birthday dessert ideas: potatoes

Showing posts with label potatoes. Show all posts

Showing posts with label potatoes. Show all posts

Sweet Potato with Chipotle Black Beans, Caramelized Onions and Guacamole

You know the best thing about having leftovers in the refrigerator? You get to create amazing, delicious meal with a bunch of your favorite things. We often have Chipotle Black Beans in the refrigerator. I like to do different things with them. I've come up with some crazy combinations, that's for sure. This time, I had lots of other things in the refrigerator too so I came up with an excellent vegan meal. This was so good, I'd make it special, not just when there are leftovers in the frig.

This is day 25 of 30 Days of Vegan recipes. One thing I've noticed is that I am eating less. I'm eating healthy, whole food and it just fills you up faster. That's why I always seem to have leftovers in the refrigerator. I happen to love, love, love leftovers because that means I don't have to think about cooking!

Sweet Potato with Chipotle Black Beans, Caramelized Onions and Guacamole Recipe

1 large sweet potato
1/4 cup Chipotle Beans
1/4 cup Chipotle Caramelized Onions
2 tbsp. Guacamole
Salt and pepper to taste

Layer every thing on a plate and enjoy! Feel free to sprinkle with cilantro or green onions.

Garlic Fries

I love all the blogs that I am introduced to on the Secret Recipe Club. This month I had the privilege to peruse Tea and Scones. I found several delicious recipes, however I limited myself as this month I am eating a vegan diet. I chose her Garlic Fries. She said that she could devour these with just about anything and I completely agree!

I picked up a whole bunch of fingerling potatoes at the farmers market. I am also avoiding oil so I just roasted these with water and no oil. The fingerling potatoes crisped up just fine without oil.

I made some frozen fried for the kids and they loved the garlic on them. I'm thinking that we have a new way to make fries now.

This is day 23 of 30 Days of Vegan recipes. I am so loving this way of eating. Not difficult at all.

Garlic Fries Recipe
Adapted from Tea and Scones

3 cloves garlic
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3 baked potatoes or fingerling potatoes or frozen french fries

Heat garlic cloves and a bit of water and water saute garlic for a minute or so. Set aside.

Cut potatoes into sticks or use small fingerling potatoes. Toss potatoes with water sauteed garlic and sprinkle with garlic powder and salt. Toss to combine. Bake at 450 for about 35 minutes until potatoes are done.

If you're using frozen fries, cook first according to directions and then toss with garlic, garlic powder and salt. Put back in oven for about 5 minutes.

Alternate method: You can use a couple of tablespoons of oil on the potatoes as well.

Chili Stuffed Sweet Potato

This is an awesome meal combining two of my favorite foods. Sweet Potatoes and Chili. This is like a twice baked potato only I didn't bake them twice. It was hot enough so I didn't feel the need to stick them back in the oven.

Actually, these technically might be yams. I really don't know which are which. I always thought that the orange ones were sweet potatoes and the white ones yams but someone just told me otherwise. I've seen these labeled at my grocery store as New Jersey Sweet Potatoes AND Yams so clearly they are confused as well. I like both but prefer the orange ones.

This came together quickly and was super delicious and filling. And healthy!

Day 2 of my 30 days of vegan recipes. This was a great way to start the weekend for dinner.

Check out Elena's 30 day Body By Plants boot camp!

Chili Stuffed Sweet Potato Recipe

1 large sweet potato
1/2 cup kidney beans
2 - 3 tbsp. onion, minced
2 - 3 tbsp. red pepper, minced
1 - 2 tbsp. chili powder or taco seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook sweet potato in microwave or oven until soft and done. Slice in half and carefully scoop out the potato into a bowl.

Combine kidney beans, onion and red pepper in a saucepan and saute briefly, just to cook the onion and and red pepper until soft. Add bean mixture to the sweet potato. Add seasoning, taste and re-adjust seasonings if necessary. Scoop back into potato skins and enjoy! You can throw the skins into the oven to crisp up a bit if you'd like but I didn't bother.

Roasted Southwestern Red Potato Salad

I don't like turning my oven on too much in the summer. I prefer quick stove top meals, the crock pot or the grill. Grilling is the best of course because that's Hub's job. Some days are fairly cool though and potatoes just need to be roasted.

This potato salad is a bit spicy. We all liked it though. Loved the sour cream and cream cheese sauce over it. Totally worth turning on the oven in summer.

