Grilled Potato Packets

The weather in NJ has finally gotten to the point where I can say, "Ohhhh it's grilling season!" Growing up it was always grilling season... my dad would be out grilling steak in the snow. I have to say I am definitely not that committed to the craft. Since I really only use my grill during the spring and summer I really look forward to it!

I had bought a few potatoes with intentions of making baked potatoes but at the last minute decided to throw them on the grill along with the steak I was making. These were to die for. I haven't had the best of luck with Pioneer Woman recipes but these were amazing. I mean... butter and cream really can't be bad. The sauce on these was incredible. I have a feeling these will be made again (and again) this spring and summer!

...you see that creamy sauce coating these? Mmmmm!

Source: Adapted from Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:
2 Russet potatoes, diced
3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp light cream
Salt
Garlic powder
Dried parsley
Crushed black pepper

Directions:
1- Lay out two foil sheets.
2- Evenly place the foil in the center of each sheet of foil.
3- Top each pile of potatoes with 1.5 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp of cream.
4- Season well with salt, garlic powder, parsley, and black pepper.
5- Roll up the foil to form a packet.
6- Cook on the hottest part of the grill for about 30 minutes.
7- Carefully open the foil. Stir well to get the sauce from the bottom to coat all of the potatoes.

Parmesan Garlic Oven Fries

John and I don't often eat at chain restaurants, but when we do one we both enjoy is Houlihan's. We are both huge fans of their spinach dip... and honestly, that's the only reason I go there. If I had to pick my last meal on Earth it would likely start with Houlihan's spinach dip. One time when we were there John got a side of their parmesan fries and I was in heaven. Technically they were John's, but I ate my fair share. He's a good man... he knows better than to not share with me!

I decided to make a version at home so it could be a bit healthier and more readily available. These were amazing. They are so easy to make- Landon even did a lot of the work to assemble them! It's such an easy side dish and has so much flavor. You can add fresh garlic too to give it more punch. I intended to but then Landon was a bit of a beast challenging at bedtime and I never got to it. Even without the fresh garlic they were amazing!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
2 Russet potatoes, scrubbed
1 tbsp roasted garlic olive oil (or regular oil if you can't find it)
1 tsp garlic salt
Cracked black pepper
3 tbsp parmesan cheese
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 450.
2- Slice the potatoes into wedges. Rub with the olive oil.
3- Sprinkle with the garlic salt and pepper.
4- Bake for 35 minutes, flipping halfway through.
5- Remove from the oven. Cover in cheese and parsley.

Garlicky Potatoes Au Gratin

A few weeks ago we had a decent snow storm and were home bound for dinner. I was disappointed because we had plans to go out but the weather had different plans for us. That night I ended up making perfect roasted chicken with green beans and these potatoes. They were truly heavenly. Is there anything better than potatoes? Yes... there is... and it's potatoes covered in cheese. Painfully obvious, but felt the need to clarify that one ::wink wink::.

I ended up baking these much longer than needed because my chicken took for-e-ver so I kept taking the dish in and out of the oven. Due to this some of the yummy sauce dried up in the cooking process but none the less they were cheesy, smooth, and decadent. I love the way au gratin potatoes have a crisp top and a soft center. Landon was interested, he watched me serving them and asked to try them, but after a barely-there lick of the potato he tossed the plate aside and decided they weren't for him. Silly baby... but more for mommy and daddy.

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
2 large Russet potatoes
1/4 cup diced onions (I used frozen, you can use fresh if you prefer)
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1/2 cup Philadelphia Roasted Garlic Cooking Creme
1 cup whole milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 400.
2- Scrub the potatoes. Using a mandolin slice the potatoes into thin even slices. Place in an oven safe baking dish.
3- In a large skillet combine the onion and butter. Cook over medium heat until the onions are soft. Stir in the flour and stir until well combined.
4- Add the cooking creme and milk, heating over medium heat until a low gentle boil begins. Add the cheese and stir well until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5- Pour the sauce mix over the potato slices. Bake uncovered for about 1 hour. The top should be golden and crisp.

Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes (Crock Pot)

**Pardon the lousy photo- I took this in a rush on Thanksgiving, it's the best I could do!**

A few years ago my parents signed up to make the mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving and came with them in the crockpot to be kept on "keep warm" until dinner. I don't know what that idea had never crossed my mind but it hadn't and as soon as I saw that I knew that would be my preferred method for Thanksgiving going forward. Sometimes mashed potatoes can get thick and gross when made ahead but I found this method really keeps them perfectly moist. This year was my 5th year hosting Thanksgiving and I have to say it finally came perfectly with ease. The first two years I did too much- think personalized cookies for place seatings, gift boxes with ornaments to hold the leftovers, etc. I just did TOO MUCH. This led to an insane amount of stress. Then two years ago I was extremely pregnant (I had Landon 4 days after hosting Thanksgiving!), last year I had a baby, and this year I have a toddler. Needless to say my amount of effort has gone down (..dramatically...) and yet I'd argue the meal has gotten better. Sometimes less is more... and a less stressed host is definitely a positive.

So back to the potatoes. In my efforts to get as much done ahead of time as possible I made these the morning of Thanksgiving and put them in the crockpot on keep warm for about five hours. They were delicious and having one thing done, cooked, and hot before I even put the turkey in was a bonus!

Source: Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit

Ingredients:
5 pounds Russet potatoes (or a mix of Russet and yukon gold), peeled and chopped
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 stick butter
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp garlic salt
Fresh ground pepper

Additional butter for greasing the crockpot

Directions:
1- Place potatoes in a pot. Cover with water. Boil until soft.
2- Once cooked soft, drain and set aside. In the pot combine the milk, butter, and cream. Heat over low. Add the potatoes to the pot and mash (either use a hand mixer or a masher... I like to mash by hand because I like them more rustic, but for creamier ones whip them).
3- Fold in the sour cream, garlic salt, and pepper.
4- If not serving immediately, grease the inside of the crockpot with butter. Add the potatoes. Cover and place on "keep warm" (NOT low) for up to 5-6 hours. Stir periodically. If it seems like it's thick add more milk (mine didn't get thick).

Roasted Parmesan Oregano Potatoes

I love oven roasted potatoes a little too much. I don't make them often because I really have minimal self-control when they're around. When Cassie posted this recipe I was so psyched because anytime you combine cheese with potatoes it's a total win. These come together quickly, baked up deliciously, and are very versatile and easy to make. Landon was skeptical of them, which isn't shocking since he's skeptical of basically all food, but after he requested "ket-up" (or ketchup as most of us call it) he was eager to dig in. Yet another winning recipe from Cassie... she never steers me wrong!

I should mention I made 1/3 of the recipe but kept the cheese the same as the original recipe linked below. We love cheese in this house! If I were to make the whole recipe I'd probably up the cheese...because, well... cheese makes life better.

Source: Cassie Craves

Ingredients:
3 pounds baby red potatoes, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.
2. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, oregano, garlic powder, and parmesan cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and use your hands to spread the seasonings and oil evenly over the potatoes.
3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping occasionally, until browned and crispy.

Lemon Chicken Pierogie Bake

I buy bags of frozen pierogies every time they go on sale (which is often). I really could eat pierogies weekly and never get sick of them. I've mentioned before that 95% of the time I just toast them in a pan with a little butter and parmesan cheese and serve them with roasted asparagus and tomatoes, but now and then I get a little bit more adventurous. After trying the bacon pierogie bake a year or so ago and then remaking it recently I was in the mood for some type of pierogie bake. Enter this meal! It was a warm(er) day, we had spent the whole afternoon playing outside but it was still cool out, the way mid-March can be, so I wanted something that felt like spring comfort. Enter this meal. It was so delicious. John and I both were fans and happily ate this up. Landon was skeptical but he enjoyed the pierogies. Anytime I snuck a veggie in he spit it out and said "yucky!"... but hey, Rome wasn't built in a day... The best part was the sauce. It had a subtle lemon taste, was perfectly coating each bite, and was truly just perfect.

