1 lb. ground beef
1/4 tsp. salt
1 (24 oz.) frozen hash browns, thawed
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 c. sour cream
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 med. onion, chopped
2 cans French fried onions (opt.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In heavy skillet cook beef with salt until browned. Drain grease and put in large bowl. Add potatoes, soup, sour cream, cheese and chopped onion. Mix well. Spread into a 13"x9" pan. Bake about 30 minutes. Top with fried onions. Bake 15 minutes more or until bubbly.