If you’ve been to some sort of party that hasn’t had cheesy potatoes as a food option then I’m not sure what’s going on with the people you know.  Every graduation party, wedding, or other social event should have cheesy potatoes.  If you aren’t a good enough host to have cheesy potatoes, then I’m not going to be a good enough guest to stay.  It’s just… not cool.

What a lot of people don’t realize is how easy they are to make.  Seriously, 8 bucks and 45 minutes later you have yourself an enormous pile of cheese and potatoes.  Who doesn’t like that combination?

Ingredients

• 2 lb. bag of hash browns – Get the diced variety.  The ones that are cut into squares.
• 1 bag shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• Butter
• 1/4 of a large, yellow onion, diced.
• Salt, pepper

Directions

• Mix everything together, throw any remaining cheese on top, and bake for 45 mins.  Really difficult.

Just for the record, I’m not really down with putting Cornflakes on top.  If you want a little texture, throw some breadcrumbs on it.  Don’t be crushing up breakfast cereal and putting it on food.  That’s just weird.

Summer Beer Festival is over and before I comment on my favorites I would like to point out the awesomeness that is Ypsilanti.  Thousands upon thousands of beer drinkers, many of whom were inebriated (myself included), and the crowd was amazing.  Everyone was friendly and why not, we were drinking incredible beer.  Rain and swamp-like conditions be damned, it was one of those happy to be alive moments.

I tasted so many beers that before I announce my favorite here are the honorable mentions:

Copper Canyon Ginger Kids Revenge Imperial Red

Frog Island Bengal IPA

Big Buck Lemon Summer Ale

Dark Horse Crooked Tree IPA

Founders Black Biscuit

However, my award for beer of the Festival goes to:

Dragonmead Redwing Raspberry Wheat – Perfect for a warm summer evening, hint of raspberry that really comes alive with the finish.  For me to pick anything with the words “Red” and “Wing” in it is amazing in and of itself, as I am certainly NOT a fan of the local hockey team. However, even with that handicap Dragonmead’s Raspberry wins.  Also, Dragonmead is a really bad-ass name.

Special award for Most Interesting Beer goes to our friends at Bastone Brewery for their Peanut Butter Ale.  Refreshing and delicious.  Seriously.

The best tent and overall brewer award goes to Gaylord, MI’s own Big Buck Brewery.  Their Lemon Summer Ale was a revelation, damn near a winner overall.  Also, they made an ice cream stout that was unbelievably delicious.

Kudos to the Michigan Brewers Guild for a fine event.  Let it be known to all that Michigan is the United States capital for microbrews, so says Epic Portions.  I’ll put our group up against any other state.

Good night and good luck.