Potatoes Dauphinoise

ingredients:

2 extra large russet potatoes

1 pint half and half

salt

white pepper

1 1/2 cups shredded gruyere cheese, about 5 ounces

1 clove garlic, minced

nutmeg

italian seasoned bread crumbs

directions:

preheat oven to 350 degrees.

peel potatoes, then slice very thin with a sharp knife (i used my mandolin).  put them in a medium pot with half-and-half, 2 tsp. salt, and freshly ground white pepper.  stir well and simmer the potatoes for 15 minutes, or until they are just beginning to soften.

rub bottom of medium casserole dish with garlic, then transfer one layer of potatoes to the dish.  sprinkle with half of grated cheese and nutmeg, then transfer remaining potatoes to dish, along with the half and half  mixture.  the liquid should come just to the tops of the potatoes.  top with remaining cheese, another sprinkle of nutmeg, and a thin layer of bread crumbs.  bake for 35-40 minutes or until potatoes are tender and cheese is golden brown.

Pw's Creamy Mashed Potatoes

I got a new cookbook from my mom for my birthday that I have been wanting ever since it came out.  I was so excited!  Thanks Mom!

The Pioneer Woman is awesome.  Her food is great, and her explanations make it so that everyone can do it.  Her book is full of amazing pictures, and it has been a delight to dig into.

Disclaimer: her recipes are NOT low fat.  :)  We're eating great and loving her recipes, but it's time to hit the treadmill.

5 lbs. russet or Yukon Gold potatoes
12 Tbs. butter (1 1/2 sticks) softened, additional 4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) optional
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1/2 to 3/4 cup half and half
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
salt to taste
black pepper to taste

1. Bring a large pot of water to a slow boil over medium-high heat.
2. Peel potatoes and rise in cold water.  Chop into halves and/or fourths.
3. Add potatoes to the pot.  Bring to a full boil and cook for 20-30 min.
4. They are ready when you can slide a fork in with no resistance, and the potatoes should almost but not completely fall apart.
5. Drain in a large colander.
6. Return the potatoes to the pot and turn the heat on low.  With a potato masher, mash the potatoes over low heat to allow much of the steam to escape.  Continue mashing until all lumps are gone, about 2 minutes.  Turn off the heat.
7.  Add butter.
8.  Add cream cheese.
9. Next add the half and half and stir together.
10.  Add seasoned salt, salt, and pepper.  Be sure not to underseason.
11.  Spread the mashed potatoes in a 2 quart baing dish.
12.  If you want you can dot the top with butter slices.  At this point you can cover the dish tightly with foil and refrigerate for up to 2 days before baking.
13.  When you're ready, preheat the oven to 350, cover with foil, and bake for 25-30 minutes until warmed through.
14.  Serve piping hot!

Loaded Potato Skins

Great as a late-night snack, appetizer, after school treat, or side dish.  The potato skins are full of crunchy goodness, and you can make soup, mashed potatoes, and casseroles with the "insides."

6 medium potatoes
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 teaspoon soy sauce (you can omit this and it still tastes great)
Coarse salt
Cheddar cheese, grated
Sour cream
Bacon bits
Chives (optional)

Bake potatoes at 400 for 45 minutes or until tender.  Cool, then cut in half lengthwise.  Scoop out the pulp, leaving 1/8 inch shells.  Increase oven temperature to 500.  Combine the butter and soy sauce; brush on both sides of potato skins.  Place on baking sheet, fill with grated cheddar cheese and bacon pieces.  Bake for 10 minutes or until crisp.  Top with salt, sour cream, and chives.  Yield: 12 pieces.

Sweet Potato Fries (or are they????)

Have you ever wondered what the difference was between sweet potatoes and yams?  Probably not--you are probably all much smarter than me.  But I can tell you I've wondered for a long time.  Well, actually I believed for a really long time that they were the same thing.  Then I heard that they weren't even biologically related plants.

So when I looked it up I found that the main distinguishing factor is that a sweet potato tends to have pointed ends, and yams tend to have rough scaly skin.

I wanted more of answer than that, so I decided to buy them both and check it out for myself.

The other thing that fueled this experiment is a new local restaurant called The Blue Lemon.  I am addicted to their "Sweet Potato Fries."  They are delicious and I order them every time I eat there.  I wanted to try to replicate them, since I like deconstructing my favorite dishes at home.

The first thing I did was peel both vegetables, and what did I discover?  They aren't even the same color!  Um, okay that's the first obvious difference between the two.  (Although I did read that yams vary in color from white to ivory to yellow to purple).

The other thing I discovered during this experiment is that those Sweet Potato Fries that I've been orderin' and lovin' are not made out of sweet potatoes!  They are yams.

I actually liked both the yam fries and the sweet potato fries.  I think I lean in favor of the yam fries (but I think I'll keep calling them sweet potato fries too.  Old habits die hard.)

