Creamy Mashed Potatoes

These are not your ordinary, run of the mill mashed potatoes!  These are The Pioneer Woman's Creamy Mashed Potatoes and they are fabulous!  The only changes that I made to The Pioneer Woman's original recipe is that I used red potatoes, and I didn't bother to peal them.  If you use a russet or anything with a thicker skin, then I would recommend peeling them.  But if you go with red or Yukon gold, there's really no need.  These are the ultimate in creamy, tangy, buttery, mashed potato yumminess.  I love that you can make them in advance, perfect for entertaining!  Give these a try, you will not be disappointed!! 

 Ingredients:

5 lbs Red Potatoes

1, 8 oz Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup Heavy Cream

2 sticks of Butter

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Wash the potatoes & cut in half or quarter, depending on the size of the potatoes.  Place in a large pot & cover with water.  Bring to a boil over high heat & cook until fork tender, about 20-25 minutes. 

While the potatoes are boiling, preheat the oven to 350 degrees & generously butter a large casserole dish. (I halved the recipe so you would need a larger casserole for the whole recipe.)

When the potatoes are fork tender, drain & place back into the pot, on the stove with the heat off.  Mash until smooth. 

Add in 1 1/2 sticks of butter, the heavy cream, the cream cheese & season with salt & pepper.  Stir to combine well. 

Spread the mashed potatoes into the buttered casserole dish evenly.  Then top with a few pats of butter.  Do not skip this part!  Trust me!!  (If you want to make these in advance, you can stop here.  Cover & refrigerate the casserole dish.  When you are ready to eat, pull the potatoes out of the refrigerator & bring to room temperature.  Then continue with the directions below.)

 Bake at 350 degrees uncovered, until the potatoes are warmed through & the top is browned, about 20-30 minutes.

Let the potatoes sit for a few minutes before serving.  Enjoy!! 

This recipe serves 10-12 people.

(I halved the recipe for these pictures!)

Caponata

Last month we took the little one to Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL to celebrate her 5th birthday.  During our trip we dined at a fabulous restaurant called Il Mulino New York Trattoria .  It is an Italian restaurant, modeled after the original (in New York) located in the Walt Disney World Swan Resort.  We had an wonderful evening there, full of yummy food.  One of the delicious things we ate there was a complimentary dish, an amuse bouche from the chef.  It was this eggplant dish, served room temperature with bread & spicy crackers and sliced salami.  We loved it!!  Of course, as soon as we got home, I had to try to make it.  So here is my version of Caponata, a traditional Italian appetizer or side dish.  It's like a bruschetta or vegetable relish/ salad.  You can serve it as an appetizer with bread or crackers.  Or as a side or topping on grilled chicken or fish.  I made my version to taste like it did at  Il Muno but you add other tradition ingredients like celery, capers, raisins, & pine nuts to suite your taste.

Ingredients:

2 medium- large sized Eggplants

1 pint Cherry Tomatoes

1 medium-large Yellow Onion, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup Black Olives, halved

4-5 Cloves of Garlic, Smashed

1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
2 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar

8-9 tbsp Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Fresh, chopped Flat Leaf Italian Parsley

Freshly grated Parmesan, to garnish

Directions:

Preheat the oven heat to 425 degrees.

Chop the eggplant into 1" (ish) pieces.  Place the eggplant on sheet pans (I used 2) & drizzle with a little olive oil (about 2 1/2 tbsp).  Toss to evenly coat then season with salt & pepper.

Roast for 30-40 minutes, flipping once to ensure even browning.  Let cool on the roasting pan.

Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees.  Place the whole cherry tomatoes on a roasting pan with the cloves of garlic.  Drizzle a little olive oil lover top then toss to coat (approx 1-2 tbsp).  Make sure to coat the cloves of garlic well with oil so they don't burn.  Season with salt & pepper.

Roast in the oven at 325 degrees for about an hour, until the tomatoes are soft & start to caramelize.

While the tomatoes are roasting, coat the bottom of a large skillet with olive oil & heat to medium.  Add the chopped onion & season with a little salt & pepper.  Saute for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until they start to caramelize.

Add the roasted tomatoes & garlic to the onions & stir to combine.

Turn off the heat & gently add in the roasted eggplant to the roasted tomatoes, onions & garlic.

Add in the black olives, then pour in the balsamic & red wine vinegar over top.

Toss in some freshly chopped parsley & stir to combine well.

Refrigerate over night to let the flavors marry then bring to room temperate before serving.

You can serve this the day you make it,  just let it sit to room temperate first.  Slice up a baguette, top with some freshly grated Parmesan Cheese & enjoy!