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:

1 tbsp butter

2 tbsp flour

2 cloves garlic

1 cup broth

2-3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

4 garlic and herb Laughing Cow wedges (or 4 tbsp cream cheese)

3 green onions, sliced thin.

1 package frozen pierogies

1 cup cooked chicken, diced

1 cup cooked veggies, any kind

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Directions:

1- Preheat the oven to 400.

2- In a skillet melt the butter. Stir in the garlic and allow to saute until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add the flour and stir well. Slowly pour in the broth.

3- Bring the broth to a boil, then reduce the heat. Add the lemon juice, zest, and Laughing Cow wedges. Stir until cheese is melted. Stir in the green onion.

4- In an oven safe dish lay the pierogies on the bottom. Add the chicken and veggies, and pour the sauce over the whole dish. Top with the parmesan cheese.

5- Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 5 minutes.

Parmesan Paprika Potatoes

Potatoes are a source of contention for me. You see... I don't want the five pound bag of spuds. We're 2.5 people- and the .5 doesn't always eat what we eat. So five pounds of potatoes is useless. However, if I buy us the loose potatoes and get the appropriate amount, it's either more expensive or only cheaper by about $.20. So I stand there having an internal debate, "Save money and get more food? Seems like the obvious choice! Well... they'll just rot, and that's wasteful. No, no, this time I'll be good! I'll use them all before they grow so many nubs they look like trees... I will! No you won't, you never do... just buy 3 potatoes!" And this repeats. The outcome differs depending on my mood, but recently I caved and bought the big ol' bag. So there they sit- taunting me- daring me to make potatoes. And so I did. I made these parmesan paprika potatoes and they were incredible. Not just good, but excellent. I loved the smokey taste of the paprika with the sharp tang of the parmesan. Total winner!

Source: What's Gaby Cooking?

Ingredients:

4 cups cubed Yukon Gold potatoes
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp pepper
4 tbsp Parmesan cheese

Instructions
1-Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
2- Place the cubed potatoes into a baking dish. (The cubes of potatoes should be about 3/4 of an inch on all sides) You can spray the baking dish with a baking spray too to eliminate anything possibly sticking
3- Pile on the olive oil, garlic salt, salt, paprika, pepper and Parmesan cheese. Using your fingers (or spoon) get in to the potatoes and carefully mix everything around until the seasonings coat each potato.
4- Transfer the baking dish into the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and toss the potatoes with a pair of tongs. Put the baking dish back into the oven and bake for about 15 - 25 minutes more until they are golden and crispy.
5- Season with an little dusting of sea salt if desired and serve.

Chicken & Mushroom Pot Pie

I've mentioned before that John is a huge pot pie freak. It's his favorite food of all time. In our eight years I've made a few varieties for him, a lighter version, an easy version, a pot pie soup, and even a pot pie pasta. However in all these years I never made his favorite version- the kind with crust on top and on bottom.

After forcing John to eat baked ziti AND roasted veggie lasagna over the course of two weeks I decided to throw him a bone and make him his favorite. Boy was he pleased. I have to say that this was the first time I not only tolerated a pot pie but actually loved it. This recipe was awesome. All of us, including Landon, loved it. The leftovers were just as good as the original which was great since John took it to lunch for a few days. I don't know if I'll ever make another version again... this was for me is just the best pot pie!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:

2 pie crusts (I used Pillsbury)

1 tbsp butter

1 cup mushrooms

1.5 cups cooked chopped chicken

2 yukon gold potatoes, cooked and diced

1 cup peas/carrots

2 cups gravy

Salt and pepper

1/3 cup half and half

Directions:

1- Preheat the oven to 350.

2- Roll out one of the pie crusts into a pie pan. Set aside.

3- In a skillet melt the butter. Add the mushrooms and cook until soft. Stir in the chicken, potatoes, peas/carrots, gravy, salt & pepper, and half and half. Stir well and heat over low heat for about 5 minutes.

4- Pour filling into crust. Roll second crust over top, pinching the sides to seal the crust. Cut slits into the top for ventilation.

