Roasted Red Potato Salad {MY FAVE!}

Drum roll please... Here it is.  My FAVORITE salad this summer.  (Thank you Nopper Family for showing me this divine dish!) This is the best potato salad I've ever had. Period.  What I love about this salad is that it isn't your typical dill and potato salad, and second to that is how surprisingly easy and simple it is.  Check it...

ingredients
red potatoes, roasted and diced
hard boiled eggs, chopped
bacon, cooked and chopped
green onion, diced
a little bit o' Miracle Whip
Salt n Peppa

...I'm not putting how much to use of each ingredient because it's best to make it the way you love best.

instructions
Place diced potatoes on a cookie sheet (sprinkle with olive oil and this seasoning salt - or one of your choice - for added flavor).  Roast at 425 degrees until lightly toasted - about 40 to 45 minutes.  At the same time you are roasting your potatoes you can cook your bacon! Place bacon strips on a greased cooling rack, then place the cooling rack with the bacon in a cookie sheet.  I find this is the best way to cook bacon.  The grease drains off of the bacon down into the cookie sheet for less fat!  And the bacon is unreal it's so good!  Be careful not over cook your bacon - it will cook a lot faster than the potatoes.

Once all ingredients are cooked and chopped up, mix in a large bowl.  Add Miracle Whip to taste (I usually use about 1/2 to 3/4 cup).  Salt and pepper to taste (love using freshly ground pepper with this...yum!)

Serve warm.

You have to try this salad!  And when you do, return and report!  I'd love to hear what you thought!

{freezer} breakfast burritos.

{yet another less than spectacular picture, but you get the idea.}

what i love about this is... it's easy. you can freeze it and have it for breakfast. or lunch or dinner. you can top it with your favorite mexican toppings. and it's gooood. i had one for dinner last night and for lunch today... yum!

ingredients:
12 eggs, scrambled
1 package sausage {i used a roll of jimmy dean pork sausage}
1/2 onion, diced
1 30-oz bag frozen hash browns
1-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 4-oz can diced green chiles {optional}
tortillas
salt & pepper

directions:
brown sausage with onions. set aside in a large bowl. in same pan, cook eggs. salt & pepper to taste. put into bowl with sausage. add hash browns, cheese, and green chiles. mix until all combined. soften tortillas in microwave. fill tortillas with desired amount of deliciousness, roll burrito style, and wrap in plastic wrap or eat immediately. heat frozen burritos 2 minutes in the microwave. top with all your favorites!

makes 14+ depending on how fat you make them.

Roast Chicken with Gravy by The Food Nanny

 Dinner #5: Roast Chicken with Gravy

Time: Long

Price: $$$$

My thoughts:  Surprisingly easy!  Not to mention really good.  I'm not gonna lie, it was my first time ever having cooked a young chicken.  Poor thing. I was kinda freaked out touching it before it was cooked, thinking "this was once a young chicken not too long ago."  But I succeeded in setting my emotions aside and savored it's deliciousness once cooked.

What I loved: That I can now cook a bird on my own.  I think that officially makes me a mom. Does it not? And I loved making homemade gravy from it's drippings . . . man, call me Betty people! And of course we loved the leftovers.

ingredients

1 whole young roasting chicken, 5-6 pound

1 pinch seasoned salt

1/4 flour

1 pinch lemon pepper

1 1/2 cup chicken broth

1 pinch salt and ground black pepper

instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Discard any giblets and wipe the chicken inside and out with a damp paper towel; discard the towel immediately. (This is the preferred way to "rinse" a chicken, for food safety.)  Place the chicken in a shallow roasting pan or 9x13-inch metal baking pan. Sprinkle the chicken with lemon pepper and seasoned salt.  Roast uncovered 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, basting with the pan drippings during cooking if desired.  Or pour a little chicken broth over the chicken a couple of times to keep it moist.  Check for doneness with an instant-read thermometer.  The chicken is done with the thigh juices run clear with pricked with a fork, or at 170 to 175 degrees.  If you like the dark meet falling off the bone, roast until  the thigh registers 180, but at this point the breast meat may be dry.  Transfer the chicken to a platter and tent with aluminum foil to keep warm while making gravy: leave the juices in the baking pan.  Add 1 1/2 cups of the chicken broth to the juices.  In a small bowl or measuring cup, make a paste of 1/4 cup of chicken broth and the flour.  Stir until smooth. Place pan over medium-high heat and bring the juices and brother to a boil.  Add the paste, stirring constantly with a whisk for 2 min or until mixture is thickened.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add more past if the gravy is too thin, or add more broth if too thick.

