Creamy Cheddar Potatoes

We had our crockpot  overnight with what would have been a delicious stew type meal, called chulent.  It had beef, sausage, potatoes, kasha, brown rice, a delicious sauce and beans.  It would have been a  warming and filling for lunch on the Shabbos (Sabbath) but —- dum de dum dum.  

My husband got to the kitchen first and saw that the clock was dark.  Then, he noted the microwave was also dark.  Then, he quietly panicked and touched the crockpot which was cool.  He poked his finger into the mixture in the pot and it was cold, stone cold.  There went lunch.

Since, we do not cook on Shabbos, I put together a lunch of leftovers which did not compare to the chulent.  They were cold and while tasty, they just did not fulfill hubby’s longing for a bubbling stew.

After Shabbos……… The conversation went like this.  I am not kidding.

Me: You must be hungry, not having your chulent today.

Hubby:  I am starving.

Me:  I know.  What would you like.  Name it and I will make it.

H:  I don’t care.  Anything will do.  I am starving.

Me:  No, I want you to tell me and I will make it.

H: Anything.  I am starving.

Me: Tell me.

H:  OK, pancakes.  I am starving.

Me: Great.  You got them.

He went on  his way and I went to the kitchen to make pancakes but I did not want pancakes.  Sweet was not for me, tonight, only savory.  How could I not make the pancakes?

Continued conversation:

Me: Do you really want pancakes?

H: I don’t care. I am starving.

Me: How do potatoes sounds?

H: Fine, I don’t really like pancakes.

me: Huh?  OK, potatoes it is.

I  did make the potatoes, nice and creamy and loaded with cheddar cheese.  I did this in the microwave to cut the time.  After all, the poor man was starving or have you missed that point?

Creamy Cheddar Potatoes

Ingredients:

3 large Yukon Gold potatoes (peeled and diced)

1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1/4 cup low fat sour cream

1/2 cup low fat milk

salt to taste

Method:

In a medium sized mixing bowl, place potato pieces and water to cover.  Cook on high for 6 minutes or until potatoes are completely cooked.

Drain potatoes and place back in bowl.  

Add milk and sour cream to potatoes and mix well.

Top with cheddar and return to microwave.  Microwave for 2 minutes.

Remove and mix well so that potatoes are coated with the cheese and cream.

This is pure comfort food.   The man is not starving.

     

 

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Creamy Sliced Potatoes

Recently, I got a mandolin, not a fancy one.  This is a  handheld one that works very fast and does have a protecting piece to use when you slice.  I love to use it because of the speed.  If I am slicing an English cucumber which is quite long, it take about thirty seconds.  Granted, I move quickly but it allows for that.  It has proven to be a time saver and a work saver.  It is also fun to use.  (as long as you don’t cut yourself)

The original recipe, I thought I was making, called for hash browns.  Chopping potatoes is not what I consider fun so I opted to make a slice potato dish.  Once, I deviated from that original recipe, I threw it away, and followed my instincts.  I firmly believe, it is hard, to ruin a potato dish.

Off, I went to play with my new toy.

Creamy Sliced Potatoes

4 potatoes, sliced thin

1 medium onion, sliced thin

1 tablespoon olive oil or butter

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup organic vegetable broth

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup cream cheese

1/2 cup cheddar cheese

 

Heat olive oil in a large skillet.  Add potatoes and onions and cook for 10 minutes, mixing every two or three minutes.

Add the soup and black pepper and cook for another minute or two until soup is hot.

In a bowl, mix the sour cream, cream cheese and cheddar.  Add to potato mixture and continue to mix until cheese has melted.

Make sure the liquid has cooked out.

This has a nice creamy consistency and good flavor.

 

Broccoli Quiche with Hash Brown Crust

I don’t like making pie crusts for two reasons.  I am not good at it and I get frustrated.  I think twice before using so much fat in a dish.  I do like pies, though and keep discovering ways to make them, with alternative crusts.  This is one of the best because the crispy potato crust brings added flavor to the quiche.

