GARLIC AU GRATIN POTATOES

GARLIC AU GRATIN POTATOES
1 teaspoon garlic powder
4 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic mincecd
2 pounds potatoes, washed, and sliced thin
1 1/2 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
1/2 cup extra sharp cheddar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/4 cup VERY warm 1% milk
1 heaping teaspoon Better than Bouillon Beef Base

• Preheat oven 400 degrees.
• Grease baking dish and then dust it with the garlic powder.
• Dry the potatoes on paper towels.
• Layer the potatoes and cheese alternately finishing with a layer of cheese.
• Whisk together the milk, garlic, beef base, salt and pepper.
• Gently pour the beef mixture over the potatoes, coating them evenly.
• Bake 45 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

CRY BABY BURGERS and ROASTED PAPRIKA POTATOES

CRY BABY BURGERS
1 pound ground chuck
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 small can jalapenos, drained and chopped (save a small amount for the mayo)
1 small can green chiles, drained and chopped
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 slices pepper jack cheese
jalapeno mayo (small amount of minced jalapenos whisked into mayo)
caramelized onions - 1 small Vidalia onion, thinly sliced

• Combine ground chuck, jalapenos, green chiles, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce until well blended.
• Form into 3 patties. Refrigerate for several hours.
• Whisk together mayonnaise and minced jalapenos.  Refrigerate until chilled.
• Sear and brown patties, turning frequently until cooked through.
• While cooking the patties, melt a small amount of butter in another pan and caramelize onions to desired doneness.
• When burgers are done, top with cheese, mayonnaise and caramelized onions.
• Enjoy!

ROASTED PAPRIKA POTATOES
2 pounds baby red potatoes
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
Hungarian paprika
1/4 cup melted butter

• Scrub potatoes.
• Boil for 10-15 minutes.
• Drain the potatoes until cool enough to handle.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Spray a 9x9 shallow baking dish with PURE.
• Place potatoes on bottom in an even layer.
• Smash each potato slightly.
• Evenly sprinkle with salt, pepper and paprika.
• Pour melted butter evenly over top.
• Bake 30 minutes until crunchy and bubbling.

CRY BABY BURGERS & ROASTED PAPRIKA POTATOES

CRY BABY BURGERS
1 pound ground chuck
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 small can jalapenos, drained and chopped (save a small amount for the mayo)
1 small can green chiles, drained and chopped
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 slices pepper jack cheese
jalapeno mayo (small amount of minced jalapenos whisked into mayo)
caramelized onions - 1 small Vidalia onion, thinly sliced

• Combine ground chuck, jalapenos, green chiles, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce until well blended.
• Form into 3 patties. Refrigerate for several hours.
• Whisk together mayonnaise and minced jalapenos.  Refrigerate until chilled.
• Sear and brown patties, turning frequently until cooked through.
• While cooking the patties, melt a small amount of butter in another pan and caramelize onions to desired doneness.
• When burgers are done, top with cheese, mayonnaise and caramelized onions.
• Enjoy!

ROASTED PAPRIKA POTATOES
2 pounds baby red potatoes
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
Hungarian paprika
1/4 cup melted butter

• Scrub potatoes.
• Boil for 10-15 minutes.
• Drain the potatoes until cool enough to handle.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Spray a 9x9 shallow baking dish with PURE.
• Place potatoes on bottom in an even layer.
• Smash each potato slightly.
• Evenly sprinkle with salt, pepper and paprika.
• Pour melted butter evenly over top.
• Bake 30 minutes until crunchy and bubbling.

Submitted to Cooking Thursday
 & Prairie Story Recipe Swap Thursday
& Tuesdays at the Table

IF AT FIRST YOU DON'T SUCCEED, TRY, TRY AGAIN

OOPS wrong adage, but the try, try again really fits.  I like to succeed, but I also LOVE to experiment.  My dear friend Jenn and hubby both gave yesterday's Bleu cheese spread for the DANISH CUBE STEAK REVISITED two thumbs up, but I couldn't stop there - I still had spread left!  I also had a fresh pork loin and had just read Martha's STUFFED FLANK STEAK recipe and voile' just like Melanie Griffith, er Tess McGill in Working Girl combining Trask and radio to succeed, I had an idea! I combined pork roast, our new favorite Bleu cheese spread and Martha's flank steak style with superb results - true success!

STUFFED PORK LOIN - serves 4

1 small pork roast, cut in half

1 1/2 ounces Bleu cheese crumbles
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/8 cup minced green onions

• In a small food processor blend together the mayonnaise, bleu cheese crumbles and green onions until smooth.
• Cut volcano shaped slice out of the center of each pork half.  Next time I will buy a large roast and have it butterflied, but today I worked with what I had.
• Fill with bleu cheese mixture.
• Salt and pepper generously.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour- 1 1/4 hours.

 

Now nothing goes to waste at our house.  We use it until it can be used NO more.  If it's a sauce, it may become a dressing for hubby's salads by adding flavored vinegars or oils or a filling for a casserole, but it gets used.  I had  a tiny bit of BBQ sauce left and it is one of our favorites, but it wasn't enough to do much with, so I used it as a rub on the baked potatoes and then mixed the last couple of tablespoons with some butter and sour cream and darned if it wasn't super yummy and flavorful too!

