Hasselback Potatoes

Sometime last week, I made this delicious meal pictured above. Both were absolutely delicious. Today, you get the recipe for the potato.

Hasselback potatoes are delicious, although not at all healthy. I read the ingredient list and my heart kind of seized up a bit. But that's okay. Because every now and then, a little splurge is okay.

Besides, who doesn't want to know what a potato stuffed with 10 slices of butter and parmesan tastes like?

Tasty Kitchen has a beautiful photo tutorial if you are confused on any of the steps!

Hasselback Potatoes

Source: Tasty Kitchen

2 whole Russet potatoes

2 tbsp of stick butter

1 piece (about 2 inches long) Parmigiano-Reggiano, sliced thinly

1/8 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp kosher salt

2 tsp olive oil

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 400º. Wash and scrub potatoes. Slice each potato into thin slices, but don't cut all the way through the potato. A trick to help you do this is to put the potato on a wooden spoon; it will stop the knife from cutting all the way through.

Slice the butter into thin pieces. Alternate the butter and parmesan, stuffing them in between the slices of potato. Season with garlic powder and salt. Drizzle the potato with olive oil.

Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and drizzle the heavy cream over the potatoes. Top with cheddar cheese. Place back in the oven for 10-12 minutes. Remove and serve. Enjoy!

Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pulls

One of the many things I love about my mom is how at ease she is with entertaining. I love having people over to our apartment for dinner or game nights but I'm usually a big stressball beforehand since I worry about everything. My mom, on the other hand, can host 10 people over for dinner with hardly any notice and have no problem with it.

She also doesn't stress about trying out a recipe before serving it to company. I like to make things beforehand so I can have a little taste test and give it my stamp of approval before I serve it to our guests. My mom sees something she wants to try and puts it on the menu for when we have company over.

She made this dish while I was back in Georgia when my in-laws came to dinner. I got my mom hooked on Pinterest awhile back and that's where she found this recipe. It was delicious and would make the perfect salty snack to serve the next time you have company over.

Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pulls

Source: Plain Chicken via Pinterest

1 unsliced loaf of sourdough bread (preferably round)

8-12 oz cheddar cheese, shredded

3 oz bag of bacon bits

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 tbsp Ranch dressing mix

Preheat oven to 350º. Using an electric knife, cut the bread going both directions. Do not cut through the bottom crust. Place sprinkles of cheese in between cuts. Sprinkle the bacon bits on the bread, making sure to get in between cuts. Mix together butter and Ranch dressing mix. Pour over bread.

Wrap the entire loaf in foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 50 minutes. Unwrap and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Enjoy!

No Yeast Bread

I've finally ventured into using yeast, but so far, I've only used it for pizza dough. Eventually, I want to start making my own bread. But for now, I stick with this yeast-less bread recipe. The basic recipe is below; you can dress it up with whatever you want. I added rosemary and sea salt to this one.

No Yeast Bread

Source: Earth Notes

4 cups flour

1 tbsp sugar

1/2 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tbsp baking soda

1.5 cups water

2 tsp cider vinegar

1 tbsp butter

Combine the dry ingredients and mix. Combine water and vinegar and add to the dry ingredients;mix well. Knead for 2-3 minutes on a flour surface or with electric mixer. Shape into a round and place on pan. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove and glaze with 1 tablespoon of softened butter. Enjoy!

Mashed Potatoes

Last Easter I (GASP) used instant mashed potatoes. I know. That's about the worst thing a food blogger can admit to doing. Cooking a huge meal by yourself is hard. And my fridge wasn't big enough to peel all the potatoes and store the night before.

We went the more classy route this Thanksgiving and made real mashed potatoes. These were delicious. The basic recipe is below and then you just need to season them however you like. We just used salt, pepper, and garlic. If you are making these for Thanksgiving, you can peel and cube the potatoes the night before. Just store in water overnight.

Mashed Potatoes

Source: adapted from Allrecipes

6 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 cup warm milk

1/2 cup butter or margarine

salt and pepper and garlic salt to taste

Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Cove and bring to a boil; cook for 25-25 minutes or until very tender. Drain well. Add milk, butter, salt, pepper, and garlic salt to taste. Mash until light and fluffy.

Maple-Glazed Roasted Carrots

I forgot to bring my camera to Whitney's house to take pictures of Thanksgiving dinner. Sorry :)

When planning our menu for Thanksgiving, I was reminded of the rule my parents had for us when we were eating at buffets. We always had to have at least three colors on our plate. If not, we'd always come back with a plate full of carbs. My three colors were usually yellow (corn), green (salad or pickles), and white (mashed potatoes). For some reason, when you go to buffets, vegetables just aren't as enticing as all the carbs.