I started the process, shredding the potatoes but as time went by, my hand began to tell me, I was foolish and I took out the mini processor and finished up, in the machine.  How quickly that goes.  For the next step I threw the onions and cheese in also, and everything speedily blended and I had the makings of my filling.

I chose broccoli but there are many other good choices for a filling.  A spinach quiche is good…..mushroom and onion , fried is even better.  Sour cream in the filling makes it creamier as does a bit of cream cheese.  Gouda is a good sub for the cheese.  This is a recipe to be creative with.

Ingredients

3 cups shredded hash brown potatoes (I used three potatoes to get the necessary amount)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup  broccoli, chopped
1/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup smoked cheese
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

2. Press hash browns onto the bottom and sides of a pie plate or shallow baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake  for 20 minutes, or until beginning to brown.  (The rim browned first.)

3. In a small bowl, combine broccoli, onion and shredded cheese and put aside

4.  In another bowl,combine eggs, milk, salt, pepper .   Add broccoli and cheese and mix together.

5. Spread broccoli mixture on the crust and return to oven, lowering it to 350 degrees F.

6.  Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until filling is  golden brown.

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Baked Cheesy Cauliflower

Beautiful cauliflower opens itself to challenge and I gladly took the challenge.  I don’t like making cauliflower highly spiced but I do like to add to it.  Time to play:

Baked Cheesy Cauliflower

Ingredients:

2 cups cauliflower florets

1 tablespoon sour cream, preferably low-fat

1 teaspoon mayonnaise

5 drops cayenne pepper sauce or to taste

1 cup shredded cheddar split

2 tablespoons crumbs (I used potato chip crumbs)

Procedure

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In microwave, cook cauliflower for 90 seconds in about 1/2 inch water.  Drain and put to the side.

In a small bowl, combine sour cream, 1/2 cup shredded cheddar, mayo and pepper sauce.

Spray a small casserole (1 quart) with olive oil.  Add cauliflower and sauce ingredients.  Combine so that each floret is coated.

Top with other 1/2 cup shredded cheese and then with crumbs.  Spray top with olive oil.

Bake for 20 minutes or until top turns golden brown.

      Frugal Food Thursday

Potato, Zucchini, Goat and Cheddar Cheese Gratin

Today  is  the Improv Cooking Challenge which is hosted by Kristen of Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker and our ingredients are potato and cheese.  I make so much with potatoes and cheese, I could have a dozen recipes here.  I wanted to make something new, though, and decided to see what I could do with what I had in the refrigerator to make a new recipe.

This is what I came up with and I really liked it and Romeo liked it a lot but not as much as some of my other cheese dishes.

Potato, Zucchini, Goat Cheese  and Cheddar Gratin
1 medium zucchini, sliced thin

4 medium potatoes, sliced thin

1 red onion, sliced thin

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 ounces plain  goat cheese

2/3 cup white cheddar cheese

1/2 cup Italian Dressing

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Pour olive oil in a casserole dish  and spread to cover bottom.

Layer potato zucchini, red onion, goat cheese.  Pour half of the dressing over this.

Repeat layer.

I had enough for a third layer of potatoes so put on another layer and cover that with Cheddar.

Bake  for 30 minutes.  Cover and bake for another 15-20 minutes. 

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Cheesy Vegetable Casserole

I made a yummy soup for dinner and needed something for us, to eat, after the soup.   I would normally go to potatoes or pasta or possibly fish.  I was looking to use up some of my frozen vegetables so I did take a potato dish but altered it to share the starring role with spinach, corn and red pepper. 

It is interesting that the corn seemed to be the vegetable that stood out.  It added the most flavor to the mixture which surprised and pleased me.  I like corn more than spinach.  The spinach was more of the background.  The potatoes had onion mixed in them which added to the flavor.

Ingredients

Spray cooking oil

2 Idaho potatoes, peeled and chopped (You could use frozen hash browns.)

1 medium onion, chopped

1  1/2 cups frozen spinach

1 1/2 cups frozen corn

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

1 cup Egg Beaters or 4 eggs

1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese

Preheat oven to 375° F. Spray bottom and sides of 1 1/2 quart casserole.

