Another Great Slow Cooker Potato Recipe

I love potatoes in every form and prepared by every cooking method. They just never get old for me. Here's a great slow cooker mashed potato recipe for you to try.

Crockpot Three Cheese Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

5 pounds russet potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed (you can leave the peels on, if you like)

4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

3 cups whole milk

1 cup low sodium chicken broth or water

1 teaspoon salt and pepper, plus more to taste

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded gruyere cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

6 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon sage

Directions:

Add the potatoes, garlic, 1 cup milk, the chicken broth, salt, and pepper to your slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours, or on low for 6-8 hours. When the potatoes are fork tender, mash them using a potato masher or a hand held mixer until completely creamy, adding the remaining 2 cups milk, if needed, to thin. Stir in the cheese, cover and cook another 15 minutes or until melted and creamy.

Meanwhile, in a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat until just browned, whisking the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Stir in the sage and let cook for 30 seconds. Pour the browned butter into the warm mashed potatoes. taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Source: Half Baked Harvest. You can find it here.

Notes: You can serve with the butter poured over the top, or you can stir the butter in to mix it throughout. One picture shows pools of butter while the other shows the butter mixed in.

Soup with a Little Spice

 

I made a smaller batch of this soup without the jalapenos and cumin for my boys. Without the jalapenos, this is a great and classic potato soup. With the jalapenos, it becomes something fun and different.

Jalapeno-Potato Soup

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons margarine or butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
4 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeno peppers, with pickling liquid (see notes)
1 pinch baking soda
2 cups evaporated milk
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Favorite toppings (additional jalapeno slices, crumbled bacon, shredded cheese)

Directions:

Melt margarine or butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Saute onion in melted margarine/butter until tender, about 5 minutes.

Stir potatoes with the onion; season with cumin. Pour chicken broth over the potato mixture; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, place cover on the pot, and cook until the potatoes are tender, 20 to 30 minutes.

Remove pot from heat. Stir jalapeno peppers and baking soda into the broth. Stream evaporated milk into the broth while stirring.

Mash potatoes in the pot with a potato masher until coarsely smashed; stir. Season the soup with salt and pepper. Return pot to medium-high heat and bring soup to a simmer; reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently, until the soup is warmed through, about 15 minutes.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by Tina Waldher. You can find it here.

Notes: We really liked this. The leftovers were great too. We used tamed bottled sliced jalapenos, but if you want it spicier, use untamed jalapeno slices. As mentioned above, if you want just a classic potato soup, skip the cumin and jalapenos. We served ours in bread bowls topped with additional jalapeno slices, crumbled bacon, and shredded Cheddar cheese.

Slow Cooker "Roasted" Potatoes

So, these potatoes aren't really roasted since they are made in a slow cooker, but what could be easier?

Slow-Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients:

16 small new red potatoes, washed, unpeeled, and halved
3 tablespoons butter, cubed
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Combine the potatoes, butter, paprika, salt, garlic powder, and pepper in a slow cooker. Stir to blend. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours or on high for 4 hours.

Source: The Daily Meal. You can find it here. Though be aware that the picture they use on their site is a stock photo and your potatoes won't end up looking like that.

Notes: These were tasty. Be generous with the seasoning though. Feel free to use more salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder than noted in the recipe. Also, we used minced garlic rather than garlic powder.

Greek Night 2016!

 

We love doing our theme nights, and one of our absolute favorite theme nights is our mini Greek Festival. Salt Lake City, Utah has an absolutely fantastic Greek Festival at the beginning of every September with the most amazing Greek food imaginable. However, I haven't been in years because we can't go as a family because my oldest son is allergic to tree nuts (and Greek food, mostly desserts, have a ton of tree nuts in them...I'm looking at you, Baklava). Also, my husband and I just never seem to be able to get away that first weekend in September for a date night to the Greek Festival. However, We have our fantastic family Greek Night and it really satisfies that craving for Greek food.

I'm including the recipes we made on this particular night as well as some of our tried and true favorites from other nights (just so we have them all in one place). You can also check out these other Greek food posts that we have made in the past: original post for Greek Meatballs, Greek Lemon Potatoes, and Avgolemono Soup here, Slow Cooker Greek chicken here, Pastitsio here, Greek Quinoa Salad here, first version of Chicken Souvlaki here, second version of Chicken Souvlaki here, Chicken Gyros (kind of the third version of Chicken Souvlaki) and Lemon Rice here, Slow Cooker Chicken Gyros here, Meat Loaf Gyros here, Greek Orzo Salad here, Greek Tacos here, and Galatoboureko (Greek Milk Pie) here...that's all...for now, at least! Yeah, we're not Greek, but we love our Greek food!

Baked Feta

Ingredients:

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup Kalamata olives (pitted and chopped)
1 clove garlic, minced
2-3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley, divided
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound block Greek feta
4 scallions, sliced
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined, for serving
Bell peppers, sliced, for serving
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a bowl, mix the tomatoes, olives, garlic, 2 tablespoons parsley, oregano, olive oil, and a few grinds of pepper.

