Roasted Garlic Potatoes

I made this dish earlier this week for my family. I had a meeting so left it in the oven on warm. All during my meeting, I was afraid my family wouldn't leave me any. I had never made it before so wanted to see how it turned out (especially before posting it on a blog). I got home ready to eat. I couldn't find the potatoes anywhere and was a bit miffed. I was tired and hadn't eaten in awhile. That isn't a good combination.

I checked the dishwasher and drainer for the container I cooked it in and couldn't find it. I then asked my oldest where the potatoes were. Her response? "What potatoes?" I head straight for the oven. Sure enough, there are my potatoes. Luckily, I grabbed some to go with my dinner before my potato-obsessive daughter heard I had found them. They turned out yummy! I did tweak the recipe I originally used to accommodate what I had on hand with personal tastes both before and after the taste test.

The Recipe:

INGREDIENTS
3 pounds boiling potatoes, chunked
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 (scant) teaspoon black pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1-1/2 teaspoons dried parsley, crushed

DIRECTIONS
In a large roasting pan, toss together all ingredients. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven, tossing occasionally. Cook one hour or until they are tender and golden.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

I found this recipe on the 30 Day Gourmet site. On the site, they have adjusted the amount of ingredients for larger or multiple batches if making all at once. You can check out the Loaded Baked Potato Soup recipe here. I have both made the recipe to serve immediately and to freeze for a later meal. It is a good way to use up any leftover baked potatoes from a previous meal. It also can be adjusted to make a lighter version by using lighter or fat-free, low sodium, etc. versions of the ingredients.

Serves 8

INGREDIENTS
4 large baking potatoes
10 tablespoons butter or margarine
2/3 cup flour
6 cups milk
1-1/2 cups cheddar cheese
1-1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon balck pepper
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
8 ounces sour cream

ON HAND:
2-3 green onion sliced
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
3-4 slices cooked bacon, cooked and crumbled

DIRECTIONS
Scrub potatoes and wrap each one in aluminum foil. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 60-90 minutes, or until they’re soft when you squeeze them. Remove the potatoes from the oven, unwrap and cut in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out the pulp into a large bowl. Set aside. Save the leftover skins to make potato skins, or discard.

Melt butter or margarine in a large saucepan over low heat. Add the flour, stirring until smooth. Cook for about a minute, stirring constantly. Turn heat up to medium and continue stirring while slowly adding the milk. Continue to stir until mixture is thick and bubbly. Add the cheddar cheese, salt, pepper, and bacon. Mash the potato pulp with a hand-held potato masher, a fork, or a mixer, to get rid of the large chunks. Add the potato pulp to the pan, stirring to mix. When it is heated through, add the sour cream and stir to mix well. Do not boil the soup. Set aside to cool.

TO FREEZE
Freeze in freezer bags or rigid containers based on your family size. Seal, label and freeze.

TO SERVE
Thaw at least overnight in the refrigerator. Put the soup in a saucepan or microwave-safe container to heat. The soup will have the consistency of soft mashed potatoes. If needed, stir in some milk to make it more “soup-like”. But the soup should be thick, not runny. Once it’s heated through, spoon into serving bowls. Top each bowl with a sprinkle of shredded cheddar, sliced green onions and crumbled bacon as garnish.

Weekly Menu for May 19-25

Monday:
Burritos
Spanish Rice
Fiesta Salad

Tuesday:
Baked Mostaccioli
Ceasar Salad
Garlic Bread

Wednesday:
Homemade McChickens
Carrot-Radish Salad
Watermelon Wedges

Thursday:
Chicken Zuchinni Casserole
Steamed Broccoli
Green Salad

Friday:
Pizza Night - pepperoni, cheese, sausage

Saturday:
Potato Pancakes
Cheddar Sausage Links
Applesauce

Sunday:
Sundaes for Sunday (new and much enjoyed family event)

Ready, Set, Cook!

The game is Ready, Set, Cook! You can read about how to play here:


This month the ingredients were chicken breasts, leeks and cauliflower. I decided to prepare this menu for the game. Join us in future games at Cooking with Anne (you can also see other game players' entries).


Menu:
Italian Herb Chicken
Creamy Potato-Leek Soup
Ceasar Salad
French Bread


Italian Herb Chicken
1 pkg McCormick Slow Cookers Italian Herb Chicken Seasoning
2.5 pounds chicken parts
1 pkg (8 oz) fresh mushrooms, sliced or halved
2 cans (14.5 oz each) stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste

Place chicken and mushrooms in slow cooker. Mix seasoning, tomatoes and tomato paste until blended. Pour over chicken and mushrooms. Cover. Cook 8 hours on LOW or 4 hours on HIGH. Remove chicken and vegetables to serving platter. Stir sauce before serving.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 8

Creamy Potato-Leek Soup
3 large potatoes, peeled and diced
2 quarts chicken broth
1 head cauliflower
2 Tablespoons butter
1 leek
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 cup fat-free half & half
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon basil

In large pot, place chicken broth and diced potatoes and cook until potatoes are tender. In a microwave-safe bowl, place cauliflower in an inch of water. Cover with saran wrap and heat in microwave 5 minutes until tender (but not mushy). Cut green tops off leek and chop white part. In small skillet heat over medium heat, add butter, garlic, celery and leek. Saute until tender.

When cauliflower is steamed, puree in blender all ingredients except half & half and grated carrots. Return to pot; add half & half and carrots. Reduce heat and simmer until flavors mix.

Hint: Using cauliflower as a substitute for potatoes in a soup allows for the same color and texture but eliminates the carbs.