Roasted Red Potato Salad

2 lbs. red potatoes, cut in bite sized chunks
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 tsp. salt, divided
1/2 tsp. pepper, divided
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chiles
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 can corn, drained (15 oz)
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
1 small red pepper, finely chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Toss potatoes with oil, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper, place in a greased baking dish. Bake in oven at 400 for about 35 - 40 minutes or until tender, stirring 1/2 way.

For dressing, in a small bowl, beat cream cheese and stir in sour cream until smooth. Stir in chiles, paprika, garlic powder and the remaining salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, combine the corn, onion, red pepper and roasted potatoes. Add dressing until it is desired moistness. You might have some left over. Toss with cilantro.

Sweet Potatoes with Spinach

I've never been much of a spinach fan. I love it in salads and on sandwiches but not always cooked. I jumped at the chance to pair it with my beloved sweet potatoes. I'm always looking for ways to make sweet potatoes. I loved it with the spinach. The flavors went together wonderfully. Looks like I found another way to eat spinach!

Sweet Potatoes with Spinach Recipe
Adapted from Barefeet in the Kitchen

2 lbs sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons butter
1 large garlic clove, minced
6 ounces (or approximately 4 cups) baby spinach leaves
1/4 cup sour cream
Salt & pepper, to taste
Mozzarella cheese, shredded

Microwave sweet potatoes until soft and tender. Or stick in the oven for about 45 minutes at 350 until done.

Cool potatoes a bit, slice them in half and peel the skins off of them. Place the cooked potatoes in a large mixing bowl and smash with a potato masher. Add the sour cream, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings. Set aside.

In a large pan, melt the butter and add the garlic. When the garlic is fragrant, after about a minute, add the spinach. Toss to coat the leaves thoroughly and continue tossing as the spinach cooks. It should wilt fairly quickly, within a few minutes.

Once the spinach has wilted, add it and any remaining butter in the pan to the potato mixture. Stir well to combine. While the potatoes are still hot, top with cheese if desired. Enjoy!

Ham and Potato Casserole

Ever since I've found that you can buy hard boiled eggs, I've been looking for more recipes and ideas to make with hard boiled eggs. Cheesy ham, potato casserole is always a favorite. I figured adding hard boiled eggs would make it even better and give it a breakfast flair. Not that we ate it for breakfast.

I'm going through camera issues so these are not the best pictures. Trust me that this was good. Very good.

I did use a bit of velveeta cheese. I know there are many who really don't consider it cheese. Well, it tastes good and melts great. Use a different cheese if you want but don't judge.

Ham and Potato Casserole Recipe

1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/4 cup flour, I used gluten free
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 cups (12 oz) sour cream
4 oz. velveeta cheese, cubed
1 cup shredded colby jack cheese
6 hard boiled eggs
4 cups cubed cooked potatoes
2 cups cubed cooked ham
2 tbsp. dried minced onion
2 green onions, shopped

In a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and cheeses. Cook and stir over low hear just until cheese is melted. Remove from heat. Stir in the eggs, potatoes, ham, and onion. Transfer to a 9 x 13 in baking pan. Bake uncovered at 350 for 30 - 35 minutes or until bubbly and edges are golden brown. Sprinkle with green onions.

Sweet Potatoes and Pears

This is one of my favorite side dishes. The coconut sugar and spices caramelized beautifully on the sweet potatoes and pears. This was sweet and delicious.

I hadn't used coconut sugar before. I'd heard good things about it and heard that it was a "better" sugar. This is what I read about it.

Coconut sugar, derived from the flowers of the coconut tree, is an organic, sustainable natural sweetener that shows promising results for people who suffer from chronic illnesses or conditions such as diabetes, gallstones, cancer, heart disease and obesity. This sugar has a low glycemic index and is also a nutrient powerhouse, filled with lots of vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Coconut sugar is minimally processed, unbleached and contains no preservatives.

Coconut sugar is made from the sugar blossoms of fresh coconuts found in the tropics. It is harvested by slicing the bud of the coconut tree flower to release the sap or coconut nectar. This nectar is then boiled into a thick caramel and dried into crystals. Nothing is removed during this process. Coconut sugar is similar in texture and taste to brown sugar but far outweighs its nutritional profile.

