Yay first blog post!!! POTATO

I like potatoes. Do you? Of course you do. Who doesn’t like a potato?? This versatile root vegetable rounds out any chicken or beef entree and can make any weeknight special or any special occasion even better.

In order to start this blog with a bang, I’ve decided to present potatoes many ways. One thing I’ve learned over the years is that cooking potatoes is easy in general, but there are nuances to it. Knowing how many potatoes it will take to feed your crowd takes experience.  You must take into account the size of the potatoes being used and the appetites of your guests at the table.  Knowing how long to boil or roast the potatoes varies by oven temperature, size of the chunks of potato, and even the type of potato.  One rule of thumb is that most people enjoy ¾  cup to 1 ½  cup portions with entrees.  Whole potatoes take longer to bake than chopped; surprisingly it  takes over an hour to bake a whole potato.  If you choose to cook potatoes in a skillet on the stovetop, you must have patience and a willingness to cook in batches to get the right crispiness on the outside of the potato and tenderness on the inside.  But, I’ve been known to pile potatoes for six into my cast iron skillet and hope for the best on busy weeknights.

All right, enough of the finer points, let’s get down to cooking some tasty spuds in several ways.   

Potato Packets (as pictured)

These individual foil wrapped potato packets are a delicious way to cook a side of potatoes for any meal. Having these single serve packets makes everyone feel like you made each one especially for them.   Serves: 6 

Ingredients:

1. Set a square of foil onto your work surface.
2. Sprinkle ⅙ of the potatoes, onion, butter, milk and seasoning including salt and pepper onto the foil.
3. Wrap tightly. Repeat until all ingredients are used. Arrange packets on a cookie sheet.
4. Bake at 425º F for 45 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.  Be careful opening the packets since steam will escape when opened.  Yum!

Fancy Mashed Potatoes

These mashed potatoes aren’t your everyday mash. Using special add-ins like half-n-half creates a decadent and flavorful side perfect for Christmas or Easter dinner.  

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

7 large red potatoes or 7 small russet potatoes (one potato per person and one for the pot as my mother-in-law taught me); washed; peeled for special occasions, skin on for weeknights; cut into large pieces (quarter the small potatoes, cut large potatoes into 8 pieces)

7 Tbsp of butter

2 gloves of garlic, minced

½ onion, chopped

½ cup Cheddar cheese, shredded

½ cup of Half-n-half (or more depending on how much liquid is needed during mashing)

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil on high heat.
2. Add the potatoes. Turn down the heat and let potatoes simmer in bubbly water until fork tender; about 20 minutes.
3. Drain potatoes. Place in a mixing bowl.
4. Add remaining ingredients and use an electric mixer to beat until smooth.  Add as much Half-n-half as necessary to create a creamy, but not watery consistency.  It is best to add liquid in small amounts so that the potatoes do not become too watery.  

Twice-”baked” Potatoes

These potatoes are special and often take a lot of time to do the traditional way.  I use my microwave to speed the process for the first “bake”. Beware, getting the yummy potato flesh out of the skin involves handling hot potatoes; but it is worth it!

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

6 russet potatoes, washed and dried

6 Tbsp of butter

½ cup Cheddar cheese, shredded

½ cup milk

½ onion, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Optional toppings: 6 strips of cooked and crumbled bacon, 2 green onions chopped, more cheddar cheese

Preparation:

1. Prick potatoes with a fork and place in a microwave oven.  Cook on high for 6 minutes.  Cut potatoes in half and check to see if the flesh comes out easily with a fork.  If not, return potatoes to the microwave and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute more and check again.  Repeat until potatoes are easily shredded with a fork being careful to preserve the outer skin.
2. Remove as much of the flesh of the potato leaving about ⅛” of potato lining the skin. Place the cooked potato flesh into a large bowl.
3. Cool your poor, burning hot fingers.
4. Combine the butter, cheddar cheese, onion, half-n-half, salt and pepper in the bowl with the potato flesh.  Mash together.
5. Scoop the potato mixture back into the potato skins and top with the optional toppings.  Place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350º F for about 10-15 minutes.

Sliced Home Fries and Hash Browns

These fries can be made a number of ways.  A popular method is to use a skillet and cook them in a light coating of oil; cooking in batches in order to get an even crispiness on the outside and tender flesh on the inside. This takes so much more patience than I typically have and on busy weeknights, I have crammed all the potatoes into my skillet and wished they would cook quickly. That led me to this method of using the oven and I can cook a lot at once in a shorter amount of time and more evenly.

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

6-7 red potatoes or 3-4 large russet potatoes, washed and sliced into discs about ⅛” thick for home fries; diced into ¼” squares for hash browns; or quarter baby potatoes (or fingerlings).

2 Tbsp. olive oil or vegetable oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400º F.  Get out a large baking sheet that has a large lip so that you can flip the potatoes with a spatula and not lose any off the edge of the pan.
2. Place the potatoes in a large bowl and toss with the oil, salt and pepper.
3. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer on the baking sheet and place in the oven.
4. Bake for about 10-15 minutes.  Remove the pan and use a spatula to flip the potatoes over and place them back in the oven.
5. Bake for another 10-15 minutes, watching the potatoes closely if they are diced…these will finish quicker.  Serve the potatoes when they are fork tender on the inside and crispy on the outside.