Tag Archives: potatoes

Week Night Menu: Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole & Potato Soup

This is a hearty weeknight meal that is very filling. If you have a food processor, the prep is a breeze but even if you don’t, you can do things the night before. Gather Your Ingredients for the Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole: 8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 8 slices ham 8 slices Swiss cheese 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup 1 cup sour cream 1/2 cup white wine 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon dried parsley 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 (6 ounce) package herb-seasoned dry bread stuffing mix Gather Your Ingredients … Continue reading →

Sneaky Mama’s Baked Veggie Fries

It has been a long while since I’ve posted a Sneaky Mama recipe. But in all of my holiday cooking and baking, I was challenged to come up with something that my eight year old will eat. She is queen of the picky eaters. I’m just waiting for the full blown coronation. So in response to coming up with something that she will enjoy at the Thanksgiving dinner table (and no, she doesn’t like mashed potatoes, turkey, sweet potatoes, gravy stuffing or even pie) besides rolls, I’ve created some vegetable fries. Try out the various seasonings and see what your … Continue reading →

Hawaiian Style Thanksgiving Dishes

No, you don’t have to live in Hawaii to create the following recipes. I selected ones that included ingredients that are readily available at markets on “the mainland.” For those of you who do not read my regular blogs (Valorie has been kind enough to allow me to guest blog here) I was born and raised in Hawaii, but left the island paradise nearly two decades ago to attend college in Wisconsin (don’t ask)… and the rest, as they say, is history. However, no matter where I spend Thanksgiving I like to include a bit of home into my feast. … Continue reading →

Thanksgiving Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are a staple at the Thanksgiving dinner table. Well, I take that back. Potatoes are a staple at the Thanksgiving dinner table. I am actually rather biased against plain old mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving. I like mashed potatoes, love them as a matter of fact, but I just feel like for such an extravagant meal, you could do better than smashed up roots. With that said, here are my offerings for perfect mashed potatoes, and some other dressed up versions. Perfect Mashed Potatoes You will need: 10-12 mashed potatoes ½ to 1 stick of butter ¼ cup of … Continue reading →

Ask a Food Blogger: Scalloped Potatoes vs. Potatoes au Gratin

I must admit I’m really combining a question I received along with a post in the forums. The question was: Are scalloped potatoes and potatoes au gratin basically the same thing? In the forums, a family member asks: Does anyone have a really good recipe for scalloped potatoes? I am cook Easter dinner for my dad and he wants scalloped potatoes. The Difference Between Scalloped Potatoes and Potatoes au Gratin Scalloped potatoes are a milk based potato dish. The potatoes are usually sliced very thinly although what technically makes it ‘scalloped’ is the milk base. A gratin on the other … Continue reading →

The Frugal Baked Potato (2)

As most of you who read my articles know, one of my favorite meals is baked potatoes, because of the frugal and fast nature of the spud. They are inexpensive and easy to find and come in so many different varieties. You can sometimes even find more exotic types. And each of them has their own distinct flavor. In The Frugal Baked Potato (1), I gave you a couple of frugal topping ideas for this delicious dinner. And in this article, I will give you a few more. If you have a frugal way of preparing toppings for your baked … Continue reading →

Pantry Challenge: What You Can Do with A Box of Potatoes

From the back of the pantry, hiding from the warm yellow light of the kitchen sits a lone box of instant mashed potatoes. How this box of potatoes got there is a bit of a mystery. I always make mashed potatoes from scratch, since real potatoes are so inexpensively frugal, especially when they are on sale for buy one bag and get one free. It is not unusual for me to have two 5- or 10- pound bags of potatoes available. So where did the…gasp…instant potatoes come from? My best conclusion is to blame it on my husband. No, no, … Continue reading →

The Leftover Challenge—Potatoes!

A few weeks ago I posed a leftover challenge. “Give me your leftovers,” I said. “And I’ll give you a recipe.” One reader took me up on the challenge and I gave them a tasty recipe for their leftover brisket. But other than that, I haven’t received a single request. So I’m posing the challenge one more time. Tell me, what is in your refrigerator or pantry that you need to find a recipe for? Here’s an example to get you started—last night we had “fried” potatoes, southern-style. I cooked the potatoes on the stovetop with onions. So today, instead … Continue reading →

Shepard’s Pie

Shepard’s pie is traditionally a British dish that consisted of minced ground lamb covered in mashed potatoes. It has been a favorite dish to serve to a large group of people. I personally don’t care for lamb, so I searched for a Shepard’s pie recipe that contains ground beef. But technically, if you use ground beef instead of lamb (as most Americans do), it is called cottage pie. You can even use fish and create what is known as a fisherman’s pie. Regardless of what type of meat you use and what you call it, I think you will like … Continue reading →

Two more mashed potato recipes for your holiday table

Recipe 2: Herb Infused Mashed Potatoes **The recipes below call for a food mill. If you don’t have one, you can find one at your local cookery or hardware shop. Or, if you prefer, you may mash your potatoes with a hand masher or may use an electric mixer. You’ll need: 4 pounds russet (brown) potatoes, peeled and diced into one-inch pieces 1 ½ cups whole milk ½ cup herb infused oil (make your own by blending ¼ cup fresh herbs and 1-cup olive oil until finely pureed. Strain with cheese cloth and keep in a sealed jar). ½ tsp. … Continue reading →