Twice Baked Potatoes!

Ingredients
6 Big Potatoes ( I used Russet)
1.5 Sticks butter sliced into tbsp
1 Cup Ground Sausage cooked and drained (I used leftovers that I knew that this is what I was going to use it for)
3/4 Cup Sour Cream
1/4 Tsp Season Salt
1 Cup Colby/Cheddar Cheese
Black Pepper to Taste


This recipe was adapted (and let me tell you not much!) from The Pioneer Woman's recipe. She's awesome and if for some reason you have had your head under a rock for sometime then you probably know about her. But if you don't; go check out her site.

Preheat your oven to 400*

Wash and dry your potatoes. Toss em on a baking sheet and cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

In the mean time, it's time to make the filling. Which of course I tasted along the way. Man, this stuff is good.

In a big mixing bowl put your sliced up butter.

Add your Sausage (or bacon, which is more normal, but I'm different) and your Sour Cream.

Then add your Salt, Pepper and Cheese, yum.

Now when your potatoes are cooked take them out of the oven and grab a hand towel. Put one of those Hot Spuds in the towel and grab a serrated knife.

Slice it in half length wise.

Now grab a big spoon and carve the insides of the potatoes out. Putting them into your mixing bowl.

Make sure you leave a little potato on the edges so they will hold up. I tore 2 of them. Which was fine because I didn't end up needing them all ( I only had enough filling for 10 anyways)

Once you have done this to all of your spuds you can use a hand masher like the Pioneer woman or you can do what I did (because I don't have a hand masher) and put 1 mixer into your hand mixer. And mix everything on low. Leaving some lumps.

Once it is all mixed together. Begin spooning it into the shells. Fill em up high.

Then once they are done pop them back into a 350* oven for about 15 minutes.

Take them out and enjoy ( and watch your husband be amazingly excited, as was I). Then I put the other 8 in tin foil and put them right into the freezer. Now I can pull a few out as I need them!


Have a great day and God Bless

Fun Potato Salad

Seeing Kay's Potato salad made me want to play around with one that I was taking to a home group of mine on Thursday.

Kay's Potato Salad- she's awesome, takes amazing pictures that I'm a little sad that I can't take and you should check her out.

Ingredients
6 Russet Potatoes (Rinsed, scrubbed, cubed)
1 Carrot (grated)
15 Green olives (minced)
1 Small onion (minced)
3 Stalks Celery (sliced)
6 Tbsp Mayonnaise ( I used my homemade mayonnaise)
4-5 Tbsp Sour Cream
3-4 Tbsp Mustard
Salt and Pepper to taste (If you use regular mayo I would add garlic, my mayo already had it in there)
2 Chicken bouillon cubes

Serves 12-15

Bring a BIG OLE pot of water to boil for your potatoes, add in your bouillon cubes (for extra flavor).

Rinse, Scrub and Cube your potatoes into about 1" Cubes. Put them in your pot of boiling water and cook for about 7-10 minutes, you want them to be cooked through but firm.

Slice and Dice or grate all of your other ingredients, I don't need to list them again. You already wrote them down or at least saw them at the top! For the Carrots I just used my box cheese grater on the 2nd smallest side.

When your potatoes are done, drain them and allow them to cool for a few minutes.

Then add them to a large bowl. ( I used a big green tupperware bowl that I love) I made this for a Bible study pot luck that we had, so I made A LOT.

Add all of your ingredients together in the bowl and if you have a potato masher now is the time to use it. If you are not cool enough don't have a potato masher then follow me to the dark side. Take one of your beaters from your hand held electric mixer and go to town.

Make sure everything gets mixed together and you can leave as much or as little potato chunks that you would like.

This turned out really well and got many good reviews, the green olives gave it a nice kick as did the onions. The carrots balanced out with a nice sweet flavor and the sour cream makes it nice and smooth.

Have a blessed Sunday and God Bless!

Meat and Potato Meal Take 1

Since I live with my hubby sometimes I just like to make things that would fall into more of the man category. I'll be calling these Meat and Potato Meals (even if they don't have potatoes ;) )

Ingredients
1 lb Ground beef (I used 93% lean)
1 Can Original Rotel
1 Medium Onion Sliced Medium
2 Medium Baked Potatoes Cut Up
1/2 Cup Cheese ( I used Mexican blend)
Salt/ Pepper to taste
Sour Cream

Heat a Large skilled over medium heat, add your beef and onions and cook through, adding salt and pepper to your preference.

