Tater Tot Hot Dish. Uff Da.

If you're from Minnesota, chances are you both know what tater tot hot dish is and have eaten it. You may also have a family recipe, which is just a little different from your best friend's family recipe. If you're not from Minnesota, you probably have no idea what I'm talking about. Certain Minnesotans I know (*cough*myhusband*cough*) would probably argue you should stay blissfully ignorant.

I'm not going to let that happen. First, some explanation - hot dish is just what we call a casserole up here. Go to any church basement pot luck and you are likely to find not only at least 3 different varieties of tater tot hot dish, you're also likely to find a whole bunch of other questionable-looking  ground beef/potato or noodle/cream of __________ offerings. I advise you skip most of them.

This one, however, you should try. And while you're eating it, try to fit in as many "ya sures" and "you betchas" and "uff das" into the conversation as possible. A lot of us really do sound like Fargo up here (though we will deny it and be extremely offended if it's ever pointed out to us).

Tater Tot Hot Dish
family recipe
Serves 5-6
Prep Time - 5 min
Cook Time - about an hour

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 lb ground beef (ground turkey works well too)
1-2 TSP olive oil
1 med. onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic
salt & pepper
1 can low-sodium cream of mushroom soup
1 can low-sodium cheese soup
Most of a 2 lb bag tater tots

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for a few minutes, until they start to get soft. Add the ground beef to the pan and brown. Season with salt & pepper. When the beef is almost done, add a few cloves of garlic. Once the beef is browned, drain if necessary.

Add to the bottom of a 9x13 pan.

Meanwhile, while the beef is browning, mix together the cream of mushroom soup and the cheese soup in a small bowl. Do not add any other liquid, like milk or water, even though it'll be very thick and you will be tempted to.

Pour the soup mixture over the ground beef. Spread it around a little so all the ground beef is mostly evenly-covered.

Add tater tots to the top of the pan, sort of lining them up, using the picture above as a guide for how to do it. You should use somewhere around 2/3 to 3/4 of the bag. Cover the pan with tin foil.

Bake, covered for 25 minutes.

Remove the tin foil and bake, uncovered for 20 minutes to get the tots nice and crispy.

Let sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

Roasted Garlic Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes

Sometimes, I just want mashed potatoes. Add in roasted garlic and mascarpone cheese and I'm all the more interested. I made these to accompany Julia Child's Roasted Chicken, and they were fantastic.

However, when I went to make them, I realized that I didn't have the hour to roast the garlic. Luckily, my America's Test Kitchen cookbook provided an alternative. I ended up putting the individual cloves, in their skins, in a dry skillet over low heat for about 15-20 minutes, turning them occasionally, and ended up with perfectly roasted garlic. It's a slightly different flavor than traditional roasted garlic, but just as good.

Mashed Potatoes with Roasted Garlic and Mascarpone Cheese
Recipe by Bobby Flay

INGREDIENTS
3 lbs russet potatoes, peeled & cut into large chunks
Kosher salt
1 1/2 cups whole milk
6 cloves roasted garlic, pureed
1/2 stick butter
8 oz mascarpone cheese
freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
Place the potatoes in a big pot and cover them with cold water. Add some salt. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, combine the milk, butter, and pureed garlic over low heat.

Drain the potatoes and give them a rough smash. Add the warm milk mixture gradually and smash as you go along.

Stir in the mascarpone cheese and season with salt & pepper, to taste.

Twice-Baked Potatoes

I love twice-baked potatoes. They're just so creamy and wonderful. Unfortunately, I'd never made them before and those pre-made ones at the supermarket are usually mediocre at best. So, I figured I'd try my hand at making them as a side dish to to a roasted chicken.

So, after searching several recipes, I came up with my own combination of ingredients and was very pleased with the results. These potatoes were absolutely delicious - creamy, cheesy, and everything a twice-baked potato should be.


Twice-Baked Potatoes
Serves 3-4
Prep Time - 10 min
Cook Time - 1 hr, 30 min (mostly inactive)

INGREDIENTS
2 large russett potatoes
2 TBSP butter, softened
1-2 TBSP half & half
3-4 oz cream cheese, softened & cubed
1/4 tsp seasoned salt
dash Cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/4 - 1/2 cup shredded cheese

DIRECTIONS
Wash the potatoes and poke holes in them. Place them on a cookie sheet and bake for about 1 hr at 400 degrees F.

Let the potatoes cool for a few minutes. Grab the potatoes with a towel or pot holder (so you don't burn your fingers) and cut the potatoes in half. Take a spoon and scrape out the insides into a medium bowl. Be careful not to tear the shell, but get as much of the potato out as you can.

Lay the hollowed shells out on a cookie sheet.

Add butter, half & half, cream cheese, seasoned salt, cayenne pepper, and black pepper and begin mashing to your desired consistency. I think keeping it a bit lumpy gives them a nice texture, but feel free to mash more or less, depending on how you like your potatoes.

Add the cheese to the mixture and stir until combined.

