Pan-roasted Chicken with Root Veggies

I have a SIL that is such an amazing cook that she has turned my brother into a food snob! :)  She recently shared this recipe with us (from Cooks Country) and I made it the other night and it was to die for! In fact, it was so good I am actually making it again tonight! This is a super delicious and super easy dinner.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

PAN-ROASTED CHICKEN WITH ROOT VEGGIES

SERVES 4

We halve the chicken breasts crosswise for even cooking.  Use brussel sprouts no bigger than golf balls, as larger ones are often tough and woody.

3/4 pound brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
3/4 pound red potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 pound shallots, peeled and halved
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces, thick ends halved lengthwise
6 garlic cloves, peeled
4 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
1 teaspoons sugar
Salt & Pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 1/2 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (2 split breasts cut in half crosswise, 2 drumsticks, and 2 thighs), trimmed

1.  Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 475 degrees.  Toss brussel sprouts, potatoes, shallots, carrots, garlic, 2 teaspoons thyme, oil, 1 teaspoon rosemary, sugar, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together in a bowl.  Combine butter, remaining 2 teaspoons thyme, remaining 1 teaspoon rosemary, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in second bowl; set aside.

2. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt & pepper.  Place vegtables in a single layer on rimmed baking sheet, arranging brussel sprouts in center.  Place chicken, skin side up, on top of vegtables, arranging breast pieces in center and leg and thigh pieces around perimeter of sheet.

3. Brush chicken with herb butter and roast until breasts register 160 degrees and drumsticks/thighs register 175 degrees, 35-40 minutes, rotating pan halfway through cooking.  Transfer chicken to serving platter, tent loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 5-10 minutes.  Toss vegetables in pan juices and transfer to platter with chicken.

Serve and Enjoy!!

TWICE-BAKED POTATO CASSEROLE

We (well--most of my family, who are now all gone) are not really a casserole family, especially my husband. He doesn't like "all that stuff mixed together"! However, this is really a side dish and he even likes it! Next time you want to make twice-baked potatoes, do this instead. It's like one GIANT twice-baked. Lots less work! My 3 crazy friends and I that cooked for camp back in July made this for on of our camp meals. It was a hit with the girls--so it must be OK. And it has bacon--I think bacon could make dirt taste good! The recipe came from Taste of Home (so did the photo). I love their down home recipes!!

1-2 lbs red potatoes (about 6 medium) baked
1/4 t. salt (
1/4 t. pepper
1 lb sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled
3 c. sour cream
2 c. (8 oz.) shredded mozarella cheese
2 c. (8 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese
2 diced green onions

Cut baked potatoes into 1 inch cubes. No need to peel--the skins are tasty and look pretty and are nutritious. Place half the potatoes in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with half the salt, pepper and crumbled bacon. I used a little more salt. Top with half the sour cream and then the cheeses. Repeat layer. Bake uncovered at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until cheeses are melted. Remove from oven and sprinkle with onion. Serve.
 

BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

It seems to be the season for showers (baby and bridal) and I have used this recipe many times for a brunch menu for above said showers. It is really good to make ahead if you have company and you want to have a delicious breakfast and "wow" them. It's always an option to leave out the green chile--but we like our food spicy around here. Credit goes to my good friend, Kaylene for this recipe!!

BREAKFAST CASSEROLE
(can be doubled)

Mix together:

1 small can chopped green chilis (optional)
1 large bag of shredded hashbrowns
diced green onion (amount of your preference)
1 med container cottage cheese
2 cups grated chedder cheese
2 cups cubed ham, cooked bacon, or sausage (pick your fav)
Beat 1 doz eggs and pour over the mixture.
Mix well.

Bake at 350 uncovered for 1 hour or until set and slightly brown on top. This can also be made ahead and frozen (raw) and brought out for guests. When frozen cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. 1st hour covered 2nd hour uncovered.