Chicken and Potatoes Italiano by The Food Nanny

Dinner #2:  Chicken and Potatoes Italiano

Time: Long

Price: $$$$ (I found my drumsticks on sale for less than .50 cents each!)

Servings: however many pieces of chicken you use!

My thoughts: A delightful comfort food.  I've never cooked with drumsticks before, so I was pretty nervous I was going to mess things up.  But to my advantage, I didn't.  Again my dinner turned out! Round of applause for me!  This recipe was soooo easy.  And super simple.  I stuck this in the oven before I left to take my daughter to dance, and when I returned it was nearly done.  We paired this entree with Green Bean Casserole*, a family favorite).

What I loved: Using fresh rosemary - and realizing just how much that little amount of Rosemary really does flavor it!

ingredients

6 medium russet potatoes (2 pounds) peeled and quartered lengthwise

1/4 cup olive oil, divided

6 chicken drumsticks

6 chicken thighs (I omitted these, and just did drumsticks)

1 freshly ground black pepper

2 medium white onions, thickly sliced

2 T fresh Rosemary leaves or 2 teaspoons dried coarse salt

directions

Preheat oven to 400.  Place potato and onion pieces in a sheet pan or other large baking pan, drizzle olive oil over them, saving 2T for chicken.  Remove the skin from the chicken pieces if desired.  Rub the remaining 2 T of olive oil over the chicken and place in the pan between the potatoes and onions.  Sprinkle the rosemary on the chicken.  Sprinkle the salt and pepper generously over all.  Bake for 30mins.  Turn the potatoes and onions and continue baking until chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender, 15 to 25 mins more.

*Green Bean Casserole
ingredients
2 cans green beans
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can Frech's French Dried Onions
1/3 cup milk

directions
Mix all ingredients, except for half of the dried onions, in a 9x13 pan.  Top with remaining half of dried onions.  Bake uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes or until heated through.

instant potato soup.

this kept us nice & toasty during the winter storm today! i love that it doesn't require actual potatoes. i don't always have potatoes on hand, but i always have the instant variety :)

ingredients:
2 Tbsp onion, chopped
2 Tbsp butter
3 cups milk
1 can chicken broth
4 servings worth of dry instant mashed potatoes
1 1/2 tsp salt
pepper

directions:
in a saucepan, saute onion in butter over low heat. add milk, chicken broth, salt & pepper, and potato flakes. heat to almost boiling, stirring constantly. remove from heat. garnish with paprika, parsley, or grated cheese. add milk if too thick.

optional:
i added 2 cups of cubed, cooked potatoes. i think next time i'll try adding 4 slices of finely chopped bacon when i cook the onions.

Cheesy Potato Broccoli Soup [FAVE!]

So the picture isn't that great (I took this picture in the winter, so I had no natural light...hate that). However, this soup is AMAZING. My family yums this up. Probably in the top five favorites for my husband (and me). Super easy, super cheesy. Super delicious. You've got to try it.

ingredients

*for soup:

2 quarts water (8 cups)

8 chicken bullion cubes

1 bag frozen broccoli

Handful of peeled and diced potatoes

1 1/2 squares of butter

3/4 cup flour

1 bottle of cheese whiz (sounds gross . . . but it adds amazing flavor)

*for bread bowl:

1 bag of frozen Rhodes loaves (3 come in a bag - you can make as many as 9 bowls from this!)

1 egg, beaten
{from this fabulous cook book}

instructions:

*Soup: Boil potatoes and bullion in water. Meanwhile, thicken the butter and flour in a sauce pan. Once potatoes are tender, add butter and flour mixture to thicken. Then add frozen broccoli (you can even toss in shredded carrots!) and cheese whiz. I use the tall glass bottle of cheese whiz and almost use the entire thing, but not quite. Add as much or as little as you like. Simmer until veggies are cooked through.

SERVES: a lot! Probably 5-6. Be prepared for fabulous leftovers.

*Bread bowl: Cut thawed loaf into thirds. From each third into a ball. Place on baking sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Brush with egg. Cover with sprayed plastic wrap. Let rise until double in size. Remove wrap and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool and slice off top. Hollow out bread and fill with soup. (For larger bowls, cut loaf in half.)

Enjoy this family favorite. You'll love it.

