Potato Pancakes

Last weekend, I made Pioneer Woman's Creamy Mashed Potatoes. They were amazing and, even though I halved the recipe, we still had plenty of leftovers. I didn't want them to go to waste, so the next morning we made Mashed Potato Pancakes, topped with ham, fried eggs, shredded cheddar cheese, and sour cream. It was a delicious breakfast, hearty and flavorful.

I pulled the potato pancake recipe off of mrbreakfast.com.

printable recipe

Potato Pancakes

serves 4

2 cups mashed potatoes
1 large egg, beaten lightly
6 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 Tbsp grated onion (I just used a tsp of dried minced onion)
salt and pepper to taste

In a medium bowl, whisk together the mashed potatoes and egg.

Add the flour and onion and mix all together well.

Spray a large skillet or griddle with non-stick cooking spray and turn heat to medium. Spoon batter onto the griddle and flatten. It's up to you how large you make them. I like to make four big pancakes.

Cook for several minutes per side, flipping once they are golden.

Top with a slice of ham, a fried egg, and some grated cheddar cheese, if desired.

Crock Pot Potato Soup

This is an awesome, easy potato soup, perfect for topping with cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon, sour cream and chives. Just throw it into the crock pot and forget about it until half an hour before dinner time!

We served it with Dilly Bread.

printable recipe 

Crock Pot Potato Soup

serves 4

2.5 lb potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-2" chunks

1/2 onion, diced

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp seasoned salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

1 quart (4 cups) chicken broth

1 (8oz) package cream cheese

crumbled bacon, cheddar cheese, chives, sour cream for garnish (optional)

Place peeled and chunked potatoes and place them in a crock pot. Add onion and garlic.

Sprinkle in the seasonings and pour in the broth.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours (or high for 4 hours).

Cut the cream cheese into pieces and add to crock pot. 

Replace lid and cook on high for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until the cream cheese is completely dissolved. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle into bowls.

Serve hot with toppings, if desired.

This recipe is featured in Menu Plan 9.

Potato Wedges

I like to serve these with Chicken Strips.

printable recipe

Potato Wedges

serves 4

2-3 large russet potatoes

2 large garlic cloves

2-3 Tbsp olive oil

kosher salt

black pepper

dried rosemary

Scrub the potatoes with a clean, wet dishcloth (so much more sanitary than a potato brush). 

Cut the potatoes in half length-wise.

Then cut each of those halves in half.

Cut each of the quarters in half, so you have 8 wedges from each potato. Mince the garlic cloves.

Place the potatoes and garlic in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil.

Season generously with salt, pepper and rosemary and toss with clean hands until potatoes are completely coated.

Place on a baking sheet one cut side down and bake for 20 minutes at 400F.

Flip wedges to other cut side and bake for another 10-15 minutes until starting to brown. Season with additional salt, if desired.

This recipe is featured in Menu Plan 9.

 

Parmesan Smashed Potatoes

You know those fabulous mashed potatoes they serve at restaurants such as Applebee's and Ruby Tuesday? The ones with the skins still in them that are so delicious you want to lick your plate when you are finished (but hopefully you don't, because that could be weird)? Well, this is how to make them at home.

Disclaimer: this is not a low-fat recipe. We try to save it for special occasions only. Feel free to make them more frequently (trust me, I understand, they are to die for!) but don't blame me if you can't fit into your pants next month.

Adapted from a recipe on foodnetwork.com by Ina Garten.

Parmesan Smashed Potatoes

printable recipe

3 pounds red new potatoes, quartered but not peeled
3/4 heavy cream
1/2 milk
1 stick butter
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the potatoes and a little salt in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until potatoes are tender when pricked with a fork. Drain potatoes.

I didn't take many pictures for this recipe because it was Christmas Day and things were crazy, but I did have to take this picture of the potatoes in my new 7.5 quart stock pot/dutch oven. Isn't she a beauty?!

In a small saucepan, heat the cream, milk and butter. Put the potatoes into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix the potatoes for a few seconds on low speed, to break them up. Slowly add the hot cream and butter to the potatoes, mixing on the lowest speed (the last quarter of the cream should be folded in by hand). Fold in the sour cream, Parmesan cheese, season according to taste and serve immediately. If the potatoes are too thick, add a little more milk.

