Individual Scalloped Potatoes

Welcome Spring! The grass is green. The Canada geese are still here so I'm sure they are waiting to head back north. My sister showed me all the snow still on the ground so I understand why the geese want to stay a little longer down here. The other great thing about today is it is my niece's birthday! Don't worry I will call her to wish her a great first day of Spring on this wonderful birthday. Since I figured I posted cupcakes yesterday, today would be scalloped potatoes! I have made this recipe a couple of times now. My children love it. My husband request it. It is a popular dish. My husband said the recipe even sounds simpler than the box kind.

Individual Scalloped Potatoes 
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
3 Tbsp all purpose flour
2 cups milk
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
8 oz. cheddar cheese, grated
4 large potatoes, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Lightly spray 4 individual casserole dishes with nonstick cooking spray. 
3. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
4. Lower heat to low, add the flour and stir to make a roux for 1 minute.
5. Whisk in the milk. Allow to thicken for 5 minutes.
6. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Stir in half the cheddar. Cook for 1 minute. 
8. Gently, add the potatoes and coat with the mixture.
9. Spoon the mixture evenly into the prepared casserole dishes.
10. Top each dish with the remaining cheese.
11. Bake the dishes for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Recipe adapted from Southern Food.

One year ago.............................I made Maple and Brown Sugar Cinnamon Rolls.
Two years ago...........................I made PB Oreo Brownie Cupcakes.
Three years ago.........................I made Rice Pilaf.

Did you already know............................
-Canada Geese can live to be 24 years old in the wild.
-In 24 hours, a flock of geese can fly over 1,500 miles with a nice wind current.
-Canada Geese are monogamous and lay between 2 to 9 eggs.

Country French Omelet

I showed my son this recipe and he agreed we should make it. Now, I hate cooking bacon. If I use the stove, it splatters. I even bought a splash guard but I still have to lift it up to flip them. I also tend to burn a couple of pieces. If I cook bacon in the oven, I think they tend to be very crumbly. So, I try to cook bacon for two recipes and save some pieces for the next day. My oldest daughter use to cook the bacon for me since I think she wanted to sample a few pieces. This recipe is easy. The potatoes are crispy. This was one filling breakfast. It could easily be a quick dinner meal too.

Country French Omelet
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup unpeeled Yukon Gold potatoes
3 large eggs
3 egg whites
3 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp salted butter
 2 slices of bacon, cut into pieces
1 Tbsp chives, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large oven safe skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat on the stove.
3. Add the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. 
4. Cook for 8 minutes. Toss occasionally to brown evenly.
5. Remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel lined plate.
6. In a medium bowl, add the eggs, egg whites, and milk. Whisk to combine.
7. Add the butter to the skillet and allow to melt over low heat. 
8. Pour the eggs into the skillet. 
9. Sprinkle the bacon, potatoes, and chives evenly over the top of the eggs.
10. Place the skillet into the oven for 8 minutes. 
11. Season with salt and pepper.
12. Serve hot.

Recipe adapted from Back to Basics cookbook by Barefoot Contessa.

Three years ago............................Enchilada Pie.

Did you already know.............
-Omelet is French and means thin plate.
-There is a legend about Napoleon being served an omelet by an innkeeper. 
-Napoleon was so impressed by the omelet that he had the townspeople prepare a huge omelet for his army the next day.

Breakfast Potato Bake

Since my Mom has four children, I like to celebrate Mother's Day with her a week early. My younger sister tends to do the same. Then my other sisters does something special for her on Mother's Day. It is nice since my Mom celebrates Mother's Day for two weekends and not just one. Yes, she is that special! I know my Mom likes potatoes so I wanted to make sure I had a potato dish for her Mother's Day brunch. I also figured breakfast sausage would be a great addition. When I looked for a recipe to make, the majority of the recipes had frozen hash browns. I wanted to take the extra steps and make it from scratch. Also, my husband's family makes this wonderful potato dish on the grill so I used it as my inspiration. My Mom said she liked the dish. My son said he really liked it. He did help me so he took the credit. It does encourage him to help me more in the kitchen if he gets the credit.

