Comfort food taken to the next level

Just imagine if comfort food were an armchair. Now, not all armchairs are equal. There are those in posh hotel foyers which, when you sit in them, feel as if they are stuffed with some form of concrete, and are clearly there, not for comfort (as the armchair was designed to provide, dammit), but rather to go with the decor and look expensive. But in contrast, there are those armchairs into which one's rear end sinks gently, armchairs which seem to cradle your aching limbs. Why, there might even be a footrest, which at the slightest tug of a lever, emerges to prop up your tired feet. Oh yes, that is the nth degree of comfort. If armchairs aren't your thing, then how about beds, the place where if nothing else, we should feel enveloped in comfort. But there is a gulf of difference between a friend's second hand futon which has seen better days, and a new pillow-top mattress.

Lest you think I have finally gone off my rocker, and am now blogging about furniture, fear not! I raise these comparisons merely to permit myself some adequate means of describing just how comforting today's featured dish truly is. This, my friends, is the La-Z-Boy of comfort food. It is like a Sleep Number bed that just instinctively knows your ideal setting. It does not get more comforting than this, trust me.


Hash Brown Casserole
Serves 8

2 tsp olive oil
3/4 lb sliced ham, chopped
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 32oz packet of shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed and squeezed dry
1 large onion, diced
10 oz baby spinach, coarsely chopped
8 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese
8 oz shredded swiss cheese
8 eggs, beaten lightly
1 1/2 cups low fat cottage cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
2. Place the cottage cheese in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Set aside.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet and saute onion until soft and translucent. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Season with pepper and garlic powder.
4. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, onion mixture, chopped ham, cottage cheese, and all but a 1/4 cup each of the cheddar and swiss.
5. Stir in the lightly beaten eggs.
6. Spray a 9"x13" baking dish with oil spray and spread the prepared mixture into the dish. Top with the remaining cheese.
7. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, by which time the casserole should be set in the middle and the cheese melted and turning golden. Serve with a green salad.