Cheesy Potatoes

Good for anything from a summer barbeque to a Thanksgiving side dish, these potatoes come straight from my in-law's family cookbook.  So good, and so easy to make!
Thanks to Hostess Jo for the picture. :)

Ingredients:

• 2 lb. bag of hash browns (the cubed kind)
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 8 oz. sour cream
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 2 cups crushed corn flakes
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

Directions:

1. Mix together the frozen potatoes, one stick of melted butter, cheese, sour cream, and soup.
2. Add salt and pepper to taste and spread into a greased 9x13 pan.
3. For topping, combine one stick melted butter and corn flakes.  Sprinkle over top.
4. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes.
5. Uncover and bake for an additional 20 minutes.

Garlic Potato Fries

The best part about this recipe? It makes your whole house smell like garlic.  I've had an ongoing love affair with garlic, if you didn't know, so this was a nice addition to my recipe book.  Thanks to the The Purple Foodie for the recipe and picture. ;)

Ingredients:

• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 russet potatoes (about 8oz each), each cut into 12 wedges
• 3 tbsp cornstarch/cornflour
• 1 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
• 1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 440° F.
2. Combine the garlic and oil in a large bowl, warming it in the microwave for about 1 minute.
3. Transfer 5 tablespoons of the oil (leaving the garlic in the bowl) to a baking sheet, coating it well.
4. Add the potatoes to the bowl with the garlic mixture and toss to coat.
5. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and microwave on high power until the potatoes are translucent around the edges, about 5-6 minutes, shaking the bowl to redistribute the potatoes halfway through cooking.
6. Combine the cornstarch, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the hot potatoes and toss well to coat.
7. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and bake, turning once, until deep golden brown and crisp, 30 to 40 minutes.
8. Serve with ketchup, mayo or sour cream, and prepare to have massive garlic breath (Oh, it is so worth it)!

Parmesan Roasted Potatoes

As a side dish, I think potatoes are underrated.  I came across this while trying to come up with something different for my regular plate of chicken and broccoli, and this turned out to be amazing.

Ingredients

• 1 lb new potatoes, unpeeled, quartered into 1 inch chunks
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup parmesan
• 8 sprigs of fresh thyme (or about 1 tsp)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well.
3. Throw in the potatoes and toss to coat.
4. Transfer to a roasting pan, baking sheet, or 9x9 inch baking dish.
5. Roast, stirring once, until golden brown and crisp, about 60 minutes.  Serve hot or at room temperature.

Shephard's Pie

Made this the other night for my fiance, and he seemed to really enjoy it. It's a man's food I guess.

 

30 min prep 30 min bake
Serves about 4
Oven Temp: 350 degrees F

 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef or ground turkey
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 can green beans
• 2 cups prepared mashed potatoes
• 1/2 to 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• paprika (optional)

 Directions:

1. Brown the meat with the onions and drain.
2. Prepare potatoes and add 1 clove of garlic to the mix.
3. Add seasoning, garlic, and soup to the ground turkey/ground beef.
4. Spray a 9x9 casserole dish with Pam.
5. Spoon meat mixture into bottom of the dish.
6. Spread the green beans over the meat
7. Spread mashed potatoes over the green beans.
8. Sprinkle lotsa cheese over the potatoes.
9. Lightly sprinkle paprika and oregano over the cheese.
10. Bake uncovered in the oven for 25-30 minutes until cheese is melted and the top of the casserole is slightly puffed.
11. Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.