Place the block of feta in the middle of an 8x8-inch baking dish. Pile the tomato mixture on top of the feta. Bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese has softened and melted.

Remove from the oven and garnish with the remaining parsley and scallions and serve immediately while still warm. This can be placed back in the oven to melt if the cheese starts to firm up again. Serve with peppers and grilled shrimp.

To grill the shrimp: Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Season shrimp with salt and pepper and grill for 2 minutes per side, or until shrimp is opaque. Serve.

Recipe Notes: This dish is best served hot, warm, or room temperature.

Source: The Chew, recipe by Michael Symon. You can find it here.

Notes: We did not serve this with the bell peppers and shrimp. We served this with homemade pita chips. Baked feta is a fantastic, wonderful thing. I highly suggest you try it!

 

Spicy Baked Feta (Feta Psiti)

Ingredients:

1 (8 ounce) block feta cheese
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes, or as needed
1 pinch dried oregano, or as needed

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Place the feta in an ovenproof baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil. Cover liberally with pepper flakes, and sprinkle with oregano.

Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven until feta is soft, about 10 minutes.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by Diana Moutsopoulos. You can find it here.

Notes: This was so, so good. It's hard to say which baked feta I liked better...you might just have to make both of them like we did! Again, we served this with homemade pita chips.

 

Pita Chips

Ingredients:

12 pita bread pockets
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried chervil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut each pita bread into 8 triangles. Place triangles on lined cookie sheet.

In a small bowl, combine the oil, pepper, salt, basil, and chervil. Brush each triangle with oil mixture.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 7 minutes, or until lightly browned and crispy. Watch carefully, as they tend to burn easily.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by Dawn. You can find it here.

Notes: These were fantastic. They were delicious topped with the baked feta and they were awesome all by themselves. The kids particularly loved these. They kept asking for more "slices of little pizza."

Grecian Meatballs

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean, finely ground beef or lamb
1 medium onion
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper
1 egg, beaten
olive oil, for brushing

Directions:

Put the ground beef or lamb in a bowl. Grate in the onion, then add the garlic, bread crumbs, mint, and parsley. Season well with salt and pepper. Mix the ingredients well, then add the beaten egg and mix to bind the mixture together.

With damp hands, form the mixture into 16 small balls and thread onto 4 flat metal skewers. Lightly oil a broiler pan and brush the meatballs with oil.

Preheat the broiler and cook the meatballs under medium heat for 10 minutes, turning frequently, and brushing with more oil if necessary, until browned.

Source: From the cookbook "Perfect Greek," published by Parragon in 2008. ISBN: 978-1-4054-8858-7. You can find it here.

Notes: These are awesome. They are very similar to what you can get at the SLC Greek Festival.

Red Sauce for Meatballs

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon oregano
1 (8 oz) can tomato puree
1 (4 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (28 oz) can whole, peeled tomatoes

Directions:

In a pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic. Cook, stirring well, until fragrant (about 1 minute). Add oregano and cook for about 30 seconds to a minute. Add tomato puree, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and whole, peeled tomatoes. Break up whole, peeled tomatoes with the back of a spoon or cut up with kitchen sheers.

Simmer on low while meatballs cook (at least 30 minutes).

Source: I came up with this recipe on my own.

Greek Lemon Potatoes

Ingredients:

2 lbs potatoes, unpeeled, washed, and cut into bite sized pieces
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lemon, juiced and zest grated (see notes)
4 Tbsp. water
6 cloves garlic, peeled
4 bay leaved
2 rosemary sprigs (see notes)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped (see notes)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 pinch sugar
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp parsley, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a 9x13 baking dish with tin foil. Place the cut potatoes into the baking dish.

Drizzle the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, and water over the potatoes. Place the garlic, bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, oregano, sugar, salt, and pepper on top of the potatoes.

Stir well to coat.

Bake the potatoes for 1-1 1/2 hours or until they are cooked through, tender, and slightly crispy.

Stir every now and then during cooking to coat with the herby oil.

Sprinkle with chopped parsley prior to serving.

Source: Darn it, I found this online at least four years ago and now I can't remember what recipe site I found it on. Sorry!

Notes: I didn't have fresh lemons on hand, so I used a liberal amount of bottled lemon juice (to make up for not having lemon zest). The dish was still yummy, but honestly, lemon is the star flavor of this dish. Don't substitute the fresh lemon for bottled juice! If you really love the flavor of lemon, I would recommend using the juice of two lemons and the zest of one. Also, in addition to peeling the garlic, I halved it as well.

As for the herbs, substituting dried herbs works just fine in this dish. I didn't have fresh rosemary, so I used 1 teaspoon dried and crushed it between my fingers as I sprinkled it over the potatoes. I also didn't have fresh thyme, so I used 1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme.