Directions:

Peel and cut into fry fry sized slices.  Drizzle with olive oil or vegetable oil, then sprinkle with cumin, coriander, and salt.  When I made these I just did one of each kind of potato.  It was a late night snack for just Brian and I.  If making for a family I would probably cook 3-4 of them.

Bake in the oven at 400 degrees until soft, and they start to brown.  Just watch them, but it took mine about 30 minutes, and they came out perfect!

Dipping sauce:

3 T. bbq sauce
3 T. mayonnaise
1 tsp. lemon juice

Yummy!

Parmesan Potatoes

3-4  potatoes - thinly sliced (about 1/4 in.)

1/4 c. melted butter

1/4 c. oil

1/2-1 tsp each. salt/pepper to taste

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese.

Preheat oven to 400.

Arrange thinly sliced potatoes in 9 x 9 pan.  If you have a large family or are serving many people, this can easily be doubled and served in a 9 x 13 casserole dish.

In bowl, mix butter, oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder and parmesan cheese. Pour evenly over potatoes. Bake for 45 minutes, or until potatoes are tender, and parmesan is browned on potatoes.

Smothered Home Fries with Almond Poppy Seed Muffins

Almond Poppy Seed Muffins

2 cups flour
1/2 c sugar
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/3 c vegetable oil
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1 Tbs. poppy seeds

Cook in 365 degree oven 11 minutes for mini muffins, 14 minutes for regular muffins. The pans need to be heavily greased.

Smothered Home Fries

*Peel potatoes and cut into about 3/4 inch dice
*Put in a sauce pan, cover the potatoes with water and bring to a boil.
*Simmer potatoes for about ten minutes or until slightly soft.
*Drain potatoes and toss in a skillet with 1 Tbs. vegetable oil on medium high heat. Add a generous amount of barbecue seasoning, chicken seasoning, or any spice mix you like.
*Fry and toss potatoes in the skillet for 5 to 7 minutes until all sides are somewhat crisp and starting to turn golden.
*Drain on a paper towel if you need to then put in a large dish or plate.
*Top potatoes with cheese, scrambled eggs, sour cream, green onions, and bacon.

Serve with fresh fruit and Almond Poppy Seed Muffins. No one will leave the table hungry.

Recipes from Mindy Lines

Potato Soup

6-8 potatoes, peeled and chopped small
1-2 large carrots, chopped
1 small onion, or onion flakes
2-3 bouillon cubes
1 stalk celery, chopped

Add enough water to cover potatoes. Cover with lid and boil on med. 45 minutes-1 hour until potatoes soften.

Add:
1 can creamed corn
1 can corn (drained)
1 can evaporated milk (15 oz.)

Add salt, pepper, parsley; top with cheese and crumpled bacon. I like to serve it with corn bread or corn muffins.

Pommes Dauphinois (Potato gratin with garlic and cheese)

Ingredients:

150 ml milk

100 ml heavy whipping cream

Some butter (about 2 T.)

2 garlic cloves, crushed (mix with salt to make a paste)

salt, ground white pepper and nutmeg to taste (couple of dashes)

1 lb. potatoes (2-3 sliced thinly for an 8 x 8 pan)

1.5 oz. gruyere cheese (or shredded mozzarella with parmesan)

Preparation:

1. Melt the butter in a hot pan and add the garlic. Pour the milk and the heavy cream. Season them with salt and nutmeg. Cook it gently.
2. Peel the potatoes and cut into thin slices.
3. Place some of the potatoes in a layer in a buttered baking pan. Season with salt and ground with pepper. Sprinkle with a little of the cheese. Repeat until all the potatoes and about 3/4 of the cheese are used up.
4. Pour the milk mixture over the potatoes until it nearly reaches the top (you don't use it all). Top with remaining cheese.
5. Bake uncovered at 350 until done, about 35-45 minutes. Check at 30 minutes, and see if knife slides through cleanly.
6. To plate, use a round cookie cutter and serve it with steak.

Sweet and White Potato Spears

1-1/2 lb. sweet potatoes (about 3), cut into spears
1-1/2 lb. russet potatoes (about 3), cut into spears
1/2 cup KRAFT Italian Dressing
1/4 cup KRAFT 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Toss potatoes with dressing.
PLACE on lightly greased baking sheet or 15x10x1-inch baking pan.
COOK 30 min. Turn potatoes. Cook an additional 30 min., sprinkling with cheese during the last 5 min. Sprinkle with parsley.

Roasted Potatoes

I got this recipe years ago from Rachelle Stubbs, and it's been a go-to side dish for me on many occasions. We all love it.

red potatoes
olive oil
Mrs. Dash

Cut 10 small red potatoes in quarters (could also use new or yellow potatoes). In large bowl combine 2 Tbs. olive oil and 1 Tbs. Mrs. Dash. Coat potatoes with oil mixture. Place in Pam coated pan and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake for 45 min. to 1 hour on 400 stirring at the 1/2 hour mark.