Cheesy Sour Cream Potatoes

Research papers could be devoted to the origin of the infamous “Funeral Potatoes” recipe that graces every family, church, and organization cookbook ever written.  This is our humble Petersen version.  Very slight variations from the usual - but we love how smooth, creamy, and CHEESY these turn out.

I have just assumed that all my children know how to make the “basics” (like pie crust, bread, and FUNERAL POTATOES).  But I still get phone calls from my kids that they want to see those basic recipes posted and not printed.  Forgive me for not taking step-by-step photos here, but it’s such an easy thing to put together I talked myself out of it.

I’ve made these for almost 40 years now, beginning in my college days and now for my grandchildren.  These are classic - and I’m not ashamed to acknowledge they are not health food.  My husband’s side of the family calls these “Anne’s Potatoes” - (I’m flattered).

My family likes them one of two ways - WITH the buttery cornflake topping, and WITHOUT.  I prefer them WITH (only if I’m sure we won’t have leftovers - where the cornflakes lose their appeal with reheating).  But they are so nice to prepare on a Sunday - and that lends itself best to baking them during church WITHOUT cornflakes, covered with foil.  

I used to boil potatoes, skin them, and then painstakingly grate them on a box grater.  Then I used a food processor to grate them.  Now I buy frozen hash browns - realizing I don’t get a prize for going to all that work.  The only drawback to frozen hash browns is you need to up the baking time by at least 1/2 hour or more, and they combine with the other ingredients better when you partially thaw them first.

I’ve seen these made by substituting part of the sour cream with milk, leaving out part of the soup, and totally skipping the butter.  All I can say is this... if you’re going to truly enjoy funeral potatoes for what they've always been - don’t mess with tradition.

For our version of this classic comfort food, go to:
www.changeabletable.com

Carnation Cafe Loaded Potato Soup

This soup is (apparently) the legendary decadent Loaded Baked Potato Soup that is famous at Disneyland Parks.  The cafe is closed until this summer - so they are indulging guests with the recipe until then.  This is NOT a low-fat version - it incorporates bacon and heavy cream for a rich flavor.

We didn’t frequent the wonderful world of Disney when our children were young - we waited until they could walk, talk, and decide which rides they really wanted to go on (they were teenagers... yes, I know we deprived them, but it didn't scar them for life)  I really can’t remember anything about the food in a Disney park - other than it was outrageously priced, but everything tastes wonderful to the tune of “It’s a Small World”

The recipe calls for both Russet and red potatoes.  The Russets fall apart quickly, adding to the thick texture - while the red potatoes retain their shape and texture as small chunks.  

When I made this recipe, I was surprised that it didn’t direct you to drain off the bacon fat.  I followed it to the letter, and expected the soup to have puddles of bacon fat floating on top.  But that doesn’t happen.  The bacon fat is soaked up by the potatoes, making them tender and giving them a slightly smoky flavor.  

I cut the heavy whipping cream in half, adding the rest as milk - and it was still very rich and creamy.  

Garnish with extra bacon, grated cheese, and pretty green onion tops.  This soup was wonderful!

For the recipe, go to:

www.changeabletable.com

Cheesy auGratin Potatoes

This recipe incorporates a few tricks that keep the cheese from clumping and the milk/cream from curdling.  Both of these are common problems when making auGratin potatoes - but they weren’t an issue when I followed the (simple) directions.  It’s easy to trim the amounts for a smaller dish.

I wish my photos would do these rich potatoes justice...  Most of the recipes I post lately are made for Sunday dinner - just about the only meal where I have someone other than myself at the table.  I don’t like letting the food get cold while I try to adjust my camera/flashes/lighting, etc...  So - you’ll have to use your imagination as to how beautiful it looked fresh from the oven!

I love auGratin anything.  The problem is that when cheese & milk are exposed to heat for a long period of time - they almost always curdle and turn lumpy.  Potatoes need a long slow baking time - so I’ve never been able to achieve perfection - till now.

Trust Cooks Country to re-work this recipe and come up with a winner.  I had no idea that tossing the cheese with a tiny amount of cornstarch would prevent clumping while melting.  And cutting the heavy cream with just enough chicken broth kept it from succumbing to curdling - while adding great flavor.  

