Chili & Cheese Twice Baked Potatoes

Original Photo and Recipe

 I liked these!  And they heated up well for lunch the next day (baked them the second time, then microwaved the next day).  They are messy and I probably needed to cook them a little more so that the guts were easier to mash...

Chili & Cheese Twice Baked Potatoes

Serves: 4
Approx. 580 calories per serving

• 4 medium potatoes
• 1 cup chili (leftover, from a can, whatever)
• 6 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded #1
• 0.5 cups sour cream
• 0.25 cups milk
• 0.5 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded #2

Wash and poke holes in potatoes using a fork. Cover potatoes in foil. Bake at 400 degrees for one hour. Remove potatoes from oven and from foil. Allow to cool to the touch. Cut in half lengthwise. Using a towel or hot pad to protect your hand, hold the potato and scoop out the insides being certain to leave a 1/4 to 1/2 inch in the skin (see illustrations below). Place scooped out middles in a large bowl.


Mash the cooked potatoes with a fork or potato masher. Note: they should be lumpy, not smooth. To the potatoes add chili, cheddar cheese #1, sour cream, milk and garlic powder. Mix well.
Add mixture back to hallowed out skins. Top with remaining cheddar cheese #2. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until heated through and cheeses melted. Serve.

Freezing Directions:
Follow directions above but do not bake a second time. Instead, wrap in saran wrap and place in a gallon freezer bag. To serve: Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or microwave for 2-3 minutes or until heated through.

Potato Kielbasa Skillet

Original Recipe and Photo

This was easy and pretty tasty.  We'll make this again.  The recipe says 4 servings, but the piggies that we are, that's not entirely accurate haha.

Potato Kielbasa Skillet
Serves:  4
Calories: About 475

1 pound red potatoes, cubed  (About 3 medium sized potatoes)
3 Tbs. water
3/4 lb. smoked kielbasa or Polish sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 Tbs. olive oil (or the leftover bacon grease)
2 Tbs. brown sugar
2 Tbs. cider vinegar
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 cups fresh baby spinach 

 5 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

Directions:  Place cubed potatoes and water in a microwave-safe dish. Cover bowl with plastic wrap (no need to poke any holes) and microwave on high for 4 minutes or until fork tender; drain.  (Mine took closer to 6 minutes before they were fork-tender).

In a large skillet on medium-high heat, saute kielbasa and onion in oil until onion is tender; about 3-5 minutes.  Add potatoes; saute 3-5 minutes longer or until kielbasa and potatoes are lightly browned.

Meanwhile, combine the brown sugar, vinegar, mustard, thyme, and pepper; stir into skillet. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 2-3 minutes or until heated through. Add spinach and bacon; cook and stir until spinach is wilted. 

Steak and Potato Salad

Matt insisted I blog this so we remember to make it in the future........Adapted from the Family Circle cookbook.

1 lb red-skin potatoes (3-4 large), cut into 8 pieces each
4 strips bacon
1 small red onion, chopped
1 lb steak, cut into strips
salt
steak seasoning
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1/2 tsp cold water
baby spinach
Crumbled gorgonzola cheese

In a very large pan (I think it is a deep 12" pan), boil some water and throw in potatoes with salt.  Boil for about 15 minutes and drain, set aside.

In the same pan, cook the bacon until crisp, set aside to drain on paper towel.  In the bacon grease, throw in the onion for a minute over medium then add steak strips, season with steak seasoning, for about 2 minutes.  Remove and set aside.

Dump in the honey and vinegar, cook over medium for 2 minutes then add the corn starch solution for a minute.  Add the potatoes, steak, onion, crumbled bacon and stir to coat/warm up everything.

Spoon over a bed of fresh spinach.  Add cheese crumbles to taste.

Serves 4.  Per serving (approx): 450 calories; 15 g fat.

Chicken O'Brien

This was another one of the 'what's in the fridge that I can throw together and make a casserole' recipes. It was pretty good, but definitely needs more seasoning. I'm sure you can think of something that will make it even more tasty.

Chicken O'Brien
Serves: 3-4

4 chicken breasts (or thin sliced breasts or tenders)
1 can condensed cheese soup
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
2+ cups of frozen potatoes o'brien hash browns
1 cup shredded cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 375. In a 9x13 pan, spray with non stick spray and lay out the chicken in a single layer. Mix together the soup and milk and spread over the chicken. Add the corn and a layer of potatoes then the cheese.

2. Bake for about 45 minutes, depending on the cut of chicken. You may want to broil for the last 2-3 minutes to crisp up the cheese. Just watch it or it will burn.

Ideas on how to kick up the seasoning?

Hot Potatoes

Mmm tasty. Another good grill recipe. You can adjust the fire by taking all, some, or none of the seeds/membrane out of the jalapenos.