Scoop the filling back into the potato skins and keep going until the filling is gone. They should sort of form a dome on top of the potato shell. Sprinkle each potato with more shredded cheese, if desired, and bake about another 15 minutes, or until cheese gets bubbly.

Beef Stew

Those of you who have been reading my blog for any length of time know that I'm on a quest to find the best beef stew. In fact, I've been on that quest since my first trip to Ireland in the summer of 2004 when I had the most delicious Guinness Stew at a tiny little roadside pub in the Wicklow Mountains. While I've made some great stews during my replication attempts, nothing really did the trick. So, I decided to try my hand at a regular old beef stew.

I wish I could tell you that this is an old family recipe, passed down from generation to generation. Unfortunately, I can't. It's a Paula Deen recipe. My family doesn't have a stew recipe - in fact, I don't remember ever eating stew growing up. Who would've thought - the family that serves practically everything with gravy doesn't make stew? I have a hunch this will become ours.



Beef Stew
Recipe by Paula Deen, adapted
Serves 6
Prep Time - 5-10 minutes
Cook Time - 2 hrs, 15 min

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 - 2 lbs stew meat
1-2 TBSP vegetable oil
2 cups beef broth
1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 bay leaves
1 medium onion, sliced
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp paprika
dash allspice
2 ribs celery, diced
baby carrots
potatoes

DIRECTIONS
Heat oil in a dutch oven or stock pot. Brown the meat. Worcestershire sauce, garlic, bay leaves, onion, salt, sugar, pepper, paprika, and allspice. Cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours.

Remove bay leaves. Add celery, carrots, and potatoes. Cover and cook about 30-40 minutes or until veggies are tender.

If stew is too dry, add more broth. For a thicker gravy, combine 1/4 cup cold water with 2 TBSP cornstarch and add to boiling stew. Cook until the gravy gets to your desired thickness. Serve with thick bread.

Braised Baby Yukon Gold Potatoes

I'm always searching for new ways to make potatoes, and when I saw this recipe on FoodNetwork, I knew I had to make it straight away. On Saturday, I decided to make steaks for dinner, and knew these potatoes would be the perfect accompaniment.

I could go on and on about how great my steak was (and believe me, it was), but I won't. Instead, I'm going to tell you that you need to make these potatoes.


Yukon Gold Potatoes - Jacques Pepin Style
Recipe by Jacques Pepin, via FoodNetwork
Serves 2-3
Prep Time - 5 min
Cook Time - 20 min

INGREDIENTS
1 lb baby Yukon Gold Potatoes
salt & freshly ground pepper
1 cup chicken stock (not broth)
1-2 TBSP butter

DIRECTIONS
Place the potatoes in a skillet (roughly to fit all the potatoes) and season them with salt & pepper. Add chicken stock to the pan, until chicken stock is about 1/2 the way up the potatoes. Add the butter. Cover the skillet and cook on medium to medium-high heat until they are almost tender, about 8 minutes.

Remove the lid and allow the stock to evaporate, about another 5 minutes. Once the stock has evaporated, press down on each potato with a ladle or large spoon, creating a small crack in each. Do not mash. Cook for a couple of minutes, and then flip. Allow them to brown on both sides, about another 5 minutes. Re-season with salt & pepper if necessary.

Serve with sour cream, preferably with sour cream with chives, to dip.

Potato & Sausage Soup

It's freezing here in Minnesota. That means it's time to whip out the soup recipes.

I've had this one in my "to-make" folder for quite some time. I used an Olive Garden copycat as a base and modified it to my liking. Anyway, it's delicious. You should make it. You'll love it.


Potato & Sausage Soup
Serves 4-5

INGREDIENTS
4 spicy Italian sausage links
3/4 cup diced onions (about 1 medium onion)
2 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBSP chicken stock
1 Quart water
2-3 Russett potatoes, cut into small-ish chunks
2 cups kale, chopped
1/2 cup cream
salt & pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Bake the sausage for about 25 minutes, or until done. Cut in half lengthwise, and then into 1/2 inch slices.

Melt butter and olive oil in a stock pot and cook over medium heat until onions are translucent. Add garlic and cook for about another minute. Add chicken stock, water, and potatoes and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

Add sausage, kale, and cream. Simmer about 5 minutes. Season with salt & lots of pepper. Serve with some nice, crusty bread.

Hot potato, hot potato

I love potatoes, especially roasted potatoes. I have a standby roasted potato recipe that I love, but I'm always looking for something new. I've seen this recipe for "Crash-hot Potatoes" floating around on a few cooking blogs lately and everyone raved about them, so I decided I had to try them. You should too. They're delicious and have the perfect combination of spices and texture. They were a perfect accompaniment to my Oven Fried Chicken Fontina. (Thanks, Annie. We loved it).



Crash-Hot Potatoes
From Pioneer Woman, adapted
Serves 2

INGREDIENTS
6-8 small, round potatoes, skin on (I used baby reds)
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
garlic powder
Chives (or Rosemary - whichever you like. I did half with each) - optional

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Add the potatoes to a large pot. Cover with cold water. Salt water & cook until the potatoes are fork-tender.

