Perfect Potato Salad

I am really late in posting this but I made this potato salad this summer with red potatoes from our garden and it was delicious.  It was actually my first ever potato salad and I don't think I'll ever look for another recipe.  This makes a lot so I halved the recipe.  From Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

Perfect Potato Salad 

Dressing:

• 2 cups mayonnaise
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (adjust according to taste - you may want to use the greater amount if your potatoes were boiled without salt)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced dried onions or 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons yellow mustard

Salad:
 
• 5 pounds potatoes (I prefer red potatoes.)
• 1 15-ounce can olives, cut in half (I omit.)
• 10 hard-boiled eggs, diced

1. Combine all the ingredients in a blender and give it a whirl until all ingredients are combined.
2. For the salad, peel, dice, and boil potatoes until tender but not mushy (I cut my potatoes into bite-size pieces and boil for about 8-10 minutes). Drain potatoes well and pour into a large bowl. Add sliced olives and hard-boiled eggs. Pour dressing over warm potatoes until desired “dressing-level” is reached. I usually make this salad the night before and I pour a thin coating of dressing over the potatoes, olives and eggs while they rest in the fridge overnight. Before serving the next day, I add the rest of the dressing and mix until it looks just right. Most importantly be sure and taste so you can add extra salt and pepper to taste!

Thanksgiving Recipes

I am going to post some of the recipes I used for Thanksgiving this year so I will have them in one place, ready to go for next year!  We had a Mel's Kitchen Cafe Thanksgiving this year.  So grateful for her delicious recipes!

(Sorry about the poor picture quality.  I have not mastered the art of photographing food and with the exception of the turkey, all of these pictures were taken of leftovers, after all natural light was gone.)

Brined Turkey

• 1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey
For the brine:
• 1 cup kosher/coarse salt
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 gallon vegetable stock
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger
• 1 gallon heavily iced water 
For the aromatics:
• 1 red apple, sliced (no need to core or peel)
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 cup water
• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 6 leaves fresh sage
• Canola oil

1. About 4-5 days before roasting, take the turkey out of the freezer (if using a fresh turkey, you can omit this step and just keep the turkey refrigerated), and place it in a 9X13-inch pan or larger to catch any raw turkey juices and place the pan in the refrigerator to thaw.
2. 1-2 days before roasting, combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until ready to use.
3. The night before roasting, combine the brine, water and ice in a large bucket (5-gallon or larger). Remove the innards from the turkey and place the thawed turkey breast side down in the brine. the turkey should be fully submerged in the liquid and ice. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in a cool area for 8 to 16 hours. Because I live in a cold climate, I usually stick my brining turkey on the back porch or in the garage, after I have made sure it will be cool enough to keep the turkey safe from high, warmer temperatures.
4. Move an oven rack to the lowest position and preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.
5. Place the bird on a roasting rack inside a half sheet pan or roasting pan and pat dry with paper towels. Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey’s cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.
6. Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue to roast for another 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the internal temperature of the turkey is 161 degrees. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving.

Turkey Gravy

1 tablespoon canola oil
Neck and giblets from turkey
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
Pan drippings from roasted turkey (about 1/4 cup), fat separated and discarded
2 cups chicken/turkey/vegetable stock or broth
Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat until shimmering. Brown the turkey neck and giblets in the oil, turning every few minutes, until they are well browned and there are little browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Remove the giblets and neck and discard. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the butter to the pot and let it melt, stirring and scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the flour and pan drippings (separate the fat from the pan drippings before adding or else the gravy will be too greasy) and stir to combine. Cook over medium-low or medium heat, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes, until the butter/flour mixture is golden. Slowly whisk in the broth and cook over medium heat, stirring or whisking often, for about 10-15 minutes until the gravy has thickened and is bubbly and hot. Season with salt and pepper.

Roasted Garlic and Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

• 5 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled, rinsed and diced (I used red potatoes.)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 tablespoons butter
• ¾ cup milk
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4-5 cloves roasted garlic (Trim the pointy end off a head of garlic, place sprout-side down on a piece of aluminum foil and drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil, fold sides of foil up to enclose the garlic completely and cook in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes, or until the garlic is tender; the cloves squeeze right out of their skins when they are ready.)

1. For the mashed potatoes, In a large pot, place the potatoes and cover with water (by at least two inches). Add the salt. Bring to a boil, and cook the potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and return to the hot pot.
2. Begin mashing the potatoes. Add the butter and mash in to the potatoes. Add the milk, cheese, roasted garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Mash until the potatoes are smooth. Serve immediately.  (Or put in slow cooker to keep warm.)

