Cheesy Potato Casserole - India Proofed!

For Thanksgiving, we made all the traditional Thanksgiving side dishes, and one of the ones I was responsible for was the cheesy potato casserole (aka funeral potatoes). I had a few people ask me how I made them in India, so thought I'd just post the recipe here! I apologize that I don't have a picture...but just imagine cheesy, gooey potato goodness.

Please take note that you'll need to mix up the sour cream the day before you make the casserole. Also, I mixed up the casserole the day before Thanksgiving and refrigerated it overnight so I'd have less to do that morning. Just take it out of the fridge and add the cornflake topping before baking. 

Cheesy Potato Casserole

1 kg (2 lbs) potatoes
1 onion, chopped
2 cups shredded cheese
1/2 stick of butter, melted
2 cups of sour cream (recipe below)
1 recipe of cream of chicken soup substitute (recipe below)
2 tsps salt

Topping:
1/2 box of plain cornflakes, crushed
1/2 stick of butter, melted

To make the sour cream (make this the day before you mix the casserole, it needs to sit overnight):
1 small box of the "fresh cream"
2-3 heaping spoonfuls of dahi
Open the box of cream, and pour off as much of the liquid as possible. Squeeze the solid part into a bowl. Add 2 heaping spoonfuls of dahi and stir. Taste, and if it tastes too creamy and not very sour, add one more spoonful of dahi. Refrigerate overnight. You'll need to double this recipe for the casserole, but you'll probably have some sour cream left over. (Stir in some powdered Ranch dressing mix to make a great veggie dip!)

To cook the potatoes:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Wash the potatoes well. Place the whole potatoes in the boiling water. If the potatoes are very large, boil for about 15 minutes, but if they are smaller, boil for just 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of cold water. Remove the skins (they should come off fairly easily). Grate the potatoes on the large holes of a cheese grater.

To make the cream of chicken soup:
2 TBS butter
3 TBS flour
1/2 cup chicken broth (made with water and a chicken cube)
1/2 cup milk
salt & pepper to taste
Melt the butter, then whisk in the flour. Whisk in the chicken broth and milk. Stir over medium heat until thickened. Add salt and pepper.

Now, to assemble the casserole. In a large bowl, mix together the shredded potatoes, onion, 1/2 stick of melted butter, 2 cups of sour cream, 2 cups of shredded cheese, cream of chicken soup, and salt. Stir well. Transfer to a 9x13 baking dish and press down the top.
In a bowl or ziplock bag, mix the crushed cornflakes and 1/2 stick melted butter. Sprinkle over casserole.
Bake at 170 degrees Celsius for 45-60 minutes.