Scalloped Potatoes

Scalloped Potatoes

3 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes, washed and thinly sliced using mandolin
1 stick butter
1 whole yellow onion, diced
3 cups diced ham
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup flour
salt and pepper to taste
grated cheddar cheese
grated Monterey jack cheese

Spray a large casserole dish with pam cooking spray.  Add 1/3 of the taters.  Add pats of butter on top.  Salt and Pepper the taters.  Add a thin layer of onions and ham and cheese. 

Mix the half-and-half, heavy cream and flour.  Then pour 1/3 over the taters.  Repeat those layers 2 more times.  Bake 350 for about an hour, cover with foil if the top starts to get too brown.

Bacon Cheese Potatoes

Bacon Cheese Potatoes

8-10 medium potatoes
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 lb Velvetta, cubed
1 cup mayo
1/2 pound sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled
paprika
parsley

Peel the potatoes and place in saucepan.  Cover with water and cook until tender but firm.  Drain and cube.  In a bowl, mix potatoes with the onion, cheese, and mayo.  Transfer to an ungreased 13x9x2 baking dish.  Sprinkle with bacon.  Cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Sprinkle with parsley and paprika. 

(good served with ham)

Baked Sweet Potato

I'm new to the sweet potato world.  I admit that for years I thought I didn't like them.  My only exposure to them was the marshmallow laden sweet potatoes my Mom made at Thanksgiving.   Now as an adult, I like those and I also like them in a healthier version too.  In the past I've baked some sweet potato chunks and I've microwaved them.  Then I stumbled across this recipe, see link below.  I tried it this week and it was hands down the best way to cook a sweet potato. 

Here is the link, I want to give credit to the original source: http://empoweredsustenance.com/bake-a-sweet-potato/

Baked Sweet Potato -- a medium sweet potato is approx. 103 calories

Sweet Potatoes (as many as you want to cook)

• Wash the sweet potato then prick several times with a fork.
• Place the sweet potato on the oven rack - in the middle of the oven.
• Put a piece of foil on the bottom rack (to catch any juices that might drip.)
• Turn oven on to 425* and bake for about 45 minutes (longer for larger sweet potatoes)
• When the time is up turn off the oven (but don't open the door) and let set for 30 min to 1 hour.
• Remove from oven and eat immediately or store in a container in the fridge.

Creamy Hash Brown Casserole

Here is another Paula Deen recipe that I discovered while in Minnesota.  It's a really good recipe that I've made several times. It's good for breakfast but I usually make this at Easter and serve with Ham.  Or it makes a good side to my pulled pork recipe. 

Creamy Hash Brown Casserole
Source: Paula Deen TV Show

1/4 cup butter
1 onion, chopped
1 (16 oz) container sour cream
1 (10.5 oz) can cream of celery soup
1 (8 oz) package shredded Cheddar and Monterey Jack Cheese blend
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 (30 oz) package frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
2 cups crushed potato chips

Preheat oven to 350*  Lightly butter a casserole dish.

In a small skillet, melt 1/4 cup butter over medium heat.  Add onion and cook 3-4 minutes or until soft. Pour mixture into a large bowl.  Add the sour cream, soup, cheese, garlic powder, hash browns, and salt and pepper.  Combine until well blended.  Pour mixture into prepared baking dish.  Top evenly with crushed potato chops and bake for 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Potato Salad

This is my favorite potato salad recipe - but some people think it's too plain.  But I don't like mustard, relish, or celery.  So if you do like those things just add some in.


Potato Salad

5 pounds red potatoes, peeled
6 hard cooked eggs, chopped
1 diced onion
1 cup mayo
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
salt
pepper

Cook potatoes in boiling water until tender. Drain and cool.  Cut into 1 inch cubes.  Stir together potato, onion and eggs. 

Stir together mayo and next 3 ingredients; gently stir into potato mixture.  Taste and add more salt/pepper as needed.  Serve immediately or cover and chill if desired.

Post-Surgery Potato Soup

I had surgery on Monday to extract a stone in my kidney.  It was a long day because the surgery didn't actually occur until 4 hours after it was scheduled.  That night when I got home, I was thinking that a bowl of potato soup and some corn bread would really hit the spot. 

I asked my friends on Facebook to send me good potato soup recipes but I didn't get their replies until after I'd already made my soup.  But I plan on writing down their recipes and giving them a try.  Here's how I made my soup.  It was pretty tasty.

Potato Soup

Approx 5 lbs of Russet Potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cups of chicken broth
water
1/2 small red onion, diced really small
salt, pepper, Lawry's season slat, ground red pepper  (season to your taste)
1 (8oz) block of cream cheese, cut into chunks

Place the potatoes, onion, spices, broth in a large pan.  Then add water, just enough to barely cover the potatoes.  Bring to a boil, then turn down to medium heat, cover and simmer until the potatoes are tender but not falling apart.  Remove from heat and mash part of the potatoes.  Then put the cream cheese chunks in and stir until melted.  Taste and add more salt and pepper if it needs more.


The soup was really good and nothing fancy, next time I'll probably fry some bacon and put in it and maybe some cheese.  But my tummy was still a little sensitive from surgery so I wanted something that would be soothing and comforting.