Press chopped potatoes and onions on bottom of casserole. Bake 10 minutes.

While potatoes are cooking, mix the remaining ingredients (except cheese) in a large bowl.  Pour on top of potatoes.

Return to oven and bake 30 to 35 minutes or until center is set.

Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is melted.

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Creamy Cheesy Potato Soup – Wins Awards from Me

I have been making potato soup for quite a while.  Potato soup is the ultimate comfort soup, rich and creamy.  I decided to add cream cheese to my recipe.  Since, I have made mac and cheese and put a little cream cheese in to discover that the creaminess of the dish multiplied, I am adding cream cheese to everything.  It seems to have worked again.

This soup, most likely, should have been blended a little but we like chunky so I cut my potatoes small and left the solids swimming in the white ocean.  If you like smooth and creamy, an immersion blender, should do the trick.  I had leftover soup and have been having a cup  a day, since making it and it gets better and better.  I really love this soup.

This recipe was inspired by  Quick Cooking November/December 2003 — The original recipe had ham in it, used one kind of cheese, cream cheese, and used less onion plus other minor differences.

Creamy Cheesy Potato Soup

Ingredients

4 cups water

1 cup vegetable broth

1 packages (8 ounces ) cream cheese, cubed

1 cup shredded white Cheddar cheese

3 large potatoes, cubed

1 cup chopped onion

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dill weed

scallions, chopped

MethodIn a large saucepan, combine the water and bouillon.Add cream cheese; cook and stir until cheese is melted.In a large skillet, heat oil and cook onions, on low for about 15 minutes until the onion is translucent.Stir the onion and remaining ingredients into the soup.Bring to a boil.Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 18-20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.  Sprinkle with chopped scallions.

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Cheddar Potato Soup

Image via Wikipedia

This started out to be a good potato soup but I love potato soup and one would have to do something terrible to it, for me, not to enjoy it.  This is just the opposite.  The cheddar cheese gave this a personality of its own.  The flavor of the cheese transformed it from a decent soup to a tasty soup, to love.

Other than the chopping, this soup is easy to make.   First the onions and celery.  Then, I decided to add some red pepper, forgetting this was going to be blended and the red would not be seen.  I used fingerling potatoes and left them with the skin on and these had to be chopped also.   Although, I did shred the cheese with a grater, work could have been saved by using a knife and cutting thin pieces.  It would melt just as well in the hot soup.     I would use white cheddar, next time, just to change the color of the soup, to something brighter and lighter.

Cheddar Potato Soup adapted from Taste of Home Annual 2003

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 1/3 cup chopped celery
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 cups diced peeled potatoes
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 cups milk
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Dash paprika

Procedure

• In a large saucepan, saute onion and celery in butter until tender. Add potatoes and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
• Puree in small batches in a blender until smooth; return to the pan. Stir in the cheese, milk, pepper and paprika. Cook and stir over low heat until the cheese is melted.

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• Salmon Chowder (bookcasefoodie.wordpress.com)
• Broccoli-Cheddar Soup (thesmartcookiecook.com)
• Easy Potato Soup (nancysrecipes.wordpress.com)
• Hash Brown Casserole (manaboutfood.com)
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Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

Every once in the while, we want mac and cheese, and nothing else will do.  It is not that we love mac and cheese so much.  It is good and we do like it but it is not special.  Yet, as a comfort food, I guess we yearn for it, at bumpy times.  That is why we ate this macaroni and cheese.

I wonder if it goes back to my childhood in Horn and Hardart automat.  That was in the olden days and we put a quarter in the slot and out popped the dish, behind the glass.  It was a treat to go there.  It was not like any of the other restaurants around.  You know, the normal ones where you told a waiter what you want and he brings it to the table.

No, to the best of my memory, there is a wall that you could see through, lined up with specific dishes. I can’t tell you what else they served.  I bought the mac and cheese.  Each time, I went there, it was drop in the quarter, open the door and take out your mac and cheese.  Looking up at all those plates lined up, I felt like a kid in a candy store.  I could choose almost anything there so I would look, knowing all the time, what I was going to pick. That was part of the fun.