It's the same when planning a big menu. I find it so easy to think of carb side dishes but when I look at the overall menu, I realize I have 10+ carbs and 1 vegetable. So then I have to go back and edit down the list of carbs and add more vegetables. That's exactly what happened with this years menu. The only vegetables I had on the menu were corn and green bean casserole. I added these carrots at the last minute and I'm glad I did.

They taste like regular roasted carrots but the addition of maple syrup gives them just a touch of sweetness.

Maple-Glazed Roasted Carrots

Source: Kalyn's Kitchen Blog

1 lb carrots, peeled and cut on the diagonal line into the same size pieces

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp maple syrup

salt and fresh-ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400º. Heat olive oil in and oven proof frying pan to medium-hot. Add the carrots (you'll hear a slight sizzling sound). Saute carrots 3-4 minutes, or until the surface is slightly blistered and starting to color.

Turn down heat to low and add maple syrup and stir to coat carrots. Season well with salt and pepper.

Put frying pan into hot oven and roast carrots for 1o-15 minutes, or until they are slightly browned and done to your liking. Serve hot. Enjoy!

A-1 Potatoes

When I blogged about the Peppery London Broil awhile back, I mentioned my love for A-1 sauce and the embarrassment my hubs suffers when I order it at restaurants. The above picture may not look very appetizing but there is some pure A-1 goodness on those potatoes. Normally, I do Worcestershire sauce but I decided to switch it up this time.

My parents came out a few weeks ago for a wonderful visit. We had green chile cheeseburgers one night and I made these potatoes to go along with it. I'm not the only A-1-aholic in my family-my older sister loves it as well. My parents aren't quite at the stage I'm at but they can definitely appreciate some A-1 sauce, especially on potatoes.

A-1 Potatoes

Source: Tyler's Taste Test Original

3 unpeeled potatoes, scrubbed and sliced thinly

3.5 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

1/3 cup A-1 sauce

1 cup shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 450º. Toss potatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper in a ziplock bag. On a baking sheet lined with foil, arrange the potatoes in a single layer with as little overlapping as possible. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Brush the potatoes with A-1 sauce and then top with shredded cheese. Bake for another 3-5 minutes, or until the cheese melts. Enjoy!

Creamy Bacon Cheese Grits

Alternate post title: Heaven in Your Mouth-at least if you like grits.

I'm in a love love relationship with grits. There's no hate at all for the pounds that are probably added every time I eat them. Ever since I can remember, grits were a part of breakfast whenever we went to South Georgia to visit my Dad's side of the family. My Nanny (that's Grandma to all you uninformed folks) would make them for us and we would gleefully add spoonfuls of brown sugar to them until they turned a nice light brown color and were so sugary sweet they couldn't really be considered a breakfast food.

The only time I remember being appalled at my Nanny's grits was when she added pork brains to them. Yes, you heard right, pork brains. My sisters and I of course refused to eat them and I still can not figure out why anyone would ruin a perfectly good bowl of grits with pork brains.

In college, I was first introduced to the wonderful deliciousness of cheese grits. I lived right across from the 24 hour dining hall and around midnight-1:00 the Snelling staff would put out breakfast foods, including cheese grits. The majority or my all nighters were pulled at a dining hall table with a plate of cheese grits in front of me. And every morning after my 8:00 (ugh I know-I was an ignorant freshie who didn't understand the value of sleeping in) Astronomy class, I would hit up the dining hall for cheese grits and bacon. I'm pretty sure that's the reason for the weight I gained my freshman year.

When I got married, Neil took over making breakfasts. Every once and a while, he would add cheese grits to the morning meal and it would reaffirm my decision to marry him :)

But then, I came upon the grits recipe to rule all the other grits recipes. It's even better than the sugary brown sugar grits of my childhood. Why, it has BACON! And heavy cream. It's a Pioneer Woman Recipe so you know it's full of fat but also incredibly delicious.

If you ever watched the show "Wife Swap" or you just have a cousin who watches way too many YouTube videos, you'll probably recognize Mr. Curtis from this little clip below...

"BACON IS GOOD FOR ME."

"She can't run in those little high heels."

Man I love that video. Anyways, enough randomness. Scroll down, past the picture of us feeding Lucy cheese grits from a spoon to get to the best recipe ever posted on this blog. The Pioneer Woman uses real grits but they only sale instant out here in California so I've included the modified directions for instant grits. Head over to her website if you are lucky enough to live in a place that recognizes the value of non-instant grits.