Borsin Potato Casserole

This is yummy recipe from my mother in law. This isn't the greatest picture, but believe me they are really good!

Borsin Potato Casserole:

3-4 lbs red potatoes, slice thin with skin on (I'm pretty sure you can use regular potatoes)
Place in 9x13 pan

Mix and pour on top-
2 Cups cream
1 carton Borsin cheese
salt and pepper
fresh parsley

Bake for 1 hour at 350. Cover with foil the first 30 minutes, then remove. You can add more fresh parsley on top once its done.

FYI- Borsin cheese can be found at Costco. You have to buy 3 or 4 cartons at a time but you can freeze them. Its kind of an expensive cheese so this is probably the way to go.

Shepherd's Pie

I had a lot of leftover mashed potatoes on Sunday and Jen suggested that I make shepherd's pie with them.  I hadn't made this dish in years and I was so glad she thought of it.  Last time I made it, I used canned green beans and potato pearls.  Bland.  This time I used real mashed potatoes (made with red potatoes) and frozen green beans.  Much better!

1 lb. lean ground beef
salt/pepper
1 can Italian style stewed tomatoes
2 cups fresh or frozen green beans
mashed potatoes (2-3 cups I think)
sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

*Brown ground beef in a skillet and season with salt and pepper (I like a lot of pepper).  Add tomatoes and mix well, breaking up any big chunks of tomato.  Simmer for a few minutes.  Pour beef into a casserole dish.  Spread green beans over beef and season with salt and pepper.  Spread mashed potatoes over beans and then top with lots of shredded cheese (tastes better if you shred it yourself).  Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

Potato Vegetable Chowder

I had some red potatoes left over from another meal and needed to use them, so I looked at a few chowder recipes and used what I had in my fridge to make this soup.

I love creamy soup, especially when it has potatoes in it.

If you live somewhere where it's not 80 degrees today (Holly) then you might want some nice hot soup tonight.

6-8 red potatoes, cubed
baby carrots, sliced
celery, sliced
frozen white corn
2 Tbs. flour
2 Tbs. butter
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup half and half
milk
salt and pepper

*Melt butter in a pot over medium heat and add flour to make a smooth paste.  Add chicken broth and half and half.  Mix well and then add as much milk as you think you need (a few cups).  Add the potatoes and veggies (as many of each as you like) and stir together.  Bring to a boil and then cover and let simmer for a good 30 minutes on low.  Taste it to see how much salt and pepper you need or want to add.

Sweet Potato Casserole

I am definitely not the president of the sweet potato fan club, but when Brett's mom made this for Christmas dinner, I had to give it a try.  I was surprised at how much I liked it and decided that sweet potatoes weren't so bad after all.  Better late than never.

The crust on top was my favorite part, but really, the whole dish was delicious.

4 cups mashed sweet potatoes
1 cup sugar (no wonder I liked it)
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla

*Mix together sweet potatoes, sugar, eggs, milk, salt, butter and vanilla.  Pour into a 9X13 pan and set aside.

Topping:
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 cup chopped pecans

*In a separate bowl, mix all four ingredients and crumble over sweet potato mixture.  Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.

*My mother-in-law said that she would probably use half the sugar next time (in the sweet potato mixture) and it would still taste really good.

OVEN BAKED FRIES

I made these fries for a cooking class I used to teach for a group of women at our church. They really are so tasty and better for you than fried. You can peel the potatoes if you want, but I never do.

5 large russet potatoes, washed and scrubbed
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 c. grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Finely chopped fresh parsley (or you may use dried)

Preheat oven to 400. Cut potatoes into 1/2 inch slices lengthwise, then cut again into 1/2 inch thick fries. Place in a pot and cover with water. Add 1 T. salt, bring to a boil and simmer until a paring knife goes in easily--cooked about 3/4 of the way. Drain potatoes and place in a bowl. Add olive oil, 1 T. salt and 1/2 t. freshly ground pepper and the parsley. Toss well, being careful not to break the fries.Place in a single layer on a non-stick baking sheet. Bake until light brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake until browned and crispy and cheese is melted about another 6-7 minutes. Cool for about 2 min. before serving.