Creamy Confetti Corn with Bacon

• 8 slices bacon, chopped
• 2 12-ounce packages frozen corn kernels, white or yellow
• 1/2 cup chopped onion, white, yellow or red
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, light or regular, cubed
• 1-2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 4 green onions, green parts finely chopped (white parts discarded)

1. In a large nonstick skillet, cook the chopped bacon until golden and crisp. Scoop the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate and discard all the bacon grease except for a thin coating on the pan, maybe a teaspoon or so.
2. Add the corn, onion, and red pepper, and cook over medium heat, stirring every so often, until the vegetables are tender and the corn is heated through, 6-8 minutes. Add the cream cheese and milk, stirring until the cream cheese melts and the mixture is evenly combined.
3. Stir in the sugar, salt and pepper. Add more salt to taste if needed. Stir in the green onions.
4. Serve warm topped with the reserved bacon.
5. This dish can be made up to 2 days ahead of time. Scoop the creamy corn mixture into an oven-safe dish, sprinkle with the bacon and cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator. When ready to eat, heat the corn dish in a 325 degree oven for 15-20 minutes until heated through. 

Lion House Dinner Rolls

• 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
• 2 cups warm water
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2/3 cup nonfat dry milk
• 5-6 cups flour

1. In a large bowl, combine the yeast and water. Let stand 5 minutes (no need to do this if using instant yeast – just add the yeast and water together with the other ingredients). Add sugar, butter, salt, dry milk, 2 cups flour and egg. Beat together until very smooth. Add remaining flour gradually (about 1/2 cup at a time) until a soft but not sticky dough is formed. Knead the dough for at least five minutes if using an electric mixer and for at least 10 minutes if mixing the dough by hand. When the dough is smooth, supple and elastic, place it in a lightly greased large bowl covered with greased plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled.
2. Separate the dough into two portions. Roll each section out to an 11X14-inch rectangle. Brush the top with melted butter. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut the dough into two pieces, the long way. Then slice the dough into five or six strips across so you end up with 10 to 12 small rectangles. Roll each small rectangle up like a snail and place on a silpat-lined or lightly greased baking sheet with the roll resting on it’s open edge. Repeat with the second portion of dough.
3. Cover the rolls with lightly greased plastic wrap and let them rise until doubled. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-14 minutes until they are nicely browned.

*These rolls can be frozen after they are baked OR you can form the rolls and then freeze them before letting them rise.  Take them out when ready to use and let them rise as usual, until double in size - this part will just take a lot longer than normal since the rolls are so cold.

Cheesy Potato Side Dish

I needed a quick and easy side dish (notice I didn't say healthy!) to complement a pork tenderloin a few Sundays ago and this dish did the job nicely.  Potatoes loaded with cheese, sour cream and bacon are just comforting every now and again.

Cheesy Potato Side Dish

5 lb bag of potatoes (red would work well or other small potatoes)
1 c. sour cream
1 c. mayo
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 c. butter, melted
1 envelope (1 oz.) ranch dressing mix
1 c. sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Scrub potatoes and cut into small cubes.  Boil on stove top until tender.
3. Combine remaining ingredients.
4. When potatoes are done cooking, gently toss with remaining ingredients.
5. Pour into 13x9 pan and bake for 30-40 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Colcannon

This is an Irish dish so I wanted to make it for St. Patrick's day.  It is really unique and my kids didn't like it but I thought it was good.  I thought maybe I could conceal the cabbage but that really didn't happen.... so if you don't like cabbage you probably wouldn't like this, but if you're looking for a new potato dish and like cabbage - give it a try!

Colcannon

6 large potatoes, peeled

6-8 T. half-and-half (or milk)

1 tsp kosher salt

1 onion, finely chopped

6 T. butter, divided

1/2 of a small head of cabbage, sliced thinly

 

1. Slice peeled potatoes into small chunks and place in pot. Fill pot with water an inch above potatoes and boil until soft.  While the potatoes are cooking, melt 4 T. butter in large saucepan. Add minced onion and stir to coat with butter. Add cabbage over onions. Cover saucepan and cook over med-low to medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until cabbage is soft.

 

2. Drain potatoes and add half-and-half (or milk) and salt. Mash with electric mixer. Stir together onion and cabbage mixture with mashed potatoes. Spoon into an oven safe dish and place under broiler until top is browned.  After you pull it out of the oven, top Colcannon with the rest of the butter and allow it to melt on top as it sits.

 

Baked Garlic Mashed Potatoes

These mashed potatoes are seriously good!  (A little fattening, maybe, but sooo good!)  This is another recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe and we ate these with the grilled chicken the other night.  I used red potatoes since that's what I had on hand and I'm pretty sure I didn't use a full 5 pounds of potatoes.  I also omitted the green onions because I didn't have any.  After the potatoes were done boiling on the stove I whipped everything up with my electric hand mixer....this made the consistency really smooth.  Enjoy!

Baked Garlic Mashed Potatoes

5 pounds russet, red or yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

8 ounces light or regular cream cheese (I used Neufchatel - 1/3 less fat than regular cream cheese.)
3-4 green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons butter (Could use less w/ still great results.)
1 cup whipping cream

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9X9-inch baking dish and set aside.

