Tater Tot Casserole

I feel a little silly putting this on my blog. It is definitely a typical "Mormon, casserole, 90's" dish. But I love it! I love tater tots too much to admit. So add some tomato/cream of mushroom soup…and I'm there. Plus it's easy.

Tater Tot Casserole
1 pound hamburger
1 onion, chopped
1 bag tater tots
1 can green beans, drained
1 can tomato soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup {optional}
1/2 cup cheese

Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9x13 pan.
Heat large saucepan over medium high heat. Add hamburger and onion and brown. Add the soups and beans to the hamburger mixture and warm over low heat.
Place a layer of tater tots in the pan. Place hamburger mixture on top, then sprinkle with cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes and eat warm!

Recipe Source: Grandma Warren

{Grandma's} Funeral Potatoes

I have never had any funeral potatoes that taste like these. They are super delicious and I swear that they are from Heaven. Which is awkward since they're funeral potatoes…

Photo Credit to Jamie Cooks It Up

{Grandma's} Funeral Potatoes

10-12 large potatoes

1/3 grated onion

2 cups sour cream

2 cans cream of chicken soup

2 cups grated cheese

1 cube of margarine

1 cup crushed cornflakes

Boil potatoes for 40 minutes then shred. In a large saucepan, put 1/2 the butter, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, cheese & onion. Heat until cheese is melted. Pour that over the potatoes in a big bowl and mix. Put that mixture in a 9x13. Melt the other 1/2 of butter and mix with cornflakes. Put those on top of the potato mixture.

Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes.

Recipe Source: Grandma Schwartz

Cheesy Bacon Oven Chips

Okay, these were amazing. Cheesy and oh. so. delicious. I will definitely be making these again, and probably again.

Photo Credit to Vittles & Bits

Cheesy Bacon Oven Chips

3 medium potatoes, sliced evenly 1/8" thick {I used red potatoes, and…yes!}
cooking spray
3/4 C. shredded colby jack or cheddar cheese
salt & pepper to taste
2 T. crumbled bacon (about 2 slices) {I used real bacon bits}
chopped parsley or chives, for garnish

Chipotle Ranch Dipping Sauce
1 T. ranch dressing
3 T. sour cream
1/4 t. chipotle chili powder
1/8 t. cayenne (adjust more or less depending on how spicy you want)
1/8 t. salt
1/8 t. garlic powder

For the Chipotle Ranch Dipping Sauce: place all ingredients in a small bowl, and stir to combine. Refrigerate to allow flavors to meld together.

For the chips: Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Bring sliced potatoes to a boil in cold, salted water to cover for 5 minutes. Carefully drain, and transfer slices to a paper-towel lined countertop or cutting board. Pat to dry.
Grease a baking sheet with cooking spray, and lay out potato slices so they are overlapping on it. Spray lightly with additional cooking spray, then sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste. Sprinkle evenly with shredded cheese & bacon.
Bake 12-14 minutes in preheated oven until cheese is melted & bubbly. Serve with chipotle ranch sauce.

Recipe Source: Juju Good News 

Heaping Hash Browns

Hey, so these are ahhhh-mazing. Not healthy. But that perfect amount of crunchy outside and soft wonderful inside for the perfect texture of hash browns. Seriously amazing.

Photo Credit to Made from Pinterest

Heaping Hash Browns

1 bag of hash browns {I prefer the "shredded" hash browns}

1 stick of butter

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

Open the bag of frozen hash browns. Microwave them in the bag for 6 minutes to soften. Pour them in a bowl and add all but 1 tablespoon of the butter. If you have a problem with using a whole stick of butter, you can use less or none, but your hash browns will not be as amazing as they should be. Throw caution to wind. Add a generous amount of salt and pepper to suit your taste. Stir it up. Heat a nonstick skillet on medium and melt the other tablespoon of butter in it. Pour the hash browns in the pan and press them down. Do not stir the potatoes! Let them be. When the edges begin to get brown, put a plate over the skillet.

Holding the plate tight to the skillet, flip the potatoes over onto the plate.
Melt a little more butter in the skillet, and carefully slide the potatoes back into the skillet. When the edges are brown on the underside, they are ready. Gently lift them with a spatula to check for brownness.
Flip them onto a clean plate and serve.

Recipe Source: Made from Pinterest

Crash Hot Potatoes

I'm very grateful to know The Pioneer Woman, and have loved almost every recipe I get from there. I've tried making a different {much harder and messier} version that I didn't think was worth it, but these are awesome! They add a little crunch with the chewy smooth potatoes.