Breakfast Potato Bake
2 lbs. red potatoes, scrubbed
1 tsp vegetable oil
2 tsp unsalted butter
1/2 lb. breakfast sausage
1/2 cup green peppers, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
2 eggs, lightly scrambled
2 tsp season salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
4 oz. cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Spray a 13x9 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. 
3. Parboil the potatoes for about 10 minutes.
4. While the potatoes are cooking, heat the vegetable oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
5. Brown the sausage, onion, and green pepper in the skillet. Set aside.
6. Drain the potatoes. 
7. Place the potatoes in a food process to grate.
8. Add the potatoes, eggs, season salt, and pepper to the sausage mixture. Mix until incorporated.
9. Evenly distribute the potato mixture into the baking dish.
10. Top with the cheese.
11. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
12. Uncover and allow to bake for another 15 minutes or until the top is golden brown. 

Recipe by Jen of Sweet Morris.
 
One year ago...............................................................I made Fruit Cups.
Two years ago.............................................................I made Pizza Sauce.

Did you already know................................................
-Potatoes originated in South America.
-In the 18th century, salted potatoes were served as a dessert.
-Potato is a vegetable.

Parmesan Roasted Potatoes

In this household, we like potatoes. The first preference is mashed. My children will even order mashed potatoes instead of fries at a restaurant. When I made these potatoes for dinner, my son said he liked them a lot but they were like our breakfast potatoes. I hadn't realized I really don't make a lot of roasted potatoes. This recipe is great and I will make it more often even if I have to occasionally make mashed potatoes too.

Parmesan Roasted Potatoes
1 lb. Yukon gold potatoes, cut into quarters
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp dry rosemary
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a bowl, toss the potatoes with the olive oil, rosemary, salt, and pepper.
3. Evenly spread the potatoes onto a baking sheet into one layer.
4. Add the 3 garlic cloves in different sections of the pan.
5. Roast the potatoes for 30 minutes.
6. Turn the potatoes over and roast for another 30 minutes or until crisp and golden brown. 
7. Remove the garlic cloves from the pan.
8. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese evenly over the potatoes. 
9. Season to taste and serve.

Recipe adapted from Ina Garten.

One year ago........................I made Chocolate and Oreo Cake.
Two years ago.....................I made Apple and Cheddar Scones.

Did you already know..........
-The potato was first cultivated by the Inca Indians.
-Europeans introduced the potato to the American colonies.
-Potatoes have been grown in space.

German Potato Salad

I realized I hadn't posted a German Potato Salad. I make it every year. I even order it if I'm at a German restaurant. When I made this recipe, I didn't mention to my family that it was German Potato Salad so I asked how they liked it. My husband told me that he really liked it a lot. Then I asked him if I should have added more vinegar to the dish. Smiling, he said that is what gave the dish a little zing but he couldn't place the ingredient. He said it was great just the way it was made especially the bacon and chives.

German Potato Salad
2 lbs. gold potatoes
1 tsp olive oil
8 slices of bacon, cut into pieces
1 yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped
salt and pepper, for taste

Directions: 

1. In a medium saucepan, cover the potatoes with water and season generously with salt.
2. Bring the pot to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 20 minutes and the potatoes are fork tender.
3. Drain the potatoes and set aside.
4. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
5. Add the bacon to the skillet and cook until the bacon is brown and crispy.
6. Add the onions and cook for about 8 minutes.
7. Add the stock and vinegar to the skillet. Stir.
8. Add the potatoes and chives. Toss gently to coat.
9. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
10. Serve immediately.

Recipe by Anne Burrell.

One year ago..........................I made Plum Cake.
Two years ago.......................I made Apple Strudel.

I helped with the potato harvest this year.

Did you already know............
-The primary agricultural product of Northern Maine is the potato.
-Many variety of potatoes are grown in Maine including the Rose Gold potato.
-The Rose Gold potato has a red skin and a golden flesh. 

Bangers and Mash

Since my oldest daughter just returned from England, I asked her if she had Bangers and Mash when she was over there. She said no so I asked her if she saw it on the menu. She said yes but she didn't know what it was. My Dad said she never asked. My Dad said Bangers and Mash is a common pub dish. 

I told my daughter that Bangers and Mash is sausage and mashed potatoes. She said she would have ate it if she had known. My family really liked this dish very much. It is an easy dish to make. The sausage and potatoes are served with a sauce or gravy. I will admit that I don't know how authentic my dishes will be this week but they taste good. The traditional gravy is made with a stock but when I went into the pantry I couldn't find any. The meal was done and I didn't feel like having anyone wait so I decided to make ours cheesy.

