Warm Potato Salad with Bacon Vinaigarette

Summer is coming!  I'm holding out hope even though it snowed yesterday.  That means it's time to get outdoor and grilling fare on the menu.  I found this recipe last summer and was addicted to it from the first bite.  This dish is so good and is a nice alternative to the traditional mayonnaise based potato salad.  Plus you serve it warm or at room temp, so no worrying about how to keep it cool on a hot sunny day.  Here's the DL...

Ingredients

2 pounds potatoes, washed and cubed into 1 inch pieces (I have used all kinds of potatoes on this recipe and they all turn out good.  In the picture I used a mix of Yukon Gold and red potatoes)

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 Tablespoon sugar

2 Tablespoons butter

6 strips bacon

1 Tablespoon parsley

Vinaigrette Ingredients

warm bacon drippings

3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/8 teaspoon thyme

1/8 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a bowl mix potatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Stir to coat.  Drizzle a little olive oil on a baking sheet.  Put coated potatoes on baking sheet and roast for 35-40 minutes, or until tender and golden brown.

Meanwhile, in small pan over medium heat melt the butter.  Add the onion and the sugar.  Stir to coat and let cook 10-12 minutes, turning occasionally, or until onions are tender and caramelized.

In medium sized pan over medium heat cook bacon until brown and crispy.  Remove bacon and let drain on paper towel.  Leave drippings in pan.

While drippings are still warm, over low heat add all the vinaigrette ingredients.  Whisk well until everything is incorporated and slightly thickened.  

Put hot potatoes into a large bowl.  Crumble the bacon and sprinkle on top of the potatoes.  Add the onions, parsley, and the warm vinaigrette to the potatoes.  Stir well until everything is coated.  Serve warm or at room temperature and enjoy!  Serves 6. 

Goat Cheese and Garlic Potato Swirls

I know everyone is planning their Easter dinner menu.  So I thought I'd throw this recipe at you.  I came across it a while back and loved how it looked.  I'm also a big fan of goat cheese so I pretty much was hooked at the title.  These potatoes look so fancy, but take very little effort.  In fact, you pretty much do what you would do with regular mashed potatoes until the very end.  If you didn't want to take the time to make cute individual servings you could also throw these in a baking dish & serve them up the old fashion way.  These potatoes are perfect for an Easter table.  They have a wonderful orange color and with the sprig of rosemary they look so festive.  Here's the DL...
Ingredients
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
6 medium russet potatoes, peeled & cut into 2 inch pieces
6 ounces goat cheese
2-3 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup half and half
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 bunch fresh rosemary or parsley for garnish (optional)
Directions
In large pot combine potatoes and garlic and cover with water.  Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook about 20 minutes oar until potatoes are tender.  Drain and return to the pot.

Add goat cheese, salt, butter, half & half, and paprika.  Mash with potato masher until fairly smooth.  Add Parmesan and beat potatoes with electric mixer until smooth and fluffy (but do not beat too long).  If potatoes seem too thick to pipe into swirls add more half and half until desired consistency.  (If you are not swirling the potatoes you can serve them now.)

Chill potatoes for about 20 minutes.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

These potatoes swirls were made using the cookie sheet method.

Grease a cookie sheet or about 14 small dishes.  Using a spoon fill up a piping bag attached with a large star tip with the potatoes.  Pipe potatoes in a swirl fashion like an ice cream cone.  If doing this on a cookie sheet place potato swirls about 2 inches apart.  It is better to go tall and skinny with your swirls because they will settle as they cook.  Drizzle the tops of each swirl with melted butter.  Bake for about 10-20 minutes or until golden brown, the time will depend greatly on the size of your swirls.  Remove from oven and add a small sprig of rosemary or parsley and serve immediately.  Enjoy!