Creamy Bacon Cheese Grits

Source: The Pioneer Woman

8 slices regular bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 whole yellow onion, chopped

1 cup instant grits

2.5 cups low sodium chicken broth

1.5 cups water

1 cup heavy cream (change depending upon preference)

1.5 cups grated cheese

dash cayenne, for heat

salt, as needed

pepper to taste

In a heavy pot, cook bacon over medium heat for a couple of minutes to render fat. Add onions and cook with bacon for a few minutes, or until bacon is chewy and onions are golden brown.

Add grits, chicken broth, and water. Stir together and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Cook 5-7 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Keep checking on the liquid level and if they get dry, add a little more broth. Once thickened, pour in cream. Cover pot and continue to simmer on low heat for another 8-10 minutes. When grits are done, add salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste. Remove from heat and stir in grated cheese. Serve warm. Enjoy!

*By the way, these were on my 23x23 list as one of the things from my Pinterest "Yum" board!

Recipe Swap: Orzo Salad with Watermelon and Feta

The theme for this recipe swap was Memorial Day. There were lots of cookout and summer inspired recipes (you can check out the roundup of everyone's recipes here). When I think Memorial Day, I think cookouts by the pool and laying out on the beach. It's the first "official" day of summer for me and I love to celebrate by lighting up the grill and cooking out!

This year's Memorial Day was not spent in my favorite way. Instead I had a four hour flight from Atlanta to Los Angeles and then a two hour battle in traffic from Los Angeles to our home in San Diego. By the time we got home, cooking out was the last thing on my mind. So instead of cooking out by the beach with friends, we pulled on sweats and had some takeout. It was good enough for me.

Later on that week, we decided to grill out so I could make this recipe and enjoy it with some real summer food-hamburgers. I received this recipe from Jey, of the Jey of Cooking. We loved it! I'm a sucker for anything with cheese and the watermelon and basil added the perfect flavors! She tried out one of our favorite Bobby Flay recipes for Grilled Corn with Garlic Butter, Lime, and Parmesan (check it out here)!

1 cup uncooked orzo

2 cups watermelon, seeded and diced

1/2 cup feta cheese

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup fresh basil, sliced thin

salt and pepper, to taste

Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water and allow to cool. Toss with remaining ingredients and serve. Enjoy!

Balsamic Roasted Potatoes

Balsamic vinegar has become my new favorite ingredient. I've used it in two different chicken recipes (here and here), for bruschetta (and for bruschetta chicken-recipes to come), as salad dressing, and more! One of my favorite side dishes using balsamic vinegar is this recipe from Proceed With Caution. It was simple and delicious- my two favorite adjectives for food!

1.5 lbs new potatoes, quartered

3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

8 garlic cloves, smashed

1.5 tbsp dried thyme

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425º. In a baking dish, combine potatoes, broth, vinegar, garlic, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Bake until potatoes are tender and liquid has been reduced to a glaze, about 1.25 hours, tossing twice. Enjoy!

WC Recipe Swap: Chicken with Green Olives, Black Beans and Saffron Rice

One of the posters on a cooking board I frequent recently suggested a recipe swap featuring chicken. I thought this was a great idea because you can never have enough chicken recipes! I submitted my Honey Balsamic Glazed Chicken that I made a few weeks ago and received this one in return.

I was a little nervous before getting my recipe because I wasn't sure what I would be getting! The WC Board has a range of skills and I was afraid I'd end up with a complicated recipe I didn't understand with ingredients I had no clue where to find. Luckily, I didn't.

This was a relatively simple and easy to put together recipe. I didn't make the beans because the hubs is not a fan, as you know. The flavors of this recipe complemented each other and the hubby went back for sec err... thirds. Next time I make this and there will be a next time, I might use boneless, skinless thighs since I have this weird thing about meat on bones. Overall, I'd definitely recommend this recipe to anyone who likes olives! Recipe adapted from Nestie nunyabeeswax.

Chicken

4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

1 small jar Spanish green olives

1.5 cups white wine

1 cup chicken stock

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium onion, diced

4 tbsp olive oil

Black Beans

1 pkg dried black beans

2 onions

1 head of garlic

1 bunch cilantro

stock or water (enough to cover beans)

Saffron Rice

3 cups white jasmine rice or basmati rice

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

3.5 cups chicken stock

2 tsp saffron threads

1 tsp turmeric

For the beans, rinse and check dried beans thoroughly. Peel and quarter the onions and place in a large stock pot. Peel and smash the garlic and add to pot along with the beans and cilantro. Cover with stock or water, at least 3 inches above. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until soft.