I certainly found it good and it tasted awesome! I bought some more and have used it plenty.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Pears
Adapted from Laura's Gluten Free Pantry

4 large sweet potatoes, cut into bite sized chunks
4 pears, cut into bite sized chunks
1 cup coconut sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 in. baking dish with cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix together the sweet potatoes, pears, coconut sugar, vinegar and spices. After tossing the ingredients together for several minutes, place on the dish or baking sheet and bake for 1 hour.

Cheddar Apple Mashed Potatoes

We eat mashed potatoes quite a lot around here. Usually we just throw the usual in them. You know, a splash of milk, a little butter and some S&P. Easy mashed potatoes. My boys like them that way, they don't like me adding stuff and changing them up.

"Why change a good thing, Mom?!"

Well, change is good. Sometimes I like to add things to my mashed potatoes. So much to my boys' dismay, I made these mashed potatoes and completely fell in love with them. I've made them several times. Unfortunately to keep peace in the family, I made a batch of regular potatoes for the boys. Their loss, not mine.

Cheddar Mashed Potatoes
Adapted from Bizzy Bakes

4 lbs. potatoes
1/2 cup milk
1 cup (4 oz) cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup onions
2 apples, chopped (I used fuji)
Salt and pepper
Dried chives to garnish (optional)

Chop potatoes into chunks, drop them into a large pot of water. Brink to a boil and simmer until potatoes are soft. While potatoes are cooking, combine onions and chopped apples in a pan with a bit of cooking spray. Saute until tender.

Drain the potatoes and return to pot. Add milk and onion/apple mixture and mash. I like to leave a few chunks. Add cheese and stir until melted.

Asparaus Quiche with a Sweet Potato Crust

I'm not a big asparagus fan. Saute it in butter and serve it the right way and it's okay but I rarely, if ever, buy it. It's just not my vegetable of choice. So why did I jump when I saw this recipe?

Well, the sweet potato crust sounded amazing. The herbs go so well with the sweet potatoes and it really was a perfect quiche crust.

Quiche. Now there's a word. I've always thought that sounds really fancy. Something that rich, hoity toity people make or you would only get in a fancy hotel for room service breakfast. Seriously, that is what I've always thought of the word quiche. Never did I think that I would be making quiche.

Anyways, back to the asparagus. It's not really asparagus season so I bought frozen. (actually, I have no idea when it's in season, I just couldn't find any fresh at the store.) I thought about subbing green beans or broccoli but I thought that I could be a big girl and try the asparagus.

Well, it was delicious. I loved it. Quiche. Asparagus Quiche. Me? Can you believe it?

Asparagus Quiche with a Savory Sweet Potato Crust
Adapted from Life As a Plate

For the crust:
1 lb. cooked sweet potatoes
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/3 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

For the filling:
1 small onion, chopped
1 9oz. pkg frozen asparagus
1 1/2 tsp fresh garlic
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. butter
10 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup milk

For the crust, mix all the ingredients in a large bowl and then press into the bottom of a greased 8 x 8 in. pan. Bake at 375 for 20 - 25 minutes until the center is firm.

For the filling, melt the butter in a saucepan and add the onions, asparagus and garlic. Cook for 5 - 10 minutes until onions are slightly transparent. Let cool for 5 - 10 minutes while crust finishes cooking.

Beat eggs and milk until fluffy in a large bow. Add in the asparagus mixture to the eggs, stir and then pour into pan on top of sweet potato crust. Bake for about 30 - 35 minutes until cooked through. Center will be firm and the edges slightly brown. It might take a bit longer to cook so keep an eye on it.

This is linked with:
My Meatless Monday at My Sweet and Savory

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Browned Butter Mashed Potatoes

Ok, this isn't going to be a post where you're going to look at the pictures and say, "Oh, that looks awesome, I gotta have it!" Nope, the pictures are not going to speak for this recipe.

Granted, there are about 100 ways I could have improved this picture. First, I could have NOT chose a white bowl. Duh. I could have drizzled some hot browned butter over the top. Or I could have shown it with the rest of my meal, it would have looked better with my meatloaf and green beans. Nope. I didn't do any of those.

In the end, I just plopped them into a bowl, snapped the camera and proceeded to eat these wonderful, tasty potatoes in record time.

Browned butter, people! That's all I really need to say, right?