5- Bake about 40 minutes, until the crust is golden. After 20 minutes cover the edges with foil if needed to prevent burning.

6- Allow to sit 10 minutes before slicing. 

Pesto Ranch Potato Salad

Please don't disown me, or stop reading my blog, or call me a horrible person... what I'm about to say might shock you... but I just CAN'T eat traditional potato salad. You know the kind... glopped in mayo.. all white and thick and heavy. If you saw my face right now you'd understand (picture me looking queasy)... I just can't do it. First of all- mayo makes me gag. Yes, I can eat things cooked with mayo, like bang bang shrimp or spinach dip (though I do use far less mayo than the recipe calls for), but I CAN'T add it to a sandwich or eat anything where mayo is the starring ingredient. So when we decided to host a Father's Day barbecue I knew I should serve a potato salad, but I knew I'd have to make my own version. I decided to do a more Italian version and came up with this. I made the mistake of serving it cold, it's definitely better at room temperature, but either way it was tasty! If you're making this definitely serve it slightly warm or room temperature, the flavors aren't as strong when it's cold. This will be great for all of the summer picnics and BBQs coming up!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:

1 pound small red potatoes, diced into small, even parts
1 cup sun dried tomatoes, sliced into thin slices
1/3 cup pesto
1/3 cup ranch
1 tsp Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper

Directions:
1- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook the potatoes until fork tender, drain and run under cool water to stop the cooking process.
2- Add the potatoes to a mixing bowl- toss in the tomatoes, stir well.
3- In a small bowl combine the pesto, ranch, Italian seasonings, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well.
4- Pour the sauce over the potatoes, mix well. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve at room temperature.

Mashed "Candied" Sweet Potatoes

For awhile now I've been dreaming of Thanksgiving foods. Stuffing, turkey drowning in gravy, mashed potatoes with butter... and of course, candied sweet potatoes. As a reformed sweet potato hater I'm still working on loving the orange spud as much as it's cousins, Russet, Red Bliss, and Yukon Gold. To me, the sweet potato is not as delicious but I know it's healthier and blah blah blah, so I'm trying to learn to like them more.

I was really in the mood for a hearty meal with candied sweet potatoes but I couldn't bring myself to make something that unhealthy for the two of us on a random weeknight, so I decided to try to "healthify" that recipe a little bit. I still used a tad bit of brown sugar and butter but I left out the extreme quantities and skipped the marshmallows (although... it was tempting since I do have a bag...) The end result was tasty. No, it wasn't that overly sweet taste of candied sweet potatoes but it was still delicious and a side dish that I didn't have to feel too guilty about. This made a lot, I would say you could easily serve 3-4 people this amount. We had a ton leftover when I made it for the two of us!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
2 sweet potatoes
1/4 cup milk (you can use half and half or cream if you want to make them more rich)
2 tbsp. butter
1/4 cup brown sugar (not packed)
1/8 tsp. salt

Directions:
1- Peel the potatoes. Place them in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender.
2- Drain and return to the pot with the milk and butter. Mash using a potato masher.
3- Return the heat to low and stir the brown sugar and salt in with a spoon. Stir well over the lowest heat for about 2-3 minutes.
4- Serve hot- sprinkle with brown sugar if desired before serving.

Baked Oven Fries

I think it's safe to say that most people who cook have made oven fries at some point in their life. Slice some potatoes, toss them with a bit of oil, bake, and season with salt. Who needs a recipe for that, right? Typically I'd agree with you. It's simple and doesn't require much thought. However, I find that oven fries typically have a firm "skin" to them, not that crisp/slightly oily outer layer of traditional fries. I had seen Annie make this version over a year ago and was initially turned off by the amount of oil. I couldn't see using that much oil to make a "healthier" version of a side dish. However, eventually curiosity got the best of me and I had to just see what these were like. Sure enough they took oven fries to another level. The method of preparation makes for a perfectly crisp oven fry. I think this method will be my new go-to way... but I may experiment with using less oil and see how it goes!

