Tourtiere

4 pounds ground pork butts 

1 ½ cups water 

1 medium onion, ground or finely chopped 

2 tsp salt 

1 to 2 tsp cinnamon, start low and adjust to taste 

1 to 1.5 tsp cloves, start low and adjust to taste 

1 cup bread crumbs 

Your favorite pie crust 

Put meat in large pot.  Break it up and add water. Mix in onions and salt. Adjust heat to keep meat cooking at a low boil; stir at intervals to keep from scorching.  Add more water if necessary. Cook with cover on for about 45 minutes, adding the spices halfway through. 

Near the end of cooking time, add the bread crumbs.  Adjust the amount of crumbs according to the amount of fat.  The mixture shouldn’t become too dry. 

This amount makes filling for 2 large pies or 9-11 small ones.   Fill uncooked pie crusts.  Top with either a second crust or mashed potatoes. May freeze at this point. 

Bake at 350° for 45 minutes 

Note: this is Grant’s great-great grandmother’s recipe 

Bacon Corn Hash

 Smitten Kitchen never disappoints!

Makes 4 to 5 cups

1/2 pound thick-cut bacon, cut into small dice
1 pound red potatoes, scrubbed clean and diced into 1/4- to 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 to 3 1/4 cups)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 medium-large ears corn, kernels cut from the cob (2 1/2 to 3 cups)
1 bundle scallions, thinly sliced

Toss bacon into a large skillet over medium heat, no need to heat the pan first. Let rest for a few minutes until it starts sizzling, then move the bits around so that they begin to brown evenly. Again, wait a couple minutes before shuffling the pieces around; you’re looking for them to get evenly golden and crisp. This should take about 10 minutes. Remove the bacon bits with a slotted spoon, leaving the drippings in the pan and transferring the bacon to paper towels to drain.

If your bacon is like mine, you’ll be left with a spectacular amount of fat behind. You’ll be tempted to drain it off. May I ask you not to? The potatoes that cook in this will be gorgeous and you will have a chance to remove this extra in a bit. It will mostly stay in the pan.

Heat the pan to medium/medium-high, making sure the bacon fat is nicely sizzly, then add your potatoes all at once in a single layer. Sprinkle them with 1/2 teaspoon table salt and several grinds of black pepper. Let them cook for a few minutes in one place and get a bit golden underneath before turning them over and moving them around. Repeat this process until the potatoes are browned on all sides; this takes about 20 minutes.

At this point, you can push aside the potatoes and pour or spoon off all but a small amount of the fat. I won’t tell you how much I was able to remove but it rhymes with shmoo to shmee shmablespoons. If you save it, you can use it to fry an egg in a bit.

Bump up the heat a little and add the corn to the skillet. Saute the potatoes and corn together until the corn gets a bit brown but stays fairly crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the drained bacon, and stir the mixture together until it’s evenly warm, about 1 more minute. Remove the skillet from the burner and sprinkle the scallions (reserving a couple spoonfuls if you’d like to use them as fried egg garnish) over the hash. In two minutes, they should be warm and mellowed. Season with more salt or pepper to taste, if needed.

Add a fried egg to it: Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat and swirl in one to two teaspoons bacon fat or butter. Crack one egg into the skillet and reduce heat to medium. I like to cover the skillet with a small lid at this point, as it seems to help the egg cook faster and more evenly. In one minute, you should have a perfect sunny-side-up egg. Season with salt and pepper, serve on top of a pile of bacon corn hash.

NOTE TO SELF:

This fit well in the larger cast iron pan.

Prep all the ingredients before Mass and it comes together in a reasonable amount of time when we get home.

Warm German Potato Salad

This was a huge hit with everyone in our family!

•  2 pounds red or gold potatoes
• 8 oz bacon
• 1/4 c chopped onion
• 1/3 c vinegar (original recipe called for apple cider vinegar; I used white)
• 1-3 T sugar (I used 2 and liked it)
• 1 T Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Pepper, to taste
• 1/2 c chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Cut large potatoes in half so all are the same size.  Place in large pot, cover with water, and boil until soft (15-20 minutes).  Drain and return potatoes to empty pot over hot (but turned-off) burner.  Leave the lid off and allow the potatoes to steam dry for a couple minutes.