For the chicken, preheat the oven to 350º. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and brown in 2 tbsp of olive oil on both sides. Remove from pan and set aside. Add remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil and saute onion until almost translucent then add garlic and saute another minute. Deglaze the pan with wine, allowing the alcohol to cook off. Stir in chicken stock and green olives. Add chicken back to the pan and pour ingredients into an oven-safe pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until heated through.

For the rice, start by toasting the rice in the butter and olive oil for about 3 minutes. Stir in the turmeric and then add the chicken stock and saffron. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered until rice has absorbed stock, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit with lid on for 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Broccoli Cheese Casserole

Once again, no picture :( I actually don't eat broccoli but my husband and our other friends assured me it was delicious! Broccoli cheese casserole seems like a staple at nearly all of my family's holiday meals. This is another recipe of my aunt's!

8 oz. jar Cheese WHiz

1/4 cup margarine, divided

20 oz frozen broccoli florets, thawed

1 cup crushed Ritz crackers

Boil broccoli without salt until soft and drain. Cook cheese and 2 tablespoons margarine until smooth. Add broccoli and 1/2 cup of crumbs to the cheese mixture. Place into a greased 8-in baking dish. Melt remaining margarine and toss with remaining crumbs. Sprinkle over broccoli mixture. Bake uncovered at 350º for 20-25 minutes.

This can be completely prepared ahead of time up to the buttered crumbs. On the day of, take out of refrigerator and allow to warm to room temp for about 30 minutes. Follow cooking directions and enjoy!

Cornbread Dressing

I have to start this post by letting you know I took absolutely no pictures from Thanksgiving. Hubby snapped one of the table and one of my plate but that's it. I'm pretty annoyed with myself especially since I put so much effort into setting up the table and food line. But I assure you everything looked delicious and tasted even better!

A few Christmases ago, my aunt gave every one in the family a copy of a cookbook she had put together of her recipes and a few of the family's favorites. My aunt is an awesome cook. She catered our wedding and people are still talking about how delicious everything tasted almost a year later. So when I started menu planning for Thanksgiving, the first thing I consulted was her cookbook!

This recipe comes from my aunt Anelda and it is a perfect dressing for Thanksgiving!

1 cup corn meal

1 1/3 cup self-rising flour

3 tbsp oil

4-8 eggs, beaten (depending on how eggy you like your corn meal)

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup chopped onion

2/3 cup chopped celery (more to taste)

1/5 cups chopped bell pepper

1 stick margarine

salt and pepper to taste

chicken or turkey broth

Mix first 7 ingredients well. Bake in cast-iron skillet at 325º for 30-40 minutes until golden brown. Cool and crumble in a large bowl. Saute vegetables in 1 stick margarine until tender. Add to cornbread. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add chicken or turkey broth to desired consistency. Bake at 400º for 35-40 minutes until lightly browned.

You can use a cornbread mix instead of making it by hand. Omit the first 7 ingredients , except the eggs. If you choose to do this, hard boil your eggs and crumble them into the mixture.

Roasted Asparagus

Like the pesto palmiers, roasted asparagus is an easy and quick dish to prepare for company. There is not a lot of preparation involved but they are delicious. While there are many ways to prepare it, this is my favorite!

2 bunches of medium asparagus

2 tbsp EVOO

1/2 tsp salt

freshly ground black pepper

Grated or shaved Parmesan, optional

Preheat oven to 450º. Trim the woody ends from the asparagus. Spread the spears in a single layer n a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with the salt and pepper, and roll to coat thoroughly.

Roast the asparagus until lightly browned and tender, about 8-10 minutes, giving the pan a good shake about halfway through to turn the asparagus. Arrange the roasted asparagus on a serving platter and top with some Parmesan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Cheesy and Creamy Mashed Potatoes

I love mashed potatoes. They are probably my most favorite side dish. Unfortunately, I find it easier to just buy the instant kind that takes 5 minutes tops to completely prepare and I prefer the ease of instant to the hassle of peeling real potatoes and the time it takes to cook. But when I found this recipe on Allrecipes, I had to try it. I liked the idea of using evaporated milk. So when the hubby requested meatloaf, which is usually accompanied by instant potatoes, I tired it out and I have to say, I'm in love!