Photo Credit to The Pioneer Woman

Crash Hot Potatoes
12 whole New Potatoes (or Other Small Round Potatoes)
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Kosher Salt To Taste
Black Pepper To Taste
Rosemary (or Other Herbs Of Choice) To Taste
Preparation Instructions

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make and cook them until they are fork-tender.

On a sheet pan, generously drizzle olive oil. Place tender potatoes on the cookie sheet leaving plenty of room between each potato.

With a potato masher, gently press down each potato until it slightly mashes, rotate the potato masher 90 degrees and mash again. Brush the tops of each crushed potato generously with more olive oil.

Sprinkle potatoes with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and fresh chopped rosemary (or chives or thyme or whatever herb you have available.)

Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Recipe Source: The Pioneer Woman

Ham and Sweet Potato Hash

I love making breakfast. Almost more than desserts...almost. This is one of those super hearty 'I worked out this morning and am STARVING' breakfasts. It's delicious...and quite spicy. But I loved it and will be making it over and over again.

Photo Credit to melskitchencafe.com

Ham and Sweet Potato Hash
Serves 4-6

3 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
3 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 onion, minced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 teaspoon minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (I would do 1/2 tsp...it was WAY spicy)
3 tablespoons heavy cream
10 ounces thinly sliced deli ham, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
6 large eggs

In a medium microwave-safe bowl, toss the potatoes with 1 tablespoon oil, salt and pepper. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a tight-fitting microwave-safe lid and microwave for about 6 minutes, until the potatoes are tender but not overcooked – they’ll cook a bit more in the skillet later. Stir the potatoes halfway through cooking. Drain the potatoes of any excess liquid and set aside.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until the oil is hot and rippling. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are tender, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the chipotle and cook for about 30 seconds.

Stir in the drained potatoes and the cream. Using the back of a spatula, pack the potatoes into the pan, pressing them into a somewhat even layer. Let the potatoes cook without stirring them for about 2 minutes so they can start to get nicely browned. Flip the potato hash mixture, one portion at a time, and lightly repack into the skillet to let the potatoes brown on the other side. Continue this flipping process every few minutes until the potatoes are nicely browned, about 8-10 minutes.

Stir in the ham and lightly repack the hash into the skillet. Using a large spoon, make 6 shallow divots about 2 inches wide in the surface of the potato mixture. Crack one egg into each indentation. Season with salt and pepper and then reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the skillet. Let the mixture cook until the eggs are set to your liking, about 5-7 minutes. Serve.

Recipe Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Meat & Potato Quiche

Sharrie, my mother-in-law, has some great breakfast recipes that I just had to steal. This is one of those hearty "down on the farm" breakfast dishes. Since marrying Scott, I have had to learn that breakfast is an essential meal. We still have cereal (too often), but this is one of those "make and and eat for 5 days" meals...which I love. Plus it's pretty easy, minus the potato grating.

Meat & Potato Quiche

Serves 6-9 

1/4 cup vegetable oil

6 cup shredded potatoes (4-5 small)

2 cup grated cheese

1 1/2 cup diced ham {or cooked sausage}

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 cups milk total-you will use one can evaporated milk and about 1/3 cup regular milk

4 large eggs {I used 5 medium}

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 Tablespoons parsley flakes

Preheat oven to 425. Spread oil in pan, then press in potatoes. Bake for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, beat together: milk, eggs, salt and pepper. Remove potatoes from oven; layer cheese, meat, and onion. Pour milk mixture over all. Sprinkle with parsley. Return to oven and bake 25-35 minutes, til set and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes before cutting.

Recipe Source: Sharrie Webster

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

My wonderful neighbor, Brittny, let me borrow her The Essential Mormon Cookbook. I went through the entire book and picked some recipes that I actually thought I might like.

Now don't judge this dish by my picture...my camera is not the best, nor are my photography skills (but I AM working on it.)

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Makes 8-10 servings

   5  lbs potatoes

1/2  cup grated onion

   3  Tbs butter

   5  cloves garlic, minced

   2  cups sour cream

1/4  cup butter, softened

   2  tsp salt

1/2  tsp pepper

Peel potatoes and cut into large chunks. Cover with water and boil until tender, drain. Mash well and set aside. Microwave onion and butter for 2 minutes. Add minced garlic, then microwave for 1 more minute. Add to potatoes, then also stir in sour cream, 1/4 cup butter, salt and pepper. Spoon into 9x13 pan. Cover with foil and bake at 325 for 30 minutes.