I found this Au Gratin Potatoes recipe on the main Weight Watchers website. They post free recipes from time to time, and this was one of them. The notes on the recipe promise that these cheesy potatoes are spouse and kid-friendly, and I can see that. They didn’t taste light at all. The potatoes were creamy and cheesy–reminded me a lot of our family’s standard scalloped potatoes recipe, but with added cheese flavor. I didn’t mind the onion, but if you don’t like onions, you could certainly skip it, and it would turn out just fine.

Au Gratin Potatoes
Adapted from weightwatchers.com

• nonstick cooking spray
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 medium onion, very thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups fat-free milk
• 2 pounds yukon gold potatoes, thinly sliced
• 1 cup 2% cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a 2-quart covered baking dish with cooking spray.

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour; add milk slowly, stirring. Add potatoes and stir to mix. Bring to a boil. Stir in 3/4 cup of cheese, salt and pepper.

Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and level out surface. Bake for 1 hour, uncovered. Cover and bake until potatoes are fork-tender, about 20 minutes more.

Change oven temperature to broil. Sprinkle remaining cheese over potatoes. Broil 6 inches from the heating element until the cheese is golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before slicing into 8 pieces. Works out to three points a serving, according to Weight Watchers.

Note: I’m sure we’ll make these again. The potatoes were creamy, and cheesy, and definitely worth making. The only drawback is the lengthy cooking time–I may experiment with parboiling or starting the potatoes in the microwave a little bit to cut down on the time in the oven next time. Almost an hour and a half in the oven is too long to make these practical for a weeknight, unfortunately.

Taquitos are something that I’d never considered making or even as a real food until I saw this recipe in Everyday with Rachael Ray. The only way I’d ever seen taquitos was in a box from the freezer. The recipe looked manageable enough, and I was excited to try it.

I’m glad I did. They were easier than you’d think to make, and delicious. So much more crispy and fresh-tasting than the kind that come from a box.  We had these for dinner, but they’d make an awesome appetizer. Just serve with some salsa and sour cream.

Potato and Chorizo Taquitos
Adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray

Oh look, another Alton Brown recipe.

This one is so simple, it hardly deserves a recipe. Except that this really is “The” Baked Potato recipe. It shouldn’t have been anything special, but the texture inside the potatoes was perfect, and they had a great crunchy skin that made you want to eat every bite–like a restaurant potato. If you’re looking for a basic baked potato recipe, I don’t think you’ll ever need a different one.

Alton Brown’s Baked Potatoes

Ingredients

• 1 large russet potato (If it looks like Mr. Potato Head, you’ve got the right one.)
• Olive oil, to coat
• Kosher salt

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees and position racks in top and bottom thirds. Wash potato (or potatoes) thoroughly with a stiff brush and cold running water. Dry, then using a standard fork poke 8 to 12 deep holes all over the spud so that moisture can escape during cooking. Place in a bowl and coat lightly with oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt and place potato directly on rack in middle of oven. Place a baking sheet on the lower rack to catch any drippings.

Bake 1 hour or until skin feels crisp but flesh beneath feels soft. Serve by creating a dotted line from end to end with your fork, then crack the spud open by squeezing the ends towards one another. It will pop right open. But watch out, there will be some steam.

If you’re cooking more than 4 potatoes, you’ll need to extend the cooking time by up to 15 minutes.

Note: Next time, I think I’d use one of my more special salts–the Maldon crunchy sea salt, or the Himilayan Pink Sea Salt that I have. I think this is one of those things where you’d really have a chance to taste the difference in the salt. Sorry about the low quality picture, but you know what a baked potato looks like anyway. This one doesn’t look like anything special, it’s just an easy, serviceable method with solid results. My one disappointment is that this recipe didn’t show up in the new Good Eats: The Early Years cookbook, despite being featured in the second episode. Alton makes baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, and a potato gratin, and only the mashed potatoes (plus a potato pancake recipe that wasn’t on the episode) made it into the book. I thought they were all supposed to be there, so I’m going to have to do a bit more investigating.

Today’s blog post is already up…over at the Chicago Redeye blog.

I entered a contest to try and incorporate ground pork, camembert cheese, and haricots vert into the tastiest dish. I don’t know if I’ll win, but the dish I made sure was tasty. We ate it two days in a row and it even got David eating green beans! There’s a picture below, but be sure to check out the post on the Redeye blog, and feel free to leave your comments over there. Maybe you can sway Stephanie towards my dish.

Check the recipe out here.

I spotted a picture of these potatoes on Photograzing the other day, which reminded me of when I’d read about them on Orangette’s blog a few months back. They couldn’t be easier to make, and you probably have everything you need on hand. Basically, you slice a potato into thin accordion slices, tuck garlic in between the slices, and sprinkle with extra virgin olive oil, freshly ground black pepper, and crunchy sea salt (regular salt would work, too). I also topped each potato with just a tiny bit of butter. The potatoes were simple, but tasty. They got crunchy at the edges, like shoestring french fries, or even potato chips, while the center of the potatoes stayed soft and creamy. I used yukon gold potatoes, but I think any starchy (not waxy) potatoes would work. You end up with some kind of cross between potato skins and mashed potatoes. Very tasty!

