3-Ingredient Brownies

So, in my flourless dessert obsession continues.  I just can't help it!  Ok, so this recipe intrigued me because it's "healthy".  Well, in fact, it really is healthy.  I was leery, but still opted to give them a chance. 

My conclusion? 

They are surprisingly good.  I didn't add mashed banana which is one option to give them a sweeter flavor, and I used mashed sweet potato and not pumpkin so they weren't very sweet.  The frosting obviously kicks up the sweet factor and I'm anxious to try it with the banana just to see how sweet they can get and still be healthy.  

The texture is very dense and heavy.  The flavor is chocolatey, smooth texture and the sweetness comes from the frosting.  Very good.  I even shared some with my neighbor and she loved them.  It's kind of hard to believe they only have three ingredients and are actually healthy. 

3-Ingredient Brownies

Recipe from The Big Mans World

Ingredients

• 1 cup pumpkin puree or mashed sweet potato
• 1/2 cup drippy almond butter or any nut butter
• 1/4 - 2/3 cup cocoa powder

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350º
2. Coat a small 4x6 or 6x6 inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray, set aside.
3. Place all the ingredients in a high powered blender or food processor or in a bowl and blend until fully incorporated.
4. Pour into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 15 minutes and then begin checking for doneness. Mine took more like 30 minutes to get done. Test with a toothpick inserted in the middle, when it comes out clean they're ready.
5. **1/2 cup mashed banana's in place of 1/2 cup pumpkin or sweet potato will make a sweeter brownie.
6. Frost with whatever frosting you like best. 

Bacon Wrapped Tater Tots

This appetizer is one that I brought to a New Years party that I attended.  They were a huge hit and lots of people asked me for the recipe.  So, here is is.  Very simple to put together.  The ingredients aren't hard to find and if you've got yourself a little time for assembly they aren't complicated.

I've made them several times since that night and I've discovered that cooking them on a rack vs directly on a pan really helps with two things.  First: you don't get the pooling of melted brown sugar and bacon fat around each tater tot, which in turn makes them difficult to get off the tin foil.  Second: They crisp up better and aren't as gooey.

The combination of sweet and salty, combined with a yummy tater tot is delicious. Prepare yourself for a lot of people asking how they're made.

Bacon Wrapped Tater Tots

Recipe from Damn Delicious

Ingredients

• 2 cups tater tots, at room temperature
• 4 slices (or more) thin sliced bacon, cut into quarters
• 1 ounce sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1/4" pieces
• 1/4 cup brown sugar

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400º
2. Line a jelly roll pan with tin foil and place cooling racks on top the tin foil.
3. Take a tater tot, place a piece of cheese on top, wrap in bacon, roll in brown sugar and place on the prepared pan.
4. Continue until all are wrapped.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes. The bacon should have started to get crisp around the edges and be golden in color.
6. Let cool a little before removing from the pan.
7. Serve hot or at room temperature.

PW's Potatoes Au Gratin

So there I was on Easter Day, just getting around to planning dinner for that night.  I'm on top of things around here let me tell ya. So, we knew we'd be doing ham steaks because they're easy, and it's ham, and we all like ham.  We totally disagreed on the vegetable we wanted so all three of us ate a different vegetable.  My husband wanted mashed potatoes and I wanted something different, so we compromised and settled on this Au Gratin recipe from The Pioneer Woman. 

Yum, just yum. 

Creamy, cheesy, garlic-y deliciousness.  It was a perfect accompaniment to our dinner.  It doesn't take long to prepare and I had the majority of the ingredients on hand.  I had to run out for heavy cream but that was it. 

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter.  I hope next year I have my stuff together enough to plan dinner before the actual dinner. :)

PW's Potatoes Au Gratin

Recipe from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp butter, softened
• 6-7 small potatoes (I used gold) scrubbed clean and diced
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 3-5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp salt
• pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar, shredded
• fresh chives, thinly sliced

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400º
2. Use the softened butter to coat the bottom and sides of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. Place the diced potatoes in the prepared dish.
4. In a medium bowl, combine the milk, cream, flour, garlic, salt and pepper and whisk to combine.
5. Pour over the top of the potatoes.
6. Cover with tin foil and bake for 30 minutes.
7. Remove cover and bake for 20-30 minutes more.
8. Right before serving, add the shredded cheddar and bake for 3-5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
9. Garnish with chives if desired.

Melting Potatoes

Spring break is here!  Finally!  I might be more excited about it then my daughter.  It seems like it's been such a long time since out last break. Do you have any big plans for your spring break? 