Bangers and Mash
2 lbs. russet potatoes, peeled and diced
8 links beef sausage
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, sliced
2 Tbsp flour
4 cups milk
 1/4 cup Cheddar Cheese
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp milk
2 Tbsp heavy cream
salt and pepper

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, cover the potatoes with cold water.
2. Bring the potatoes to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. In a skillet, add the oil and heat over medium heat.
4. Add the sausage to the skillet and brown.
5. Remove the sausage and place on a plate to the side.
6. To the skillet, add the onion to the pan. Cook the onion until soft about 5 minutes.
7. Add the flour to the skillet and cook for 1 minute. 
8. Whisk in the milk to the skillet and return the sausage to the pan.
9. Cook the sausage for about 15 minutes until the liquid is reduce to the desired consistency. Stirring occasionally. 
10. Stir in the cheese.
11. When the potatoes are done, drain the potatoes and mash.
12. To the mashed potatoes, add the butter, milk, heavy cream, salt, and pepper. 
13. To serve, place the mashed potatoes on a plate. Place the sausage on top of the potatoes. Cover the sausage and potatoes with the cheese sauce. 

Recipe adapted from Foodnetwork. com.

Did you already know...
-Bangers and Mash is a traditional English meal. 
-Bangers and Mash are often served with an onion gravy.
-A popular side to Bangers and Mash is peas.

Life is good

At dinner time, we ask everyone what their favorite part of their day. Normally, our teenager has the most to tell us which is very nice. The other day my son said he wanted to tell us two favorite parts of his day. Afterwards, he decided to give everyone a hug including his older sister. 

When he sat back down, he said, "Oh, I forgot one person." Then he gave himself a big hug. It is nice that he thinks life is good. The day we had these potatoes skins life was good. My oldest daughter made them. She did a great job!

PW's Potato Skins
8 slices of bacon
8 russet potatoes, scrubbed clean
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp salt
1 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
3/4 cup sour cream
4 green onions, sliced

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Cook the bacon and then chop into small pieces.
3. Rub the cleaned potatoes with the vegetable oil and place on a baking pan.
4. Bake the potatoes for about 45 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
5. Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise.
6. Scope out the inner potato but leave a small area of potato on the skin.
7. Brush both sides of the potato with oil and salt liberally.
8. Place the skins cut side down onto the baking pan and bake for 7 more minutes.
9. Flip the potatoes over and bake for another 7 minutes or until the skin is crispy.
10. Sprinkle cheese into each potato and then top with bacon.
11. Return the potatoes to the oven until the cheese melts.
12. Serve each potato with sour cream topped with green onions. 

Recipe adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks cookbook.

Did you already know......
-Potatoes are native to South America.
-Potatoes first arrived in the U.S. in 1621 when the Gov. of Bermuda sent a chest full of vegetables to the Gov. of Virginia.
-Potatoes weren't first cultivated in the U.S. until Scottish immigrants planted them in 1719 in NH.

Breakfast Potatoes

For awhile, my husband was taking us out for breakfast. The best thing about eating breakfast out is everyone gets to pick what they want. With the holidays, we tend to stay home more plus it is cold outside. 

Growing up, my Mom would make potatoes for breakfast. She would use leftover potatoes that she had saved the night before. I like her way of thinking. Since I had Yukon gold potatoes, I had precooked the potatoes the night before knowing I would finish them for breakfast. I have made this recipe with russet potatoes before and they are just as good. 

Breakfast Potatoes Recipe

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 Yukon potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
salt and pepper
3 Tbsp water
1/2 onion, chopped
1 Tbsp butter, unsalted

Directions:

1. In a skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add the potatoes and cook for about five minutes. Stir occasionally.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add the water to the skillet and cover the potatoes for 2 minutes.
5. Let potatoes cool and store in the refrigerator until morning or continue to the next step.
6. Add butter to a skillet and let melt.
7. Add the onions and stir occasionally for 2 minutes.
8. To the skillet, add the potatoes and cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are brown.

 Recipe adapted from my Mom's recipe.

Did you already know..............
-Potatoes originated from South America.
-Potatoes are the fourth largest crop in the world.
-The potato was introduced to Europe by the Spanish around 1570.
-The leaves of a potato are poisonous.