And... speaking from experience here - don’t fudge on the baking time.  Even though you can finish these off in the microwave if you’re in a hurry - it would be a shame, because that will burn the cheese.

For the full recipe, go to:

www.changeabletable.com

Repurposed Mashed Potato Bake

No one will ever guess that you’ve used up leftover mashed potatoes in this loaded baked potato dish.  These potatoes are laced with cheese, bacon, and green onion - reminiscent of the best twice baked potatoes you’ve ever had.  Make this dish the night before and pop them in the oven half an hour before dinner.  A delicious use for leftovers.  

Have you noticed the latest buzz word?  Repurposing.  (different from Reusing.  Recycling.  Upcycling ) We’ve seen a lot of this word being thrown around lately.  Why are we suddenly so fascinated by it?  If you’ve been living under a rock - it won’t mean much to you.  But if you (like most of us) have been affected by recent events in the economy - you KNOW what repurposing is.  Can this be applied to leftovers? I don’t see why not.  So - keeping up with the trend - these are “repurposed” potatoes. 

The past two weekends I’ve served Sunday dinner to my family (I love Sunday dinner... and it’s not all about the food!)  They usually request tender pot roast, with lots of gravy, and homemade mashed potatoes (of course!)  When I have a bunch of people coming to dinner - I always cook my potatoes in the crockpot (see this link) - which makes it so easy, and frees up a burner on my stove for other things.

I’d rather err on the side of making too many potatoes - it would be the ultimate error to not have enough.  So I always have about 3-4 extra cups of mashed potatoes after a family meal.  I bag these in gallon-size ziploc bags and keep them in the refrigerator.  Most of the time I use them to make Shepherd’s Pie, or add them to the dough when I’m making rolls.  

Yesterday though, I had a smaller group for Sunday dinner.  My mother & sisters were coming instead - all dainty eaters.  So.... how to use those potatoes?  I considered starting over with twice-baked potatoes, but I was too lazy.  Then I thought about making them without the ‘jackets’.  Why not?

After browsing through several links on loaded twice baked potatoes - I decided to add a mixture of those extra ingredients to my already-mashed potatoes and turn it into a casserole instead.  

The result was great - each helping was dotted with bacon, strands of melted cheese, and green onion slices.  It turned out lighter than I expected with an airy, puffy texture.  This was one experiment that yielded a keeper.  I won’t have to think long about how to use leftover mashed potatoes again

For the full recipe with photos - go to:

www.changeabletable.com

Simple Aromat Potatoes

These tender slices of potato are gently seasoned, and crowned with crisp cheddar cheese.  I found this printed in the food section of the newspaper not long ago.  I had never even heard of “Aromat” - let alone tried it.  This works well for any quantity of potatoes you wish to make - just adjust the amounts down to serve even one person - yourself.  

There’s some thing about potatoes baked in cream that turns them heavenly (instead of heavy).  Then... add a unique seasoning along with fresh parsley - irresistible.  

Aromat seasoning is very “savory”.  It’s made in Switzerland and can be a challenge to find - depending on where you live.  Anything, however, can be ordered online...  The ingredients sound very interesting, but two in particular are high in what is called “umami” - a Japanese word meaning “pleasant savory taste”.  Savoriness is one of the five basic tastes - together with sweet, sour, bitter, and salty.  

I found a jar of Aromat at a local grocery store where I can typically find unusual seasonings - Harmon’s in the Salt Lake area.  It is higher in cost than I typically pay, but I’ve enjoyed experimenting with it.  When I lift the lid and take a sniff - it reminds me of roast chicken.  

This recipe takes all of 1 hour to bake after peeling & slicing your potatoes - not labor intensive at all.  Although I have other potato recipes I enjoy more (such as Whipping Cream Potatoes, Sunday Spuds, and Potato Socks) - these were great for the amount of time it took to get them on the table in a hurry.

