 cups lightly crushed corn flakes

In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter and saute chopped onion until the onion is soft and starts to caramelize (caramelized onions make everything taste better).  Add the flour and stir until it is combined well with the onions and butter.  Add the chicken Better than Bouillon and stir, then add the milk.  Whisk.  Add the salt and pepper.  Heat until almost boiling, but not quite, whisk until the mixture begins to thicken.  Remove from heat and stir in all but a little of the cheese (save some for topping).  Place half of your potatoes in a baking dish, and top with half of the cheese sauce, repeat with remaining potatoes and cheese sauce (you can stir everything together if you want, but it tends to mash the potatoes more, especially if you're using real potatoes you shredded yourself).  Sprinkle remaining cheese and crushed corn flakes over the top and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  In a pinch you can use crushed corn chex or other similar cereal.