Source: Annie's Eats

Ingredients:

3 russet potatoes (about 24 oz. total), peeled and cut lengthwise into even sized wedges
5 tbsp. vegetable, canola or peanut oil, divided
¾ tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

Directions:
1-Preheat the oven to 475˚ F.  Place the potato wedges in a large mixing bowl.  Cover with hot water; soak for 10-30 minutes.  

2-Put 4 tablespoons of the oil onto a heavy, rimmed baking sheet.  Tilt the sheet side to side to evenly coat the pan with oil (a pastry brush can also help with this).  Sprinkle the pan evenly with the salt and pepper.  Set aside.

3- Drain the potatoes.  Spread the wedges out on layers of paper towels or on clean kitchen towels.  Pat dry with additional towels.  Wipe out the now empty bowl so it is dry.  Return the potatoes to the bowl and toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil.  

4- Arrange the potato wedges on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer.  Cover tightly with foil and bake for 5 minutes.  Remove the foil and continue to bake until the bottoms of the potatoes are spotty golden brown, 15-20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet after 10 minutes.  

5- Using a metal spatula and tongs, flip each potato wedge keeping them in a single layer.  Continue baking until the fries are golden and crisp, 5 -15 minutes.  Rotate the pan as needed to ensure even browning.

6- When the fries are finished baking, transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain some of the grease.  Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.  Serve warm.

Crockpot Chicken Dinner

Is there anything more comforting than a roasted chicken dinner? I have such fond memories from childhood of roasted chickens and all the sides that went along with it (although, honestly, my favorite was Kraft mac and cheese... just sayin'). Well, I can think of one thing more comforting actually- throwing all the ingredients together in the crockpot and letting the meal cook all day. The house smells amazing, the meat comes out moist, and in the end you have a delicious dinner with minimal effort. Now that I am back at work and in my third trimester of pregnancy I see many more crockpot meals in my future. I really don't want to eat take out nightly but coming home exhausted doesn't lend itself to creativity in the kitchen... so the crockpot will be a much needed friend of mine!

This dinner came out great. The seasonings were delicious and they really absorbed into the vegetables. You can use any vegetables you want, I stuck with what I had on hand, but I'd definitely use potatoes regardless of what else you choose to use- they're a must here.  It's easy to adjust to the number of people you need to serve (add more chicken/veggies, take some away, etc.) and you're sure to have happy eaters on hand.

Source: Adapted from About.com- Southern Food

Ingredients:
2 chicken breast halves (bone in or out)
1 pound potatoes, diced in pieces
1.5 cups baby carrots
1/2 red onion, cut in chunks
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
4 tbsp melted butter, divided
1 tbsp smoked paprika
Juice of half a lemon
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp honey

Directions:
1- Lay the potatoes, carrots, and onions in the bottom of the slow cooker. Toss in 2 tbsp melted butter, salt, and pepper. Stir well.
2- Lay the chicken on top of the veggies. In a bowl mix the remaining 2 tbsp butter with paprika, lemon, Worcestershire, and honey. Rub the mixture over the chicken.
3- Cook on low 7-9 hours or on high 3.5-4.5 hours.

Potato Chips

Last week we had the "pleasure" of facing Hurricane Irene here on the East Coast. John and I were so fortunate we escaped with no damage and our power stayed on. You really can't ask for more than that, can you? Sunday when the roads were flooded and the trees were still swaying I had a huge desire for chips. You see, this whole pregnancy I've been craving chips. I never used to be into chips- I mean I would eat them but I didn't *need* chips. Now... oh man, don't get between me and those salty potatoes!

Being that we couldn't go out and get any I decided to make my own. I'd seen my friend Gina make chips a few month back so I decided to take a similar approach and make my own. There isn't a real "recipe" to these, it's more or less a technique. But I will tell you that once you get the technique down you'll never want to buy a bag of Lay's again. They are so delicious. John couldn't stop raving about them and I was tempted to hide them from him so I didn't have to share, so overall they were a winner here!