In another pot, cut bacon into small pieces and cook.  While the bacon is cooking, cut the potatoes into 1/2" slices.  Once the bacon is done, remove it from the pan and cook the onion until soft.  Into the same pan, whisk the vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt, and pepper.  Bring to a simmer and whisk for a couple minutes.

Toss together the dressing, potatoes, and bacon.  Add parsley (if using).  Serve warm.

Restaurant style smashed potatoes

• 5 whole Large Red Potatoes
• 1 stick Butter, Softened And Cut Into Pieces
• 5 slices Bacon, Cooked And Crumbled
• 2 whole Green Onions, Sliced
• 3/4 cups Sour Cream
•  Salt To Taste (add Plenty!)
•  Freshly Ground Black Pepper To Taste (ditto!)
• 3/4 cups French Fried Onions, More For Topping

INSTRUCTIONS

Nuke potatoes or bake in the oven until fork-tender. Add to a large bowl and smash with a potato masher. Immediately add softened butter, green onions, bacon, and sour cream and stir with a rubber spatula. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add french fried onions and fold in. 

Serve hot, sprinkling on extra french fried onions and green onions. Yummy with grilled steak or chicken!

Easy and delicious, but definitely not healthy.

Source: Pioneer Woman

Pork Chops with Apples and Garlic Smashed Potatoes

1 pound small fingerling potatoes
2 cloves garlic
Kosher salt
4 1/2-inch-thick boneless pork loin chops (5 ounces each)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
Freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large red onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
2 Granny Smith apples, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 cup apple cider
1/4 cup buttermilk

• Put the potatoes and garlic in a saucepan, cover with cold water and season with salt. Cover and bring to a boil, then uncover and continue cooking until tender, about 15 minutes. Cover and set aside.
• Meanwhile, rub both sides of the pork chops with the sage, and salt and pepper to taste. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat, then add 1 teaspoon olive oil and sear the chops until golden on both sides, about 5 minutes total. Transfer to a plate. 
• Wipe out the skillet and add the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil. Add the onion and apples and cook over medium-high heat until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the cider.
• Return the chops to the skillet. Cover and cook, turning once, until just cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. 
• Drain the potatoes, reserving 1/4 cup liquid. Return the potatoes to the pan; add the buttermilk and mash, adding cooking liquid as needed. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with the pork chops, onion and apples. Drizzle with the pan juices.

Notes:

• Easy.  The potatoes timed out nicely with the chops.
• I just used the russets I had on hand.
• I skipped the buttermilk and just added some butter.
• Apples and onions - I feel like I'm getting in touch with my German roots.
• And this potato recipe would work well on it's own.  I didn't peel them and just smashed them up a bit with a meat chopper.

Creamy Herbed Potatoes

4 To 5 Whole Russet Potatoes
1 stick Butter
1 whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
8 ounces, weight Cream Cheese
3/4 cups Heavy Cream
1 cup Whole Milk (Half-and-Half Works, Too)
1 teaspoon Finely Chopped Rosemary
1 teaspoon Finely Chopped Parsley
1 teaspoon Finely Chopped Chives
1/2 teaspoon Finely Chopped Sage

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Slice potatoes very thinly.
• Add butter to a large skillet over medium low heat. When melted, add diced onion. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
• Add cream cheese to the pan and stir to melt. Pour in cream and milk, stirring to combine.
• Season with plenty of salt and pepper, then add chopped herbs.
• Place potatoes in a buttered baking dish. Pour contents of skillet over the top. Top with Parmesan cheese and bake for 45 minutes, or until bubbly. 
• Allow potatoes to sit 15 minutes before serving.

NOTES:

• We used shredded potatoes instead of sliced.  Recommended!  (2+ containers of the Costco dehydrated ones, but a big package of frozen would work too)
• Polnaszek-recommended and delicious!  We had them with ham for Christmas.
• We skipped the parmesan for Jonah, and was fine without

SOURCE - Pioneer Woman

Crock Pot Breakfast Bake

This is a perfect method for Sunday brunch!

