No More Potato Rut

 Does anyone feel like you are rotating the same potato side dishes over and over again? I hope it's not just me! Mashed, baked, scalloped, roasted, fries, tots, hashbrowns, repeat. 

Thankfully there are enough ways to make a potato, it does take a while to feel like I've fallen in a rut, but it does still happen. Lately, this feeling has reared its ugly head mostly when I want to make some tasty roasted potatoes. 

When you think about it, there are a thousand (or more) different flavor combos to come up with when seasoning potatoes to roast in the oven, but when you're in the middle of a busy week, tired and just want to eat, inspiration doesn't always come easy. 

Thankfully, you have a friendly food blogger to do the brainstorming for you and come up with a delicious new way to roast that bag of taters hanging out in the kitchen right now. 

Roasted potatoes can go with literally almost any meal, making them a go-to for so many of us for busy weeknights. 

I used red for these, but yellow would be delicious too. With garlic, onion and Parmesan cheese, use pantry staples to create big flavor in every bite. Crispy on the outside, buttery and creamy inside-everything you want in a tasty tater.

If you are working on your meal plan for this week, you just stumbled upon the perfect side dish to add immediately!

 

 

Garlic Parmesan Roasted Potatoes

3 lbs. red potatoes, quartered

3 TBS olive oil

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and Pepper

Fresh Parsley, garnish

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease a large rimmed baking sheet. In a large bowl combine potatoes and oil. Add seasonings. Stir well. Transfer to baking sheet. Roast for 45-50 minutes until fork tender. Garnish with fresh parsley. 

Memorial Day Planning

I can't believe we are already going into the second week of May. Cinco de Mayo and Mother's Day have come and gone. Before I know it, the end of the school year and Memorial Day will be here! When will you start planning your holiday weekend cookout? Maybe seeing a tasty new potato salad recipe will inspire you to begin earlier than later! 

I bet like me, you have more potato salad recipes than you ever thought one person would need. But every time we see a new one that looks unique or just delicious, we have to try it. Let's face it, a great potato salad is one of summer's staples. It shows up at every graduation party, picnic table, Memorial Day barbecue, July 4th pool party...the list goes on and on. It's no wonder we never feel like yet another one is too many. 

One of the reasons I fell in love with this recipe is the use of red potatoes. No peeling required! What a time saver. Plus, this is best when it chills out in the fridge for several hours, or best overnight...gotta love anything you can make ahead and have waiting on you when it's party time! 

The dressing on this is simple, but filled with flavor! It's the perfect mix of sweet and tangy, made from things most of us have on hand, so it is a great one to whip up last minute! Heck, I would make this for burger night on the deck any night of the week! 

Summer and potato salad go together like sun and sand! With cookout season upon us, bowls and bowls of it will be enjoyed over the next few months. Why not add another yet to the ones you love so much?

 

 Red Potato Salad

5 lbs. red potatoes, halved

5 hard boiled eggs, chopped

2 stalks celery, diced

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

1/4 cup sweet pickle relish

2 TBS dried parsley

3 TBS sugar

2 tsp mustard

1 tsp cider vinegar

Salt and Pepper

In a medium bowl combine mayo, mustard, relish, parsley, sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper. Whisk well. Set aside in fridge until ready to make salad. Place halved potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat. Cook 15-20 minutes until fork tender. Drain well and allow to cool. Cut potatoes into 1 inch cubes. In a large bowl combine potatoes, onion, celery and eggs. Mix gently. Add dressing. Stir gently to combine. Chill at least 6 hours before serving or overnight. Stir again before serving and garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

 

Bagel Or Potatoes It's Delicious

 Over the past couple years, Everything Bagel Seasoning seems to be every where, almost to an obsession level. And guess what...I'm totally here for it! I can't get enough of the stuff! I always have a big jar of it in my cupboard and I'm sprinkling it on everything from avocado toast to eggs and yes, even potatoes! 

If you've never had it, Everything Bagel Seasoning is a spice mix that was originally used on top of everything bagels. It's a blend of garlic, onion, sesame seeds, poppy seeds and salt. I'm pretty sure Trader Joe's put it on the map, but you can find it in any store.

 We love roasted potatoes and I'm always coming up with new flavor combos for them. I literally stand in front of my spice/herb collection and wait for inspiration. I pick up jar after jar thinking of how different ones would taste together. That's the great thing about roasted potatoes, they take on any flavor you can dream up. 

