Bubbly Bake

Not your every day breakfast, but when you are looking for something that is cheesy and bacony, this is it.

I got this recipe from Krystal Denny, one of the ladies I worked with in Tech Support.

Ingredients

1 small bag of small cut hash browns (500 grams)

500 ml schredded marble/mozzarella cheese (pizza cheese)

250 ml of sour crème

1 onion chopped

125 ml bacon bits

Stuff you will need

Cookie sheet lined with parchment paper

Directions

Mix together.  Transfer to oven safe baking pan.  Bake 350 till golden brown.

Comments and suggestions ALWAYS welcome

Buttery Garlic Mashed Potatoes

With Canadian Thanksgiving coming up, here is a new twist on a side dish that isn't given a lot of thought.

Ingredients

2 pounds Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes
6 medium cloves of garlic
1/4 pound unsalted butter or margarine (1 stick), cut into 1/2" chunks
1 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper (fresher is better)
2 tablespoons of your favourite fresh herbs

About the potatoes. There are many different potatoes to choose from. Russets are a great all round tater, fine for for mashing, and Yukon Golds have an especially nice buttery flavor. Select large potatoes because they are easier to peel. Each potato has a slightly different texture and flavor, so experiment until you find your favorite. If you clean the skins thoroughly with a brush or scrubby sponge, you can leave them in for more texture, flavor, and nutrition.

About the garlic. If you have roasted or grilled garlic on hand, you can skip boiling the garlic, but frankly, I like the boiled version better.

About the butter. If you use salted butter, cut back a pinch of salt in the mashing step. Yes, I know that's a lot of butter, but we don't eat mashed potatoes every day now, do we?

About the herbs. Fresh herbs are great in mashed potatoes. Try chives or one of the Simon & Garfunkel herbs: Parsley, sage, rosemary, or thyme. Oregano and basil are also great.

Optional for cheeseheads. Add 3 ounces grated cheddar cheese or boursin cheese spread.

Optional for carnivores. Add 3 strips crispy bacon crumbled into bits or toss some leftover rib meat or pulled pork in the mix!

Optional for lactivores. Cut back a bit on the butter and add up to 1/4 cup of cream, half and half, or milk.

Directions

1) We want to begin by de-fanging the garlic of its sulfury pungence and convert it to sweetness by cooking it. Peel the garlic cloves, remove the woody root, and cut them in half. Bring a non-reactive saucepan with a quart of water to a boil and add a pinch of salt and the garlic. Boil the garlic for about 15 minutes. You need lots of water to remove all the pungence of the garlic.

2) While the garlic is cooking, get another pot of water boiling. Don't use the garlic water for the potatoes! Make sure you have enough water to submerge the potatoes about an inch below the surface. Add two pinches of salt. Wash the potatoes and cut them into thumb-sized chunks. Try to get the chunks about the same size so they all finish cookin about the same time. When the water is boiling, add the potatoes and boil them until a fork pierces them with only a little resistance, about 15 minutes, depending on how large the chunks are. Don't overcook the potatoes so that the exterior is mushy and they fall apart when you pierce them. Chef Lucas warns that "overcooked potatoes tend to soak up water and can become runny."

3) Drain the garlic, drop them in the serving bowl, add the butter, three pinches of salt, black pepper, and herbs, and mash everything into a paste with a fork.

4) Drain the potatoes thoroughly and keep them in the hot pot to dry them out a bit more. If you like your potatoes to be smooth, use a potato ricer (it looks like a giant garlic press). Squeeze them through the holes into the bowl and mix with a large spoon. Don't use a mixer or you run the risk of making glue. Before serving, taste them and add more salt and pepper if you wish.

Optional. Here's where you can add cheese, meat, or cream. I recommend you do the recipe as is the first time, and then riff on it the second time if you wish.

5) Holding mashed potatoes. Getting all the parts of a meal ready at once is the trickiest part of cooking, so if the rest of the meal isn't ready when the spuds are, you can keep them warm in a slow cooker or heat them in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes just before serving.

Comments and suggestions ALWAYS welcome.

Baked Cast Iron Chicken and Potatoes

Baked Cast Iron Chicken and Potatoes

OK, so today is going to be one of those "no recipe" days.  Just a day where you make the stuff and it is GREAT.

Yup, baking chicken is so easy.  It's one of those items, that you spice it up and bake it.

But I added a few items to make it my own "recipe" if you will.  So I will get you started, but where you end up, will be your own recipe.

Ingredients

1 package chicken thighs
4 potatoes
3 stalks celery
1 onion
3 tablespoons of Oil

Stuff you will need

14 inch cast iron skillet
Cutting board
Sharp knife
Spatula, it can be metal as your NOT going to hurt the cast iron

Directions

Cut up your your potatoes into bite size pieces.  Same with the onion and celery.  

Pre-heat your oven to 350 F.

Heat your skillet on medium heat.  Once you see smoke coming off the skillet, it is pre-heated and ready to go.  Add the oil.  Then the potatoes and other vegetables.

Fry up your potatoe & veggies in the cast iron skillet till they are about 1/2 way done.  Add what ever spices you like to this.  Were not done cooking them, we are only "starting" them so that we don't have raw potatoes when it's all done.

Spice up your chicken.  I used salt, pepper and garlic.  Do you like some other spices on your chicken?  Go wild.  Remember, this is YOUR recipe, I am only getting you started.

Arrange your chicken on top of the potatoes and into the oven for about 45 minutes.

The drippings from the chicken will saturate the potatoes and veggies.

Comments and suggestions are ALWAYS welcome.

Home Fries

Home Fries

Ingredients

2 unpeeled medium sized oval shaped potatoes, e.g. Desiree or Russet
Vegetable oil for frying
freshly ground salt and black peppercorns

Stuff you will need

Cutting board
Sharp knife
Paper towel
Slotted metal spoon to remove the fries from the hot oil

Directions

Cut the potatoes into French Fry shapes.

Soak in cold water after they have been cut.  Approximately 20 minutes.  

Take the "fries" out of the water and dry them.  They don't need to be perfectly dry, just dry enough that you are not introducing water to hot oil.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or deep fryer to 350 F. 

Cook the potatoes in two batches (take care not to over load the pan) in the hot oil for approximately 8 minutes.

Drain and cool on paper towel. 

Just before serving, add the potatoes to the hot oil and fry for an extra 2- 3 minutes or until very golden and crisp. 

Drain, and toss with plenty of freshly ground salt and black peppercorns and serve immediately.

Comments and suggestions are ALWAYS welcome.