Source: Inspired by A Hungry Teacher

Ingredients:

2 russet potatoes

Vegetable oil

Kosher salt

Directions:

1- Using a mandolin slice the potatoes thin. Place the slices in a bowl of cold water and allow them to rest for at least 30 minutes.

2- Lay them out in a single layer on paper towels to dry.

3- Meanwhile, in a large sauce pot fill the bottom of the pot with oil, until it's about 1 inch deep. Add the potatoes in a thin layer. Allow them to brown and flip over. 

4- Once both sides are brown remove from the oil and place on paper towel. Season with salt. Repeat until all potatoes are cooked.

Garlic Chicken and Spinach Gnocchi

This is a dinner that seriously came together in no time at all but was delicious. Seriously, delicious. The combination of garlic chicken and the lightly toasted gnocchi was amazing. As a self-proclaimed gnocchi lover this dinner couldn't have been any better. I used frozen chopped spinach because I had a small container of it leftover but I think it would be just as delicious with fresh spinach. I think this whole meal took 15 minutes to make and tasted like it took a lot longer. Is there anything better than that?

Source: Delish

Ingredients:

3 ounces chicken breast, diced small

1 package gnocchi

2 large cloves garlic,  diced

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp butter, divided

Kosher salt and pepper

1/2 cup-3/4 cup chopped spinach

Directions:

1- Cook the gnocchi according to packaging directions. Meanwhile, in a nonstick pan heat about 1 tsp. olive oil. Add the chicken, cook until lightly browned. Add the garlic, stir until fragrant (2-3 minutes).

2- Add remaining oil (about 2 tsp) with 1 tbsp butter and gnocchi. Season with salt and pepper. Allow the gnocchi to toast until golden, use a spatula to flip. Add the spinach. Once everything is hot season with salt and pepper and add the remaining tbsp of butter. Stir until melted. Serve hot.

Herbed Potatoes and Green Beans

Side dishes can fall in a bit of a rut around here. I have certain standby recipes that I make constantly, but typically I leave my creativity to the main course. However, in my opinion, side dishes make or break a meal! I have been known to like a place more for their side dishes then for their entrees, aka Bonefish Grill- I love their rice, but their entrees don't do it for me as much as the rice!

This dish came together as a bit of an experiment. I had the potatoes, I had the green beans, and originally the plan was to roast the potatoes and stream the green beans. Being lazy, I decided to throw it altogether and see what happened. I'm so glad I did! This was really delicious. John and I were both fans! It cooked perfectly, the potatoes were soft, the green beans were firm, and the sauce nicely coated it all. Best of all this is very low fat, but it tastes rich. The chicken broth thickens up so nicely that you'd almost think there was cream in there. Definitely worth making, I can assure you we'll be having it again!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

**One tip- When making this, a lot will depend on the heat you cook it at, the size of the pan, and how small you dice your potatoes. I have included two rounds of adding chicken broth and letting it steam. If you need to do that step more or less, that's fine. Just test the potatoes/green beans for tenderness as you go.

Ingredients:
Cooking spray
12 ounces potatoes, diced evenly (3 small Russet, about 5 red potatoes, etc. Any potato is fine)
1/2 pound green beans, ends trimmed
Chicken broth (amount will vary- have at least 2 cups on hand)
1/2 tbsp  dried minced onion
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
Paprika
3 green onions, finely diced
Salt/pepper

Directions:
1- In a large nonstick skillet with a lid, spray the surface with cooking spray.
2- Turn the heat up to medium high, add the potatoes.
3- Flip after 5 minutes, or when golden, and brown the other side.
4- Pour in a layer of the chicken broth until it covers halfway to the top of the potatoes, about 1 cup. Cover and allow to steam over medium/low heat for 5-10 minutes, until liquid is almost absorbed. Test with a fork to see how firm the potatoes are.
5- Add more broth, again about halfway up the potatoes. This time add the green beans and the minced onion, onion powder, garlic powder, and a sprinkling of paprika. Stir well. Replace the lid and allow it to steam again, about 5-10 minutes, checking often.
6- Once the veggies are cooked through, raise the heat to reduce the chicken broth. As it thickens, stir well to coat all veggies.
7- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with minced green onions, stirring well to incorporate.