 

Basic Greek Salad

Ingredients:

1 large bunch Romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
1 cucumber (you can either peel, thickly slice, and quarter this, or simply slice it into rounds with the peel on)
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion, optional
1/2-1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup pitted, sliced kalamata olives
Whole or sliced banana peppers, optional
Favorite bottled or homemade Greek salad dressing (see notes)

Directions:

Combine and toss all ingredients together in a large bowl.

Note: If you would like to make your own Greek salad dressing, here's a simple recipe found in the South Beach Diet cookbook:

Absolutely Fabulous Greek/House Dressing (Large Batch)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 quarts olive oil
1/3 cup garlic powder
1/3 cup dried oregano
1/3 cup dried basil
1/4 cup pepper
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup onion powder
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 quarts red wine vinegar

Directions:

In a very large container, mix together the olive oil, garlic powder, oregano, basil, pepper, salt, onion powder, and Dijon mustard. Pour in the vinegar and mix vigorously until well-blended. Store tightly covered at room temperature.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by Danielle M. You can find it here.

Notes: The recipe on Allrecipes says, "This is the 'secret' Greek dressing recipe from the pizzeria that I work at. The recipe makes almost a gallon, but can be scaled down easily. It can be used for picnics and travels very well, since it doesn't need to be refrigerated. This is the best dressing I have ever tasted, people offer to buy it constantly, but if we sold it, we wouldn't be able to make enough to use in the restaurant!" This was, indeed, good stuff.

Absolutely Fabulous Greek/House Dressing (Smaller Batch)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup, plus 2 tbsp, plus 1 tsp olive oil
2 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
2 1/2 tsp. dried basil
1 3/4 tsp. pepper
1 3/4 tsp. salt
1 3/4 tsp. onion powder
1 3/4 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 cup, plus 3 tbsp. red wine vinegar

Directions:

Mix all ingredients, except vinegar, together. Add red wine vinegar and mix vigorously until well-blended. Store tightly covered at room temperature.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by Danielle M. You can find the original (big batch) recipe here (and above). 


Avgolemono Soup (Greek Lemon Soup)

Here is the recipe. I got it from a book Clint gave me, but I have modified it...

Ingredients:

3 pints chicken broth ( 3 16 oz cans)
2 eggs
2 Tbs lemon juice (or more depending on taste, I like things extra lemony)
about a cup of cooked rice or orzo pasta
one cooked chicken breast, shredded
parsley, chopped about 1/4 cup
salt, pepper to taste

Directions:

Bring broth to a boil, reduce to a simmer. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Add a small ladle of the soup to the egg mixture and whisk until well combined, then slowly add this mixture to the pot of the cooking broth. Whisk constantly until texture is smooth and egg is well integrated. Add chicken and rice cook on low for a few minutes, then add some fresh parsley. Yummmmmy!

Happy cooking!

Note: It is important to add a small ladle of soup to the egg mixture before adding the egg mixture directly to the soup. It tempers the egg mixture so that it doesn't cook immediately once it is added to the soup. If you add the egg mixture directly to the soup, it will end up more like Chinese egg noodle soup with string of egg throughout the soup rather than a silky, creamy texture as intended in this recipe. 

Greek Festival Lemon Rice Pilaf

Ingredients:

1/4 lb. butter
2 cups uncooked rice
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
5 cups hot chicken broth
salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Heat butter in a heavy skillet. When it is hot, add the rice and, stirring constantly, sauce over medium heat until transparent, but not brown.

Add the lemon juice, chicken broth, and salt.

Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and let pilaf stand uncovered for 5 minutes before serving.

Source: I found this on food.com. You can find it here.

Notes: This isn't a fluffy rice pilaf, it is more of a sticky rice. It is so good. It is spot on with the Greek rice that you can get in a Greek restaurant. The recipe provides this note: "Every September, Salt Lake has an amazing Greek Festival. Back in 2001 I got a pamphlet of Greek recipes from the festival. This rice pilaf is very similar to the rice pilaf served at my favorite Greek restaurant. Opa!" This really does taste like the rice from the Greek festival. Good stuff!

The only change I made was to use half of the butter that the recipe called for. It was still fantastic.

Herbed Greek Roasted Potatoes with Feta Cheese

Ingredients:

5 pounds potatoes, cut into wedges
6 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup olive oil
1 cup water
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Sea salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint
1 (8 ounce) package crumbed feta cheese

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly oil a large baking dish.

Stir the potatoes, garlic, olive oil, water, lemon juice, salt, and pepper together in a bowl until the potatoes are evenly coated; pour into the prepared baking dish.

Roast in the preheated oven until the potatoes begin to brown, about 40 minutes. Season the potatoes with the oregano and mint. If the dish appears dry, pour another 1/2 cup water into the dish. Return to the oven and bake about 40 minutes more. Top with the crumbled feta cheese to serve.