Browned Butter Mashed Potatoes

Adapted from Taste and Tell

3/4 cup butter

4 lbs. yellow Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks

1 tablespoon salt, divided

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup milk

freshly ground black pepper

Place the butter in a heavy saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the butter begins to turn golden brown, about 6-8 minutes. Remove immediately from the heat and pour butter into a bowl.

Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Add 2 teaspoons of the salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until the potatoes are tender, drain and return to the pot.

Mash the potatoes with a potato masher until you reach your desired consistency. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the browned butter, and add the remaining to the potatoes, along with the buttermilk, milk and remaining salt. Season with pepper, and more salt if needed.

Transfer potatoes to a serving dish and drizzle with the reserved brown butter.

Stuffed Potatoes

My family asks for stuffed potatoes a lot. We make them so much, the kids can basically make their own. I like it when they can do that. Less work for me to do. My eldest sons favorite is ham, cheese and broccoli. We always have those ingredients and for us, that is the basic potato. I'll add onion and garlic to mine of course but not the eldest son, he sticks to the basic.

Above you'll see our pizza potato. This time we made a vegetarian version, just because we didn't have any pepperoni or meat. We just scooped out the potato and added black beans, pizza sauce, onion and red pepper. Then we shoved it back into the potato skin and topped it with more pizza sauce, some garlic powder and cheese. This is ooey gooey GOOD!

Sometimes I will make a leftover stuffed potato. That is - whatever-is-in-the-refrigerator-that-would-be-good-on-a-potato. Sometimes the ingredients can get interesting. Above you'll see my most recent leftover stuffed potato. This one has some leftover pork carnitas, a bacon ranch dipping sauce from Little Ceasars pizza place and the few squirts left in the BBQ sauce bottle. It turned out really, really good. I just scooped out the potato and mixed in the rest until it looked good.

Baby always has his own potato. His way. (incidentally, Baby is 10 so he really isn't a baby). He likes his potato with the potato scooped out and JUST ham and cheese layered in his potato skin. He doesn't want the potato back in the skin, JUST the ham and cheese. Whatever, as long as he eats it, I'm good.

See, you can make a stuffed potato any way you want. Check out my recipe for a Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Potato.

Stuffed Potatoes

Wash potatoes. Microwave or stick in the oven until soft. Slice potatoes in half, the long way and wait until they are cool enough to handle. Or if you're impatient like me, just grab with a paper towel and scoop the inside potato flesh into a bowl. Don't take too much out or they will fall apart on you.

Throw the potato skins into the oven at like 375 to crisp up just a bit. Just 6 - 8 minutes is fine.

Add whatever to the inside of the potato mixture. I usually add a bit of butter, salt and pepper right away and then whatever flavors you'd like.

Broccoli Ham & Cheese Potato

Cut broccoli and ham into small chunks and saute for about 5 minutes. Add to potato mixture. Add some cheese and mix. Scoop into potato shell and top with more cheese. Stick into the oven for about 5 - 7 minutes until melted. (feel free to add onion, garlic or whatever seasonings you'd like)

Pizza Potato

Saute onion and pepper for a few minutes to soften. Put some pizza sauce, pepperoni (or beans for vegetarian) and onions and peppers into the potato and mix. Scoop back into the potato shell, top with more pizza sauce and cheese. Stick into the oven for about 5 - 7 minutes until hot and melted. You can add mushrooms, sausage, ham or whatever you like on a pizza into the mix as well.

Shredded BBQ Pork Potato

Heat leftover shredded pork, chicken or beef and mix with a bit of BBQ sauce. Mix in with the potato and stir. Scoop into the potato shell. Stick into the oven for about 5 - 7 minutes until hot. I also like to add a bit of ranch dressing to the BBQ sauce. It's your potato. Do whatever tastes good!

Sweet Potato Patties with Black Bean Salsa

Has it already been a month? It's time again for The Secret Recipe Club. This month my assigned blogger was Chellie from Art From My Table. I went straight to her vegetarian section. I eat meat but don't overly care about meat and I find the best things tend to be in the vegetarian section.

I first saw the Pumpkin Oatmeal Cups and thought for sure that I would make those. Her Avocado Lettuce Salad sounds awesome. I never thought to mix it with lettuce like this! Her Artichoke Tomato Chicken that she posted last month for SRC is still on my list to make. My mouth is watering just thinking of it.

