Baked Oven Fries

Baked Oven Fries

Ingredients:

3 russet potatoes (about 24 oz. total), peeled and cut lengthwise into even sized wedges
5 tbsp. vegetable, canola or peanut oil, divided (olive oil would work too)
¾ tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 475˚ F. Place the potato wedges in a large mixing bowl. Cover with hot water; soak for 10-30 minutes. Put 4 tablespoons of the oil onto a heavy, rimmed baking sheet. Tilt the sheet side to side to evenly coat the pan with oil (a pastry brush can also help with this). Sprinkle the pan evenly with the salt and pepper. Set aside.

Drain the potatoes. Spread the wedges out on layers of paper towels or on clean kitchen towels. Pat dry with additional towels. Wipe out the now empty bowl so it is dry. Return the potatoes to the bowl and toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Arrange the potato wedges on the prepared baking sheet (I cooked in one of Pampered Chef stone baking sheets and it worked great) in a single layer. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 5 minutes.

Remove the foil and continue to bake until the bottoms of the potatoes are spotty golden brown, 15-20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet after 10 minutes. Using a metal spatula and tongs, flip each potato wedge keeping them in a single layer. Continue baking until the fries are golden and crisp, 5 -15 minutes. Rotate the pan as needed to ensure even browning.

When the fries are finished baking, transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain some of the grease. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Potato and Ham Soup

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and tried it today....delicious!  My kids (who don't love potatoes) loved it too.  It reminded me alot of the creamy new potato soup at Cafe Express, but had more flavor.

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes (I used new potatoes and left peel on)
1/3 cup diced celery
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup diced cooked ham
3 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper, or to taste
5 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk (I used 2%)

Directions

Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.
In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.
Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.  (I topped each bowl with grated cheese)

**It would be easy to add carrots or green beans for a little more nutrition.

**I will probably try it next time without the ham (although it was great this way!) and top it with crumbled bacon, green onions and cheese just to change it up.

Another favorite soup!

Hearty Potato Leek Soup with Kielbasa sausage...yum!

I found this recipe in the same mag that I discovered my other favorite soup recipe in (Italian Bean Soup); I have decided it's another keeper!

Ingredients

8 oz kielbasa sausage, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds

3 TBS unsalted butter

2 lbs leeks, white & light green parts only, halved lengthwise and chopped (see note below)

1 lb red potatoes, scrubbed & cut into 3/4-inch chunks

1 TBS all-purpose flour

4 C low sodium chicken broth

S&P

Directions:

1. Brown kielbasa in Dutch oven over med-high heat, about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towel-lined plate.

2. Add butter, leeks, and potatoes to empty pot and cook until leeks begin to soften, about 5 min. Stir in flour until absorbed, about 1 min. Slowly whisk in broth & bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium & simmer until vegetables are tender, 10-15 minutes.

3. Transfer 1 1/2 cups soup to blender and puree until smooth. Return to pot. Stir in kielbasa. Season with S&P. Serve.

Notes:

*Be sure to wash the leeks well to remove any grit or dirt (fyi, I found leeks in the produce section of walmart but until I discovered them I had planned to just use onions & some garlic...either would probably work)

*The recipe calls for just 8oz of the sausage--if you buy it in the pkg that comes with the two links it's only half of that pkg, but I went back and added in more sausage b/c it gives the soup so much flavor.

*I served this with a caesar salad & Pepperidge Farm cheese bread--they worked well together! Great comfort food! :)

*One last note--the recipe said that it was the pureeing of the soup base & the TBS of flour that made this soup thick & hearty in such a short amount of time.

Enjoy!

Crispy Ranch Fries

I found these in the Paula Deen magazine for this month (Aug '09)and served them last night with hamburgers from the grill. They were really good and the sauce was yummy too (I even put a little of the sauce on my burger). They were an easy, fun treat!

1 (26 oz) bag of frozen extra-crispy fast food fries
1 (1 oz) package of dry ranch dressing mix, divided
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup mayo

Preheat oven to 450. Spray a rimmed baking sheet (I used my pampered chef stone cookie sheet) with cooking spray.

Place fries in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Spring evenly with 1 Tablespoon of dry ranch dressing mix. Bake for approx 12-15 minutes or until fries are lightly browned and crispy.

In small bowl, combine ketchup, mayo, and remaining ranch dressing mix. Serve with hot fries.

Pleasing Cheesy Potatoes with Sausage

This is the Potatoe and Sausage breakfast dish I served at our first Supper Club (Sunday brunch). Everyone liked it a lot and it is mine and Casey's favorite breakfast.
INGREDIENTS
1 (32 ounce) package tater tots
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of potato soup, undiluted
1 cup sour cream
1 can chopped green chiles
1/4 cup chopped onion (or I use 2 Tbsp of dried minced onions)
4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
DIRECTIONS
Arrange Tater Tots in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. In a bowl, combine the eggs, soup, sour cream, green pepper and onion until blended. Stir in the cheese. Pour over Tater tots. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 50-55 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Refridgerator Mashed Potatoes

* I was making these tonight for dinner and thought I would share. I make up the recipe and just scoop as much as I need and leave the rest in a covered dish in the fridge. I can't remember the last time I made "real" mashed potatoes -- these are really good and can be made ahead, therefore eliminating the timing issues with getting fresh mashed potatoes done at the same time as everything else on your menu. Hope you enjoy!

* Another note: these are also great if you ever have a party and do a mashed potato bar. Make them up ahead, serve them in small martini-style glasses, and have a toppings area (grated cheese, chives, bacon, etc.) for guests to add if they want. This is always a big hit!

Refrigerated Mashed Potatoes

5 lbs potatoes, cooked and mashed
6 oz cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt
1 stick butter
pepper to taste
4 Tablespoons butter for top

Mix all ingredients (except for 4 T butter for top) together thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for 10-14 days. When ready to bake, place in baking dish, dot with remaining butter, and bake at 350 for about 30-40 minutes.

Hearthstone Hall Hash Brown Casserole

"Cheesy and delicious, this hash brown casserole has a crunchy topping."


3 cups frozen shredded hash browns
½ cup margarine, melted
1/3 cup chopped onion
¾ can cream of chicken soup
6 oz sour cream
¾ shredded cheese (Kraft classics 4 blend)
1 ½ cup crushed corn flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Saute onions in 1/3 cup margarine.

2. Combine with potatoes, soup, sour cream and cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Spoon into a greased (or sprayed) casserole dish.

4. Cover and refrigerate overnight. May also freeze, just be sure to thaw before adding topping and baking.

5. Remove from refrigerator, microwave for 2-4 mins until warm.

6. Brown crushed corm flakes in remaining butter or margarine. Sprinkle over potato mixture.

7. Bake at 350 for 50 mins.

8. Allow to set for 10-15 mins before serving.

*Double ingredients for showers, welcome breakfasts, ect.