Bacon Pierogie Bake

This is my 500th post! Can you believe it?! Be sure to check back tomorrow, I'm going to have a special post dedicated to my 500th post, plus a very exciting giveaway, so check back then.

Back in the day before I knew how to cook a favorite dinner of John and I's was a box of frozen pierogies, tossed with some butter, toasted up in a frying pan, topped with parmesan cheese, and served with a salad. This meal is a bit of a throwback to the old days... quite appropriate for a milestone post like this one, no?

This recipe is fabulous. I think it's meant to be served as a side dish and you most certainly could do that, but I chose to serve it as a main course with a simple light caesar salad. I loved how colorful and bright it was. Call me crazy but if my dinner is pretty I tend to like it more. What can I say, I like colorful things! The sauce is light and creamy, the pierogies are tender, and the whole dinner comes together in no time at all. A winner for sure.

Source: Slightly adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients:
1 (16 oz) package frozen potato and onion pierogies
2 slices center-cut bacon, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup thin sliced green onions
1 small plum tomato, seeded, and diced
Pepper
Cooking spray

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 400.
2- Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange the frozen pierogies in the dish.
3- In a medium saucepan, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan.
4- Add garlic to the drippings, cook for 30 seconds. Add the cream cheese, stirring until it melts. Add the broth, stir continuously until it's all incorporated.
5- Pour the sauce mixture over the pierogies. Top with the cheddar cheese.
6- Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, top with the tomatoes and bacon, and return it to the oven. Bake for 5 additional minutes.
7- Remove from the oven sprinkle with green onions and black pepper. Serve hot.

Spiced Chipotle Honey Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

Look, I'll admit it- I'm obsessed with chipotles in adobo. It all started with this carmelized chipotle chicken and then steadily increased with this pulled chicken. What was once an unheard of ingredient in my house has become a pantry staple. And with that said, any recipe that appears in my Google reader using chipotles in adobo is immediately added to my "must make" list.

This dinner was excellent. The day I planned to make it I was feeling cranky lazy uninspired and was contemplating just ordering in Thai food... but then I remembered my New Year's resolution to cook more and waste less... so off to the kitchen I went. And my oh my- am I glad I did. This dinner had a perfect blend of flavors. Spicy and sweet. Delicious. It was a big hit with John and I. The sweet potatoes were amazing. I guess I'm finally warming up to those funny orange potatoes and getting over my white-potatoes-only thing. Give this a shot- it's a really tasty and satisfying meal.

Source: Pink Parsely

Ingredients:


4 sweet potatoes (10 ounces each), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 Tbs olive oil
4 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbs honey, plus more for drizzling
1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs)
chopped cilantro, for garnish


Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Place the sweet potatoes in a medium bowl.

In a small bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, chipotles, garlic, honey, vinegar, salt, cumin, and cinnamon.  Mix the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil with 2 teaspoons of the paste.  Toss with the sweet potatoes.

Scatter the potatoes on the bottom of a roasting pan, and bake 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, rub the chicken breasts with the remaining paste.

Stir the potatoes.  Carefully place the chicken on top of the sweet potatoes, and continue to roast until the chicken is just cooked through (registers 165 on an instant read thermometer), about 15-20 minutes longer

Divide the potatoes and chicken evenly among serving plates and drizzle with remaining honey and garnish with cilantro.

Crispy Skillet Potatoes

Happy New Year loves. May 2011 bring you all nothing but happiness!

I'm in love. Hopelessly, undyingly, in love with these potatoes. Now now, I see you. YES YOU! You're scratching your head, curling up your lips, and going "Um. Get a grip woman. It's potatoes. Show me chocolate and I'll buy that you're in love..." But I'm telling you- these are BETTER than chocolate. Ok, now I'm going nuts- nothing is better than chocolate- but these are pretty stinkin' close.

You see, I'm a big fan of french fries. How 'bout you? LOVE those crispy fried, horrible for you potatoes? Yes, me too. But I don't love clogging my arteries often, so I needed to find a way to achieve that love for crispy potatoes without throwing them in a deep frier. And I did- I did! Oh how I did.