One thing I'm always on the look out for is a great side dish.  We usually end up with the old standby of some frozen veggies or a salad but once in a while it would be nice to have something a little, you know, fancier. 

When I saw this recipe on Pinterest I knew I wanted to make it.  I did, that night and guess what? I used a glass baking dish and it shattered into a million pieces in my oven.  But on the bright side, they smelled really good even though it was smeared on the inside of my oven.  Yea, sometimes I don;t read the ENTIRE recipe thoroughly first.  This might have cured me of that bad habit. 

Cut to a week later when I tried it again using a METAL baking dish.  Amazing how well it worked and with no glass to clean up!  Yay!  This recipe does take a little time but it's very worth it.  The crispy flavorful potatoes really do melt in your mouth.  Great flavor from the butter, seasonings and broth.  Great side dish. 

Melting Potatoes

Recipe from SpicySouthernKitchen

Ingredients

• 3 pounds gold potatoes, peeled
• 6 Tbsp butter, melted
• 1 Tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
• 2 whole garlic cloves, lightly crushed and peeled

Cooking Directions

1. Heat the oven to 500º
2. Place the rack in the upper middle position.
3. Mix the melted butter, thyme, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. 
4. Cut the peeled potatoes into 3/4 inch to 1 inch sized slices.  Square off the ends to allow for easier flipping.   
5. Toss the potatoes in the prepared butter mixture and arrange in a single layer in a 9x13 inch metal baking dish.  Reserve the remaining butter mixture.
6. Roast for 15 minutes. 
7. Use a spatula to flip over the potatoes and cook for an additional 15 minutes. 
8. Use a spatula to flip over one more time but this time add the garlic and chicken broth as well. Cook for another 15 minutes or until they are tender. 
9. Baste the potatoes in the remaining sauce and serve. 

*The first time I made this recipe I used a glass baking dish, when I added the broth it exploded. Don't be like me. Use metal. 

Shepherds Pie

This is another one of my husbands favorite dishes.  He's from New England and it's a favorite up there.  If you've never heard of Shepherds Pie, you're in for a real treat.  This is one of those comfort food meals that you will love to make on a cold winters day.

I love to whip this up after a meal where I have leftover mashed potatoes. If I don't use the mashed potatoes in a respectable dish like this, I'm likely to sit down with just a bowl of them and dig in.  Not as respectable.

Shepherds pie is derived from "cottage pie",  however cottage pie was typically made with beef and shepherds pie was usually made form lamb.  Because shepherds have sheep, see.  Originally a pie made of any meat and mashed potatoes was called "cottage pie".  That concludes your history lesson for today.

Shepherds Pie

From Alissamay's kitchen

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
• olive oil
• 1 Tbsp A1 Sauce (or your favorite steak sauce)
• 8 ounces tomato sauce
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 3-5 cups already prepared mashed potatoes
• shredded sharp cheddar cheese (optional)

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350º
2. In a large skillet, add a little oil and then add the chopped carrots and onions.  Cook until they are beginning to soften. 
3. In a medium saucepan, add the frozen peas and corn and add water and then heat to boiling. 
4. Add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Drain. 
5. Add the A1 sauce and tomato sauce and stir until well combined.  Remove from the heat and pour the meat mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish. 
6. Microwave the mashed potatoes until warm. Set aside. 
7. Drain the water from the peas and corn and add them to the top of the meat mixture. 
8. Use a spoon to dollop the prepared mashed potatoes onto the top of the peas and corn.  Use the spoon to press the potatoes into an even layer. 
9. Sprinkle the top with cheese if desired and bake for 30-45 minutes or until the shepherds pie is hot all the way through. If the cheese hasn't turned as golden as you'd like, broil it for about 5-10 minutes.  Keep a careful eye on it so it doesn't burn. 
10. Serve hot and refrigerate leftovers. 

Sweet Potato Casserole

This was by far my favorite dish on Thanksgiving.  I love sweet potatoes, but I also love sweet dishes so this one has all that covered.  I plan to make this every year from now on.

This is a super simple casserole to throw together.  It's as easy as boiling the potatoes until tender and then just mashing them with the rest of the ingredients, topping with marshmallows and baking.  Simple.

You can taste a little hint of the orange juice which doesn't overpower the flavor of the sweet potato.  The marshmallows get crunchy on top (my favorite part) and sort of ooze over the potatoes. It's just fabulous.  There's no other way to describe it.

This would be perfect on your holiday dinner table this year.