Cheddar Drop Biscuits

I'm not a seafood fan, but I grew up in a family of seafood lovers.  Which meant whenever we were outside of Montana & somewhere big enough to support a Red Lobster, we stopped & ate.  I generally would order popcorn shrimp & drown them in ketchup so I could bare the taste.  But one thing I gobbled up without reserve were the "Cheddar Bay Biscuits".  Mmmm, how I loved those biscuits.  I could never get enough.  For some reason a few weeks back I got a hankerin' for said biscuits.  And so began my pursuit to find a recipe that brought that same great cheesy, buttery biscuit that I remember as a kid.  As you can see my quest was successful.  These biscuits are easy & quick to make.  Plus they are so yummy & flavorful that you won't need any extra butter or jam.  Whip 'em up,  you won't be disappointed.  Here's the skinny...
Ingredients
2 cups Bisquick (or any baking/biscuit mix)
1 cup grated medium or sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2/3 cup milk
2 Tablespoons butter
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Prepare baking sheet with cooking spray or silicone liner.
In large bowl stir together Bisquick, cheese, & garlic powder.  Add in milk & stir until mixed well.  Drop large spoonfuls of dough onto baking sheet. (Dough will be very sticky so you may need to spray spoon with cooking spray.)
Bake for 10 minutes or until biscuits begin to slightly brown around edges, but don't over-bake.  No one likes dry biscuits!
While the biscuits bake, melt butter and stir in salt & garlic powder.  As soon as biscuits come out of the oven, using a pastry brush, coat the top of each biscuit with the butter mixture.  Serve warm & enjoy!

My Favorite Mashed Potatoes

I can't resist these potatoes.  They don't need any gravy & they are full of cheesy goodness.  The crunchy top adds a perfect texture.  They taste even better the next day.
Ingredients
6 medium russet potatoes
8 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup milk
4 ounce cream cheese at room temperature
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
salt & pepper to taste
Topping
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/4 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Bring large pot of water to boil.  Meanwhile peal potatoes & rinse with cold water.  Cut potatoes into quarters.  Remove pot from burner & add potatoes, then return pot to burner & bring to a full boil.  Cook for 20-30 minutes or until fork can be easily inserted into potatoes.  Drain potatoes & return the pot.  Put on the burner on low heat.  Add butter & mash until all the lumps are out.  Remove from burner.  Add milk & using electric beaters beat on low speed until smooth & creamy.  Stir in the cream cheese, cheddar, & Parmesan.  Add the salt & pepper to taste.  Put into a baking dish.
In microwave melt the remaining butter for the topping.  Stir in the parsley, remaining cheeses, & Panko crumbs.  Spread mixture evenly on top of potatoes
Bake for 20 minutes or until top is brown.  Enjoy!
*This recipe also works great with instant potatoes.

Standard Mashed Potatoes

It's hard to beat a good ol' standby.  Here's basic mash potatoes in their purest and yummiest form.
Ingredients
6 medium russet potatoes
8 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 to 3/4 cup half & half
salt & pepper to taste
Directions
Bring large pot of water to boil.  Meanwhile peal potatoes & rinse with cold water.  Cut potatoes into quarters.  Remove pot from burner & add potatoes, then return pot to burner & bring to a full boil.  Cook for 20-30 minutes or until fork can be easily inserted into potatoes.  Drain potatoes & return the pot.  Put on the burner on low heat.  Add butter & mash until all the lumps are out.  If you want them really creamy take the beaters to them on low speed.  Stir in the sour cream & milk a little at a time until desired consistency.  Add the salt & pepper to taste.  Serve up warm with some good ol' gravy.  Enjoy!

*You can make these ahead of time.  Just put into a casserole dish & refrigerate.  They will keep in the fridge for a day or two.  When you're ready pop 'em into a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes, or until heated through.

Good Ol' Green Bean Casserole

I like green bean casserole because it taste so good & because it is so easy!  This is a must at any of our holiday tables.  Green bean casserole is a great dish to have your kiddos pitch in for the meal & make... it's that easy.  Here's the DL...
Ingredients
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cans cut green beans
1/2 cup milk
1 cup French's fried onions
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix soup & milk together.  Add in beans & stir well.  Pour into casserole dish & bake for 30 minutes.  Stir again & sprinkle fried onions on the top.  Return to oven & bake 5 more minutes or until onions are golden brown.  Enjoy.