Hot Potatoes
Serves: 3-4

6-8 medium to large sized red potatoes, washed and dried
2 jalapenos, deseeded/membrane if you wish, cut in a large dice
4 tablespoons butter or margarine
Grill seasoning and garlic salt to taste
Handfuls of shredded cheese (mexican, colby jack, cheddar etc)

1. Layout a length of foil. Spray with some non stick spray. If you have a mandolin, get that puppy out, otherwise do it by hand. Slice the potatoes decently thin and place on foil. Throw in the butter and jalapenos and sprinkle with the salt and seasoning.

2. Fold up the foil and place on the grill. Cook on a medium heat grill 30 minutes, turning once. Cooking time will vary depending on how thin the potatoes are... this is a trial and error.

3. Remove from grill and carefully open the foil. Sprinkle on a layer of cheese and cover lightly with the foil so it gets all melty. Serve.

Potato Pizza Casserole

This was another I-need-to-use-up-the-hamburger casserole. It was pretty tasty! Matt thought the potatoes were strange instead of pasta, but I liked it! Another find on allrecipes.com



Potato Pizza Casserole
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
+1 pound ground beef
+1 small onion, chopped
+salt and pepper to taste (I used montreal steak seasoning instead)
+1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (see above)
+5 cups peeled and thinly sliced potatoes (I used about 4 large red potatoes... or one good layer in th 9x13 pan)
+1 (3 ounce) package chopped pepperoni (I used slices... 1 layer in the pan)
+1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
+1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed Cheddar cheese soup
+1/2 cup milk
+1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (I omitted)
+1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning (I used more)
+1/2 teaspoon brown sugar (I omitted)
+8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Cook the ground beef and onion in a large skillet over medium heat until evenly browned. Drain off grease. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

2. Spread the sliced potatoes in a layer on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Spread the ground beef and onion over the potatoes. Place slices of pepperoni over the ground beef. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the tomato soup, Cheddar cheese soup, and milk. (I did this in a 4 cup pyrex measuring cup in the microwave) Season with oregano, Italian seasoning, and brown sugar. Mix well, and cook until heated through. Pour over the contents of the baking dish.

3. Cover the dish with aluminum foil, and bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove the aluminum foil, sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top, and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Parm Garlic Potatoes

I found this recipes on allrecipes.com, one of my favorite sites for recipes or inspiration for my own recipes. I thought these were decent, but I am not a huge fan of parmesan. They made an easy side dish and I needed to use up some potatoes =)

Parm Garlic Potatoes
Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:
2 pounds red potatoes, quartered (I used about 5 large cut into bite sized pieces)
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Place potatoes in an 8x8 inch baking dish.

3. In a small bowl combine melted butter, garlic, salt and lemon juice; pour over potatoes and stir to coat. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over potatoes.

4. Bake, covered, in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes, or until golden brown. (I found that I needed more like an hour to get them to the texture I wanted).

Dill Pot Roast and Potatoes

This was pretty tasty and very easy! Mad props to my crockpot for doing all the work.


Dill Pot Roast and Potatoes
Serves: 3

+3 pound beef pot roast (I found a chuck roast on sale)
+1 tsp. salt
+1/4 tsp. black pepper
+1 tsp. dried dillweed
+1 tsp. dried dillweed (yes a second tsp)
+1/4 cup water
+1 Tablespoon vinegar
+3 Tablespoons flour
+1/2 cup water
+1 cup sour cream
+3 large redskin potatoes

1. Place potatoes (scrubbed clean but not dried) in bottom of a lightly greased crock pot.

2. Sprinkle both sides of the meat wth the salt, pepper, and 1 tsp of the dill and rub in. Place in the crock pot, try to nestle the meat down in with the potatoes. Add 1/4 cup water and vinegar.

3. Cook on low for 7-9 hours or until tender. Make sure the meat isn't drying out on top, turn it over if it is.

4. Remove the meat and potatoes to rest and cover with foil to keep warm. Turn on the crockpot to high. Dissolve the flour into the 1/2 cup water and stir into the meat drippings. Add the remainder of the dill and cook for about 5 minutes then stir in the sour cream and cook until hot (about 5 minutes).

5. Slice the meat and serve the sauce with the meat and potatoes.

Semi Homemade Potato Chowder

Another good one from a blogger friend! Thanks Amy !! We had this with grilled cheese and some pickles. I am a big fan of Sandra Lee on the Food Network and her semi homemade food... but I never like the recipes, just the principle. So Amy I am putting this in that category. It is nice to have a recipe like this in your back pocket in case you need something simple and tasty.

Bacon, Cheese and Potato Chowder
Serves: 2 with lunch leftovers

3 cups fat-free milk (we used 2% because that's what I drink)
1 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of potato soup
2 cups frozen Southern-style hash browns (shredded)
1 cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese (all I had was a chunk of mild cheddar and some shredded colby jack... so that's what we used)
8 slices Bacon, crisply cooked, drained and crumbled (I am super lazy and used a 2.8oz bag of precooked and crumbled "for recipe" bacon... I would probably use less next time, maybe 2.0 oz)
*We added a few good grinds on the pepper mill

Mix milk and soup in large saucepan. Stir in hash browns. Bring to boil on high heat, stirring occasionally. Stir in the bacon and cheese. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 10 min., stirring frequently.