Sweet Potato Casserole
Recipe from AllRecipes

Ingredients

• 5 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3 Tbsp orange juice
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon
• 1 (10.5 package) miniature marshmallows

Directions

1. Place the sliced sweet potatoes in a large pot and fill with cold water until about 1 inch above the potatoes. Cook over medium heat until boiling, continue to boil until the potatoes are fork tender. 
2. Remove from the heat, drain. 
3. Use a potato masher, a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand held mixer to puree the potatoes until smooth. 
4. Add the butter, brown sugar, orange juice and cinnamon and mix well. 
5. Spread into a 9x13 inch dish and cover with the marshmallows. 
6. Bake at 350º for 25-30 minutes or until the marshmallows are golden brown and puffy. 

Baked Potato Casserole

I'm sure you know that I grew up in Montana, land of meat and potatoes.  This dish takes me right back to my life there.  It makes me homesick quite frankly.  If you're like me, this dish has everything you love in a comfort food dish.  Bacon and cheese mixed into mashed potatoes? Seriously, how can there be anything wrong with that? 

It's magical. 

I didn't have any green onions but I know it would have been wonderful with them sprinkled on top. 

The only extra step you make to prepare these vs regular mashed potatoes is adding them to the oven to melt the cheese. It's easy peasy. If you have your own favorite way to make mashed potatoes then by all means, do that, just add the bacon and cheese too. 

Enjoy!

Baked Potato Casserole

Recipe from Facebook via Jarron Remington

Ingredients

• 8 medium potatoes (peeled and cut into 1" chunks)
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup light sour cream
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 6 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
• sliced green onions for garnish, optional

Cooking Directions

1. In a large pot, add the potatoes and cover with water, then boil until tender. About 15 or 20 minutes. Drain
2. Preheat the oven to 350º
3. Spray a 2 1/2 to 3 quart casserole pan with non-stick cooking spray.
4. Put the potatoes back to the pot they were cooked in and add the milk, sour cream, salt and pepper. Use a potato masher or a blender to mash the potatoes until smooth.
5. Add in 1 1/2 cups of cheese and half the bacon crumbles. Mix well.
6. Put the potato mixture into the prepared dish and top with the remaining cheese and bacon crumbles. Top with green onions if using.
7. Bake for about 3 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
8. Serve hot.

Guest Post: Sugarless Sweet Potato Craisin Pie

My dad, as you may know, is a awesome cook who loves to experiment and come up with his own recipes from time to time. This is one of his creations.  He's been able to lose 75 pounds by modifying his diet over the last 10 months.  Sweet potatoes as you know, are extremely healthy.  He was living in the South for several years and came to love Sweet Potato Pie, but it's not exactly health food in it's true form.  He was able to come up with this recipe so he could still enjoy the taste of Sweet Potato Pie without all the calories added by using sugar.  He kicked it up again by adding the Craisins. You could top this with some Truvia sweetened homemade whipped cream and never miss any of those extra sugar calories.

He describes the taste to be very much like the original but the added Craisins add depth and texture that he loved.

Sugarless Sweet Potato Craisin Pie

Recipe by John Frelich

Ingredients

• 1 (1 pound) sweet potato
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/3 cup Truvia sweetener
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust
• 1 bag Craisins

Cooking Directions

1. Boil the sweet potatoes in their skin for about 40-50 minutes or until tender.
2. Run under cold water to stop the cooking process and then remove the skins.
3. Smash the potatoes in a bowl and add the butter, mix with a hand mixer or use your stand mixer.
4. Add the Truvia, milk, eggs, Craisins, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla and beat on medium speed until smooth.
5. Pour the filling into an unbaked 9" pie shell.
6. Bake at 350º for 55-60 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Pie will puff up at first but will sink while cooling.

Easy Oven Baked Potato Wedges

Recently we had some family from Massachusetts come and visit us here in the South.  One night I made french fries with dinner and the shock that was on their faces when I began making them was priceless.  "What do you mean you're going to make french fries"? I love showing people how to make the same foods you might buy frozen and already made.  If you're making them yourself you can control the flavors, fat, salt, and most importantly, amaze your friends and family.

I've already posted about how to make french fries but here's another way to get the same result with a thicker potato, a wedge if you will.

In my mind, baking them makes them health food and therefore allows one to eat more.  I make a lot of things healthier in my mind.  Although, if you were using a sweet potato this would in fact be a lot healthier.

I used small gold potatoes cut into quarters but if all you have are large one's, just cut them in smaller wedges.