 

Greek Lentil Salad

Ingredients:

1/2 cup French (du Puy) lentils
1/2 cup quinoa
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
2 small/medium zucchini or 1 large, cubed
1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup kalamata olives, halved and pitted
4 tbsp. chopped fresh oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
6 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Rinse and drain the lentils. Place in a saucepan and cover by 2 inches with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer 20-25 minutes, until tender. Strain and set aside.

While the lentils are cooking, make the quinoa. Place quinoa in a small sauce pot with 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer until all water is absorbed, about 12 minutes.

Remove from heat, keep the lid on and let sit another 2-3 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside.

Once the lentils and quinoa have cooled, place in a bowl with the tomatoes, zucchini, red onion, and olives.

Whisk together the oregano, salt, ground pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil. Toss with salad and serve.

Source: Delish Knowledge, recipe by Alex Caspero. You can find it here.

 

Greek Tzatziki

Ingredients:

1 (32 ounce) container plain low-fat yogurt (Greek yogurt can also be used for a thicker tzatziki)
1/2 English cucumber with peel, grated
1 clove garlic, pressed
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

Stir together yogurt, grated cucumber, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil in a bowl. Add lemon zest, dill, salt, and pepper; whisk until smooth. pour into a serving dish, cover tightly, and refrigerate 8 hours before serving.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by Leelee Cooks. You can find it here.

Notes: This is one of many tzatziki recipes on our blog, but it is a great one. It's always fun to try new combinations. We served this with our smoked lamb and it was fantastic. I need to hunt down the smoked lamb recipe from my brother and add it to this post.

Milk Pie aka Galatoboureko

Ingredients:

4 cups whole milk
1/2 cup fine semolina
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup unsalted butter
4 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough, thawed
2/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
3 cups water
2 cups sugar
1/2 large lemon

Directions:

In a 4 to 6 quart heavy pot, bring the milk to a boil, and reduce heat to low. Sprinkle in the semolina, whisking constantly. Add the sugar, and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat, whisk in 2/3 cup of the butter, and add eggs, one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Blend in the vanilla. The mixture will be thick, but pourable, like a soft polenta.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Line bottom with 8 sheets of phyllo, layering them one at a time, and brushing each sheet with butter. The sheets will be larger than the baking pan. Be certain that the bottom is covered by pressing the dough into the corners, and allow the excess to run up the sides of the pan. Phyllo sheets not in use should always be covered with a damp towl.

Pour the milk filling over the sheets. Cover with remaining 12 sheets of phyllo, repeating the layering process, and brushing each sheet with butter.

With a very sharp knife, trim the dough around the edges of the pan, and score the top diagonally in two directions to make diamond-shaped slits on the surface. Sprinkle the top with a little water, and bake 45 minutes to 1 hour. Check after 45 minutes. Pie is done when top is light brown and the filling is set.

As soon as the pie is in the ove, begin to make the syrup. Combine water and sugar in a 4 quart saucepan. Squeeze the halved lemon in the sugared water, and drop the juiced half in the liquid. Simmer on low heat for about 45 minutes. Discard the lemon. Very carefully, because syrup can boile vigorously, pour the hot syrup over the pie as soon as it is removed from the oven.

Let the pie cool completely, and then serve by cutting along the diagonal scores made prior to baking.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by Kenmore featured chef, Cat Cora. You can find it here.

Notes: This is one of my favorite Greek desserts. It is so delicious. It is also wonderful with almond flavoring added in (in place of the vanilla).

Greek Honey Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon orange zest
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 cup chopped walnuts (we used almonds because my son isn't allergic to those)
1 cup white sugar
1 cup honey
3/4 cup water
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9-inch square pan. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and orange rind. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the milk, mixing just until incorporated. Stir in the walnuts (or almonds).

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool for 15 minutes, then cut into diamond shapes. Pour honey syrup over the cake.

For the Honey Syrup: In a saucepan, combine honey, 1 cup sugar, and water. Bring to a simmer and cook 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice, bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes.

Source: Food.com by CaliforniaJan. You can find it here.

Notes: This was really good. Plus, it was beautiful with the diamond shapes on top.

Here's Something To Put in Your Bread Bowl

 

We had a family gathering last year where we had some fantastic potato bacon soup in a bread bowl and ever since then, I have been hunting for good potato soup recipes. I altered this recipe slightly (by adding more potatoes), but this is a great recipe and I think you will like it. My family did.

Potato Bacon Chowder Recipe

Ingredients:

1 pound potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 2 medium) (I used 6 small)
1 cup water (I increased the water to 3 cups since I increased the potatoes)
8 bacon strips
1 medium onion, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 3/4 cups whole milk
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Directions:

Place potatoes in a small saucepan and cover with the water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook bacon until crisp; remove to paper towels to drain and set aside.

In the same skillet, saute onion and celery in drippings until tender; drain. Add to undrained potatoes. Stir in the soup, milk, sour cream, salt, and pepper. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes or until heated through (do not boil).