Then I found it. The perfect recipe. I chose her Sweet Potato Cakes with Black Bean Salsa. I had just bought a 10 pound box of sweet potatoes at Costco. Black beans are always in the cupboard so this was the perfect recipe for me.

If you make the salsa ahead of time, this is a snap to make. The sweet potato patties came together quite easily. I used gluten free flour which worked well. The black bean salsa tasted fantastic and I ate the leftovers the next day with gluten free crackers.

Thank you Chellie for an awesome recipe that I for sure will make again!

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Sweet Potato Patties with Black Bean Salsa
Recipe from Art from My Table

2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into large chunks
½ cup all-purpose flour (I used gluten free)
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 green onions, both white and green parts, finely chopped
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2-3 tablespoons butter

-Steam the sweet potato chunks for 15-20 minutes until completely tender, and then transfer to a colander and allow to drain until dry.

- Once very dry, place sweet potato chunks in a large mixing bowl and mash with a potato masher to break up chunks. Add flour and finely chopped green onions, and mix with your hands to form a smooth batter. Using your hands here is best so that it doesn’t become over mixed. In a food processor, the sweet potato mixture could quickly become gummy. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed. Once the mixture is smooth, and the flour and green onions are mixed in, you’re ready to fry. Note: the mixture should be sticky but not wet, so more flour may be needed.

- In a non-stick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. Form round, flat cakes from about two tablespoons of batter per cake, and fry 4 or 5 at a time for 3-4 minutes per side until golden. Transfer finished cakes to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain and cool. Add more oil and butter to pan between batches as needed, and continue frying a few cakes at a time until all are ready for their toppings.

For the black bean salsa:
1 16 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained, or 1 cup dried beans, prepared
1 small can mild green chilies, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, small diced
¼ cup finely minced red onion
¼ cup cilantro leaves, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
¼ teaspoon salt
Sour Cream for serving

-Combine all salsa ingredients (except sour cream) in a small bowl and stir to combine. Salsa can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator.

-Top each cake with sour cream and black bean salsa and serve.

Roasted Mustard Potatoes

You know how there are like 1001 ways to make chicken? Well, same thing goes for potatoes. I'm always on the lookout for a tasty, healthy way to dress a potato.

I knew that my husband would love these potatoes. He loves mustard. Me? I think that mustard is okay, it has it's place. Like on a corn dog.

I was skeptical about how much mustard were on these. I was so wrong. These were SOOOOOO good! The baked mustard with the herbs was a perfect flavor. I loved these potatoes and will for sure make them again.

Roasted Mustard Potatoes Recipe

Adapted from Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing pan

1/2 cup dijon mustard (regular or whole-grain)

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest, grated

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon dried oregano

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon sea or kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

5 cups potatoes, cut into 3/4 inch cubes

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease a large, rimmed, thin baking sheet with olive oil.
Whisk mustard, olive oil, butter, lemon juice, zest garlic, oregano, parmesan, salt and a few turns or pinches of black pepper. Add cubed potatoes and toss well.
Spread out on baking sheet and bake until crusty and golden brown - they can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour depending on how well done you like them and how big you cut your potatoes, check every 10 minutes starting around the 30 minute mark. Mine took about 50 minutes.

BBQ Beef Shepherds Pie

Did you know that before I started blogging 3 years ago, I'd never eaten shepherds pie? Now I would say that it is one of my favorite meals. I love putting meat on top of potatoes, so naturally potatoes on top of meat is a good idea.

The recipe below is for a big batch of the meat. Feel free to reduce it if you'd like but I like to make a lot and eat it throughout the week or freeze it for another meal. This freezes beautifully. You're free to add whatever veggies you fancy, I would have liked peas in it but didn't find any in the freezer. So I added the 1/2 bag of green beans on the top shelf that has been there for practically forever. You know the ones. I loved all the veggies! The more the better!

I wasn't sure how the flavored mashed potatoes would be with these flavors but it was wonderful and the flavors were perfect.