I used a fancy fry sauce - recipe below.

Crispy and golden brown!

You will love this as a side dish or for a snack.

Here's the very complicated fry sauce recipe.

Equal parts ketchup and mayonnaise, add a couple of dashes of hot sauce if you like.

Easy Oven Baked Potato Wedges

Ingredients

• 8 small potatoes (I used gold about the size of a golf ball)
• Olive Oil
• seasoned salt

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400º
2. Line a cookie sheet with tin foil
3. Cut the potatoes in quarters, length wise
4. Drop the potatoes in a zip lock bag, pour in about 2 - 3 Tbsp of olive oil
5. Pour in a good about of seasoned salt, enough to coat each potato thoroughly.
6. Shake the bag to coat each potato well, pour onto the tin foil.
7. Make sure there is a single layer of potatoes and make sure all the potatoes are laying on a cut side down (not on the skin side).
8. Bake for 15 minutes and then flip each potato wedge so it's laying on the other cut side down. Bake for another 15 minutes.

*Try using your favorite spices or using sweet potatoes instead

Sausapot Balls

My dad is quite an inventor of new recipes.  Every so often he will send me a new recipe to try out and this is one of his.  Mine and his differ slightly because I used what I had in my pantry but they are essentially the same.  And you can make this your own as well, there are many possibilities here.

There shouldn't be much here that you need to run to the grocery store for.  This would make a nice appetizer, lunch or even breakfast.  

Start by browning your sausage, drain off the excess grease.  Mix with the prepared mashed potatoes.

Dredge in the milk/egg mixture and then the seasoned bread crumbs and then place gently in the hot oil.

Gently turn so all sides are golden brown and then move to a plate lined with a paper towel.


Sausapot Balls
Recipe by my dad, John F.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground sausage, browned and drained  (My dad used Italian sausage and I used breakfast sausage)
• 4 cups mashed potatoes (My dad used instant and I made mine from russet potatoes)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 - 1 1/2 cups seasoned bread crumbs (I crushed up buttery crackers and added seasoned salt)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil, divided into 1/4 cups

Directions

1. If you are preparing your own mashed potatoes, make sure to make them as usual except a little tighter than usual.  You want them to hold their shape when formed into a ball. 
2. Mix the mashed potatoes and sausage that has been browned and drained together in a  large bowl. 
3. Use two bowls, one for the egg and milk (mix together well) and the other for the bread crumbs. 
4. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large fry pan on medium heat.  
5. Use a cookie scoop or a tablespoon to scoop out a golf ball sized amount. 
6. Roll the ball in the egg/milk mixture and then in the bread crumbs and place in the hot fry pan. Add enough to fill the pan with room in between each ball. 
7. Do not crowd the Sausapot balls and be very gentle when turning them to brown the other side as they will fall apart easily.  When all the sides are browned remove them to a plate lined with a paper towel. 
8. When the oil starts to get absorbed and there isn't much left in the pan you can scrape the pan with a spatula and then add the other 1/4 cup of oil and start cooking the next batch. 
9. Let cool slightly before serving. 

Fancy Potatoes

Cheese/Potato/Casserole - quite possibly three of my favorite words in cooking.  As a side note, I think using half Yukon Gold and half Russet potato's make some of the BEST mashed potatoes.  Do that here if you can.  I only had Russets on hand however...my bad.  The recipe says to cook the potatoes and then let them cool and then chop them up.  I just chopped them up to begin with and saved myself a couple extra steps.

In a mixing bowl put two 8 ounce packages of cream cheese - softened.

To this add some sour cream.

After the potatoes have cooked and are fork tender, drain them and then add them to the cream cheese/sour cream mixture. Add a dash of garlic sale and then mix together on medium speed until smooth.

Place this mixture into a 9x13 inch dish.

Top with cheddar cheese.  My mouth is watering.

Bake at 350 degrees until the cheese is melted and the potato's are starting to brown.  Serve hot!  Wasn't that easy? 

The original recipe can be found here: Fancy Potatoes

What you'll need:

5 large potatoes
2 - 8 ounce cream cheese, softened
1 Cup sour cream
1 pinch of garlic salt
2 Cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cube the potatoes and cook in salted water until tender.  Once cooked, put on a cookie sheet until they've cooled a bit.

In a mixing bowl add the softened cream cheese, sour cream and garlic salt.  Add the cooled potatoes and mix until smooth.  Transfer the mixture to a 9x13 inch baking dish and top with the cheddar cheese.
Bake for about 20 minutes.