Hasselback Potatoes

• 6 Medium Size Potatoes
• 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
  
• 1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Tbsp Butter
• Maldon Sea Salt Flakes
  
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 425. Put the potato on a cutting board and trim a strip off of one long side of the potato, to create a stable base for slicing. Place the potato on the board flat side down. Start from one end of the potato, and carefully slice about 3/4 of the way through, at about 1/4 inch intervals.

Arrange the potatoes on a cookie sheet and insert the garlic in between the slits. Scatter some butter on top of each potato, then drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Bake the potatoes for about 40 minutes or until the potatoes turn crispy and the flesh is soft and tender.

Not much of a story here, tonight. Just a super-easy, extra-tasty roasted vegetable side. I will say this: You should be able to tell from the blog that I’m skeptical, to say the least, about most vegetables. I include them grudgingly, if at all, though I’m trying to get better. But David bought some zucchini and some squash and I needed to cook them somehow, so I threw these together. And though I picked around the zucchini mostly, I will admit that on the whole, these veggies were pretty tasty.

Oven-Roasted Veggies

• 1 zucchini, sliced into 1 inch chunks
• 1 yellow squash, sliced into 1 inch chunks
• 3 shallots, peeled and halved
• 1 cup baby carrots
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
• 2 yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Adobo seasoning

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Spray a roasting pan with non-stick spray, or line with parchment paper.

2. Prepare the vegetables as outlined above. Toss together the sweet potatoes, yukon gold potatoes, shallots, and carrots with 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of Adobo seasoning, plus salt and pepper. Spread in an even layer in the bottom of your roasting pan, and let cook for 25-30 minutes.

3. While these hardier veggies get a head start, toss remaining vegetables with the other tablespoon of oil and the 1/2 tablespoon of Adobo seasoning and salt and pepper. After 25-30 minutes, or until the potatoes are just fork tender, but still firm, add the zucchini & squash and cook for another 15-20 minutes, or until the zucchini & squash are tender and the potatoes and carrots are cooked through. Serve immediately.

For our Fourth of July party, I made these garlic fries with a spicy dipping sauce to go with our main dish of BBQ Ribs. I actually got this recipe from a couple different places. I got the idea for the one-step french fries from The Hungry Mouse, and then doctored them up with fresh garlic and parsley, inspired by Seven Spoons.

They were delicious.

Yukon Gold Garlic Fries with Spicy Horseradish Dipping Sauce

To make the fries:

• 2-3 pounds yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed, and cut into desired frying shape
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup fresh flat leaf parsley
• Kosher salt to taste
• vegetable, canola, or peanut oil for frying

1. In a small bowl of your food processor (I used the chopper function on my immersion blender) combine the garlic, parsley, and red pepper flakes.

2. Place the sliced potatoes in a large heavy bottom pan (or deep fryer). Pour in (cold) oil of your choice (I used a mixture of canola oil and vegetable oil), so that the potatoes are covered by at least an inch. Then turn on the heat, to medium high.

3. After about 10 to 15 minutes, the oil will begin to bubble around the fries, and the fries will float to the top. Continue to cook, stirring frequently. The fries will continue to brown steadily, so watch them carefully. When they are browned and crisp to your liking, remove them to a plate lined with paper towels.

4. Sprinkle the fries with kosher salt and the garlic/parsley mixture, while they are fresh and hot.

To make the dipping sauce:

1/2 cup mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip–actual mayonnaise)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

1. In a bowl, stir together all five ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

I actually stumbled across this recipe while searching for the recipe for Guy Fieri’s McCalister Potatoes on the Food Network website. It was accompanied by a video, which I watched right away–the idea of a fried potato salad was intriguing to me. Plus, I find German potato salad oddly compelling. It shouldn’t be good, with all the mustard and vinegar, but the sharp tangy flavor sticks with you. It’s the kind of thing that you find yourself craving months later. I do, anyway.

So when I read through Guy’s recipe for Fried German Potato Salad, I could just taste how it would turn out, and I was excited to try it. I thought it was really tasty.

Fried German Potato Salad
Adapted from Guy’s Big Bite

• 6 Red potatoes medium size, cut into large dice
• 8 ounces thick sliced bacon, cut into pieces
• Canola oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 3 tablespoons apple cidar vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1. Put diced potatoes into a pot and fill with cold water (water should just cover the potatoes). Put pot on stove on medium flame and add salt. When water comes to a boil, and the potatoes are cooked, drain the potatoes and spread out on a side towel to dry.