Cooking spray, for slow cooker
12 eggs
1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. finely chopped chives
salt
pepper
2 c. shredded Cheddar
1 lb. baby potatoes, thinly sliced 1/8" thick
10 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
1/2 c. thinly sliced red onion
1 c. chopped red bell pepper
Chopped parsley, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

• Whisk together eggs, milk, and chives; season with salt and pepper. Stir in cheese.
• Lightly grease a 5- or 6-quart crock pot. Layer half the potatoes, bacon, red onion, and red peppers, then the rest of the potatoes. Pour in the egg mixture.
• Cover and cook on low for 4 to 4 1/2 hours. Garnish with parsley.

My Notes:

• I cut the potatoes and onion pretty thin with my Pampered Chef mandoline - quick, easy and consistent.
• I was concerned that both chives and onion would be overwhelming, but it was fine.
• Used pre-cooked bacon pieces from Costco.
• Just used regular potatoes that I had around.
• I  was a little afraid that all the potatoes would clump together so I did more layering - one layer of potatoes, a little onion/bacon/peppers, repeat.
• It would be very easy to change out the breakfast meat and seasonings.
• I did the egg/cheese prep the night before and just put it together on Sunday morning.  It was done and perfect in time for after-Mass brunch.  
• Source

Tater Tot Hotdish

Serves 6 to 8

Be sure to buy the cylinder-shaped frozen tater tots (not crispy crowns or coins). Do not thaw the tots or the vegetables; they go into the hotdish frozen. For the best browned and crunchy tater tots, bake in a 13 by 9-inch Pyrex dish (deeper dishes inhibit browning). Don’t be tempted to turn on your broiler; Pyrex cannot withstand the broiler’s direct heat. Depending on the dish, you may have about 1 cup of tater tots leftover. Serve with ketchup.


1½ pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
1 pound white mushrooms, trimmed and sliced thin
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1½ cups whole milk
1½ cups chicken broth
3 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (1½ cups)
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
1 (2-pound) bag frozen tater tots

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Cook beef, mushrooms, onion, garlic, thyme, 1½ teaspoons salt, and 1½ teaspoons pepper in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until nearly all liquid has evaporated, 25 to 28 minutes, breaking up beef with spoon.

2. Stir in flour until no dry spots remain and cook for 1 minute. Stir in milk and broth, scraping up any browned bits, and bring to simmer. Cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Off heat, stir in Parmesan. Transfer to 13 by 9-inch baking dish.

3. Sprinkle peas and corn evenly over beef mixture. Lightly place tater tots in even layer over top, but do not press into mixture (you may have extra). Bake until tater tots are deep golden brown and filling is bubbling, 35 to 38 minutes, rotating dish halfway through baking. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

To Make Ahead

Hotdish can be prepared through step 2: Let cool completely, cover, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When ready to cook, cover with aluminum foil and bake until hot in center, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove foil, stir, sprinkle evenly with peas and corn, place tater tots on top, and bake as directed in step 3.

NOTES: This is a test recipe.

• I made a half batch with a pound of hamburger.
• Used dried thyme instead of fresh
• Missed the direction to layer the veggies (and I mixed them into the meat mixture).
• We all liked it a lot!  The sauce is much better than canned soup and there are none of those nasty little carrot cubes.  I'd make it again.

Goulash Stew

1/2 c butter, divided
2 lbs. beef, cubed
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp paprika
2-3 bay leaves
2 tsp salt (start with less and add at the end, if necessary)
1/2 tsp pepper
3 cups chicken broth
3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 carrots, peeled and cubed
1/8 c flour

Melt half of the butter in a large pot over medium heat and add meat.  When it it slightly browned, add the onion and cook until it is transparent.  Add paprika, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and chicken broth. Bring to simmer * and add potatoes and carrots; cover.

Meanwhile, melt remaining butter in a saucepan over medium heat and gradually add flour, stirring constantly.  Cook until mixture thickens and add to stew, stirring constantly.  Cook another 5 minutes or until potatoes and meat are tender.

NOTES:

• Quite delicious!  The spice combo made a fantastic broth.
• From Kramarczuk's cookbook.
• Start with 1 tsp salt.  It's probably enough.
• It's not in the original recipe, but it would be possible to simmer it longer at this * point if the meat needed to be more tender.
• Makes 6 servings.
• Try a more interesting paprika next time.  I just used cheap-o store brand.
• Serve with the Old Country Hard Rolls.