Rosemary Potatoes

This recipe is for my rosemary-loving sister-in-law, Sherri.
So easy and so flavorful.
The house smelled really good while these were roasting in the oven.

red potatoes
olive oil
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
fresh rosemary
garlic powder (or real garlic)

*Cut up potatoes into bite-size pieces. Put into a mixing bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle on salt and pepper to taste. Snip off as much rosemary as you like onto potatoes. Sprinkle some garlic and mix potatoes up really well in bowl. Spread out on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 for 35-45 minutes, depending on how many you make.

*Does anyone know how to write above the picture now that Blogger has changed their format???

TWICE BAKED POTATOES

Everyone in my family loves these...however, most of the time I am too lazy to make them. And I don't really know why I'm posting this recipe in the heat of the summer because I certainly have been avoiding turning on my oven if I can possibly get away with it. At least that's my excuse!!

4-5 large russet potatoes
1/2 c. sour cream
1 T. chopped chives (or tops of green onions)
3-4 pieces of cooked, crumbled bacon (or bacon bits--I don't like the fake ones!)
4 T. real butter
milk
salt & pepper
Cheddar cheese

Scrub potatoes well and pat dry. Do not wrap the potatoes in foil. the skins need to be sturdy to hold the potato mixture. Pierce each potato with a fork several times and bake in a 400 degree oven for approx. 1 hour or until done. Pierce with a fork to make sure potatoes are completely done.

Remove potatoes from oven and slice in half lengthwise. scoop most of the inside of the potato out with a large spoon, leaving about 1/4 inch white part in skin. Place the scooped out potato insides in a bowl and add the sour cream, salt and pepper to taste, butter and a little milk. Beat with beaters until smooth. Stir in the bacon and chives. Spoon the potato mixture back into the potato skins and place on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle each with a generous amount of Cheddar cheese and place under broiler, just until cheese melts. Keep warm until serving time.

Baked Potato 101

Tonight, we had bake potatoes for dinner. When I was younger, we had baked potatoes a lot. My mom always wrapped them in foil, poked them with a fork and baked them in the oven. I rarely make baked potatoes, so I googled the directions for baking them and found a new method. New to me at least! This is probably routine for the rest of you. But I thought I'd share anyways.

1. Rinse potatoes under cool water and scrub with brush.
2. Pat dry.
3. Poke holes in potato with a fork. About 12 times.
4. Rub potatoes with olive oil.
5. Sprinkle with salt.
6. Place potatoes on middle oven rack.
7. Put baking sheet on lower oven rack to catch juices.
8. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

The olive oil and salt rub was definitely a nice touch! I am a fan of this new method.

Diced Potatoes

Not exactly a recipe, but just an idea. I wanted to make potatoes the other night with our chicken, but didn't have time to bake them, so I diced them up instead.

*Wash potatoes (at least 1 per person) and dice up into small pieces.

*Chop up a white onion.

*Melt some butter in a saucepan on stove (2-3 Tbs.).

*Saute potatoes and onion until nice and soft (10-12 minutes).

*Sprinkle with garlic salt, pepper and parsley flakes while cooking.

Creamy Potatoes

Wow - these babies were GOOD! Perfect for a Sunday dinner. Everyone loved them and went back for seconds. I got this recipe out of my Pioneer Woman Cookbook. Love, love, love my new cookbook and can't wait to meet Miss Pioneer Woman this Thursday!!