2. While potatoes are doing their thing, add bacon to a large saute pan and cook over a low/medium flame. When the bacon is cooked remove with a slotted spoon and drain the bacon fat, reserving some if you want to add it later. Wipe out the pan with a wad of paper towels (and crank up the heat), add a decent amount of a neutral oil, like canola, and heat it until you get some smoke.

3. Once the oil is hot, carefully add the potatoes and shake the pan a couple of times to make sure nothing sticks. Lower the heat a little and let the potatoes brown. Season with salt and pepper.

4. After a few minutes, shake the pan and get the other sides going. When the potatoes are almost completely cooked, add the red onion and let everything cook together. Once the onions are caramelized, add the vinegar and deglaze. When the vinegar is mostly evaporated, add the extra-virgin olive oil, mustard and bacon (and reserved bacon fat if you want), re-season with lots of cracked black pepper. Serve warm.

Note: Just like last time, I think I over-cooked my potatoes a touch, which gave them a softer, more crumbly texture than the recipe intended. Guy’s recipe called for capers and red wine vinegar, but I skipped the capers and substituted apple cider vinegar, just because it felt like cider vinegar was the more traditional choice for a german potato salad.

This is one of those recipes that’s so bad for you, you know it’s going to be amazing. It’s a fried potato side dish from Guy Fieri, topped with crispy bacon, shredded Parmesan cheese, and a tangy sour cream topping. The best part is that it starts with whole baby yukon gold potatoes, which are boiled and then smashed down into the best of both worlds: a flat potato that crisps up all around the edges, but with a smooth, creamy, almost mashed-potato texture at the center.

Smashed-Down Potatoes with Bacon & Cheese
Adapted from Guy’s Big Bite

• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons white wine
• 3 pounds baby Yukon potatoes
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
• 3/4 pound bacon, diced
• 2 yellow onions, diced
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan (freshly grated, no green cans!)

In small mixing bowl combine sour cream, mustard, and white wine. Mix thoroughly and refrigerate for 1 hour.

In large stock pot cover potatoes with water and add 2 tablespoons salt. Set heat on high and boil until fork tender.

In a large saute pan over medium heat cook bacon and saute onions until caramelized. Transfer bacon and onions from pan on to a paper towel to absorb grease. Distribute evenly on a platter and keep warm. Leave remaining fat in pan.

When potatoes are fork tender, drain, and with a clean kitchen towel, palm smash the hot potatoes to approximately 1/3-inch thick.

Reheat fat in saute pan and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Heat to oil medium heat and place potatoes in oil. Season with salt and pepper and brown on both sides, then transfer to onion and bacon platter. Repeat, adding more oil, until all potatoes are cooked crispy.

Top potatoes with Parmesan and then with sour cream mixture.

Note: Be sure to keep an eye on the potatoes–I didn’t have any trouble the first time I made this recipe, but this time, I think I let them go a little too long. These had a tendancy to start to crumble when I smashed them, which made it harder to fry the smashed-down potatoes intact.

This recipe is so simple, it almost doesn’t deserve to be called a recipe. These are the potatoes I made with the barbecue pork sandwiches. The potatoes were super-easy–but despite so little effort were surprisingly delicious.

I’m not kidding when I said the recipe was simple, I just checked, and it’s so basic I could twitter it:

Recipe: Oil & Onions in pan over med. heat, saute. Add butter, red pot. wedges, Adobo seas. Cook until tender. Add Italian seas. Serve. Yum!

There’s your potato recipe in 140 characters…feel free to ReTweet. Of course, if you’re looking for a little more guidance, keep reading.

The basic idea for the recipe actually came from The Spice House website. In addition to the awesome spice blends that I talked about in my post earlier this week, the Spice House website includes ideas and recipes for each spice, herb blend, and seasoning that they sell. I found this recipe for Adobo Potatoes while writing my post about our shopping trip to the Old Town location.

Adobo Potatoes
Adapted from The Spice House website.

I’ve linked to the original recipe above, but here’s how I made them:

• 1/2 cups sliced onions (you could skip these, if you wanted)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 package of Simply Potatoes red potato wedges, unseasoned (They’re in the refrigerated section of your grocery store)
• 2 teaspoons Adobo Seasoning
• 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning

1. In a large non-stick skillet, saute onions in olive oil over medium heat until they begin to soften. Add butter and potatoes and stir, so that the potatoes are coated in the oil and butter mixture. Sprinkle with Adobo Seasoning. Cover, and continue cooking over medium heat until the potatoes are fork tender, about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally, so that the potatoes brown evenly.

2. Sprinkle with Italian Seasoning. Mix to combine and serve.

Note: I know, it’s not complicated, and it doesn’t seem like much–but they were very tasty. There was a lot of “Mmm! Those ARE good!” going on in the kitchen that night.

P.S. What do we call a recipe on twitter? A Twecipe? Twrecipe? Tweetipe? Ridiculous? Take the poll!

 Loading ...