My sister Susan, requested this recipe. I intended to copy paste and send it to her, but discovered it wasn't in my documents! Yikes! 

So, here it is!

Enjoy!

Mags

Mom’s Potato Casserole

 

12 medium russet potatoes (4 lbs.), peeled and cubed

½ cup butter (1 stick), room temperature

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature, cut into pieces

8 oz. sour cream, room temperature

2 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

¼ tsp. paprika

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Boil potatoes, drain, then mash.

Melt butter in same pan that boiled potatoes over low heat. Add cream cheese. Remove pan from heat. Beat with wooden spoon until mixture is smooth. Add mashed potatoes to butter mixture. Add sour cream, salt and pepper. Beat until smooth. Taste for flavor.

Spread evenly in greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish (I use a glass Pyrex pan) or any other shallow 2.5-quart casserole pan. Sprinkle with paprika.

Bake at 350 for 35 min.

Tips & Tricks:

·         Cube potatoes to the same size. If the potatoes are smaller, they will cook more evenly and quicker.

·         Instead of just mashing, use a potato ricer (like a sieve with small holes the potato is squished through).

·         Have the cream cheese and sour cream at room temperature. It will incorporate with the hot potatoes better and smoother.

·         Sometimes I use white pepper instead of black pepper as it seems to be a bit more ‘peppery bite’ and you don’t have the black specks dotting the potatoes.

·         Can be made ahead and refrigerated. Take potatoes out of refrigerator 2+ hours prior to baking.

·         When they have been refrigerated, place pan in cold oven so the glass pan will slowly heat up along with the potatoes.

Foodie Friday -- Skillet Hash

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I had leftover meat and not a whole lot of options. Well, when I was looking for a recipe, I remembered this one for Skillet Hash. It's originally from a Betty Crocker cookbook and I've used this recipe numerous times when I've had left over roast beef.

Skillet Hash

2 cups chopped cooked beef
4 small potatoes, cooked and diced (about 2 cups)
1 med. onion, chopped (@1/2 cup)
1 Tbls. snipped parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup shortening

Mix beef, potatoes, onion, parsley, salt and pepper. Heat shortening in large skillet over medium heat until melted. Spread beef mixture evenly in skillet. Fry, turning frequently, until browned. 10-15 minutes.

 
Hints & suggestions:

·         Oven Hash--Omit shortening. Spread mixture evenly in greased 8 x 8 baking dish. Cook uncovered on 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

·         My beef is already seasoned, so I will taste it before adding the additional salt and pepper.

·         Can easily double the recipe, but you might need two skillets to cook them in or work in batches.

Enjoy!

FOODIE FRIDAY--Cottage Pie (meat entree)

Quite a few years ago when our daughter was two going on three, we traveled to Disney World—mainly to take advantage of their ‘kids under 3’ are free policy.  She was potty trained and a real trooper. We did take an umbrella stroller that first year, but in the years afterwards she walked or Daddy carted her on his back.  Even today at the grand age of ten, she’ll fuss and complain when we walk around the block, but take her to an amusement park and she leaves us in the dust!

Our first night at Disney, we had reservations at the Rose and Crown Pub at EPCOT.  We were eating when a waiter came up to use and asked if our daughter wanted to start the Illuminations: Reflections of Earth a laser/fireworks show on the lake. Of course, neither my hubby nor I thought to bring a camera! Rachel held the wand, and when told to point it over the lake, she did. A single flare burst out and the 12-minute show started. Though we were unable to document it with pictures, it was truly an experience.

Out of the Cooking with Mickey cookbook with only slight modifications:

Rose and Crown’s Cottage Pie

¼ cup butter

1 cup onion, diced

1 ½ lbs. lean ground beef

Salt

Pepper

¼ tsp, savory, ground

1 cup brown gravy (McCormick’s brown gravy mix works best)

2 cups potatoes, mashed (I always have boxed potato flakes to use)

Grated cheddar cheese

Heat butter in 9-in. skillet. Add onion and cook until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Add beef, salt, pepper, and savory and continue cooking 5 minutes longer. Stir in gravy and heat until bubbling. Spoon mixture into a buttered 8-cup flat casserole dish. Top meat mixture with mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with grated cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, or until potatoes are lightly browned.

Enjoy!

Herb Roasted Potatoes

I believe this recipe was originally written down at a Weight Watcher's meeting years ago, but when I searched through my book of Bon Appetite recipes, I found many recipes that were similar.  If you want to change the herbs to Herbs de Provance, or use Lemon Pepper, or whatever, go right ahead!  That is the beauty of these easy-peasy recipes. Enjoy!

Herb Roasted Potatoes

Prep time: 5-15 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour

Oven temp: 375 degrees F.

Russet potatoes, peeled, cubed into ½-in pieces (I used 5 small/medium potatoes-feel free to try red, blue, Yukon gold, or whatever you have available)

Olive oil

Italian seasoning

Garlic powder

Salt

Black pepper

Minced dried onions (fresh onions will burn in the oven)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Place cubed potatoes into 9-in square Pyrex pan.  Drizzle with olive oil, shake seasonings over potatoes.  Toss with hands until coated (the potatoes, though your hands are coated, too!). Add more seasoning, if desired.

Place pan in center of oven for one hour.  Set timer for 30 minutes.  When 30 minutes are up, using metal spatula, flip potatoes over (they might stick to the pan). If they don't seem to be cooking, increase the oven's temp 25 degrees, if it is cooking too quickly, lower the temp 25 degrees Cook for 30 more minutes.

They should look golden brown, like this. This should also give you an idea of how much of the Italian herb seasoning I used.

Sorry, this is from my phone . . . deal with the picture quality.  I placed our plates in the oven to warm, they ended up too hot, so be careful.  A warm plate will keep the meal warmer for longer. Uh, I shouldn't have to say this, but I will DO NOT DO THIS WITH A PLASTIC PLATE!

Served with pan-fried ham steak (@ 1/3 inch thick slice of bone-in ham) and peas.  Heated plates in the oven to keep meal warm.  Excellent!

Enjoy!
Later, Peeps!