For the recipe, go to:

www.changeabletable.com  

Crash Hot Potatoes

Here in this part of the country, we tend to be ‘accepting’ when it comes to potatoes.  Mashed, creamed, zzzz......  That’s why we flock to them when they take on a new flavor or form - (think spicy fries).  When I first noticed these from an Australian food writer - I was mildly interested.  Now I’ve tried them, I’m hooked.

When my kids were small, we used to feed them whatever invoked the least resistance... mac ‘n cheese, tuna casserole, scrambled eggs - anything boring without any lumps, bumps, or bits of green.  After so many years of trying to appease a house full of kids - I’m enjoying the chance to include a little munch, crunch, and texture in what I cook.

Potatoes are first and foremost - comforting.  A meal with potatoes (in almost any form) leaves you feeling satisfied, and frankly - a bit sleepy.  Unlike your standard spuds, these will NOT put you to sleep.  

They couldn’t be simpler to make.  I used Golden Reds - which are creamy and moist.  I would avoid Russets because it would take a lot of olive oil to moisten them sufficiently. 

Potatoes are first parboiled till barely tender, then the fun begins.  This would be a great time to turn it over to your kids.  A standard potato masher - criss-crossed - makes short order of “crashing” your potatoes flat.  

Drizzle with olive oil - no butter needed here.  Any combination of herbs and spices could be used - but I loved it with kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and fresh minced parsley.  

Then a short trip to a hot oven yields potatoes that are a combination of soft, moist, and crispy.  These are heavenly.

For the recipe, photos, and instructions - go to:

www.changeabletable.com

  

Callin's 'Quintessential' Baked Potatoes

How would you describe the perfect embodiment of a baked potato?  Fluffy, light as a cloud?  Moist, yet just dry enough to soak in a shameful amount of butter and sour cream?  This really shouldn’t qualify as a “recipe” - because it is so amazingly simple.  But even after cooking for over 45 years, I hadn’t thought of it myself.  Thanks Callin!

My daughter Melyn has a favorite meal.  I wish I could say that it is one of my very own recipes, but - no.  It is (simply) a good baked potato dressed with lots of butter and sour cream.  When she was young(er) and we went to Wendy’s for lunch - no hamburger & fries for her...  All she wanted to order was a baked potato. 

Melyn married into the wonderful, fun Baker family.   They are a family of all boys (four of them), who enjoy great cuisine and trying new recipes - especially Melyn’s brother-in-law Callin.  The jury is still out on who (in their extended family) shared this method of making the quintessential baked potato - but I’m giving Callin the credit.

It is unbelievably simple.  Many websites claim that you should coat the baked potato in oil or shortening before baking - but this will make a smoky mess of your oven and you will not be able to detect that heavenly ‘potatoes are almost done’ aroma.  It works the same way for one potato, or twenty - so this is a great method for cooking solo.

Are you one that loves the skin of a baked potato?  Well, I can’t imagine you would be if you “steam” your potatoes (by baking them wrapped in foil)  Baking them this way yields a crackly crisp outer shell that I can’t resist cutting in small pieces to enjoy after the fluffy interior is eaten.

For full instructions & photos - go to:

www.changeabletable.com

Deanna's Potatoes - simple comfort food

January is the ideal time to scale back and simplify, but not a good time to skimp on comfort food.  This is the month to catch up on all those things you’ve been too busy to do - like reading in your easy chair.  This recipe is both - simple & easy, yet a true comfort food for cold dark winter days.

Deanna Roberts has been one of my Conference Center friends for over eight years now.  She is an entertainer extraordinaire, and I’ve put several of her recipes on this site.  We were having our Christmas party a month ago, and she and I both volunteered to bring potatoes.  As we talked about what we were bringing - she surprised me by saying she was bringing really simple potatoes.  Deanna is NOT a simple recipe kind of gal.  

These potatoes were amazing.  They were fork tender, and full of flavor - yet not bland and mushy.  When I asked her how they were made, I was suspicious.  But knowing Deanna’s reputation for making delicious food - I had to try them.  

You can make enough for one or fifty - and it's easily adapted to whatever size crowd you are serving.  These will be ready and in your oven in less than half an hour.  They take about 1 hour to bake, and they are the right side dish with just about any meal.  Simple shouldn’t be this good.

For the recipe - go to:

www.changeabletable.com