Not Just For Breakfast

A few weeks back when I was actually making these for supper, I posted on my Facebook page how "the smell of fried potatoes makes any house smell better." It was so funny to see just how many people agreed with me! I guess they are one of those things like fresh bread from the oven, or waking up to the smell of coffee brewing, it makes home feel a little bit homier.

We are potato lovin' people in this house. In fact, one of the things I find myself struggling with the most in the kitchen is finding new or at least updated way of putting spuds on our table. So when I was looking for yet another answer to this conundrum, I thought about the Baked Homefries I published here over 2 years ago now, based on the ones I used to serve at Bob Evans back in my waitressing days. It was kind of one of those "duh" moments. I figured out with just a few changes, ingredients and cooking method wise, I could have something new enough to let us feel like we weren't eating just another boring potato.

The only thing that is vital...make sure you leave them alone enough to allow them to brown! I hate when I order fried potatoes of any kind, and they come out looking like they were boiled with no brown crispy parts whatsoever. So while, yes you do need to stir them to avoid burning, you have to find a happy medium with letting them sit and brown too!

These are perfect for any time of day. Serve them for breakfast with eggs. Make a big Sunday brunch with these as one of the side dishes. Or, be like me, and have them for supper alongside dinner foods. It really makes no difference, they will taste fantastic morning, noon or night!

Skillet Homefries
3 large Russet potatoes (figure 1 potato per person), diced
3 TBS butter
2 generous TBS all purpose seasoning

Place potatoes in colander, rinse with cold water. Pour out onto kitchen towel. Top with another kitchen towel and pat dry. Leave in towels to finish drying, about 15 minutes. Preheat electric skillet to 375. Add butter to melt. Carefully pour potatoes from towel to skillet. Toss to coat in butter. Sprinkle with seasoning. Stir again. Spread out into an even layer and allow to cook on first side for 2-3 minutes. Stir again, flipping over and over. Lower heat to 350 and cover. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally until browned on all sides.

Potatoes at Very Good Recipes
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Childhood Camping

When I was a little girl, one of the highlights to my summer vacation was the trip my mom and I made "back home" each July. For two weeks we would head east to Pennsylvania to spend some much needed quality time with my grandparents and uncle. And oh what a fun filled two weeks they were! 

One of our favorite things to do during that time was to load up the Winnebago and head to Pymatuning State Park and spend a few days in the great outdoors, sitting around the campfire, filling each day with more memories than the one before. Some of those memories are ones I hold most dear from my childhood. Like the time a mother skunk and her babies "camped out" under our camper! Yep, true story!

And two things that stick in my mind most of all about those camping trips are both food related. One, my grandma always had a fridge full of Grape Faygo pop (my favorite at the time) and it was such a treat! The second is this dish... a super simple supper, that to this day is still a family favorite. It was something grandma could easily make out of the canned goods stocked in the camper, and was especially nice if we had a rainy day and grandpa wasn't able to cook outside. Not to mention it always makes a huge amount, and the leftovers make great lunches for a couple days. 

If you love simple "thrown together" meals that can be ready in no time, I'm sure this will be right up your alley. Or maybe your family enjoys camping trips too, and this can go with you on your next excursion. Either way, I'm happy to share just a little bit of my childhood, and hope it leads to happy memories for you too!

Campfire Skillet Casserole

2 large Russet potatoes, baked and cooled

2 (15 oz.) cans green beans, drained

1 (16 oz.) package smoky link sausage, cut into small pieces

1 (11 oz.) can mushroom pieces and stems, drained

3 TBS butter

Salt and Pepper to taste

Dried Parsley for garnish

Preheat electric skillet to 350. (If using stove top, medium-high) Cut potatoes int large bite sized chunks. Add butter to skillet. Once melted, add potatoes. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Allow potatoes to cook, stirring often until slightly golden around edges, about 5-7 minutes. Add green beans, mushrooms and smoky links. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to 325. Cover and allow to cook 20 minutes,  stirring occasionally. Adjust salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley. 

*NOTE* As much as we enjoy very crispy potatoes, for this recipes I don't let them get too crisp. Why? Because that's the way grandma did it....and I don't mess with a good thing! 

Shared on Make Ahead Meals June 17, 2013

Casseroles at Very Good Recipes
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Church Supper #91

Good Morning and welcome to another Sunday! I hope this finds you enjoying your weekend and ready to share in some good fellowship and great food!

Thanks for stopping by today. I truly appreciate you sharing with our foodie family!

Please link up your favorite recipes from the week. And remember I wish you God's blessings all week long!

 " Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4)

Last Week's Most Viewed Recipe:

Not Yo' Mama's Potato Salad

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Soul Food Saturday #9

Welcome to another weekend! I hope your week treated you well, and you have some fun or relaxation, or both, on tap for the weekend.

Bekki is sharing a simple, yet scrumptious recipe today that I know Alex would love for a simple summer lunch or snack before Taekwondo. If you have kids, you're going to love this one!

Summer vacation is in full swing now and what does that mean? For a lot of us the oven is on vacation and the least we heat up the house when making a meal the better. Plus, it’s even more appreciated if it’s quick and portable. Don’t forget something good! With all that needed, what on earth would satisfy all those requests? A recipe my husband came up with on our “fend for yourself, leftovers night” I call bagel mini pizzas fit just perfectly! This is a great way to use up the left over bits of stuff you have hanging out in the fridge taking up space.

Bagel Mini Pizzas

1 Parmesan oregano bagel cut in half

¼ c. shredded mozzarella cheese

¼ c. shredded cheddar cheese

2 tbs. pepper jack cheese dip (see picture below)

½ c. sliced mushrooms

½ c. pepperoni slices

¼ c. sliced onion

¼ c. crumbled bacon

Cut bagel in half. Spread cheese dip on both sides. Top both sides with sliced mushrooms, onions, pepperoni, cheese and bacon. Place on foil liner broiler pan. Place in 375degree preheated toaster oven, for 7-10 minutes. Or until edges are crisp and cheese has melted.

Whether it’s for a quick dinner on the run, or a movie night at home the combinations are endless. Recreate your favorite pizza at home and let your little ones create new favorites. Enjoy!

The cheese dip. Can be found in Mexican aisle at the grocery store.

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Summer Cooking Made Easy with BzzAgent and Kroger

Have ya'll heard the buzz about BzzAgent? Well, if not, let me tell you a little about them. It's a website that allows consumers to try new products for free....and then give feedback through social media. It's fun, easy and super informative.

"Connecting people and their favorite brands since 2001, BzzAgent is the leading social marketing company. What's that mean to you? We put products in the hands of hundreds of thousands of real consumers and help them share their opinions about them with friends and family via reviews, Facebook posts, photos and videos, blog posts and more. We wouldn't call ourselves heroes, but it's okay if you want to." ~From BzzAgent website

I've done a few campaigns now, but without a doubt my latest one was the BEST. Because of Kroger, I stocked up on summer time favorites for the freeze, fridge and pantry.

I love knowing after a busy day this summer, I can still put a meal on the table my family can enjoy! Just look at everything I got:

So thanks to BzzAgent and Kroger for making my summer time feasts just a little easier, and tastier.