The key to this is recipe is a non-stick skillet. It's essential. Without it, this just won't work. You need the nonstick to allow for them to cook for so long with so little oil. If you use a stainless steel skillet you'd need far more oil, and that would defeat the purpose. So get out your trusty nonstick skillet, grab some spuds, and get moving! You can't go another week without these.

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
2 medium red skin potatoes
2 tsp. olive oil
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
Pepper to taste

Directions:
1- Scrub your potatoes clean. Dice into small, even pieces.
2- Place in a pot, cover just to the top of the potatoes with water. Bring to a boil. Cook until fork tender, about ten minutes.
3- Drain and set aside.
4- In a nonstick skillet heat the oil.
5- Add the potatoes and the seasonings, toss to coat, and then leave them alone for 5-7 minutes over medium heat. Do not flip or stir.
6- Flip the potatoes and allow them to sit another 5-7 minutes.
7- Check that all sides are golden and crisp. If not, continue allowing the potatoes to sit in the oil over the heat until golden and crisp.

Spicy Sweet Potato Fries

If I'm being honest, I don't **love** sweet potatoes. I know, I know... they are the healthiest potato. I get it. I really do. But... I'm just a big fan of the white potato. However, as I try to force myself to be a healthier person sweet potatoes are becoming more and more of a star in my little ol' kitchen.

I once bought a bag of Alexia's sweet potato fries and realized that as long as they are spicy I am a fan of sweet potatoes. The other day I decided to ditch the frozen fries and try my hand at making my own. A little bit o' this and a little bit o' that... and next thing you know I have a delicious side dish.

John and I both really liked these! I will say that I didn't measure any seasonings, everything is an approximate. These really need to be seasoned to taste because what I consider spicy and what you consider spicy are clearly going to be quite different. I will be making these again- soon. A real staple in our kitchen.

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
2 large sweet potatoes
2 tsp. canola oil
1-2 tsp. taco seasoning (you can use packaged instead)
1/2 tsp. Lawry's seasoning salt
1/4 tsp. cajun seasoning
cooking spray

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 400.
2- Wash, dry, and peel the potatoes. Slice into even strips.
3- Toss the potatoes and oil in a zipper bag. Toss well to evenly coat.
4- Add seasonings to the bag, toss. (Start off with less that you might want, then add more if you feel it's not enough.)
5- Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Lay fries in an even layer. Bake until browned on top, about 15-20 minutes. Flip. Bake another 15 minutes. (Cooking times will vary based on him thick you can the fries). Cook until soft inside and crispy on the outside.

Lighter Mashed Potatoes

Ah... mashed potatoes... it doesn't get much more American comfort food than that does it? 

If I am being honest with you, and I always am, I didn't TRY mashed potatoes until a bit over a year ago. I turned my nose up to the mashed potato. I claimed it was a "texture" thing. Then one day I thought about mashed potatoes and what was in them and I realized if potatoes are good, and butter is good, and milk is good, then mashed potatoes must be good as well. Well, they sure are. Especially when my mom makes them with two sticks of butter. Ohhhh baby, lay the butter on...

Yet, since I tend to be a bit health conscious when it comes to my food I decided two sticks o' butter just weren't gonna work for a side dish. So I lightened up, spiced em up, and ate them up. Love. Love. Love. This isn't a revolutionary recipe, truly it's not, but if you are looking for a lighter version of a classic try these. You can't go wrong.

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Serves 2

Ingredients:
3 average white potatoes
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp. light sour cream
1 tbsp. butter
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder

Directions:
1- Dice the potatoes (skin on or off- it's up to you- I leave it on) into even sized chunks. Bring to boil in a pot of water.
2- Allow to boil until fork tender. Drain.
3- In the pot, add the butter and chicken broth. Return the potatoes to the pot and put the heat over low. Using a hand masher, mash the potatoes until smooth. Stir in the sour cream. If you want it smoother add a bit more chicken broth.
4- Season to taste with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.