Mini Hash Browns

Who wouldn't want to wake up to these tasty little hash browns for breakfast?  They are so darn cute & could not be easier to make.  Which is perfect early in the morning before my has coffee kicked in.  You can serve these for breakfast, brunch, breakfast for dinner, when ever!  I use frozen, store bought hash browns but the refrigerated ones work well too.  Of course, you could also shred potatoes & squeeze them out your self.  But I don't, I'm lazy like that...especially at breakfast time.  Besides, I love that I can keep the frozen ones on hand for last minute meals on the fly!!  You can make as few or many of these at a time as you need.  I'd say 2-3 a person per serving.

Ingredients:

Shredded Potatoes (Store bought, frozen or refrigerated)

Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

Non- stick Cooking Spray

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray the cups of a sized muffin or cupcake tin with nonstick cooking spray.  Fill each muffin cup about half way with shredded potatoes.  Season with a little salt & pepper.  Then fill the rest of the way, pushing to pack the potatoes in.  You want to make sure to really fill the muffin tin all the way to the top, the shredded potatoes will shrink when the cook so pack them in well!.  Drizzle a little olive oil over the top of each hash brown & lightly season again with salt & pepper.  

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, until golden & crispy on the top. (See!  I told you they would shrink.)

Let sit in the muffin tins for a few minutes before tying to remove them so they set.

Serve warm.

 Enjoy!!

Creamy Tortellini with Peas & Parmesan

This is a great summer recipe!  It comes together quickly & with only a few ingredients, it's easy to keep everything on hand for dinner on the fly!  It can be served as an entrée or a side dish & will please even the pickiest of eaters!

Ingredients:

1 lb Cheese Tortellini, frozen or fresh

2 cups Sweet Peas, frozen

2 tbsp Butter

2 cloves of Garlic, minced

1 cup Heavy Cream

1/2 cup of Parmesan Cheese, shredded

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a large chef's pan, over low- medium heat, add the 2 tbsp of butter.  

When the butter is melted, add the minced garlic & cook 1 minute.  Add in the heavy cream & stir to blend.  Simmer the sauce to thicken, stirring occasionally while you prepare the tortellini.  

Cook the tortellini according to the package directions, adding in the frozen peas for the last 2 minutes.

Drain the peas & tortellini & add it directly to the cream sauce.  Add in the Parmesan Cheese (Reserving some for topping!) & toss to coast well.  Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Serve immediately.

Enjoy!  

Classic Macaroni Salad

This is a spring & summer time staple in the south!  It's cool, creamy & goes with practically anything.  Whether you're having BBQ chicken, hot dogs, hamburgers, or ribs-  this is the perfect side for any family gathering.  It keeps well, so don't be afraid to make a day or so ahead.  Leftovers will keep for up to a week (if they lasts that long!) in the refrigerator too.

 Ingredients:

2 cups (dried) Elbow Noodles

3 Hard Boiled Eggs, chopped

1 Stalk of Celery, finely chopped

2 Green Onions, thinly sliced

1 1/2 tsp Dijon Mustard

1 1/2 tsp Yellow Mustard

3 tbsp Sweet Relish

1-1 1/4 cup Mayonnaise

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Cook the pasta according to the package directions, leaving slightly al dente.

While the pasta cooks, chop the celery & green onion.  I like to use green onion, because they are milder than other onions.  If you like more onion flavor, use a red or yellow onion.  

Combine the drained pasta, celery, onions, mustard's, relish & mayonnaise in a large bowl.  I like to use a combination of both dijon & yellow mustard, but you can just add 2 tbsp of which ever you prefer.  

Gently fold in the chopped eggs.  Season with salt & pepper, to taste.

Serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.  

Enjoy!! 

This recipe makes 6-8 side servings.

Paula Dean's Corn Casserole

This stuff is SO good!!  It's buttery, sweet, creamy & just plain yummy!!  Some also refer to this as corn pudding...What ever you want to call it, it's terrific & so simple to make.  It's the perfect side dish for any back yard barbecue or summer gathering.  I made it this past Easter with my husband's (almost) famous BBQ & it was a huge hit, as usual!  

Ingredients:

1-  8oz pkg Corn Muffin Mix

1-  15 1/4 oz can Whole Corn, drained

1-  14 3/4 oz can Cream Style Corn

1 cup Sour Cream

1/2 cup Butter, melted

1- 1 1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the cheddar cheese.  

 This is the corn muffin mix that I use.  You can find it in the baking isle of any grocery store.

Pour into a 9 X 13 casserole dish that has been coasted with nonstick spray.  

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes, until golden brown. Top with the shredded cheese & return to the oven for another 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.  

Let cool to set for a few minutes before serving.  

Enjoy!!

Here is Paula Dean's original recipe.  It serves 6-8 side servings.