BBQ Beef Shepherds Pie
Adapted from Our Eating Habits

2 1/2 lb lean ground beef or ground turkey

16 oz. corn, frozen

1 onion, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

1 cup green beans, frozen (or any desired veggie)

2 (4 oz) can chopped green chiles, undrained

1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce (you might need more)

salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 lb baby red potatoes, unpeeled

Butter and milk, for mashing potatoes

1/4 cup sliced green onions (about 4)

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 tbsp ranch dressing

4 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled

1. Cook ground beef in large skillet until browned, drain. Add onion and red pepper and cook for 4 - 5 minutes. Add corn, green chiles, BBQ Sauce and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, continue to heat on low until potatoes are done.
2. Cook potatoes until tender in boiling water. Drain and mash with butter, milk ans salt and pepper. Stir in green onions, cheddar cheese, ranch dressing and bacon.
3. Scoop meat mixture on to plate and top with potatoes.

Bacon Ranch Potato Salad

I haven't been posting too many recipes lately. I've been kinda on a cooking hiatus for the summer. We've been eating simple things like tacos and burgers. Some nights we'll just have corn on the cob and watermelon for dinner. I haven't been much into menu planning lately. I expect come fall that will change.

I can't believe I haven't posted this potato salad yet. It's one of my favorite salads and I've already made it twice just this summer. The ranch dressing is perfect and so delicious. You can make it to your own tastes. More garlic if you'd like. Add some more cayenne if you like it spicy. Thin it out with more buttermilk if you want to drizzle it over a salad. It's up to you. Taste and experiment!

Bacon Ranch Potato Salad Recipe
Adaped from Simply Scratch

1 - 5 lb. bag of red potatoes, scrubbed
1 lb. bacon
5 green onions, sliced
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Buttermilk Ranch Dressing:
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp. parsley or cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp. fresh dill, chopped
2 tbsp. fresh chives, chopped (I didn't have any so I thinly sliced green onions)
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 cup mayo
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 - 1 cup buttermilk
Salt and pepper to taste

Place potatoes in a large pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Once cooked, drain and cool. Cut into bite sized chunks. Place in a large bowl and add the bacon, green onions.

Combine all dressing ingredients and thin out with the 1/2 cup or more of buttermilk. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add to the potato bacon mixture and mix. Toss in the cheddar cheese and mix again.

Spicy Serrano Maple Scalloped Sweet Potatoes

Have I mentioned that I love sweet potatoes? I ate this whole dish by myself. Not in one sitting, it was over 3 days, but I ate it all. And I'd do it again.

Layered with spinach and a fantastic tomatillo serrano pepper sauce, this was incredible.

This was supposed to be inverted on a plate after cooling. I skipped that step as I wanted to dig into it fast. Plus, in the past, I haven't had much luck with inverting things. I put this in an 8 x 8 in. pan because I don't have a deep dish pie plate and I was afraid mine was going to be too small. I used a lot of potatoes though. I think this would have inverted nicely though and made a great presentation. Maybe next time.

Spicy Serrano Maple Scalloped Sweet Potatoes
Adapted from Cooking on the Weekends

1 cup roughly chopped tomatillos
2 tbsp. chopped serrano, seeds removed
3/4 cup half and half
2 cups pepper jack cheese (I used a bit less)
2 tsp. garlic, minced
4 tbsp. maple syrup, divided
3/4 tsp. salt
Pepper
About 2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled
1 tbsp. butter, melted
2 cups packed, fresh spinach leaves

Combine the tomatillos, serrano pepper and half and half into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Add the cheese, garlic, 3 tbsp. of the syrup, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Slice the sweet potatoes with a slicer fairly thin. Set aside.

Add the melted butter to an 8 x 8 in. pan or an 8 in. pie plate. Add the other tablespoon of maple syrup and swirl around.

Neatly add two layers of sliced sweet potatoes directly over the butter syrup mixture. They should be overlapping and layered. Add the remaining sweet potatoes to the cream mixture and use your hands to be sure that each slice is well coated with it.

Layer about a third of the coated sweet potatoes on top of the first two layers already in the pan. Then add half of the spinach. Repeat with 1/3 more coated potatoes, then the rest of the spinach. Then layer the last of the sweet potatoes on top. Pour any remaining cream mixture on top and move around so it seeps into the dish. Bake in oven at 425 for 20 minutes. Then, turn the temp down to 375 and cover with foil and bake for another 30 - 35 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and let it sit at room temperature for about an hour. Place on a plate or a platter that is a couple of inches larger than the cake pan, upside down on top. Flip over gently to invert potatoes. (I skipped this part and we just dug in but I'll bet it would have been gorgeous inverted on a platter.)

One Year Ago...

Strawberry Lemonade Muffins