Place the cut potatoes in a large pot and cover with water by one inch. Add 1 teaspoon salt and boil the potatoes for about 10 minutes or until they are tender.

Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Mash them a few times and add the rest of the ingredients. Mash and mix well to desired consistency. Scoop the potatoes into the prepared baking pan. Dot with 1-2 tablespoons butter. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the potatoes are lightly browned on top and heated through.

Crash Hot Potatoes

Oh boy!  These are tasty potatoes!  And the best part...they are super easy to make and require very little time.  I found this recipe at The Pioneer Woman.  I'm looking forward to checking out more of her recipes.

Crash Hot Potatoes

12 New Potatoes (or other small, round potatoes) 
Olive Oil 
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
Favorite Herb (I used rosemary.)

Begin by bringing a pot of salted water to a boil.  Add potatoes and allow to boil until tender when forked.

Drizzle olive oil generously on a cookie sheet. (You want enough to ensure that your potatoes don't stick to the pan.)

When potatoes are tender, drain and arrange on cookie sheet.  Make sure to leave enough space between potatoes for them to spread out.

Use your potato masher to gently mash each potato slightly.  Rotate the masher 90 degrees and finish flattening.  Don't over "smash" though.

Next, brush the tops of each potato generously with olive oil.  Then sprinkle generously with kosher salt, followed by fresh ground black pepper.  Last, sprinkle the herb of your choosing.  (I used dried but fresh would be wonderful too - just make sure you cut it up really fine if you use fresh herbs.) 

Bake on the top rack of your oven at 450 degrees for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Potatoes Dauphinoise

I grew up on russet potatoes.  They were never my favorite but I ate them.  In more recent years I've discovered other varieties of potatoes that are so much tastier!  I think it's mainly a texture thing...russet potatoes are just kind of grainy.  Don't get me wrong.  I like russet potatoes just fine, when they're covered in butter, sour cream and cheese!  So today I tried a new recipe using a combination of red potatoes and small gold potatoes that I had on hand.  I think it turned out really good!  The prep was really quite easy - I sliced the potatoes by hand and spent much less time doing this than I usually do grating potatoes when making augratin potatoes.  This recipe comes from The Sisters Cafe.

Potatoes Dauphinoise

3 pounds waxy potatoes, peeled (red or Yukon gold are great)
1 large garlic clove, halved
1 Tb butter, softened
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup finely grated Gruyere cheese (or cheddar works great)
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Cut the potatoes into 1/4 inch thick slices. Put them into a large pot and fill with cold water and a little salt. Bring to a boil on high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Do not overcook at this stage or the potatoes will begin to break break up. Drain well.

2. Rub the inside of the baking dish (I used a 9x13 pan.) with the cut garlic and grease with a little of the butter.

3. Preheat oven to 325. Put half the potatoes into the dish, spreading them evenly. Sprinkle with a little of the nutmeg and some seasoning of salt and pepper. Add half the cheese and then another layer of potatoes, nutmeg and salt and pepper.

4. Beat together the cream and milk and pour evenly over the potatoes. Finish by scattering the remaining cheese on top with a few small pieces of butter dotted over the surface.

5. Bake in the middle of the oven for 40-45 minutes until a deep crisp brown crust forms. Serve immediately from the dish.  

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

The one thing I love about the weather changing is it puts me in the mood to make soup! I love a bowl of hot soup with fresh homemade bread. Mmmm. This soup is delicious! The recipe comes from http://sisterscafe.blogspot.com.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

12 oz Applewood smoked bacon

4 stalks celery finely diced

2 large carrots, peeled, finely diced

1 jalapeno, seeded, membrane removed and finely chopped (I left this out)

1 large onion, finely chopped

½ Cup red bell pepper, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup thinly sliced ham or Canadian bacon (or mini cubed ham)

32 oz chicken broth (or water & bouillon)

6 oz half and half (I used whole milk)

10 med/lg. potatoes, baked, peeled and mashed

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

½ Cup milk

4 oz sour cream

1 ½ Cups shredded cheddar cheese

Garnish:

½ Cup sour cream

1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 Cup thinly sliced green onion (green part)

1. Heat large dutch oven over medium heat. Cut bacon into pieces and cook until browned and crisp. Transfer bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Discard bacon grease, reserving 2 Tablespoons to sauté veggis. Saute celery, carrots, jalapeno, onion and bell pepper in bacon grease for 10 minutes, stirring often until softened. Stir in garlic and ham; cook for 3 more minutes. Stir in chicken broth and half and half. **I just fried the bacon in a separate skillet and simmered everything else in a large pot. Just make sure you simmer the vegetables long enough for them to get soft.

2. Place mashed potatoes in a stand or electric mixer. Mix on medium speed adding salt, pepper and milk. Stir mashed potatoes into soup until combined. Heat for 10 minutes.

3. Stir in sour cream and cheese until smooth. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Simmer on low until ready to serve. Top with sour cream, bacon, cheese and green onion.