Ultimate Potato Soup

 

1 pound bacon, chopped (I didn't use a whole pound, only about 1/2 pound)

2 stalks celery, diced

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

8 potatoes, peeled and cubed

4 cups chicken stock, or enough to cover potatoes

3 T. butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup heavy cream (I used half and half)

1 tsp. dried tarragon

3 tsp. chopped fresh cilantro (I did not use cilantro)

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until done. Remove bacon from pan, and set aside. Drain off all but 1/4 cup of the bacon grease.
2. In the bacon grease remaining in the pan, saute the celery and onion until onion begins to turn clear. Add the garlic, and continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the cubed potatoes, and toss to coat. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Return the bacon to the pan (I didn't add the bacon to she soup, I added on top of the soup at serving time), and add enough chicken stock to just cover the potatoes. Cover, and simmer until potatoes are tender.
3. In a separate pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour. Cook stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the heavy cream, tarragon and cilantro. Bring the cream mixture to a boil, and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Stir the cream mixture into the potato mixture. Puree about 1/2 the soup, and return to the pan. Adjust seasonings to taste.
4. I also sprinkled some cheddar cheese on top.

Sausage and Potatoes

I got this idea from the Paint Chips and Frying Pans blog:

5 medium potatoes

1 kielbasa link (I used a smoked sausage link)

2 T. oil (I used olive oil)
Onion
Garlic/pepper seasoning

Spray 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray. Wash and cube potatoes; layer in bottom of pan. Slice up sausage on top of the potatoes. Sprinkle with onion. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with seasoning.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and stir. Put back in the oven for 20 more minutes, or until potatoes are tender and kielbasa are starting to brown.

This smelled so good when it was cooking!

Use It Up Tip: Potatoes

I make a conscious effort to use up leftovers before they have to be thrown out. My family is more likely to eat them, however, if they're re-purposed into something new instead of simply warmed over. From time to time, I post "Use It Up Tips," ideas for turning boring leftovers into something more exciting.

One of my favorite way to use up leftover potatoes is to make fried potatoes as a side for another meal. I melt butter in a skillet, cut the potatoes into thin slices, sprinkle with dried onions and/or seasoning salt, and fry until crispy. I usually use baked potatoes (and often make 1 or 2 extra just for the leftover possibilities), but have used potatoes that have been cooked with meat, or boiled potatoes.

Au Gratin Potatoes

We had these Au Gratin Potatoes from the $5 Dinner Mom with our Christmas Eve ham. Visit $5 Dinners for your chance to win a copy of her new cookbook--she's giving away 10 copies a day for two weeks!

6 large Russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper
4 tablespoons butter or margarine
4 tablespoons flour
4 cups milk
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9x13-inch glass baking dish.
2. Place a layer of thinly sliced potatoes, followed by a layer of thinly sliced onions, and finally topped with another layer of thinly sliced potatoes in the glass baking dish. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and pepper.
3. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and quickly whisk in the flour to form a paste. Pour the milk into the saucepan, whisking as you pour. Whisk until butter/flour paste dissolves into the milk.
Heat the sauce over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes, until it begins to bubble and thicken. Once thickened and bubbling, pour the sauce over the potatoes and onions in the glass baking dish.
4. Sprinkle shredded sharp cheddar cheese over the potatoes and sauce. Cover with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes. Remove foil and return to the oven and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until cheese is golden on top and sauce is bubbly.

Homemade Fries

Homemade fries taste a lot better than frozen, and they're really easy to make.

Cut potatoes into eighths. Toss with oil of your choice and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, or until tender. You can add garlic salt, parmesan cheese, or other seasonings to your liking.

Sausage Potato Soup

I got this recipe from the What's for Dinner? blog

1/2 pound smoked turkey kielbasa, diced (I used regular smoked sausage)
6 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed (I often use Yukon Golds and leave the skin on)
2 cups frozen corn
1-1/2 cups chicken broth (I used enough broth to cover the veggies while they cooked)
1 celery rib, sliced
1/4 cup sliced carrot (I used two carrots)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1-1/2 cups milk
2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley (I did not used parsley)

Directions
In a large saucepan, brown sausage; drain. Set sausage aside. In the same pan, (I used a different pan because I started the veggies cooking while the sausage was browning.)
combine the potatoes, corn, broth, celery, carrot and seasonings. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Add the milk, cheese, parsley and sausage. Cook and stir over low heat until
cheese is melted and soup is heated through.