Meanwhile, drizzle olive oil in a cookie sheet or baking dish.

Drain potatoes and place on the cookie sheet or baking dish. Using a potato masher or a fork, gently squish each potato until they are smooshed down a bit.

Drizzle the tops of the potatoes with more olive oil.

Generously sprinkle each potato with salt & pepper. Add a dash of garlic powder to each potato.

If using an herb, sprinkle that on top.

Bake for about 20 minutes.

Cheesy Hashbrowns

I was just looking through my blog posts and was shocked to discover I'd never posted about this recipe. My family makes this at pretty much every holiday/family gathering and I never get sick of it.

Apparently this recipe reveals my true Minnesotan, but I prefer to think it just reveals my wonderful culinary sense. As a bonus, it reheats really well.

Cheesy Hashbrowns

True source unknown - from my dad
Serves about 8

INGREDIENTS
2 lbs frozen hashbrown potatoes (use the chunky ones, not the shredded potatoes)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pint (16 oz) sour cream
2 TBSP melted butter
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 medium onion, finely diced
freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix together all ingredients. I find it helps to add the potatoes last.

Place in casserole dish or 9x13 pan, cover, and bake 45-50 min.

** My family tops this with a mixture of crushed cornflakes and melted butter. I don't like it that way, but if you do, knock yourself out.

Steak & Potatoes

I love steak. I discovered it about 9 months ago after thinking I didn't like it. Despite that, I was hesitant to try making one at home. Turns out, it's really easy. Nothing to be afraid of. You should try it. If you do, you can have a meal like this at home.


Here's what you do:

1. Buy a good steak. It doesn't have to be filet mignon, but get a good cut of meat. Avoid "No Name Steaks" at all costs, unless you enjoy eating stew meat.
2. Let it sit out about 15 minutes.
3. Coat with a little bit of olive oil and then season liberally with salt & pepper on both sides. Let it sit out like that for about 30 minutes.
4. After about 30 minutes, heat a couple TBSP butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.
5. Fry the steak for about 5 minutes on one side, then flip and fry for about 4 minutes. Try really hard not to flip it more than once. For a 1-inch thick steak, this will give you medium-rare.

See, doesn't that sound easy?

These roasted potatoes go great with it:

Garlic Roasted Potatoes
Recipe by Ina Garten, adapted
Serves 3-4
Total Cook & Prep time - 1 hr, 10 min

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 pounds small red or white-skinned potatoes (or a mixture) (I like reds)
1/8 cup good olive oil
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 TBSP minced garlic
2 tsp minced fresh rosemary leaves (If you don't have fresh, omit. Don't use dried)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut the potatoes in quarters and place in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary; toss until the potatoes are well coated. Dump the potatoes on a baking sheet and spread out into 1 layer; roast in the oven for about 1 hour, or until browned and crisp. Flip twice with a spatula during cooking to ensure even browning (be careful not to burn the garlic, or it will get bitter tasting).

Remove the potatoes from the oven, season to taste, and serve.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

It's St. Patrick's Day. Rather than going out to a local pub to celebrate Saint Patrick's death by drinking Bud Light colored with loads of green food coloring, I stayed home and made a traditional Guinness Stew and drank a pint. Guinness stew can be found in any county in Ireland, and every family has their own recipe. Traditionally, the stew is comprised of lamb or beef with root vegetables and braised in Guinness stout. Below is my take on the Irish favorite.

You can change it up if you'd like using different meats and your favorite root veggies - I'm sure you could even make it vegetarian by taking out the beef and substituting vegetable stock for beef stock. Be creative and adapt this recipe to your tastes, just whatever you do, don't forget the Guinness.

Guinness Stew

2 TBSP olive oil
2 bay leaves
1 lb stew meat, cut into small cubes
1 large sweet onion, peeled and chopped (use bigger chunks)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried thyme (generous pinch)
1 tsp dried Rosemary (generous pinch)
2-3 tsp flour
1 cup beef stock, plus more for final cooking (~ ½ cup)
1 cup Guinness, plus more for final cooking (~ ½ cup)
1 TBSP chopped parsley
3-4 carrots, sliced
2-3 large potatoes, cut into big chunks
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 tsp Kitchen Bouquet (optional)

DIRECTIONS
*Start at least 1 day before you plan to eat this*

Heat a large stock pot and add the oil. Add meat and brown it on all sides.

Add onion and cook until onions are translucent, about 3 min.

Reduce heat to low and add the garlic, thyme, rosemary, and flour. Stir until smooth.

Add the beef stock and Guinness; simmer. Stir until the stew thickens a bit.

Add the remaining ingredients and bay leaves. Simmer on low for at least 2 hours.

Cool and place in refrigerator.

On the day you plan to eat it, take out of fridge and simmer on low for at least 2 hours. Add about ½ cup more each of beef stock and Guinness. If the broth is too thin, feel free to add a cornstarch/water slurry to thicken it up. Salt & pepper to taste.

Remove bay leaves just before serving.

Sláinte!