Once it is cooked through add your can of Rotel and mix well.

Add the Cheese and allow to melt.

In a bowl, cut up your potatoes.

Add a Heaping scoop of the meat mixture. Finish with a dollop of sour cream and you are done. This is another man meal for you ;)
Have a great day and God Bless!

Corned Beef and Hash

And GREEN BEER!

Ingredients
1 Corned Beef Roast (2.5 lbs)
2 Russet Potatoes (chopped small)
1 Large Yellow Onion (Chopped Small)
1 Tbsp Black Pepper
1/2 Stick Butter
1/4 Cup Whipping Cream

Heat your oven to 300*, place roast wrapped in aluminum foil in a baking dish. Cook 1 Hour per pound or until fork tender. I cooked mine 3 Hours. After letting it rest for 15+ shave off the fatty side (well that's what I do) I'm grossed out by fat, so I just lop it off. Then cut it into bite sized pieces for the hash.


Heat a BIG skillet and put your potatoes in there, covered with water. Cover, bring to a boil, then turn to medium low and cook for 5-6 minutes. Then drain.


Wipe out the pan, then add 1/2 stick butter and melt. Add the onions and cook 5 minutes. Then add the potatoes, pepper, cream and corned beef and mix it all up. Continue to cook on medium, covered for 10 minutes each side to brown it all up nice.


Pair with Green Beer and serve!

Hubby and I really enjoyed this, it's a nice meal to have once a year.

Happy St. Patrick's Day and God Bless.

"Fried" Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients
2 Cups Mashed Potatoes (mine were leftovers from the night before)
So if making them from scratch.
2 Medium Russet Potatoes (washed, with skins left on), chopped
1/4 cup Milk
3 Tbsp butter.

4 Tbsp Butter
1/2 tsp Chili Powder
1/2 Tbsp Black Pepper
Salt to taste.

Servings: 3

So I was browsing through the many food blogs that I follow and stumbled across this recipe.
"Fried Smashed Potatoes"
And since I had made mashed potatoes the night before I figured I would give them a try. So this is a spin on Drew's recipe.

To make your Mashed Potatoes, Bring a large pot of water to boil, add the chopped potatoes and cook until fork tender. Transfer to a mixing bowl with Milk and Butter. Beat on low for 30-45 seconds and then on Medium until they are creamed to your perfection ( I like mine to have just a few lumps).

In a large skillet preheat to Medium/ Medium High depending on how high yours gets. Add your 4 Tbsp of butter and melt so it looks something like below.

Now take your mashed potatoes and put them in the butter, smash them down flat. Add your chili powder, pepper and salt. Now let them cook until they get browned on the underside. Then flip them over and cook until they are browned on the other side as well. All in all it should take 10-ish minutes to get them browned (but remember, mine were cold, if you are using warm potatoes it will take less time).

Serve along side your main dish for the night and enjoy the slightly spicy golder potatoes.

Have a great day and God Bless!

Chicken and Mashed Potato Bake

So as I was racking my brain for something to make tonight, I just kinda threw this together. It reminded hubby and I a wee bit of shepherd's pie.

Ingredients
3 Chicken Breasts - Cut into bite sized pieces
1 1/2 cups Broccoli
2 Cups Spinach
2 Large Russet Potatoes
1/2 Cup Cheddar Cheese
1 Egg- Beaten
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375*

In a medium pot, boil water, add potatoes and cook until fork tender.

In a grill pan or skillet over medium high heat cook your chicken until it is no longer pink, add season salt and pepper to taste.

You are almost done. Yup, already. I know. It's fabulous!

Take your potatoes, add about a 1/4 cup of milk and beat until they are mashed potatoes.

Now take a 13 x 9 baking dish. Place your chicken on the bottom, then add a layer of raw broccoli, a layer of raw spinach and a layer of cheese.

Now evenly spread dollops of mashed potatoes on top and using the back of a wooden spoon or a spatula smooth so it covers the top of the entire dish.

Take your beaten egg and spread over the top of the mashed potatoes, this will cause it to brown while you cook.

Put into your preheated oven set to 375* (alright, I'm now adding that to the top, but just so you know, I forgot to put it in before...yeesh)

Cook for 20-25 minutes until potatoes are starting to lightly brown.

Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes.

We liked this but I think it needed something, I'm thinking it was garlic, but I'm not positive, it just didn't have that oomph. hmmm....

Serve and relax, there is just something about comfort food that makes the day better!

God Bless!