Yield: 6 servings.

Lemon Chicken, Potatoes and Green Beans

This recipe came from Kelly's Korner.

6 tablespoons olive oil
2 lemons, 1 thinly sliced, 1 juiced
4 cloves garlic (I used garlic salt since I didn't have any fresh garlic on hand)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
3/4 lb green beans (I used 2 cans)
8 small red potatoes, quartered
4 chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 450. Coat a large baking dish with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Arrange lemon slices from 1 lemon in a single layer on the bottom of the dish. In large bowl combine remaining olive oil, lemon juice of 2nd lemon, garlic, salt and pepper. Add green beans and toss to coat. Using tongs, remove green beans and arrange them on top of lemon slices. Add potatoes to same olive oil mixture and coat. Arrange on inside edge of dish on top of the beans. Place chicken in olive oil mixture and coat. Place chicken in dish. I also sprinkled some garlic pepper seasoning on top of everything for some extra flavor. Roast for 40-50 minutes. Remove chicken and continue roasting potatoes/beans if necessary.

Due to the lemon juice, the beans were rather tangy, according to the kids. It reminded me of when my grandma added vinegar to green beans when we would eat Sunday dinner at her house.

Potato Salad

We got a Joy of Cooking cookbook for a wedding gift, and it's been a great resource through the years. It ranges from basic cooking/baking/ingredient information to gourmet food. At over 1100 pages, you can't go wrong! This potato salad recipe is the only one I use.

2 pounds red or other waxy potatoes (I have used russet potatoes, or even leftover baked potatoes)
1 medium celery stalk, diced
2 T. finely snipped fresh chives, or 2 scallions, minced, or 2 T. minced red onion (I usually use white onions as that's what I have on hand, but I have used red onions)
1/4 cup parsley ( I don't think I've ever added parsley)
I usually add 2-4 hard boiled eggs as well.
3/4 to 1 cup mayonnaise
2 T. milk or red wine vinegar (I always use milk)
I also add a "squirt" of mustard--a little goes a long way.
Boil potatoes in salted water until tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain, peel if desired, ,and cut into bite-sized pieces. (I usually cut into bite size pieces before I boil the potatoes. They cook faster and I don't have to try to cut hot potatoes.) In a medium bowl, toss the still-warm potatoes with celery and onions.
Stir together mayonnaise and milk/vinegar. Add the mayonnaise mixture to the warm potato mixture and toss gently to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve at room temperature or chilled. (I always chill before eating.)

Oven Roasted Red Potatoes and Asparagus

1 1/2 pounds red potatoes, cut into chunks
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced (I didn't have fresh garlic, so I sprinkled with garlic powder)
4 tsp. dried rosemary (I didn't measure, just sprinkled the rosemary and thyme)
4 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp. kosher salt (I used regular salt)
1 bunch fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. (I would spray the dish with cooking spray to prevent the potatoes from sticking) In a large baking dish, toss the red potatoes with 1/2 the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme and 1/2 the kosher salt. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Mix in the asparagus, remaining olive oil, and remaining salt. Cover and continue cooking 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees. Remove foil and continue cooking 5 to 10 minutes until potatoes are lightly browned. Season with pepper; serve.
When I made this, the potatoes were nearly cooked when I took them out to add the asparagus, so 15 minutes initially should be enough, plus and additional 10-15 with the asparagus (including the 5-10 minutes without foil). Just use a fork to test if the potatoes are tender/done.

Cheesy Ham and Potato Soup

This is a great way to use up leftover ham after the holidays.

3 1/2 cups potatoes, peeled and diced
1/3 cup celery
1/3 cup onion, finely chopped
1-2 cups ham, diced and cooked
3 1/4 cups water
2 T. chicken bouillon granules I use a can of chicken broth instead of chicken bouillon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
5 T. butter
5 T. flour
2 cups milk
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
I also add 2-3 carrots, sliced.
Combine potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water (I added the chicken broth here, and then enough water to cover the potatoes, etc.) in stockpot and bring to boil. Cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender. Salt and pepper to taste.
In separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly until thick. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form and all milk is added. Continue to stir until thick (4-5 minutes). Add in cheese and stir until melted.
Stir the cheese mixture into the stockpot and cook until heated through.