I had some extra salsa after making Salsa Roll-Ups, so I decided to look for another recipe using salsa, and found these Easy Cheesy Salsa Potatoes from the Pillsbury website. I made a few simple changes, using green onion instead of regular onion, shredded Fiesta/Mexican blend cheese instead of cheddar, and a little more bread crumbs in my topping to make it more crumbly. If you don’t have bread crumbs, you could substitute crushed corn flakes or crushed French Fried Onions.

If you like potato casseroles, I’m sure you’ll like this. The potatoes are cheesy and creamy, with a little salsa spiciness that’s hard to resist! It’s comfort food, Fiesta-style!

EASY CHEESY SALSA POTATOES adapted from Pillsbury.com

Makes a 9 x 13″ pan

• 8 ounces (2 cups) shredded Fiesta/Mexican Blend (or use sharp cheddar cheese)
• 1 cup of your favorite salsa
• 2/3 cup finely chopped green onion (or use regular onion)
• 1/2 cup light or regular sour cream
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed Fiesta Nacho Cheese soup (or Cheddar Cheese soup)
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 (24 to 26-ounce) package (about 8 cups) frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
• 3/4 cup plain bread crumbs (or substitute crushed cornflakes or French Fried onions)
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Grease a 13×9″ (or 3-quart) baking dish or pan; set aside.

In large bowl, combine cheese, salsa, green onion, sour cream, condensed soup, and pepper; mix well. Add thawed hash browns and mix well. Spread evenly in greased baking dish or pan.

In small bowl, combine bread crumbs and butter; mix well and sprinkle over potatoes.

Bake at 350˚F for 45 to 55 minutes or until cheese is melted and potatoes are tender. Cut into squares and serve.

I  love cheesy potato side dishes like this, especially in the winter months! What’s your favorite potato side dish?