Crumble bacon; set aside 1/4 cup. Add remaining bacon to soup along with parsley. Sprinkle with reserved bacon.

Yield: 6 servings.

Source: Taste of Home. You can find it here.

Notes: I also used a whole package of bacon because I knew that my kids would eat the bacon more than anything else. I put half of the bacon in the soup and saved the other half for sprinkling on top. We also sprinkled some Cheddar cheese on top. This was really good.

When I made this, I was a little worried about my kids' reaction to this. They don't always take too kindly to soup for dinner. However, when I made this, my oldest son exclaimed, "What!? This is for dinner? I LOVE this dinner! You haven't made this in, like, three years!" (Not true, by the way, I make this at least once a year). So, it was a hit with my oldest son. My younger son ate the bacon and cheese, but left the soup and the bread bowl. You can't please 'em all!

Better Than Mr. Potato Head

 

This is one of the most basic of all side dishes, but it's one that you just have to know how to do right.

The Baked Potato

Ingredients:

1 large russet potato (If it looks like Mr. Potato Head, you've got the right one.)
Canola oil, to coat
Kosher salt
Favorite toppings (butter, sour cream, salt and pepper, shredded cheese, bacon, chili, etc.)

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F and position racks in top and bottom thirds. Wash potato (or potatoes) thoroughly with a stiff brush and cold running water. Dry, then using a standard fork, poke 8 to 12 deep holes all over the spud so that moisture can escape during cooking. Place in a bowl and coat lightly with oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt and place potato directly on rack in middle of oven. Place a baking sheet on the lower rack to catch any drippings.

Bake 1 hour, or until skin feels crisp, but flesh beneath feels soft. Serve by creating a dotted line from end to end with your fork, then crack the spud open by squeezing the ends towards one another. It will pop right open. But watch out, there will be some steam.

Note: If you're cooking more than 4 potatoes, you'll need to extend the cooking time by up to 15 minutes.

Source: Food Network, recipe by Alton Brown. You can find it here.

Notes: Of course, top the potato with your favorite toppings.

Potatoes...They Never Get Old

I will never get sick of potatoes. I love every form that they come in. These are no exception. They will melt in your mouth...literally.

 

 

Melting Potatoes

Ingredients:

3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed and peeled

Directions:

Place oven rack in upper-middle position of oven and heat oven to 500 degrees.

Combine melted butter, thyme, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.

Square off ends of potatoes and cut into 3/4 to 1-inch thick disks.

Toss potato slices in butter mixture and arrange in a single layer in a 9x13-inch metal baking pan.

Roast for 15 minutes.

Remove pan from oven and use a spatula to flip potatoes over. Place back in oven for 15 minutes.

Remove pans from oven and flip potatoes one more time. Add chicken broth and garlic. Place back in oven until potatoes are tender, about another 15 minutes.

Baste potatoes with sauce and serve.

Recipe notes: Be sure to use a metal baking pan. A glass baking dish can shatter in a very hot oven.

Source: Spicy Southern Kitchen. You can find it here.

Notes: These potatoes are to die for. So, so good. You have to try them.

Cheese and Potatoes...Yum!

 

There's nothing wrong with the combination of cheese and potatoes...unless you are trying to lose weight and you can't keep your portion sizes in check! Ha ha! Easy, right?

 

Gruyere-Crisped Potatoes Au Gratin

Ingredients:

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
3 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Generous pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
3/4 cup finely shredded Gruyere cheese
Fresh basil, to garnish

Directions:

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Wash and scrub your potatoes. Fix the slicer blade onto your food processor. Feed the potatoes in 1 or 2 at a time until they are all sliced. If you don't have a food processor, just use a very sharp knife to slice them into 1/8 inch slices. (A mandoline works great too.)

In a large pot, add the sliced potatoes, cream, salt, pepper, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, and minced garlic. Set the heat to medium high and cook, stirring occasionally until the cream boils. (Stir gently so that you don't break up the potatoes.)

Pour the mixture into a 2.5 or 3 quart baking dish. Shake it around to settle the potatoes, then sprinkle with the shredded cheese.

Bake in the oven at 400 degrees F. for about 40 minutes, or until they are extremely fork-tender. You will know it is done when the cream is thickened and the top is dark brown. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools, so don't worry if you think it looks overly-liquidy.

Let the potatoes stand for about 15 minutes before serving with fresh chopped basil.

Recipe Notes: You can replace one cup of the heavy cream with whole milk. If you don't have Gruyere, fresh Parmesan works great too. This is a great make-ahead recipe, so it's perfect for holidays when you are super busy. Just do everything the same except don't add the cheese. When you are ready to bake, sprinkle on the cheese and bake about 15-20 minutes longer than normal, or until the top is dark brown.

Source: The Food Charlatan. You can find it here.

Notes: Comfort food at its finest, folks.

Creamy Potatoes

 

Creamy sauce, potatoes, and peas...throw 'em all together and you've got one super tasty side dish!