CHEESEY AU GRATIN POTATOES

• 1/2 cup butter
• 16 oz. whipping cream
• 5 large russet potatoes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic (jar) or 1 clove, mashed
• 2 cups grated 4 white cheese mix (Gruyere, Muenster, etc...)
• 2 cups rates sharp cheddar
• Wondra Flour

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Peel and thinly slice potatoes.
3. Grease 9x13 baking dish.
4. In a large sauce pan, melt the butter.
5. Gradually add the whipping cream and spices. Blend well.
6. Gradually add the flour until the mixture thickens, but it is still pourable!
7. Mix the cheeses all together.
8. Layer the potatoes, cheese and cream mixture ending with cheese on top.
9. Bake 45 minutes or until potatoes are tender and golden brown.

I developed this recipe for a request from our youngest and it quickly became a family favorite.
 

CAMPFIRE POTATOES

Amounts are proportionate and per taste.

Slice some yukon gold potatoes and Vidalia onions.

Generously sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Toss with melted butter until well coated.

Using heavy duty foil cut out generous sized squares per person.

Squirt a generous amount of yellow mustard all around.

Sprinkle with grated cheddar cheese and crumbled crisp bacon.

Seal well.

Seal well and toss on grill for 25-30 minutes.

NOT YOUR GRANDMOTHER'S POTATO CASSEROLE

Remember when I found this thrift store find?  Well, here is the first recipe and it was a resounding success. 

When I actually made this recipe I realized it really was my grandmother's recipe.  One that was undoubtedly passed around bymany women at neighborhood coffee clatches, tupperware parties and PTA meetings.  I did update it a bit and hubby can't seem to get enough of it.

POTATO CASSEROLE

2 pound package frozen hash browns

1 can cream of chicken celery soup

1 teaspoon garlic salt 2 cloves garlic, minced

1 pint 8 ounces sour cream

salt and pepper to taste

12 tablespoons butter, melted, divided 8 tablespoons and 4 tablespoons

2 cups corn flakes Special K original

2 cups 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt  1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon parsley

• Preheat oven 325 degrees.
• Rub the inside of a 2 quart casserole with butter or spray with PURE.
• Whisk together the sour cream, soup, 1/2 cup melted butter and seasonings.
• In a large bowl toss the frozen hash browns with the wet ingredients and 1/2 the cheese until well blended.
• Arrange the hash brown mixture in the prepared baking dish.
• Top with remaining cheese.
• Top with the Special K.
• Pour remaining butter evenly over top.
• Bake 1 hour on lowest shelf in oven.

Better the next day and the next and the next...

GARLIC SMASHERS

6-8 small-medium YUKON potatoes, skin on, quartered

sea salt

white pepper

Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 - 1 stick butter, sliced thin

6 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Scrub potatoes.
• Generously spread olive oil on cookie sheet.
• Group potatoes so they don't overlap.
• Sprinkle with lemon juice.
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 
• Sprinkle minced garlic over potato tops.
• Slice butter thin and lay randomly along potato tops.
• Bake 45 minutes.
• With a potato masher, SMASH each potato.
• Bake another 30 minutes or until tops are crispy.

Asian Style Latke

Taste and Create was started as a food event by Nicole from For the Love of Food. This is the 2nd time I've participated in Taste and Create and I don't plan on stopping soon. I enjoy meeting new bloggers, especially foodies.

The whole purpose of Taste and Create was, and has been, and continues to be to create a community of bloggers who test each others’ recipes and share links. The participants of the event are paired together and try a new recipe from one another's blog.

My partner this month is Stephanie over at 52 Kitchen Adventures who has some wonderful recipes.  I love anyone who will pair bacon and chocolate together as she did with these cupcakes. Honestly I wanted to make those cupcakes, but I have already made the caramelized chocolate covered bacon and decided to venture deeper into her list and fell in love with the Asian Style Latkes.  I have made my own latkes or potato pancakes for years, but love the flavors that Stephanie's recipe adds to the mix.

Stephanie wrote, "At my local farmer’s market, there is stand dedicated to Asian produce. I’ve found some interesting vegetables there, and the other week I saw what looked like ginormous white carrots (reminiscent of Bunnicula, the vampire rabbit who sucks the juice out of vegetables). It turned out to be daikon. Daikon literally means “large root” in Japanese, which is pretty accurate. It has a flavor similar to smaller radishes, but is slightly sweet. It’s pretty low in calories and has a high Vitamin C content." and she could have been writing about my new local farm fresh produce market in my temporary home town.

She found that daikons are used in a dim sum dish called turnip cake which is a pan fried cake of shredded daikon with dried shrimp, mushrooms and Chinese sausage. I agree that the original recipe sounds great, but agree with her recipe changes which resulted  in a latke make of shredded daikon and potato. The Chinese five spice gives the latkes a deliciously savory and sweet flavor.  Hubby loves turnips and asked that next time I include turnips.

