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.

     

 

See Ya in the Gumbo    Mop it Up Mondays        Made From Scratch Monday      Inspire Me Monday         Veggie Mama’s Meatless Monday     Mealtime Monday    My Meatless Monday        Marvelous Mondays

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.

 

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

Mashed Potato Casserole

Paula Deen is known for her Buttah and fattening and unhealthy recipes.   Despite this, she is one good cook and her recipes are worth following with a few changes.

Although now, with her medical diagnosis, hopefully changes will be made.  This is one of those recipes which I happen to love.  There are ways to cut back and I tend to do this with any recipe, not only Paula’s.  I crossed out what I changed so you can see the differences.  If you want to, you can cut the cheese down, even more.

Mashed Potato Casserole

Ingredients:

 2 cups mashed potatoes

1/2 cup sour cream  (cut to 1/4 low fat)

1 small onion, sliced thin

1 small bell pepper, sliced thin

8 tablespoons butter  (one tablespoon margarine)

1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar   (1 cup)

Method:

Spread mashed potatoes evenly on bottom of casserole dish.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Layer sour cream evenly over top of potatoes

Saute onion and bell pepper in margarine and place over sour cream.

Slice potatoes and layer over onions and bell peppers.

Finally top with shredded cheddar cheese.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Yum,

This is linked to Everyday Mom’s Meals

Chocolate Caramel Coffee Cake

I have been making many similar cakes, to this one, over the years, which is probably why, I made a number of changes.  I added the caramel, smoothed on “sort of an icing“, added many, many chocolate and caramel chips to the batter and used Tofutti sour cream instead of dairy sour cream.

This comes from a cookbook, called Gatherings, which has kosher recipes.  I can’t decide if I like this book or not.  There are certain attributes, I know, I don’t like.  While there are some pictures of the recipes, more pages do not have any.  Some of the photos are not of the recipe but of some of the ingredients.  I am a visual cook and like to see what I am working toward.

There is little generalized chit-chat about the recipes which is because it is published by a private school but I miss it.  We have come spoiled, in my opinion, by how much information, stories and tips come with recipes, in today’s cookbooks.  When there is a tip, it is put on a side bar which is a different color. That, I do like.

On the other hand, it is a comfortable cookbook to use.  It is almost simplistic in its style.  It says what it wants to say and no more.  You know what you are doing as a result.  The recipes are familiar with a few twists.  I am glad, I have the book but it would not be the first kosher cookbook, I would recommend.

Chocolate Caramel Coffee Cake (adapted from Gatherings)

Topping – 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon plus 1/2 cup chocolate chips and 1/2 cup caramel chips

Cake:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

!/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

1 cup Tofutti sour cream

3 tablespoons margarine

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chocolate chips

3/4 cup caramel chips

Procedure

Preheat oven 350 degrees.  Spray with cooking oil a ten inch spring form pan.

In a small bowl, combine topping ingredients.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients. (Flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt…)  Set aside.

In bowl of electric mixer, cream margarine and sugar for three minutes.  Add eggs and vanilla, and sour cream.  Beat until incorporated.

Fold in chocolate and caramel chips.

Pour into greased pan.

Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top of cake, reserving chips.

Bake for 45 -60 minutes until a knife, inserted, comes out clean.

Remove from oven and cover with chocolate chips.  Place in oven for one minute.  Remove and spread chips over top of cake.  Sprinkle with caramel chips.

This is linked to Crazy for Crust      Tastetastic Thursdays      Sweet Treat Thursdays

 This is linked to  Friday Food   

Noodles Romanoff Not

Tonight, I threw out my menu plan for the week. I walked in the door, after work and all I could think of was noodles.  Thai noodles, Fettuccine Alfredo, Spaghetti and Meatballs, Pasta with Broccoli, Stuffed Shells.  Yes, we had pasta for dinner.

My initial plan was to make Noodles Romanoff and you will see elements of the dish but the results are based on my, “take a little of this and a little of that” and there is dinner.  Fortunately, I had plenty of cheese, sour cream, Ricotta, cream cheese and most important, smoked salmon.  I also had fettuccine.

An aside:  I discoved a pizza flavored cheese that I have added to many dishes and it is good.  I did not use it, in this.

I had the makings of a nice salad to go with it, greens, tomato, yellow pepper, dressing and feta cheese.  This is a good mix.

Noodles Romanoff, Not……..

8 ounces fettuccine  (gluten-free)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1/4 pound of lox (smoked salmon)

3/4 cup sour cream (low-fat)

3/4 whipped cream cheese (low-fat)

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 drops of Cayenne (liquid form)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon chives

1/2 cup cream

1/4 cup water from drained noodles

Method:

Cook noodles, according to directions.  Drain, keeping some of the water that the pasta was cooked in.

In a medium skillet, in one tablespoon olive oil, lightly brown onions and smoked salmon.

In a medium bowl, mix sour cream, cream cheese, cream, chives, Cayenne, Worcestershire,  and salt.  Mix together.

Add salmon and onions to cheese mixture.

Add pasta and mix together.  That is all.  You are ready to serve your Noodles Romanoff  Not.

I served this with a salad but it would go well with broccoli or spinach or green beans.

This is linked to WanderFood Wednesday  Meatless Mondays