Harvest Potato Casserole

I was making some mexican meatballs today (recipe elsewhere in this forum) and decided to make this potato dish to go with it. This is a family favorite, and I have been known to make entire meals of it.
I'll first list the standard recipe that the family uses, then I'll list my modifications which requires guesstimation on your part. Butter means real butter, not margarine, it pains me to know that has to be specified.

Ingredients

(1) 32 oz bag frozen hashbrowns (thawed)
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup melted butter
1 meduim onion diced

Topping

2 cups plain corn flakes, crushed
1/4 cup melted butter

Directions

Grease 13x9 baking dish and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In large bowl, combine all ingredients except topping. Spoon into baking dish.
Mix topping and spread over potatoes.
Bake 45 minutes.

Now for my modified recipe, which is a little more time consuming, but results in a better dish in my opinion.

I use a larger baking dish, so take whatever dish you intend to use and dice enough fresh potatos on the smaller side to almost fill the dish.
Add 1 can cream of condensed cream of chicken soup
Add the other ingredients listed above, increasing the amount as needed depending on the size of the baking dish you are using.
My dish is fairly good sized so I use more or less the following:
1 1/2 cup sour cream
2 1/2 - 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup melted butter
1 large onion

For the topping I use
3 cups corn flakes
2/3 cup melted butter

For fresh potatoes I bake for 60-75 minutes. 45 minutes doesn't get them done enough.

The frozen hash brown method yields a fine dish, but I like to cut my own potaotes fresh. Honestly I can't tell a whole lot of difference between them, but I perceive the fresh cut potatoes to be better.

Now just add diced hot peppers, real bacon pieces and green onions.

I hadn't thought of adding bacon, oddly enough since I tend to add bacon to nearly everything.
I can't add hot peppers unless I'm just making it for myself. I tend to eat things extremely hot, but I'm the only one. I have yet to figure out how to cook something just hot enough to reach but not exceed my wife's tolerance for it.
At the point she starts saying it's about too hot, I still can't detect the heat.

That's brutal. A man needs his heat.

Hmmmmmm... brown some mild (or spicy) breakfast sausage, mix that in, and call it Sunday brunch.