Creamed Garden Potatoes and Peas

Ingredients:

2 pounds small red potatoes, quartered
3 cups fresh or frozen peas
1 cup water
2 tablespoons chopped onion
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons, plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups 2% milk
1 cup half-and-half cream

Directions:

Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 8-12 minutes or until tender. Drain.

Meanwhile, place peas and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 3-5 minutes or until tender. Drain.

In a large saucepan, saute onion in butter until tender. Stir in the flour, salt, and pepper until blended; gradually add milk and cream. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in potatoes and peas; heat through.

Yield: 12 servings.

Nutrition information: 2/3 cup equals 156 calories, 5 g fat, 18 mg cholesterol, 345 mg sodium, 22 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 6 g protein.

Source: Taste of Home. You can fine it here.

Notes: I really like the combination ofo potatoes and peas. If you like it too, you can also check out this potato salad recipe.

A Fun Change of Pace

 

This was delicious, but at first glance, it didn't appear to be what it actually was, so it came as a pleasant surprise for all of us.

 

Cheesy Baked Potato Gnocchi

Ingredients:

2 pounds gnocchi
1/4 cup butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
3-4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups half and half
3 cups shredded cheese, divided (Cheddar or Mexican-blend)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Prepare gnocchi according to package directions.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium skillet. Add garlic cloves and saute over medium heat for 1-2 minutes (do not brown garlic, turn heat down, if necessary). Whisk in flour until thick, cook for another 1-2 minutes, whisking constantly. Slowly add evaporated milk, then half and half, whisking constantly, until no lumps remain and mixture is thickened and bubbling. Stir in 2 cups shredded cheese until incorporated.

Place cooked gnocchi in a baking dish. Add cheese mixture and combine thoroughly. Sprinkle remaining cup of shredded cheese over the top. Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.

Source: The Wicked Noodle. You can find it here.

Notes: I don't know quite what we were expecting or even what we initially thought it was, but we were all surprised to learn this was gnocchi. It was really good though!

Who Doesn't Love Meat and Potatoes?

 

When you think of Sunday dinner--especially in the winter--it's pretty easy for roast and mashed potatoes and gravy to come to mind. Here's one of our favorite and easiest versions. Oh, and if you don't have time to make mashed potatoes, maybe you should make them in a slow cooker. Check out that recipe below too.

Spade L Roast Beef

Ingredients:

1 beef roast (2-4 lbs)
Spade L Ranch Beef Seasoning
1/2 cup of water

Side dish suggestion: Serve with mashed potatoes. Use the roast drippings to make a gravy to pour over the roast and mashed potatoes.

Directions:

Place meat in slow cooker. Rub Spade L Ranch Beef Seasoning onto the roast, according to your taste. The more you use, the spicier your roast and gravy will be. Cover, and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Source: I don't know. This is a recipe that my Mom has been making for years.

Notes: If you would like to use the roast drippings to make gravy, simply use 1-3 packaged beef gravy mixes and substitute the water called for on the package with the beef drippings. If you don't have enough drippings, supplement with water to get the amount of liquid called for on the gravy packet. This makes some spicy and tasty gravy!

I usually find Spade L Ranch Seasonings easily in the grocery store (I usually shop at Smith's). But if you can't find it, check out their website here.

Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

2 pounds red potatoes, cut into 2-inch pieces (peeled or unpeeled, your preference)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

Put potatoes into your slow cooker. Cover and cook for 2-3 hours on high or 5-6 hours on low.

Add sour cream, milk, garlic, salt, and pepper. Use a hand mixer to blend together all ingredients (but be careful not to over mix). Or you can smash the potatoes for a chunkier texture. Season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary.

Serve plain, or with any favorite toppings such as gravy, or cheese and bacon.

Source: Creme De La Crumb. You can find it here.

Notes: These are really easy and such a time saver. My personal suggestion is that most slow cookers will take longer than 2-3 hours on high to fully cook your potatoes to the point where they are soft enough to mash. I would suggest cooking these potatoes on low for 6-8 hours and adding in a little liquid (for instance, one can of chicken broth) to keep them from drying out or becoming rubbery.

We served ours as smashed potatoes rather than mashing them until they were smooth.

 

Above: Of course, you can top these however you like! Top them with gravy, or with shredded cheese and huge pieces of bacon!

A Taste of the South

 

My youngest brother served his mission in Mississippi, so we decided to have a southern food theme night to help him bring back some good food memories.