As I got older and could go there with my friends, it was a real excursion.  We all discussed what we would choose and then each of us, chose the same dish, we had gotten the time before and the time before that.

  Horn and Hardart Automat  For a short video, check here..

As I got older and could go there with my friends, it was a real excursion.  We all discussed what we would choose and then each of us, chose the same dish, we had gotten the time before and the time before that.

Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients

1 cup ground crumbs from potato chips or any snack

3 tablespoons margarine

2 cups milk

1/4 cup  flour

1 teaspoons kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon  grated nutmeg

pinch ground black pepper

2 cups  grated sharp cheddar

1 cup Gouda

1/2 cup Parmesan

1/2  pound elbow macaroni

Procedure

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray with cooking oil, a 1 – 2 quart casserole; set aside.

Place crumbs in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon margarine. Pour  into crumbs andtoss. Set the crumbs aside.

In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. Melt remaining margariner in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.

2. Slowly pour hot milk into flour-butter mixture while whisking. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.

 Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere or 1 cup pecorino Romano. Set cheese sauce aside.

 Fill a large saucepan with water. Bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 fewer minutes than manufacturer’s directions, until outside of pasta is cooked and inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.

 Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining 3/4 cups cheddar and 1/4Gouda and 1/4 cup Parmesan.  Scatter crumbs over the top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes; serve.

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Tasty Tuesday on Beauty and Bedlam,           Delectable Tuesday on Home Sweet Farm       Tasty Tuesday

,Made from Scratch Tuesday on From Mess Hall to Bistro.                  Tasty Tuesday Tidbits              Totally Tasty Tuesdays    Tuesday’s Tasty Tidbits        Mac ‘n Cheese Challenge

Mexican Spaghetti Pie

I have been making different spaghetti pies for decades.  I am trying to remember if my mother made these.   I can’t imagine where I was introduced to these pasta gems.  I just know, they were part of our married lives as far back, as I remember.

Usually, these “pies” are predominantly cheddar and the crust, which is Parmesan in this version, was a yellow cheddar, in past versions.  However, I have made these, we like them but tonight’s dish is the hands down winner.  My husband, who is not exuberant in praise,  could not stop extolling the virtues of this comfort food.

This is not a pie by any sense of the word, other than there are three layers and  we form that bottom layer to go up the sides.  Our “pie” is filled with vegetables and sauce and topped with a cream cheese-Parmesan combination.  It is baked and the cheeses meld together to form a beautiful dish with a cheesy top, browned to perfection.

INGREDIENTS

Crust

7  ounces uncooked vermicelli or spaghetti

1 egg

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Filling

8 ounces Ricotta cheese

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 jar (14 oz) Marinara sauce

Topping

1/4 cup light cream cheese  (I use whipped)

1 cup Mexican cheese. shredded  (Monterey Jack,  Cheddar and Asadiero)

DIRECTIONS

1 Cook and drain vermicelli as directed on package.

2 Meanwhile, heat oven to 350°F. Spray 9 1/2-inch glass deep-dish pie plate with cooking spray.

3 In large bowl, beat egg. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Add cooked vermicelli; toss to coat. Spoon mixture evenly into pie pan, pushing mixture up sides of pan to form crust.

4 Microwave vegetable for 2 – 3 minutes on high until translucent. Stir in pasta sauce. Spoon evenly into vermicelli-lined pie pan.

5 In small bowl, mix topping ingredients. Drop mixture by rounded teaspoons over filling.

6 Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until pie is thoroughly heated and crust is light golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes. To serve, cut into wedges.

Notes:

I bought the Mexican cheese in Costco in a large plastic bag.  It is a good combination and made  this dish.  The original recipe called for Mozzarella.

The original recipe called for chopped meat.  I replaced this with Ricotta cheese.

A good Meatless Monday recipe….

  Slightly Indulgent Tuesday

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