Swiss Potatoes

• 3 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/8 inch slices
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried dill weed
• 3 cups grated Gruyere cheese (about ten ounces) or it works with
• regular Swiss cheese which is much cheaper and still tastes good
• 1 1/3 cups whipping cream
• 1 1/3 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt broth
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish.
Overlap 1/3 of potatoes in prepared dish.  Season generously with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon dill weed and 1 cup cheese. Repeat layer twice,  using 1/3 cup of potatoes, 1/2 teaspoon dill weed and 1 cup cheese for each layer.  Whisk cream, stock and mustard in bowl.  Pour over potatoes.  Bake until potatoes are tender and the top is crusty and brown, about 1 hour.  Cool 10 minutes and serve.

NOTES:

• This was Johnny's one request for Thanksgiving dinner. :)
• Holly says: "Also does not require whipping cream; I'm sure I always use milk/half & half."
• I used the mandolin for cutting potatoes - worked very well.

Corned beef and cabbage

SERVES 6 TO 8

Use flat-cut corned beef brisket, not point-cut; it’s more uniform in shape and thus will cook more evenly. When slicing the cabbage, leave the core intact or the cabbage will fall apart during cooking.

INGREDIENTS

1 (4- to 5-pound) corned beef brisket roast, rinsed, fat trimmed to 1/4 inch thick
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 cups water
12 carrots, peeled (3 chopped, 9 halved crosswise)
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 onion, peeled and quartered
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
1 teaspoon whole allspice
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes
1 head green cabbage (2 pounds), cut into 8 (2-inch) wedges
Pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Combine beef, broth, water, chopped carrots, celery, onion, bay leaves, peppercorns, thyme, and allspice in Dutch oven. Cover and bake until fork slips easily in and out of meat, 4½ to 5 hours.

2. Transfer meat to 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Strain cooking liquid through fine-mesh strainer into large bowl, discard solids, and skim fat from liquid. Pour 1 cup cooking liquid over meat. Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil and let rest for 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, return remaining cooking liquid to Dutch oven, add butter, and bring to simmer over medium-high heat. Add potatoes and simmer until they begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add carrot halves and cabbage, cover, and cook until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer vegetables to serving platter and season with pepper to taste. (Reserve cooking liquid for making Creamed Chipped Beef using leftover corned beef; recipe at right.)

4. Transfer beef to carving board and slice against grain into ¼-inch-thick slices. Serve with vegetables.

NOTES:

• This was really outstanding!  I started with a better than average piece of meat from Costco, so there was less fat to begin with, but even so, letting it rest while the veggies were cooking made it easy to slice nicely without the falling apart tendency I get when I cook it in the crock pot.
• I did not add carrots to the beginning step (to be discarded later)
• I also did not add the extra spices called for, since the spice packet with the meat seemed comparable. 
• In particular, cooking the vegetables later made for really great texture and a not over salty flavor.  
• I'd definitely do it this way again.
• Source: Cook's Country

Creamy Lemon Basil Potato Salad

• 2 lbs Potatoes
• 2 whole Lemons, Juiced
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• ½ cups Mayonnaise
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 1 Tablespoon Prepared Pesto
• ¼ cups Pine Nuts
• Small Basil Leaves

Boil potatoes in lightly salted water until fork tender. Drain, cut in half, then place in a bowl.

Toast pine nuts in a skillet over low heat until just lightly golden. Remove from heat.

Mix together lemon juice, olive oil, mayonnaise, salt & pepper, and pesto until creamy and smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings as you’d like.

Pour half the dressing over the potatoes and toss to combine. Add more dressing to taste.

Cover and refrigerate the potato salad for a few hours. To serve, sprinkle lots of small basil leaves over the top.

Source

Potato Gnocchi

Serves two to three as a main dish.

• 2 pounds russet potatoes
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• ¾ c plus 1 T all-purpose flour (4 oz by weight)
• 4 tsp salt

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 450. Prick potatoes all over and microwave about 10 minutes until slightly softened at ends, flipping halfway through. Place potatoes directly on the oven rack and back until skewer glides easily through, 18-20 minutes.