 ASIAN LATKES

• 2 large daikons
• 6 white potatoes
• 1 bunch of green onions
• 1 egg
• 1/3 C breadcrumbs (we used panko)
• 1 t Chinese five spice
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Olive oil

Grate the daikons and potatoes. Place grated pieces into a clean, dry towel and twist and squeeze out moisture over the sink. Keep squeezing and twisting the towel until no more liquid comes out. Place dry gratings into a large bowl.  I didn't have anyone around to help with pictures so I offer you Stephanie's picture for demonstration.

Sliver the green part of the green onions and reserve for garnish. Chop the white part of the green onions and add to the bowl of daikon and potatoes, along with the egg, breadcrumbs, and seasonings. Thoroughly mix together with your hands, then form flattened balls (these can be any size you want, just make sure they are all uniform in size so they cook evenly).

Fill a large sauce pan 1/4″ deep with olive oil. Heat over medium-high heat until very hot (when a piece of bread browns in 10 seconds, it’s ready). Carefully place the latkes into the pan, leaving a couple of inches in between them. Turn them after 7-10 minutes, or when browned on the bottom. Cook another 7-10 minutes, or until both sides are browned. Garnish with green onion slivers and serve with sour cream or applesauce.

KICKIN' POTATO SALAD - DEFINITELY NOT YOUR MOTHER'S RECIPE

We are in that moving mode again and I'm developing recipes based on the ingredients on hand. On the flip side our niece & hubby are coming for a BBQ this weekend and we really wanted some potato salad so I threw together what we had and voile' we have a new recipe!

Head on over to Always Eat On The Good China to see what I did.

KICKING POTATO SALAD

We are in that moving mode again and I'm developing recipes based on the ingredients on hand. On the flip side our niece & hubby are coming for a BBQ this weekend and we really wanted some potato salad so I threw together what we had and voile' we have a new recipe!

NOT YOUR MOTHER'S POTATO SALAD
2-3 pounds potatoes, washed well
6 eggs, hard boiled
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 +/- cup Bob's Bleu Cheese dressing
1 1/2 teaspoon Frank's red pepper sauce
1/3 cup sweet pickle relish
2 tablespoons orange champagne vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
paprika for garnish

• Hard boil eggs. Cool and set aside.
• Boil potatoes in salted water until tender. Cool and set aside.
• Drain pickle relish in sieve for 10 minutes to remove excess juice.
• Mix together the bleu cheese dressing, hot sauce, vinegar, salt and pepper, onions and garlic until well blended. You may or may not need to add more dressing to reach the desired consistency.
  
• Grate the hard boil eggs into the bowl and toss well.
• Grate 1/2 of the potatoes into the bowl and toss until well blended.
• Chop remaining potatoes into bite size pieces and fold into mixture.
• Chill well.
  
• Top with paprika garnish before serving.
  

GARLIC SMASHERS

GARLIC SMASHERS
6-8 small YUKON potatoes, skin on
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 stick butter, melted
4 cloves minced garlic
olive oil

• Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
• Scrub potatoes
  
• Boil potatoes until tender
• Generously spread olive oil on cookie sheet
• Sprinkle with a little sea salt
  
• Space potatoes a couple of inches apart
• With a potato masher, SMASH each potato
• Sprinkle with salt, pepper and paprika
• Melt butter and whisk butter and garlic together
  
• Pour a tablespoon of butter mixture over each potato
• Bake 30 minutes or until tops are crispy

CHEESY AU GRATIN POTATOES

CHEESY AU GRATIN POTATOES

• 1/2 cup butter
• 16 oz. whipping cream
• 5 large russet potatoes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic (jar) or 1 clove
• 2 cups grated 4 white cheese mix (Gruyere, Muenster, etc...)
• 2 cups rates sharp cheddar
• Wondra Flour

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
   
2. Peel and thinly slice potatoes.
   
3. Grease 9x13 baking dish.
   
4. In a large sauce pan, melt the butter.
   
5. Gradually add the whipping cream and spices. Blend well.
   
6. Gradually add the flour until the mixture thickens, but it is still pourable!
   
7. Mix the cheeses all together.
   
8. Layer the potatoes, cheese and cream mixture ending with cheese on top.
   
9. Bake 45 minutes or until potatoes are tender and golden brown.

I developed this recipe for a request from our youngest and it quickly became a family favorite.

Garlic Smashers for Tasty Thursday & Favorite Ingredient Friday

Tasty Thursday hosted by Pumpkin Patch
Favorite Ingredient Friday hosted by hosted by Overwhelmed with Joy
SMASHERS

6-8 small YUKON potatoes, skin on
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 stick butter, melted
2 teaspoons minced garlic, jar
olive oil

• Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
• Scrub potatoes
  
• Boil potatoes until tender
• Generously spread olive oil on cookie sheet
• Space potatoes a couple of inches apart
• With a potato masher, SMASH each potato
• Sprinkle with salt, pepper and paprika
• Melt butter and mix butter and garlic together
  
• Pour a tablespoon of butter mixture over each potato
• Bake 30 minutes or until tops are crispy
  

♥