potato

Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes

Leah Short — Mon, 08 Dec 2014 17:07:53 +0000

Oh mashed potatoes how I love thee! I’ve eaten a huge bowl of mashed potatoes and called it dinner on many a night. Not because I was too lazy to make something or there was nothing in the house, but because they are delicious and versatile. Add any kind of cheese, herbs, even ranch dressing and it’s pretty much the best thing ever. I made these Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes for Thanksgiving and they were the star of the show. You know why? Because they are the exact opposite of anything healthy. Goat cheese, butter, sour cream, and milk. You could use half-and-half or cream for the milk, but I had to draw the line somewhere!

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Meatloaf Cupcakes

Leah Short — Thu, 14 Nov 2013 14:02:24 +0000

Ok yes, they’re quirky and some folks don’t like when food looks like other food, but that doesn’t bother me. I think these Meatloaf Cupcakes are so funny and every time I see them, I flash a silly grin. I had such a fun time in the kitchen making them. What’s not to love about a meatloaf base, mashed potatoes on top, plus bacon and chives? What’s great about this recipe is that it not only looks interesting, but it tastes absolutely fantastic! I will make this meatloaf again and again and again. I may not always pipe on potatoes and call them cupcakes, but this meatloaf recipe is a keeper!

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Smashed Potatoes

Leah Short — Mon, 02 Sep 2013 15:00:00 +0000

On my last trip to the grocery store, I found a bag of these cute, multicolored potatoes. They’re a mix of purple, red, and yellow and the bag read Celebration Potatoes. I had no idea what I was going to do with them, but couldn’t resist grabbing a bag. I absolutely love roasting potatoes, but these were too small to cut up and I wasn’t about to attempt peeling them. So why not smash them instead! These Smashed Potatoes are a great way to shake up how you serve potatoes.

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Loaded Baked Potato Salad

Leah Short — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 12:45:00 +0000

I may have clued you in on my obsession with loaded baked potatoes, or just baked potatoes for that matter. They are such a great vehicle for any kind of topping. When I found this recipe for Loaded Baked Potato Salad, I instantly knew it was going on our menu for the 4th. It’s got everything I go crazy over. Sour cream, cheddar cheese, green onions, and bacon!

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Stuffed Potatoes with Roasted Veggies

Leah Short — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 13:03:55 +0000

I hope you take a moment to read about these Stuffed Potatoes with Roasted Veggies. I know from the picture they look like ordinary baked potatoes. Who cares right? You’d be missing out though! A few posts back I told you that I’m trying to like bell peppers more. When I saw this recipe, I decided to leave the bell peppers in and see how I liked them in the slow cooker. Normally I’d skip them and not think twice about it. You see I love the way they smell and their flavor, but the texture weirds me out. Texture problem solved in the slow cooker, right?!

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Roasted Potato Wedges

Leah Short — Mon, 06 May 2013 13:34:44 +0000

You may look at this post and think it’s too simple and boring, but I’ve been roasting potatoes (and practically any veggie for that matter) for a long time and just never thought to put them on the blog. I seriously make them all the time. Such an easy side to throw together and roasting makes any veggie taste a bajillion times better. I bought a huge bag of red potatoes not too long ago and had a few left that I needed to cook. Instead of chopping them into chunks like I usually do, I thought I’d try wedges. Roasted Potato Wedges were born and I discovered the wedge shape makes them perfect for dipping!

So, how’s it taste?

It’s a potato, so naturally I’m in love with them. Potatoes rock my world in pretty much any form, but roasting them is in my top 3. Why? They get crunchy on the outside, but stay soft in the middle…remind you of fries, maybe?! Now you see why I like them so much. They are incredibly versatile, too. The ones you see pictured have dill and I’ve made them before with rosemary, oregano, basil, cumin, cayenne. The list goes on. It’s so fun to experiment with different herbs and spices. You can also use them as a base for other goodies. Sometimes I melt some cheddar on top or add a dollop of sour cream. I’ve had many meals of just roasted potatoes and nothing else. Last night I ate these for dinner and alternated between dipping them in spicy barbecue sauce and tzatziki sauce (coming up later on the the blog!). Sounds weird I know, but I also have an obsession with condiments so now you see why I like potatoes so much…they’re the vehicle!