6 or 7 medium russet potatoes, thinly sliced with sharp knife
1 cup half and half
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 stick of butter
8oz cream cheese
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced or chopped
2 Tbs. minced rosemary leaves (I left this out because I didn't have any)
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp. salt
pepper

Combine half and half and cream in a measuring cup. Put thinly sliced potatoes in a large bowl. Pour half of the cream/half and half mixture over potatoes and set aside. In skillet, melt butter then add onions and garlic. Cook over medium heat until translucent - about 4 minutes. Cut bar of cream cheese in half and add both halves to the skillet, stirring constantly. Stir until smooth - about 3 minutes. Pour in remaining half and half/cream mixture and stir. Add salt, pepper and green onions. Finally add 1/2 cup parmesan cheese and stir to combine. Place soaked potatoes in greased 9x13 pan. Pour cream cheese mixture over the top. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese and bake at 350 for 1 hour or until potatoes are done.

Saucy Ham and Potato Bake

2 T. onion, chopped

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

dash of pepper

1 1/2 cups milk

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

6 potatoes, peeled and sliced thin

1/2 pound cooked ham, cubed

*Saute onion in butter. Blend in flour, salt, mustard, and pepper to form a paste. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly, until thickened. Mix in 1 1/2 cups cheese and stir until melted. Remove from heat and add potatoes. Toss until coated. Pour into a 9X13 pan. Top with ham and 1/2 cup cheese. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

Funeral Potatoes

1 bag frozen hashbrowns

2 cans cream of chicken

1 cup sour cream

chopped green onion, optional

2 cups shredded cheese

1/4 cup butter, melted

3 cups Cornflakes

*Mix hashbrowns, soup, sour cream and chopped onion in a bowl. Spread in a 9X13 pan. Cover with shredded cheese. In a separate bowl, mix Cornflakes and melted butter. Spread evenly over cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Sunday Roast Part 2

This is an easy, delicious, no-fail recipe perfect for a Sunday dinner. I got the recipe from www.recipesecrets.com or the Lipton soup website.

3 - 5lbs. roast (I prefer chuck roast)
1 package Lipton onion soup mix
2 1/2 cups water
bag of small carrots
4 potatoes peeled and cut into cubes

Place carrots and potatoes in crock pot. Put roast on top. Mix water and soup and pour over roast and veggies. Put on low and cook all day.

*I got this picture of the internet because I forgot to take a picture when I made this.

Brett's Birthday Dinner

Brett is a meat and potatoes kind of guy. So that's what we had for Sunday dinner, in honor of his birthday.
Ribeye Steak Marinade

1/4 cup olive oil

2 Tbs. soy sauce

2 tsp. Montreal steak seasoning

*Marinade thin-cut, ribeye steaks for a few hours before grilling. They turn out so tender, juicy, and yummy.

Parmesan Potatoes

*This recipe is from the "Picky Palate" Blog*

Cut up 10-12 red potatoes into one inch cubes.

Spread out on a cookie sheet.

Drizzle with olive oil.

Sprinkle some Kosher salt, garlic salt, pepper, and freshly grated Parmesan over the potatoes. However much you like. Rub them all together to distribute the oil and toppings evenly. Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes.

Green Beans

Fresh green beans

chopped onion

fresh, minced garlic

olive oil

*Sautee onion and garlic in olive oil. Add green beans and cook until tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.

BEST EVER POTATO SALAD

This potato salad is the BEST EVER!! The key is the mixture of Miracle Whip AND Mayonnaise and the sweet pickle juice. Don't use any substitutes and don't gross out. It is so tasty. DOES NOT WORK WITH DILL PICKLES!!6 large potatoes

6 eggs

Boil potatoes covered with water until done.

Boil eggs until done.

Cool both.

Cube potatoes and chop eggs. Finely chop 1/4 cup sweet pickles. Mix together

Dressing:

3/4 cup mayonnaise

3/4 cup Miracle Whip

1/8 cup mustard

1 t. onion salt

1 t. celery salt

1/8 cup sweet pickle juice

2 T. sugar

Pepper to taste

Mix together and mix into potatoes and eggs. Refrigerate for several hours. Tastes best made several hours ahead.