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

Here's another good Thanksgiving dish.  I'm not a big fan of traditional sweet potato casserole.  You know, the one with marshmallows on it.  It just doesn't float my boat.  If I'm gonna eat sweet potatoes they'll need to have a good measure of salt in them.  Get some salt on a sweet potato & it's pretty much irresistible.  Therefore, this recipe is irresistible.  This is by far the best way to eat a sweet potato.  It's pretty much addictive & pretty dang easy to pull of.   Here's skinny...
Ingredients
6 medium size sweet potatoes
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons salt
6 tablespoons butter
Pepper garnish
Chives for garnish
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  With a fork prick each potato about 5 times.  Wrap in tinfoil & bake for about 1 hour, or until potato is soft throughout.  Remove from oven & unwrap.  Let potatoes cool.
Cut potatoes in half lengthwise.  Scoop out inside of potatoes leaving about 1/4 inch to create a shell (sweet potato skin is very delicate so you need to be careful & make sure to leave enough of the potato in the skin to provide a shell that will hold up.)
In a bowl mash up the sweet potato pulp that was scooped out.  Add 3/4 cup of the Parmesan, salt, & butter.  Mix well, add more salt if needed.  Fill each potato shell with the mashed potato mixture.  Set filled shells on a cookie sheet & bake in 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes, until cheese melted & tops turn a little brown.  Remove from oven & sprinkle the tops with pepper, remaining cheese, & chives.  Serve warm & enjoy!

*These can be made a day ahead of time.  Cover filled shells & put in refrigerator until you're ready to bake them.

Mr. Moe's Potatoes

Since Thanksgiving is sneaking up on us I thought I better get some Thanksgiving style recipes going.  Give us a jump start to planning one of the most important meals of the year.  These potatoes are a nice alternative to mashed potatoes & little kids love them.  My guitar teacher back in high school, who was also a family friend, made them for us when we all went to his house for dinner.  Immediately we were hooked & my family has been making them ever since.  These potatoes are easy to make & taste sooooo good!  When I was pregnant with one of my children (can't remember which), I craved these potatoes.  In fact, I think I almost single-handedly ate an entire pan by myself.  Here's the skinny (or not so skinny if you eat the entire pan by yourself)...
Ingredients
1 package frozen O'Brien hashbrown potatoes, thawed
1 cup sour cream
1 can cream of chicken (10.5 oz)
2 cups grated medium Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup butter
1/8 cup finely diced onion
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl adding salt & pepper to desired taste.  Pour potato mixture into a 9"x13" baking dish.  Bake for 1 hour.  Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.  Enjoy!

*You can make this dish ahead of time in the morning & put it in the fridge until your ready to bake it.  These potatoes reheat wonderfully making them a good leftover.  If you're having a large crowd, over 6 people or so, double the recipe.

Zucchini Drizzled with Olive Oil & Parmesan

This is a super easy & flavorful way to enjoy zucchinni.  Actually, this recipe works on a variety of vegetables.  It also looks really pretty.  Only five ingredients are required to make this scruptous zucchinni dish.  Here's the how...

Ingredients
zucchini
kosher salt
pepper
olive oil
Parmesan cheese
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Slice zucchini into 1/2 inch slices.  Place zucchini slices on baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil & sprinkle with salt & pepper to desired taste.  Place about one teaspoon of grated Parmesan on top of each zucchini.  Bake for 10 minutes then turn on low broil for 1-2 minutes, or until tops are golden.  Enjoy!

Super Easy Roasted Potatoes

I love dishes that are easy to make, taste delicious, make large quantities, & cost very little.  Thus, I love these potatoes.  My Mom made these while I was growing up & we always gobbled them down as fast as we could.  They go great with anything & if your asked to bring a side dish to a pot luck these are the ticket.  Here's how you whip up the easiest hearty potato dish ever...
Ingredients
6 medium Russet potatoes
1 package of onion soup mix
1/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Wash potatoes & cut in half, then cut in half again, then cut in thirds.  This should give you about one inch cubed potato squares.  Place cut up potatoes & remaining ingredients in a large Ziploc bag.  Seal the bag very, very well & then start shaking it around until all the potatoes are evenly coated.  Pour potato mixture into a 9 by 13 inch baking dish.  Place in preheated oven & cook for about 1 hour or until potatoes are fork tender.  Serve immediately & enjoy!

4th of July Feast: Sides

Baked beans are a staple to any Fourth of July feast.  You could make your own homemade... or you can buy these.  I love these baked beans!  Which is saying a lot because in general I do not like baked beans.  The flavor in these Bush's Bourbon & Brown Sugar Grillin' Beans is awesome & the prep time only requires a can opener.