A break from the elections - an interesting recipe idea!

I discovered a version of this recipe in a magazine the other day. As always, I never have everything required so wing it with what I do have in the cupboard to try and replicate the idea of the recipe even if I don't do the actual recipe!

This one took a bit of time but it was worth in. I forgot to take a picture of the completed dish but imagine it nicely browned and crispy around the edges.

The basic idea is to use those smallish, waxy potatoes. You peel them and parboil them for about five minutes. You don't want to cook them through just get them to 'soften' a bit to make the slits and insert the slices of bacon.

After your potatoes are parboiled and cooled a bit, cut about four or five slits into each one going almost to the other side of the potato. Insert a bit of bacon deep into his cut. Slicing the bacon and freezing it on parchment paper makes this process a whole, lot easier! The parchment paper to prevent sticking on the tray and the freezing to have a firm bit of bacon to push into each slit.

Brush each potato with melted butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven.

This takes about 45-60 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes. Meanwhile, smash a couple of peeled cloves of garlic and saute in melted butter. Stir in a few pepper flakes and some thinly sliced scallions. Baste the potatoes with this mixture periodically during the baking period. When the potatoes are golden with a bit of a crust, they are ready to serve.

The bacon cooked inside the potatoes makes an interesting contrast. They are a nice side to a steak or beef meal or chops. It was kind of an adventure attempting this recipe the first time but it turned out well enough that I'm thinking of ways to do it even better another time.

Twice-Baked Potatoes . . .

Lent is always a good time to not only sacrifice the ease of fixing meals with meat but doing extra thinking in providing meatless meals. I noticed that baking potatoes are going for good prices at the store and it reminded me of twice-baked potatoes. Providing each person in the family with a big potato along side a hearty salad makes you forget there isn't any meat on the plate.

My way of making twice-baked potatoes is pretty basic. You scrub a large, baking potato for each person in the family. Pierce the potato several times to allow the steam to escape during baking. They will explode if you don't and please, let's not ask me how I know this! Bake them at 350 degrees for approximately 40-60 minutes depending on the weight of the potatoes.

When the potatoes are baked through, remove from oven and cup off the lengthwise top of each one. You don't want to cut the potato in half, just sort of provide a 'lid'. Carefully scoop out the potato being sure to leave about a quarter of an inch or so to hold the shell together. Now, you get to be creative!

Mash the potato 'insides' together in a large bowl. Add some warmed milk/cream, butter, salt, and pepper. This is your empty canvas and now you create your entree!

1. We like cheddar potatoes so I add some grated, sharp cheddar, a few chili flakes, and dried dill which seems to enhance the cheddar's tang.

2. You can grill some onions and mix that in with some diced chilies and Monteray Jack cheese. Diced, black olives are a nice touch, too.

3. Add some freshly diced tomato with Provolone cheese, and Italian spices. You can sprinkle some grated Parmesan or Romano over the top of each potato when you bake it.

4. Tuna works with some diced celery which will add some crunch. I like a bit of caraway mixed into the filling.

5. Canned salmon will elevate the lowly potato to new standards! Finely diced, red onion adds a tang to the dish.

Once you have decided on your filling creation, restuff your potatoes with the mixture. You can even top with with some buttered bread crumbs, if you like! Place them on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees until they are piping hot. Serve along side a big, colorful salad with some garlic bread and you have a feast.

Scalloped Potatoes in a Hurry

Scalloped Potatoes are always welcome around here. Over the years, I have tried a variety of recipes. This one is a great go-to one when the day has been hectic and you still need to feed the family a hearty dinner. Some prep time but, still, an easy way to shine in the kitchen.  Want a Friday meal with no meat? Leave out the ham and add some braised mushrooms to the mix. A can of diced, mild chiles will work, too, for another flavor.

Scalloped Potatoes in a Hurry

2-3 potatoes, cubed
½ cup processed cheese, cubed
½ cup diced, cooked ham
1 tablespoon dried onions
2/3 cup cream of mushroom soup
2/3 cup whole milk
1 ½ tablespoon all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon dried Basil
½ teaspoon dried Tarragon
Dash of chili flakes

Boil the potatoes until just done.

Place the processed cheese, ham, onion, soup, milk, and flour in a large pot and slowly heat to melt. Add the seasonings. Pour the sauce over the potatoes and gently combine so all the potatoes are covered. If you like, you can top the dish with buttered bread crumbs or a grating of cheddar.

Bake in a 350 degree oven until it is cooked through, hot and bubbling.

Potatoes fill out the meal plan . . .

We all have favorite recipes for the potato. Just in case you need an inspirational nudge, begin with the following and follow your inclinations. Who knows, one of the following might work into your Thanksgiving Holiday dinner.

Potato Wedges are simply that! Scrub, peel and cut into lengthwise wedges, four or five russet potatoes. Wedge them between the pieces of chicken in the baking pan and brush with  olive oil.  Don't forget to salt and pepper.