This one was a no brainer. My big jar of everything seasoning is always in the front of all the others. It was staring at me, begging to be put to yummy use. 

You won't believe these only have three ingredients when you taste the big flavor they get. Every single bite is a party on your tongue. I used red potatoes, but yellow would be just as delicious. I would love to try this on the tiny baby ones too, leaving them whole so the skin in covered in seasoning like in my Montreal Roasted Potatoes. 

I'm sure you have a ton of roasted potato recipes too, but hey, what's one more? Especially if you're an Everything Bagel Seasoning addict like me. You have your next steak night side dish, what are you waiting for?

 Everything Roasted Potatoes

3 lbs. baby red potatoes, quartered

3 TBS olive oil

3 TBS everything bagel seasoning

 Preheat oven to 425. In a large bowl mix all ingredients. Transfer to baking sheet in single layer. Roast for 30-45 minutes until brown and tender, stirring a couple times during cooking for even browning.

 

Shared at Weekend Potluck

 

Weeknight Side Dish

How have your days been lately? Super busy? Not enough hours in the day? Feel like your to do list is never ending. You cross one thing out and three more get added? I feel you. Seriously. We are in the same boat. 

Even being home more isn't changing how much I need to do, and I know all you out there who are still working from home, or the kids have remote learning, or both, know exactly what I'm talking about. There are truly days I put Max to bed and wonder what I accomplished in the day even though I know I got things done. It never feels like enough. 

All of you know I am a meal planner from way back. It's the only way I know how to function and I truly don't think there has been one day in our 17 year marriage that dinner time rolled around and I said "I have no earthly idea what to make for supper." Heck, when I still worked outside the home, before Alex was born, I had a dry erase board on the fridge with the meals wrote out so if Adam beat me home from work, he could start cooking. I told you it's always been the way I have done it. 

Sure, I switch things around here and there when life demands it, but for the most part, the meal plan I sat down and made this past Friday will be the way it goes for the next 7 days. 

No matter how much this system works for me, I also know without a doubt there are many out there who have another way. A more "fly by the seat of your pants" approach, and when you need to come up with something quick, and don't want to put too much effort in, these potatoes are for you!

A tasty side dish to really any meal, these roasted potatoes are done just a little different than others I've made. Usually it is season, throw on the pan and bake. But for these, you want to take the couple extra minutes it takes to make sure they are flesh side down. This will allow them to get extra crispy on the outside while still being buttery and delicious on the inside. 

If your daily planner is filled to the brim and you agonize over dinnertime every night, try doing a little meal planning of your own. Maybe not quite as meticulous as me, but a few mental notes of things you could have so a plan is already in the works on those days when you just can't do one more thing.

 Crispy Roasted Potatoes

3 lbs. baby red potatoes, halved

1/4 c. olive oil

1 tsp. dried rosemary

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

Preheat a large baking sheet in oven set to 400. In a large bowl mix all ingredients. Stir to coat. Place potatoes flesh side down on hot pan. Roast for 30-40 minutes until tender and crispy.*NOTE* For this recipe you want to look for the "size B" red potatoes.

 

 

 

 

BIG News

So, we've got some big things going on in the EMM house as of late. If you've noticed, new recipes on the blog have been few and far between since the beginning of the year, and there is a very good reason as to why.

Many of you follow me on Facebook, and already saw the announcement, but for those that don't, here it is...

That's right, I haven't been doing too much cooking lately, but I still have a bun in the oven! We are over the moon excited, and while the first trimester has been kinda rough, it's all worth it. 

But now you can understand why being in the kitchen and creating new recipes hasn't really been at the top of my list. When you've got "morning" sickness that lasts all day long, and most days you are too sick to leave the house, things get put on the back burner. 

However, there have been a few days here and there when I have felt up to cooking, and even trying something new, and I am always sure to take advantage of those when they come. Such was the case when this recipe came to be. It helped that it only took about 15 minutes of effort from me, and the slow cooker took care of the rest! 

This is a great "set it and forget it" meal. It is truly that effortless. I added some bread and fruit on the side and dinner was done. 

We are thrilled to be able to share our exciting news with all of you, and I hope you will be patient with me if things continue to be a little slow around here for a while. 