Peel potatoes while still hot, holding with an oven mitt or towel. Process through a ricer or food mill (do not mash) and spread out onto a cookie sheet to cool for 5 minutes.

Transfer 3 cups (1 lb) warm potatoes to a mixing bowl. Using fork, stir in egg gently until just combined. Sprinkle in flour and 1 tsp salt; gently combine with fork until no pockets of dry flour remain. Press mixture into a ball and knead gently on a lightly floured surface until smooth but slightly sticky, about 1 minute.

Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment and dust liberally with flour. Cut dough into eighths. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece into a half-inch rope and slice into ¾" pieces. Holding fork with tines facing down in one hand, press each piece against tines with the thumb of your other hand to create ridges. Transfer formed gnocchi to sheets.

To freeze, let dry on sheets 1–4 hours at room temperature, then transfer sheets to freezer for 45 minutes before placing the frozen gnocchi in a ziploc or other container.

To cook (from fresh or frozen), bring 4 quarts water to boil in a large pot. Add remaining 3 tsps salt. Using the parchment paper, lower the gnocchi into the water one sheet at a time and cook until firm, about 90 seconds (gnocchi will float after about 60 secs). Repeat with remaining sheet of gnocchi.

Zuppa Toscana

1 bunch Kale, cut into bite-sized pieces

12 whole Red Potatos, cubed

1 whole Onion, Chopped

1-1/2 pound Italian Sausage

1/2 pound diced bacon

1 tsp. garlic

1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes (more To Taste)

2 cups Chicken Broth (1 15 ounce can)

2 cups Milk

4 cups Half-and-half

Fresh Or Dried Oregano

Black Pepper To Taste

Preparation Instructions

• Prepare the kale and set it aside.
• In a medium pot. boil sliced potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain and set aside.
• In a large pot, crumble and brown the Italian sausage with the bacon and onion. Drain as much as the fat as you can. Stir in the red pepper flakes, garlic, oregano, chicken broth, milk, and half-and-half. Simmer for 30 minutes.
• Give it a taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Add the potatoes, a splash of heavy cream for richness, then stir in the kale. Simmer an additional 10-15 minutes, then serve.

We had this soup at Olive Garden and it was fantastic! This recipe is a combination of my memories of the event combined with these two recipes. (Mostly the Pioneer Woman version but with less kale, more bacon and garlic.)

I did thicken it a little with cornstarch before adding the potatoes, but that's probably just my preference.

Machine Shed's Baked Potato Soup

How could I never have posted this before? It's Nick's favorite food in the world!

2 1/2 lb. baby red potatoes (quartered)

1/2 lb. raw bacon, diced

1 jumbo yellow onion, diced

1/4 bunch celery, diced

1 quart water

2 ounces chicken soup base

1 quart milk

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. black pepper

1 1/2 sticks margarine (butter is the obvious substitute here)

1 1/2 c flour

1 c whipping cream (or half and half)

1/4 bunch chopped parsley

1. Boil potatoes in water for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. In a large, heavy pot, saute bacon, onions, and celery over medium heat until celery is tender. Drain bacon grease and return stuff to the pot.
3. Add milk, 1 qt. water, chicken base, salt and pepper. Heat over med. heat until very hot, but do not boil.
4. In a heavy saucepan, melt butter and add flour, making a roux. Mix well and allow to bubble, stirring for 1 minute. While constantly stiffing the soup, add the roux slowly. Continue to stir until thick and creamy.
5. Stir in potatoes, parsley and cream.
6. Serve hot. Garnish with shredded Colby, fried bacon bits, chopped green onions, or all three.

NOTES: I quite often do not have cream and have just substituted another cup of milk instead. It kinda balances all that butter and bacon anyway.

Clam Chowder

1/2 lb bacon, minced

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 onion, diced

2 lg. potatoes, peeled and diced

1 tsp. thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

Chicken broth and clam juice, combined to make 2 cups

1 cup milk

1 cup half-and-half

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup butter

2(6 1/2 oz) cans chopped clams, juice reserved

Fry Bacon until crisp, remove and set aside.  Cook the celery, onions and potato in bacon fat until the onions soften.  Add seasonings, milk, half-and-half, and broth.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring frequently.  Make a roux by melting 1/2 cup butter in a skillet over medium-low heat, stir in flour.  Cook, stirring continuously for 2 to 3 minutes.  Slowly add 1 to 2 cups hot liquid to the roux, stirring to incorporate and remove lumps.  Immediately add roux mixture to chowder, stir to blend. Add clams and bacon.