Tatertot Casserole {+ Red Flame Seasoning}

I revamped a recipe from a Foxboro Ward cookbook and made it my own. This casserole is super easy to make, and a good stand-alone meal with a piece of bread to dab it up with. I think this is a good husband dish for all those meat-and-potato] fellas out there.

ingredients
tatertots (how much is up to you)
red potatoes, quartered (how much is up to you)
can of green beans
1 lb ground beef, seasoned (I suggest Red Flame Seasoning Salt)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
minced onion (I use the dry minced onion - how much is up to you)
1.5 cups cheddar cheese

instructions
Brown ground beef in a large skillet with onions, add desired seasonings. Combine the rest of the ingredients in with the browned beef. Stir to mix, then heat. Spoon entire heated mixture into a 9x13 pan. Top with cheddar cheese. Cook for 45 minutes at 375 degrees.

{Red Flame Seasoning Salt}
I got this new seasoning salt by Red Flame that is my new favorite thing, so I have to share. I loooove this seasoning. I just barely got it but have used it on three dinners already. I mixed it in with my spaghetti sauce a few nights ago (it did wonders for it), used about 1 Tbsp on my Goulash last night . . . Y-U-M-M-Y, then of course, used it with my tasty Tatertot Casserole. You can purchase this amazing seasoning salt through Staci Jackson (one of our cooks!) for cheap cheap. Everyone needs this in their spice cupboard. Love it. Thanks Staci!!

(I'll have Staci post more about it just in case you're interested.)

Onion Roasted Potatoes

.


Ingredients:


2 lbs. red potatoes
1 packet dry onion soup mix
1\3 cup olive oil
1 cup Panko bread crumbs


Directions:


Dice your potatoes into desired size.

Place potatoes in a large ziploc bag.

Add soup mix, bread crumbs and olive oil to the potatoes in the bag. Swish everything around until the potatoes are evenly coated.

Let the potatoes marinade for about half an hour.

Pre-heat oven to 350

Grease a baking dish, and place the potatoes in the dish until they are spread out evenly.

Bake for approximately 45 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

This is a great easy side dish, and they taste really good!

honey roasted red potatoes.

this was a delicious side for our dinner last night. i found the recipe on sweet basil.

ingredients:
1 Pound Red potatoes
2-3 Tb Melted Butter
2 Tb Honey
1 Ts Ground Mustard
1/2 Ts Salt
1/4 Ts Pepper

directions:
Heat oven to 375 and spray a cookie sheet. Cut potatoes in half or quarters depending on the size and line on the baking sheet. Mix the butter, honey, mustard, salt and pepper and drizzle over the potatoes. Bake for 30-40 min until tender

we served it with parmesan chicken and greek salad.

Wednesday at Gina's

Wednesday brought marvelous mini meatloaves, steamed, cheesy broccoli and Betty Crocker's scalloped potatoes.

My marvelous mini meatloaf is a fave in our home. What I love most about it is the texture and seasoning. It's just the right amount of crunch coupled with it's own marvelous flavor....no ketchup needed here! To find the recipe click here, it was the very FIRST recipe on Eat Your Veggies, Peas!

scalloped potatoes.

{sorry no picture, friends. but i swear i made them and they were de-lish!}

ingredients:4 cups peeled, sliced potatoes
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp onion, minced
2 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

directions:
in a small bowl or cup, combine flour, salt & pepper. grease casserole dish and layer: potatoes, sprinkling of flour mixture, a few dots of butter, a tsp of minced onion {or slightly less}, sprinkling of cheese, potatoes {etc... ending with cheese on top}.

warm the milk in microwave or on the stove top to scalding. remove any skin that formed on the top. stir in baking soda {this helps prevent curdling}. pour milk over potatoes. cover and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. after 30 minutes, uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes, or until potatoes in the center are tender. optional: after the full hour, sprinkle extra cheese on top and bake for an additional 5 minutes.

*tip: this will almost always bubble up and spill over. to prevent the mess, put a cookie sheet or a sheet of tin foil underneath to catch the drippings.

So Easy Roasted Potatoes

However many potatoes you need for your crowd
Oil (Olive or Vegetable)
Steak Seasoning


Preheat oven 425. Wash and cut potatoes into about bite size chunks. Spead out evenly into one layer on cookie sheet. Drizzle generously with oil. Sprinkle with seasoning, as much as you like. Toss everything together with your hands so all the potatoes are coated evenly with oil and seasonings. Throw in the oven for 20-25 min till fork tender and a little golden. Enjoy!