Rise 'n Shine

As funny as this might sound, I came up with this recipe once a day after I had foolishly overworked my arms at a workout and didn't even want to flip hashbrowns over a stove. My husband was sweet enough to take over griddle duty and cook the pancakes, but we were both in the mood for hashbrowns too, so I put together an easy baked version and it's become my favorite way to make them since.

There are a couple of advantages to baking hashbrowns. Of course, the most important advantage to me at the time was the lack of flipping involved! But that's not all ... the amount of oil used is limited to a quick spray of cooking spray on the bottom of a pie plate. Limiting the oil added to the potatoes makes it so much easier for me to justify adding a bit of shredded cheese to the mix. I used sharp cheddar in this version, but pepper jack cheese also adds a nice kick to them. You can also add some finely chopped onion or pepper. If you want to make them more of a main dish meal, try adding diced ham and layering the top with thinly sliced tomatoes. The options are truly endless.

I encourage you to share your recipe ideas and comments. You can always post comments in the discussion board using the forms provided in the articles or email me directly at . I'd also encourage you to experiment with this month's recipe and make it your own. Enjoy!