Garnish with parsley or green onions. Serve with fresh roll.

Cornish Game Hens

I always see these little buggers on sale at Meijer and I finally felt adventurous enough to try my hand at making them. Turned out pretty good I think. It was fun getting our own little chicken on the plate!

Cornish Game Hen
Serves: 2

0. Thaw out the two pack of game hens... this takes a while if you are just throwing them in the refrigerator. Plan ahead!


1. Preheat the oven to 325 deg.

2. Rinse and pat dry the hens. Dismantle a whole head of garlic and seperate into 6 equal piles. Cut half a medium onion into large chunks, seperate into 2 piles.


3. Stuff 1 pile each of garlic and onion into the cavity of the hen. Take 1 pile of garlic and stuff it under the skin on the breast side of the hen and another pile of garlic under the skin of the backside. Repeat with the second hen.


4. Melt a half stick of butter. On both sides of the hen, slather with butter and season to taste (read heavily) with the following: salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, basil, oregano, parsley.


5. Take a roasting pan with a grate in the bottom. Put about a cup of chicken broth in the bottom of the pan (you may need to add more). Place the hens on the grate. Drizzle with remaining butter.


6. Bake for 1.5 hours, basting at 30 minutes and every 15 minutes thereafter. Seriously, do it.


7. Crank up to broil for a few minutes to get a crunch on the skin. Watch it or it will burn. Let the hen rest for at least 5 minutes before cutting into it. I served it with corn and the potatoes below.

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add some salt.
2. Quarter 3-4 large redskin potatoes and put into the water. Boil for 15 minutes. Drain.
3. Mash (or use a hand mixer) the potatoes with 3 wedges of garlic & herb Laughing Cow cheese, a few splashes of milk, salt and pepper, a blob of butter, and some of the pan drippings from the hen.

Shelly's Famous Potatoes

Ok so these aren't exactly famous, but they are so good they should be! We make these every time we grill and they have been delicious every single time. Try them, you won't regret it!


Shelly's Famous Potatoes
Serves 4

-5 cups chopped red potatoes (about 5 large)
-1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
-1/3 cup diced green bell pepper
-1/2 cup diced sweet onion
-1 teaspoon garlic salt
-1/2 tablespoon montreal steak seasoning
-4+ tablespoons butter or margarine
-Foil


1. Lay out about 2 feet of non-stick foil or non-stick sprayed regular foil.

2. Wash & scrub red potatoes clean. Chop up potatoes into bite sized pieces and place in single layer onto center of foil.

3. Dice peppers and onion and sprinkle onto potatoes, toss with hands if necessary.

4. Place little chunks of butter or margarine over top, space out as necessary.

5. Sprinkle garlic salt and steak seasoning evenly over mixture (amount may be adjusted to taste). We are not shy with either of them in my house!!

6. Fold foil up over the mixture, covering everything. Take another piece of foil and wrap in opposite direction to make sure the packet is leak-proof.

7. Place on grill at medium heat (about 350-400 degrees) for 35-45 minutes (flip over packet halfway through cooking), depending on your grill and your potato firmness preference.

8. Cut open foil pouch and serve, careful of the steam!

**Note: If there is not enough butter or you cook the potatoes too long they will stick/burn to the foil. Better luck next time!

Taters for Two

So I cheated a little tonight... prepackaged pot roast, canned beans and canned pineapple. But I redeemed myself by making homemade mashed potatoes... mmmmm. If you can make one really good homemade side, it really saves an otherwise ordinary meal. I didn't have a recipe, I kinda made this one up, so all the measurements are approximate (as in I didn't measure anything).

Redskin Mashed Potatoes
1. Grab a pot, fill it halfway with water, start it boiling.
2. Scrub and cut up 3 large redskin potatoes into bite sized chunks (leave the skins on!). When the water is boiling, add the potatoes, a little oil, and some salt. Boil for about 12-15 minutes. I usually pop one in my mouth to see if they are ready. You want them tender but not mushy.

3. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, throw in:

• 2 oz. cream cheese
• 2-3 spoonfuls of sour cream
• 3 tablespoons stick butter
• 1 palmful of dried parsley
• 2 cloves minced garlic, or garlic from a jar
• about a teaspoon of garlic salt
• a few good dashes of black pepper

4. When the potatoes are finished, drain them into a colander and then put them back into the empty hot pan momentarily to get rid of excess water droplets. Then throw them into the mixing bowl. Bust out the trusty hand mixer and beat the mixture on low until combined. Then add a little splash of milk and mix. Repeat with the milk until they are the consistency you desire. I prefer my potatoes on the thick side.

5. Tada! Transfer directly to a plate or keep warm in a oven safe bowl in the oven. Eat them plain or with some gravy. Hope you like them!

Shelly Rule: Does your recipe suck? Chances are it is minced garlic, garlic salt, or cream cheese. I haven't met a recipe I didn't like that contained cream cheese!!! And there is no such thing as too much garlic. =)