 

Glazed Cajun Meatloaf

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup finely diced onion
1/2 cup finely diced celery (2-3 stalks)
1/2 cup finely diced red or green bell pepper
3 green onions (scallions), white and green parts thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely diced
1/2 cup beef broth or milk
1/2 cup ketchup
1 1/2 tablespoons Traeger Cajun Rub, or your favorite Louisiana-style rub
1 to 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 to 2 tablespoons Louisiana-style hot sauce such as Crystal or Frank's RedHot
1 tablespoon Creole-style mustard, brown mustard, or yellow mustard
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound andouille or other spicy sausage, removed from casing
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1 cup ketchup (for the glaze)
3 tablespoons brown sugar (for the glaze)
1 tablespoons Louisiana-style hot sauce, or more to taste (for the glaze)
1 tablespoon white vinegar, or more to taste (for the glaze)
2 teaspoons Creole-style mustard, brown mustard, or yellow mustard (for the glaze)

Directions:

Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Spray a wire cooling rack with cooking spray and set on top of the baking sheet. In a large frying pan, saute the onion, celery, bell pepper, green onion, garlic, and jalepeno(s) in the oil until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add the beef broth, ketchup, Traeger Cajun Rub, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, mustard, and pepper, and stir to combine. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, pork, and andouille sausage. Add the egg, bread crumbs, and the cooled vegetable mixture. Mix lightly but thoroughly with your hands until well combined. Form a rectangular loaf about 8 inches long and 1 1/2 to 2 inches high. Lay it on top of the cooling rack. When ready to cook, start the Traeger grill on Smoke with the lid open until the fire is established (4 to 5 minutes). Put the pan with the meatloaf on the grill grate and smoke for 1 hour. Increase the temperature to 325 and bake the meatloaf for 1 hour.

In the meantime, make the glaze: Combine the ketchup, brown sugar, hot sauce, white vinegar, and mustard in a small saucepan. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Pour the glaze evenly over the meatloaf, or brush it on with a pastry brush. Continue to cook the meatloaf for 30 minutes more, or until the internal temperature in the thickest part is 160 degrees F. Let the meatloaf rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Source: Traeger Grill website. You can find it here.

Notes: My brother has a Traeger Grill and as a result, he has gotten into a cooking craze of his own and contributes to our family Sunday dinners greatly with his amazing smoked meats! This was awesome. You can always bake this in your oven...but it won't have the same smoky flavor.

 

 

Authentic Louisiana Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients:

1 pound dry kidney beans
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 stalks celery, chopped
6 cups water
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1 pound andouille sausage, sliced
4 cups water
2 cups long grain white rice

Directions:

Rinse beans, and then soak in a large pot of water overnight.

In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Cook onion, bell pepper, garlic, and celery in olive oil for 3-4 minutes.

Rinse beans, and transfer to a large pot with 6 cups water. Stir coked vegetables into beans. Season with bay leaves, cayenne pepper, thyme, sage, parsley, and Cajun seasoning. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 2 1/2 hours.

Stir sausage into beans, and continue to simmer for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the rice. In a saucepan, bring water and rice to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve beans over steamed white rice.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by MIAMI BEACH. You can find it here.

 

Kickin' Collard Greens

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 slices bacon
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3 cups chicken broth
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 pound fresh collard greens, cut into 2-inch pieces

Directions:

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add bacon, and cook until crisp. Remove bacon frm pan, crumble, and return to the pan. Add onion, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, and cook until just fragrant. Add collard greens, and fry until they start to wilt.

Pour in chicken broth, and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes, or until greens are tender.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by Ken Adams. You can find it here.

 

Cajun Potato Salad

Ingredients:

3 lbs. red potatoes
1/3 cup creole mustard
1/2 teaspoon creole seasoning (or cajun spice)
1/2 cup green pepper, diced1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup bacon, cooked and chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Add potatoes to lightly salted water; cover, bring to a boil on high heat, then reduce to a simmer about 20 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Drain and cut into 1" chunks (you can peel them or leave them unpeeled, according to your preference).

Combine mustard and creole seasoning in a medium sized bowl. Add warm potatoes. Toss to combine.

Add green pepper, green onion, and bacon.

Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, and sugar. Add to potatoe mixture and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle with parsley, if desired.

Refrigerate for at least 3 hours prior to serving.

Source: Food.com. Recipe submitted by BakinBaby. You can find it here.

Notes: I always love potato salad...no matter the flavor combination! This was really good.

 

 

Sour Cream 7-Up Biscuits

Ingredients:

4-5 cups buttermilk baking mix (like Bisquick)

2 tablespoons granulated sugar, or to taste

1/8 tsp. baking powder

1 cup sour cream

Up to 1 cup regular or diet lemon-lime soda

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted, optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Whisk together the dry ingredients; add in the sour cream. Stir, adding in the lemon lime soda, a little at a time, until dough comes together and is shaggy. Add more baking mix if needed. Sprinkle a bit of the baking mix on the counter. Turn out dough onto counter and gently pat into a round about 1 inch thick. Using a 3-inch biscuit cutter or a glass dipped into flour, begin to cut out biscuits. Place them on a half sheet baking pan that has been lightly sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, sides slightly touching for soft biscuits, or about an inch apart if you like the edges more crisp. Drizzle with melted butter, if desired.

Bake at 375 degrees F. for 20-25 minutes, or until light golden brown.