Whipped Potatoes are easy. Once you make your own, you will never want to use boxed ones again! Scrub, peel and dice four to six baking potatoes. Simmer in a pot of water until the potatoes are just tender. Drain (save the potato water for your next bread baking!), place in mixing bowl with ½ cup hot milk, three tablespoons butter, salt and pepper to taste. Beat until light and fluffy. Scrape into a microwave bowl, cover with plastic wrap until ready to serve. The potatoes heat up beautifully in the microwave at high for five to eight minutes.

Potato Salad comes in every taste, shape and type. My favorite way is to scrub, peel and dice six to eight white rose potatoes, depending on the size. Simmer until just done, drain and place in bowl for mixing. Splash with a quarter cup of cider vinegar. Toss in a packet of dry Italian salad mix, mayonnaise, brown mustard, sweet relish and chopped, hard-boiled eggs. This is just a basis. Taste and adjust to your family's likes. You can have a picnic at your kitchen table when  Barbequed Chicken and potato salad make their appearance.

Potato Salad - summer holiday fare .. .

Planning on making a batch of potato salad today and thought I'd share my recipe with you. I know every family has their favorite. I also know that my own recipe has evolved, over the years, as other people shared their secrets with me and I found them unique and very usable in my own.

Barbara's Potato Salad

Peeled and cubed potatoes, raw

I like to do the peeling and cubing ahead of time to save time. I used to watch my mother pay 'hot potato' with her own version of the salad as she tried to pull the peel of a just boiled potato. Anyway, boil the cubes of potato in heavily salted (1-2 tablespoons salt) water until just done. Drain and let rest while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

This is for a relatively medium batch so adjust to your needs.

1 cup mayo (I like the olive oil version)
1/4 cup dijon mustard
2 tablespoons regular yellow mustard
Salt & pepper to taste
Sweet or dill pickle relish or a combination of both
1 small can of already sliced, black olives (use green ones if you like)
2 teaspoons hot, powdered mustard
2-3 hardboiled eggs, peeled and roughly chopped (optional)

Place your still-warm potatoes in a large bowl. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of cider vinegar (or regular vinegar if that's all you have on hand)  Add the rest of the ingredients, mixing gently so you don't smash up your potatoes too much. Do a taste test and see what else you might want/need. Refrigerate until needed/cold.

I like to use the small potatoes but have gotten excellent using the Russet or baking potatoes, too. Just have to be more careful in not over cooking the baking potatoes. My husband actually prefers the softer, Russet potatoes for his salad.

Other additions:

Finely chopped, red onion
Chives
Crumbled, cooked bacon
Drained can of tuna if you want a more hearty side dish
Canned chilis for a spicy version
Diced ham, again, for a substantial offering
Braised cloves of garlic, pureed and added with the mayo dressing
An addition of Ranch or Thousand Island dressing
Fresh, diced tomatoes, use Roma tomatoes as they don't release as much liquid into your dish
A tablespoon or two of Feta cheese

Recipe Request being answered . . .

A good friend of the family saw the post mentioning the Garlic/Sausage Mashed Potatoes and requested the recipe. Thought I'd post it for anyone else interested in a different way to have the same old potatoes.

Garlic/Sausage Mashed Potatoes

4 large Russet potatoes
15 cloves of garlic
1- 2 spicy sausages (not a gigantic one! You could also use the soy protein types, too.)
Garlic powder
Black pepper
Salt to taste
Butter
1/2 cup milk

Put the peeled garlic cloves in a pot along with the broken up sausage and a tablespoon of vegetable oil. If the sausage has a casing (the thin 'skin' around it) remove it first so the meat crumbles as it fries. Cook on low heat so the meat get browned and the garlic turns golden and softens. Remove from heat and let cool down a bit.

Peel the potatoes and quarter them. Place them in a big pot of water with a tablespoon of salt. The salt doesn't stick to the potatoes but it seasons them nicely and they cook better. Simmer until tender.

Drain the potatoes and put them back into the same pot. Melt the butter with the milk until they are hot. Pour into the potatoes and add the seasonings. Taste for seasoning. With a large spoon or potato masher, break up the potatoes and mix them into the milk/butter mixture. There can be lumps but you want it pretty well mixed and combined.

Take the browned sausage / garlic and smash and chop up. Mix thoroughly into your potatoes. Serve!

I like to put the potatoes into a microwave-safe bowl in case I need to reheat them. You can also heat them back up in the pot with the addition of a little more milk to keep them from drying out.

This recipe should serve 4-6 depending on what else you are serving with the meal. The recipe can be easily doubled.

Hot Potato Soup - from my kitchen to yours!

Sharing our evening meal with you only without the bacon as it still is a Friday in Lent!

Hot Potato Soup

1/4 cup bacon drippings
1 cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped celery
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken broth
3 cups milk
4 cups peeled, finely diced new potatoes
1-1/2 cups grated Swiss cheese
1 teaspoon powdered mustard
1 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

In a large kettle, heat bacon drippings. Saute onion and celery, until soft. Blend in flour over medium heat until golden brown. Stir in chicken broth and milk. Add potatoes, stirring until soup bubbles and thickens slightly. Simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir in cheese one handful at a time until melted and smooth. Season with mustard, salt, and pepper. Serve with a sprinkle of crispy bacon pieces and finely chopped parsley.