You’ll see in the recipe below I don’t have measurements. I eyeball everything because it depends on how many potatoes you use and what spices/herbs you use. You can make a small batch or a huge batch. See how versatile and fantastic they are! This recipe will also work for just about any other veggie. Carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, zucchini, cauliflower. Broccoli and asparagus are also great roasted, but don’t need as much time to cook.

Roasted Potato Wedges

So, How's It Taste? original

Ingredients:

potatoes, cut into wedges
olive oil (just enough to barely drizzle your batch)
salt & pepper
dried herbs/spices of your choice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425F.

2. Cut potatoes into wedges or chunks. Try to make sure they are mostly all the same size. Arrange cut potatoes on a baking sheet with sides. Potatoes should be in one layer, so use multiple baking sheets if you need to.

3. Drizzle the olive oil lightly over the top. The way I gauge it is to use less than what I think I need. You want it to barely coat all the potatoes and a little goes a long way. You'll be tempted to use more, but too much olive oil will make them soggy instead of crispy.

4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. I use seasoned salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle with your choice of dried herbs and spices. Mix with your hands until the potatoes are all coated with the olive oil and spices. Make sure to leave potatoes in one layer.

5. Bake for 30 minutes and use a spatula to mix the potatoes at the 15-minute mark. Some will stick, so make sure you give it a good stir. Potatoes are finished when they're lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve. You can store leftovers in the fridge and reheat using an oven or toaster oven, although they won't be as crispy as the first time you make them.

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Quick Chive Mashed Potatoes

Leah Short — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 12:35:59 +0000

Mashed potatoes. I love them. I love the real deal and I love instant. I could (and have) had a bowlful of mashed potatoes for dinner on several occasions. They are one carb I will never give up (although for the record, mashed cauliflower is darn delicious, too).Â You have to admit, making the real deal can be quite time consuming, and a lot of folks refuse to do instant. Enter Quick Chive Mashed Potatoes. They’re quick and easy, yet not from the powdered stuff. A nice middle ground for when you’re short on time for dinner.

So, how’s it taste?

Really good. I was shocked you could get the flavor and texture from frozen mashed potatoes. I had never heard of Ore Ida Steam n’ Mash until I found this recipe. I try to stay away from the frozen potato aisle and all those fries begging to get in my cart. The Steam n’ Mash are cubes of potatoes and you steam them right in the bag (or in a bowl if you don’t want the whole thing) in the microwave and then mash with a fork. Pretty simple and you can have them as chunky or as smooth as you like. I like mine with a few big chunks. For this recipe, sour cream, fat-free milk, and butter are added. I left out the butter to save calories and it works great without it. I also used reduced-fat sour cream. ANDâ€¦I used almond milk. I forgot to buy regular milk and that was all I had on hand but guess what? It totally worked! You couldn’t detect anything different at all. Saving on calories again! The flavor is spectacular with the chives. Chives and sour cream, sign me up!

I will note that a few of the chunks didn’t cook through as much as the others. While I was mashing with a fork, I noticed some were harder to mash. To remedy that, pop your bowl back in the microwave for a few seconds and they’ll cook more.

I served these Quick Chive Mashed Potatoes with Hamburger Steak and Onion Gravy. It’s a meat and potatoes meal you’ll love and won’t feel guilty about eating since the meal is under 400 calories. Add some cooked carrots and you’ve got a winning dinner in no time.

Quick Chive Mashed Potatoes

Cooking Light, April 2013
makes 4 servings (1 serving = about 1/2 cup)
per serving: 108 calories, 5.5g fat

Ingredients:

2 cups frozen mashed potatoes (such as Ore Ida Steam n' Mash)
2 tbsp. chopped fresh chives
2 tbsp. sour cream (reduced fat works well)
2 tbsp. fat-free milk (almond milk works well)
1 tbsp. butter (can omit if preferred)
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Heat mashed potatoes according to microwave instructions.

2. Stir in chives, sour cream, milk, butter, and pepper.

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