Crack Potatoes

 

Crack Potatoes

(10 servings)

 

Ingredients:

2 containers (16 oz.) Sour Cream

2 cups Cheddar Cheese, shredded

1½ lb. Bacon, cooked and chopped

2 pkg. (1 oz.) Ranch Dressing Mix

1 bag (32 oz.) Frozen Shredded Hash Browns

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine sour cream, cheese, cooked bacon and ranch mix.  Now stir in the hash browns until well combined.  Spray a 9x 13 baking dish and pour potato mixture into it.  Place in a pre-heated 400-degree oven and bake uncovered for 45-60 minutes or until heated through and nicely browned.

Notes:              If you don’t need a dish this large, divide the mixture into 3 or 4 smaller containers and freeze until needed.  Pull the night before needed and bake as instructed above.  Depending on size of container, cooking time may be a little shorter.

Ideas for Future Efforts

 ____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

Party Potatoes

 

Party Potatoes

(12 servings)

  

Ingredients:

12 medium Potatoes, peeled and quartered

2 tbsp. Unsalted Butter

2 tbsp. Milk

¾ tsp. Salt

½ tsp. Black Pepper

1 pkg. (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened

1 carton (8 oz.) French Onion Dip

Directions:

Place potatoes in a large sauce pan, cover with water by one inch and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until tender.  Drain.  Mash potatoes with butter, milk, salt and pepper until smooth.  Add cream cheese and French onion dip and mix well.  Grease a 2½ quart baking dish and spread potato mixture evenly.  Sprinkle with paprika, cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.  Remove from refrigerator and let sit for 30 minutes before putting in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 50-60 minutes or until heated through.

Notes:              Use your favorite potato for this dish.  I prefer red or Yukon gold potatoes.

Ideas for Future Efforts

 ____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

Potato Casseroles

 With holidays coming up as well as fall/winter weather, I have a couple of potato casseroles for you to try.

Both recipes this week make enough for 10-12 portions.  But you can divide the recipe up into smaller portions and freeze to feed a smaller group.  Just remember to pull the container to the refrigerator the night before you want to bake it.

The “Party Potatoes” on Wednesday use mashed potatoes in the casserole.  But the “Crack Potatoes” uses frozen hash browns in it.

Hope you enjoy trying these dishes with a little different taste to your potato.

“Happy Cooking” until next time and please help share the link to family and friends.  Thanks.

Cacciatore-Style Chicken Milanese (GF)

 

Cacciatore-Style Chicken Milanese (GF)

(4 servings)

 

Ingredients:

4 4-6 oz. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

1¾ tsp. Kosher Salt

¼ cup Rice Flour

2 large Fresh Eggs, beaten

¾ cup GF Panko Crumbs

3 tbsp. Olive Oil plus more as needed

¼ tsp. Black Pepper

2 tbsp. Olive Oil plus more as needed

5 oz. Cremini Mushrooms, sliced

1½ tsp. Kosher Salt

½ medium Red Onion, chopped

1 medium Yellow Bell Pepper, chopped

1½ cups Cherry Tomatoes, halved

2 tbsp. Capers, drained

¼ tsp. Dried Oregano

¼ tsp. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

1/3 cup Fresh Basil, chopped

Directions:

Pound chicken to ¼-inch thickness.  Season chicken on all sides with ½ tsp. salt.  In 3 shallow dishes, put rice flour in one, eggs in another and the panko crumbs in the third.  Add a ¼ tsp. of salt to rice flour and eggs.  Then add ½ tsp. to the panko crumbs.  Mix all well.  Working one piece at a time, dredge in flour, then egg and finally the panko.  Press gently to make sure the panko adheres evenly.  Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add3 tbsp. olive oil (half if doing in batches) to hot pan and heat another 10 seconds.  Working in batches, add the breaded chicken to pan and cook until golden brown (about 4-5 minutes).  Flip and cook second side until golden brown (about 3 minutes).  Remove chicken to a wire rack and keep warm in a 200-gegree oven.  Season with a ¼ tsp. of salt and pepper.  For the sauce, wipe out pan and return to medium heat.  Add the 2 tbsp. of oil, mushrooms and ½ tsp. salt.  Cook stirring often until deep golden brown on all sides (about 5 minutes).  Add onions, bell peppers and ½ tsp. salt.  Cook to soften stirring occasionally (about 3 minutes).  Stir in tomatoes, capers, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes and remaining ½ tsp. salt.  Cook until tomatoes start to release their juices (about 3 minutes).  Serve over the chicken and top with fresh basil.

Notes:              If you don’t like a little spice, omit the crushed red pepper flakes.

Ideas for Future Efforts

 ____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

Chicken Piccata (GF)

 

Chicken Piccata (GF)

(8 servings)

 

Ingredients:

8 4-6 oz. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

2 large Fresh Eggs

2 tbsp. plus ¼ cup White Wine

5 tbsp. Fresh Lemon Juice, divided

3 cloves Fresh Garlic, minced

1/8 tsp. Hot Sauce (your choice)

½ cup GF Flour

½ cup Parmesan Cheese

¼ cup Fresh Parsley, minced

½ tsp. Salt

3 tsp. Olive Oil, divided

2 tbsp. Unsalted Butter

Directions:

Flatten chicken pieces to a ¼ inch thickness.  In a shallow dish, combine the eggs, 2 tbsp. wine, 2 tbsp. Lemon juice, garlic and hot sauce.  In another shallow dish, combine GF flour, Parmesan cheese, parsley and salt.  Coat chicken with the GF flour mixture, dip in egg mixture and then again in the GF flour mixture.  In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, brown chicken breasts in two batches.  Use half the oil in each batch.  Drain drippings between batches.  Keep cooked chicken warm in a 200-degree oven.  In the same pan, melt butter.  Add remaining wine and lemon juice.  Bring to a boil and reduce by a fourth.  Drizzle over chicken when served.

Notes:              If you don’t want to use white wine, you can always use chicken broth in this recipe.

Ideas for Future Efforts

 ___________________________________

____________________________________

____________________________________

____________________________________

____________________________________

Gluten-Free Chicken Dishes

 This week we have a couple of Italian style chicken dishes.  These are adjusted to be gluten-free.

Both recipes use boneless skinless chicken breasts.  They call for pieces 4 to 6 ounces each.  They also require an even thickness, so you have to pound them out.  For those that haven’t done this before, we will go through the process now.

It is best to use wax paper for this process.  Place a piece of chicken between the wax paper.  Using a meat mallet or some flat heavy item (small cast iron skillet, the side of a can of beans, etc.), pound the chicken starting at one end (thickest) and work your way to the other end.  You may have to repeat the pounding several times to get a uniform thickness.

It does take a little practice to be really good at it.  But well worth knowing how to do.

So we start on Wednesday with “Chicken Piccata (GF)” and then have “Cacciatore-Style Chicken Milanese (GF)” on Thursday for this week’s recipes.

Be sure and give them a try.  Also, please share the link with others, Thanks and until next week, “Happy Cooking”.