Cook's note: Make sure you are using fresh baking powder, and also shake or stir it in the container before measuring out.

Source: Deep South Dish. You can find the recipe here.

 

Banana Pudding

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups 2% milk

3 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

8 ounces vanilla wafers (about 60 cookies), divided

4 large ripe bananas, cut into 1/4-inch slices

Directions:

In a large saucepan, mix sugar, flour, and salt. Whisk in milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat to low; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat.

In a small bowl, whisk eggs. Whisk a small amount of hot mixture into eggs; return all to pan, whisking constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Cool 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In an ungreased 8-inch square baking dish, layer 25 vanilla wafers, half of the banana slices, and half of the pudding. Repeat layers.

Press plastic wrap onto surface of pudding. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Just before serving, crush remaining wafers and sprinkle over top.

Yield: 9 servings.

Nutrition information: 1 serving equals 302 calories, 7 g fat, 80 mg cholesterol, 206 mg sodium, 55 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 7 g protein.

Source: Taste of Home. You can find it here.

Notes: Great comfort food! Enough said!

Summer Salads, Part 5

 

I have told you (and quite recently) that I can never get enough of potato salad. Old favorites, new favorites, bring 'em on! This might just be one of the best potato salad recipes EVER.

We changed a few things from the original recipe, so I am going to type the recipe as we prepared it and then you can check the original recipe in the link provided below.

Roasted Potato Salad with Balsamic-Bacon Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

5 lbs. baby red potatoes, cut in half or quartered
1/4-1/2 cup olive oil, plus an additional 1/4-1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup minced garlic
1 tablespoon seafood seasoning (we used Old Bay Seasoning)
8 ounces bacon
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
1 bunch Italian parsley, minced
6 hard boiled eggs, roughly chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Toss halved potatoes with 1/4-1/2 cup olive oil (as needed, to coat potatoes), 1/2 cup garlic, and seafood seasoning. Place in a single layer onto baking sheets and bake in preheated oven until tender and golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes. Once cooked, remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium heat until evenly browned and crispy. Pour off bacon grease. Allow the bacon slices to cool, then crumble and set aside.

Whisk together balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Pour in the oil in a slow, steady stream while whisking vigorously to make a vinaigrette (start with 1/4 cup). Toss the roasted potatoes together with the vinaigrette. Add in additional 1/4 cup olive oil, if needed. Fold in red onion, parsley, and eggs. Allow to stand at room temperature 20 minutes before serving.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by beautiful, but adapted by our family. You can find it here.

Notes: No lies, this potato salad is a lot of work, but holy cow, it is totally worth it. This is one of the best potato salad recipes I have ever had. If you are looking for a mayonnaise-free potato salad, this is it.

Here are the changes we made: We used 5 lbs. baby red potatoes instead of 3 lbs. We used 1 1/2 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning instead of only 1 tablespoon. I also increased the bacon slightly from the 8 ounces called for in the recipe. The original recipe calls for one whole cup of garlic! Instead, we used 1/2 cup of garlic while roasting the potatoes and omitted the other 1/2 cup of garlic that the original recipe added in when tossing the potato salad. The original recipe called for 1/2 cup of olive oil when roasting the potatoes and another 1/2 cup of olive oil when tossing the potato salad (1 cup total). As you can tell by the original ingredients, this potato salad is more of a main course! I tossed my potatoes in 1/4 cup olive oil before roasting and then made the vinaigrette with 1/4 cup olive oil. After tossing the potato salad, it needed a little more olive oil to coat it, but not a whole 1/2 cup (at least, in my opinion). The original recipe also called for reserving the bacon grease and tossing that in the vinaigrette at the end. I felt that the potato salad didn't need that extra fat, and the bacon grease wasn't needed to add any flavor, especially since I increased the bacon called for in the recipe. I probably used a little less than a full bunch of parsley too. Finally, I used 6 hard boiled eggs instead of 5 (as called for in the original recipe). The real trick for this recipe is that rather than buying simple sliced bacon, you buy bacon ends and pieces, chop it up, cook it, and then toss that in the salad.

We have had this salad with halved potatoes and quartered potatoes. I personally prefer quartering the potatoes (even though it looks prettier halved) because it goes farther and I feel like I don't overeat the salad quite as much this way. Though, let's be honest, it's hard not to overeat this salad.

There you have it. This stuff is awesome. You seriously have to try it.

Summer Salads, Part 2

 

I can never get enough potato salad. I just love it...in all its forms. We've already posted many, but here is another good one!

Warm Dijon Potato Salad

Ingredients:

5 red potatoes
1/2 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 teaspoons cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
2 green onions, chopped

Directions:

Place potatoes into a large pot and cover with salted water, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and cut into cubes.

Combine mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, Dijon mustard, vinegar, cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper, and paprika in a large bowl. Add potatoes, red onion, and green onions; gently toss to combine.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by MommyKirsten. You can find it here.