Makes 4 servings.

Double for Christmas.

Winter Veggie Soup

12 oz bacon, diced

2 shallots, minced

5 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 large* sweet potato, peeled and finely diced

3 carrots, shredded

1 cup frozen broccoli

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 can beef broth

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese*

salt to taste

plain yogurt or sour cream

In a kettle cook bacon and shallots, until the bacon is cooked but not too crispy; remove bacon, shallots and all drippings to a bowl. Place potatoes, sweet potato and carrots in the pot, cover with water and add a bit of salt, place over high heat and cook until the sweet potatoes are very soft. Strain off and reserve about 2/3 of the water, add broccoli, puree vegetables and the broth they're in until nearly smooth; pour back into the pan. Add beef broth, garlic, pepper, the bowl of bacon, shallots and grease, and enough of the reserved broth to reach the desired consistency; place over low heat and warm through. Taste and add salt if needed. Stir in cheddar until melted. Serve with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream.

Notes:

*small nerf football sized

*the sharper the better

I'm sure those of you who like celery could add it when cooking the potatoes, it would also be good with a mix of broccoli and cauliflower.

Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Garlic

(source)

3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
1 head garlic (3 inches wide)
3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 1/2 cups whole milk
4 T unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon white pepper

Preheat oven to 425°. Wrap each potato in foil, then prick potatoes through foil several times with a fork. Cut off and discard 1/2 inch from top of garlic head, exposing cloves. Put garlic on a double layer of foil, then drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Twist foil tightly to enclose. Roast potatoes and garlic on rack in upper third of oven until tender, 1 to 1 1/4 hours.

Unwrap garlic and cool to warm, then squeeze cloves into a large bowl and mash well with a fork. Heat milk, butter, white pepper, and 1 1/4 teaspoons salt in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until butter is melted. While milk mixture heats, unwrap baked potatoes and force through ricer into bowl with garlic. Pour in hot milk mixture and gently stir with a large heatproof rubber spatula until combined.

Note: Because of modifications to the original recipe, we ended up with too much liquid. I've adjusted the amounts to what should work, but add a little at a time, just in case.

Sunday Brunch Casserole

1/2 lb. sliced bacon (or breakfast sausage)

1/2 c chopped onion

1/2 c green pepper

12 eggs

1 c milk

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 16 ounce package frozen hash browns, thawed

1 c shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 tsp dill weed

In a skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon, crumble and set aside. In the drippings, saute onion and green pepper until tender; remove with a slotted spoon. Beat eggs and milk. Stir in hash browns, cheese, salt, pepper, dill, onion, peppers and bacon. Transfer to a greased 13X9" pan. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Makes 6-8 generous servings.

NOTES:

• Sausage is a good substitution for the bacon.
• Onion and peppers are optional (but recommended)
• This could easily be assembled the night before and baked for breakfast or brunch.
• I just halved all the ingredients and baked it in a 9x9" pan and it worked well for 4 of us.
• We tried it as a freeze-ahead meal by freezing before the baking step. Someone will comment on whether this worked or not.

What's Shakin', Home Fries?

5-6 medium round red potatoes

2-3 tbsp olive oil

seasonings (see below)

Wash the potatoes and slice each into 8 wedges. Place in a large bowl. Sprinkle oil and seasonings; toss to coat (It helps to add 1/2 of the oil and spices at a time). Spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet with one of the cut sides down. Bake 30-35 minutes at 375º, turning midway through.

Seasonings: For this batch, I used seasoned salt, along with some cumin, paprika, cracked pepper, and a dash of cayenne to give them more "seasoned" and less "salt." Other combinations that might be good would be sea salt and ground pepper or rosemary, or maybe some curry, turmeric, nutmeg and ginger; onion and garlic powder could be good with a sour cream-based dipping sauce...

NOTE: To reheat leftovers, I sauteed them in just a dash of oil, rather than microwaving, to avoid sogginess.