Sorry there's no picture! But mashed potatoes pretty much all look alike :)

2 lbs potatoes
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup butter
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Garlic salt, salt and pepper to taste

Optional add ins:
Crumbled, cooked bacon
Green onion
Extra cheese

Place potatoes in a large saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook over medium-high heat for 15-20 minutes until tender. Drain. Return potatoes to saucepan and add evaporated milk and butter. Beat with handheld mixer until smooth. Stir in cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic salt. Add any additional toppings and enjoy!

Potato Salad

Neil was planning to cook hamburgers for us so I planned a traditional summer dish that I had yet to try: potato salad. Potato salad, like pasta salad, is another seemingly easy recipe that I knew the basics for but I wasn't sure what brought it all together. The easiest and most traditional recipe I found was on www.idahopotato.com. It was very easy to prepare and delicious. Next time, I might up the vinegar just a smidge and reduce the celery. Other than that, if you are looking for a traditional potato salad, this is it!

2 lbs Idaho Potatoes, peeled and diced (about 5 cups)

1/2 cup mayonnaise or light mayonnaise

2 tbsp cider vinegar

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 cup finely diced celery

1/2 cup finely chopped onion or scallion (optional)

1/2 cup chopped hard-boiled egg (optional

2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley, chives or dill (optional)

Place potatoes in large pot and add enough water to cover potatoes. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook 13-15 minutes or until Potatoes are tender. Drain. In a large bowl, combine mayo, vinegar, salt and pepper. Add potatoes, celery and optional add-ins. Toss to coat thoroughly.

Enjoy!

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

This week has been pretty low key on the cooking front. I was feeling a little tired from our vacation and getting ready to go back to school so our meals weren't anything fancy. This recipe was definitely my favorite though.

I love mac and cheese but the boxed kind just doesn't cut it for me. I found this recipe at brooke-cookiejar.blogspot.com and am in love with it. It was super easy and gave me a chance to use my new grater that I got for my birthday!

It does make a lot of mac and cheese though! We had this as our main meal one night, Neil has taken it to lunch twice, and we had it as a side another night! But this is a definitely a meal that tastes even better reheated the second night.

Bread Crumb Topping:
6 slices white sandwich bread (good-quality, about 6 ounces), torn into rough pieces
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold), cut into 6 pieces

Pasta and Cheese:
1 pound elbow macaroni
1 tablespoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons flour1 1/2 teaspoons powdered mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
5 cups milk
8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese , shredded (2 cups)
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese , shredded (2 cups)
1 teaspoon salt

For the bread crumbs: Pulse bread and butter in food processor until crumbs are no larger than 1/8 inch, ten to fifteen 1-second pulses. Set aside.

For the pasta and cheese: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat broiler. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven over high heat. Add macaroni and 1 tablespoon salt; cook until pasta is tender. Drain pasta and set aside in colander.

In now-empty Dutch oven, heat butter over medium-high heat until foaming. Add flour, mustard, and cayenne (if using) and whisk well to combine. Continue whisking until mixture becomes fragrant and deepens in color, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk; bring mixture to boil, whisking constantly (mixture must reach full boil to fully thicken). Reduce heat to medium and simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened to consistency of heavy cream, about 5 minutes. Off heat, whisk in cheeses and 1 teaspoon salt until cheeses are fully melted. Add pasta and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is steaming and heated through, about 6 minutes.

Transfer mixture to broiler-safe 9-by 13-inch baking dish and sprinkle evenly with bread crumbs. Broil until crumbs are deep golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes, rotating pan if necessary for even browning. Cool about 5 minutes, then serve.

Pasta Salad

Pasta Salad is another easy recipe that I wasn't sure if I should blog or not. But then I realized that I had to go and search out a recipe for it so others might be as clueless as I was. I knew the basics: pasta, veggies, and some type of dressing. But I wasn't sure what else to add to give it a little more variety. I'm sure this is by no means an original recipe but it's what sounded good on the Fourth!

1 box of pasta

1 red pepper

1 green pepper (we used 2 since we had them on hand)

1 yellow pepper

Purple onion

Pepperoni to taste

1 cheese brick ( we used colby jack)

1 bottle of Italian Dressing

Boil pasta. Chop all veggies, pepperoni and cheese to a small size of your choosing. Throw chopped ingredients and pasta in a bowl and mix well. Next, add enough dressing to coat all and let it sit in the refrigerator for a few hours so the dressing can "soak" in. Add more as needed if necessary. Enjoy!