Mini Meatloaf and Funeral Potatoes

Today we have a guest blogger: Julie of Real (Good) Cooking. Along with being my friend and almost relative (her cousin is married to my husband's sister, confused yet?), she is an awesome fellow food blogger! You may remember her Deep Dish Pizza that I made a couple of weeks ago. When I asked her for one of her favorite ground beef recipes, she was kind enough to share her Mini Meatloaf with me as well as suggest Funeral Potatoes for the side. Here are the recipes in Julie's words:

Mini Meatloaf

I got this recipe from the cooking class I took at BYU. I don't love meatloaf, but when I'm in the mood or have some ground beef I need to use this is my favorite technique because it is quick and I like the caramelized outside of the meatloaf the best and this allows for more surface area and therefore more caramelization.

Mini Meatloaf
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/4-1/2 tsp. salt and pepper each
1 egg
1-2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup bread crumbs or quick oats (I prefer the bread crumbs)
ketchup

Mix all the ingredients together with your hands. (I find this is the best way to mix it evenly.) Shape into large golf-ball sized pieces and place in a muffin tin. Make an indentation in the middle of each one (see photo) to allow for even cooking. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. I usually end up cutting one open to see if it is done. Spread ketchup on the last 5-10 minutes. Serve with your favorite potato dish.

Funeral Potatoes

So confession, the meatloaf recipe was just an excuse to make funeral potatoes. This is my absolute favorite way to eat potatoes, except for maybe a really good French fry. I know everyone probably has a way to make funeral potatoes, but this is the way I do it. Such a guilty pleasure for me, more of a temptation than even most desserts.

Funeral Potatoes
10-12 good-sized potatoes (I usually use Russet)
1 can each of cream of chicken soup and cream of mushroom or 2 cans cream of mushroom
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1/2-3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
milk
bread crumbs (optional)

Boil, peel, and shred the potatoes. I usually use the shredder attachment on my food processor or I have used a cheese grater. While potatoes are boiling, mix the soups, sour cream, and seasonings. Add milk to the consistency you want. (I usually go for a consistency similar to mayonnaise; not too thick, but not too runny.) Stir in shredded potatoes. Spread the whole thing in a 9x13 casserole dish and top with bread crumbs if you'd like. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes or until edges are bubbly. Remove foil the last 10 minutes. You can also make in advance and keep in the refrigerator, but you will need to allow for 60-75 minutes  in the oven if the potatoes are cold.

Crash Hot Potatoes

I really enjoy this recipe from the Pioneer Woman. It has plenty of flavor without the extra fat that many potato recipes have. The skins get nice and crispy, and the prep is pretty simple. They do take awhile to cook, so be sure to start them about an hour before you want to sit down to eat! I didn't take step-by-step pictures this time, so if you need to peak at some more pictures check out Pioneer Woman's post.

Crash Hot Potatoes

printable recipe 

Red potatoes (2 per person)

olive oil

kosher salt

fresh ground black pepper

rosemary

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make and cook them until they are fork-tender.
On a sheet pan, generously drizzle olive oil. Place tender potatoes on the cookie sheet leaving plenty of room between each potato.
With a potato masher (or the bottom of a cup), gently press down each potato until it slightly mashes, rotate the potato masher 90 degrees and mash again. Brush the tops of each crushed potato generously with more olive oil.
Sprinkle potatoes with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and rosemary (or chives or thyme or whatever herb you have available.)
Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Roasted Red Potatoes

These potatoes are so tasty and a cinch to make.

Roasted Red Potatoes

printable recipe 

Red potatoes, cut into bite-size chunks (however many your family will eat)

Olive oil

1 large or 2 small garlic cloves, minced

kosher salt

fresh ground black pepper

rosemary (dried or fresh)

Preheat oven to 450F. Place potatoes in a medium baking dish and drizzle olive oil generously on top. Add minced garlic and sprinkle with kosher salt and rosemary. Grind black pepper on top and stir, making sure all potatoes are coated with olive oil/seasoning mix.

Bake in oven for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally (about every 8-10 minutes).

This recipe is featured in Meal Plan: November 15-21.