Crock Pot Ham & Potato Supper

1 lb. ham, cubed

1 lb. frozen green beans

8-10 red potatoes, halved or quartered

1 medium yellow onion, sliced thin

3/4 c. chicken broth

Salt and Pepper to taste

Dried Parsley

Grease Crock Pot with nonstick spray. Layer in potatoes, season with salt and pepper. Top with onions, green beans and ham. Pour chicken broth over. Cook on LOW 6-8 hours. Stir before serving and adjust seasoning. Garnish with a little dried parsley. 

Red Potato Facelift

Are you potatoed out? Yeah, me either. I can't help it. We love us some taters and we will take them any time any way. Now, that's not to say I don't enjoy finding new ways and switching up our tater routine!

With the holiday season in full swing, (If you haven't looked at the calendar lately, there are only 11 days until Christmas.) you might be desperate for an easy side dish for a weeknight meal. Or maybe you have your own version of Cousin Eddie and already have house guests to feed, who won't be leaving until the New Year! Or maybe you want potatoes on your holiday feast menu, maybe with some ham, and you are looking for something new to try. If any, or all of those apply, you're going to be so happy you logged on today!

The flavors of lemon and rosemary are so classic, I can't believe I never thought to use them on potatoes before. So bright. So unique. They really brighten up an every day dish and bring your taste buds back to life.

These are as pretty as they are tasty and would look terrific on your Christmas table! They might be the one thing your guests all say "hmm...what is that" when they take the first bite! Oh, and if you're feeding a crowd, they would be easy to adapt (This amount would feed 4-6) and still stay on budget, being so economical!

So many of us turn to the classics during the holiday entertaining season, but we can also take those tried and true favorites, give them a little face lift and create something new to become a tasty tradition.

Lemon & Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

12 red potatoes, quartered

5 TBS lemon juice

8 teaspoons olive oil

1 tsp. dried rosemary

1 tsp. garlic salt

1/4 tsp. pepper 

Salt to taste

Dried Parsley

Preheat oven to 450. Spray a large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Place potatoes in a large bowl. In a medium bowl combine 4 TBS lemon juice, olive oil, rosemary, garlic salt and pepper. Whisk to combine. Pour over potatoes. Stir well to coat. Transfer to baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and extra pepper, if desired. Add dried parsley. Bake for 45 minutes-1 hour until fork tender and golden, stirring a couple times. Remove to serving bowl and drizzle with 1 TBS lemon juice. 

I Can't Help Myself

No matter how hard I try, I can't stay away from the potatoes. They call out to me in the produce section. Even if I have something else planned on the menu, the taters sense me walking by and entice me with their wicked ways.

Okay, I can't lie. That scenario only takes place in my mind. (In case you hadn't figured that out for yourself!) And honestly, I don't really try that hard to stay away from them. In fact, I don't try at all. They are a staple in the Marshall diet, and we can't get enough!

I think one of the reasons I gravitate towards them so much, besides the delicious factor, is no matter when it is, I can almost always find them on sale at one store or another, especially red potatoes. From the regular size to the "baby B's", they are budget friendly year round.

This recipe came about after I had once again purchased some red potatoes out of the bulk bin that were on sale for $.99/lb. I had them. I had supper to make. It was time to figure out what to do; and this is what happened. A little of this. A little of that and wah-lah a new potato recipe is born.

One of my favorite things about this preparation, is you can easily split the work into two stages. Precook the potatoes in the morning before work, or even the night before. Then you have a great head start at the end of the day. Plus, you can easily add whatever herbs and spices you feel like at the moment. Just be sure not to move them around too much in the beginning. This will give you the brown "crusty" edges you see in my picture, which is most definitely the best part!

If you have an addiction to potatoes like me, don't make apologies. Embrace it! Love it! Enjoy every single bite! 

Skillet Red Potatoes

7 medium-large red potatoes, cooked and cut into 3/4 inch cubes

4 TBS canola oil

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. paprika

Salt and Pepper to taste

Dried Parsley, for garnish 

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add potatoes in single layer. Do not move. Allow to cook/brown for 3-4 minutes. Stir. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Continue to fry and stir for 15 minutes until browned on all sides. Remove to serving platter, and sprinkle with parsley *NOTE* To precook my potatoes I microwaved them for 10 minutes, until just fork tender. 

Shared on The Country Cook Oct. 31, 2014