I Couldn't Make This Stuff Up!

Crash Potatoes

I discovered this recipe on another blog I read, Pioneer Woman. It's a keeper and the potatoes are so good. Crispy on the outside and so good on the inside. I also added bleu cheese to mine one time, bacon and rosemary is good also. You can add whatever you prefer.

Crash Potatoes

• New Potatoes or other small potatoes
• Olive Oil
• Kosher Salt
• Black Pepper
• Rosemary

Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add as many potatoes as you want to cook. Cook until they are fork tender.

On a sheet pan generously drizzle olive oil and then place the potatoes with room between them on the sheet pan.

Using a potato smasher or two forks smash potatoes just until they break open. Brush with olive oil or melted butter.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and rosemary.

Bake at 450 degrees for 20-25 minutes. The last five minutes add your cheese if you choose to have cheese on them.

Pam's Famous French Bread

As I was going through cookbooks today I found the "More with Less Cookbook" that Pam gave me when Tim and I got married. It has the following written in her handwriting in the front of it, "To My darling, sweet precious Jamie! Enjoy this cookbook! Love always, Pam"

In it is Pam's french bread recipe she makes and though I have made it from time to time it never turns out quite as good as when Pam makes it.

Pam's Famous French Bread

• Dissolve the following
• 2 Tbsp. dry yeast in 1/2 cup warm water and add 1/2 tsp. Sugar
• Combine the following in a seperate bowl
• 2 Tbsp Butter
• 2 Tbsp Sugar
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 cups boiling water
• Cool the mixture to lukewarm, don't try to add the yeast before the above mixture is cool or it will kill your yeast mixture.
• Mix the mixture together and add 7 1/2- 8 cups of flour

Knead 10 minutes or mix it in your mixer but don't over mix. It should be elastic and smooth. Place in a greased bowl covered with a damp cloth and turn once. .Let it double. Punch it down and let it rest 15 minutes. .Divide dough in half. On floured surface, roll each half to a rectangle so it looks like a loaf of french bread. Place loaf on greased cookie sheets and make 4-5 slashes in the top. Let rise to double  then brush on either 1 egg beaten with 2 Tbsp of milk or as Pam does just melted butter. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Corn Tomalitos

I made this Sunday for Madeline's party. It was a hit to say the least. I tripled the recipe and all that was left was a small container after everyone was done eating. I think Tomalito is spanish for really yummy corn stuff. The cooking times and the way to cook it is still a bit of a mystery to me because the recipe called for steamin this on top of the stove but that doesn't work so we did it in the oven but it's still a little tricky so I would recommend giving yourself a little extra time the first time you make this. Just so you can figure out how your oven will cook this and how it will come out. It's worth the effort though because it's really really good. 

Chevy's Sweet Corn Tomalitos

5	tablespoons margarine, softened
1/4	cup masa harina flour
1/3	cup sugar
2	cups corn kernels (fresh or frozen, thawed)
1/2	cup cornmeal
1/2	cup water
1	teaspoon baking powder
1/2	teaspoon salt
2	tablespoons milk
1	teaspoon milk

1. In a small bowl, mix the margarine, masa and sugar with mixer until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
2. Blend 1/2 the corn kernels with the water in a blender until smooth.
3. Combine with margarine mixture, stirring well.
4. Add the remaining corn, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and milk.
5. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Pour water in a 13x9 pan and pour Tomalitos mixture into an 8x8 pan and set that into the 13x9 pan. So you are essentially using a water bath to steam this mixture. The original recipe said to cover it with tin foil and maybe do that to start and then remove the foil to finish.
6. Place them into a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes and check it.
7. Note we ended up pulling it out of the water bath and just throwing it back into a 450 degree oven for a little while longer to get this to finish cooking because the water bath didn't work so well. Some of this is personal preference as far as how soupy or not soupy you want this to be when it's done.

Loaded Mashed Potatoes

I made these in the crockpot last week. They turned out pretty yummy. I used red potatoes and didn't peel them. They were good like that.

Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes

2¾ hours | 45 min prep | SERVES 8 -10

8	medium potatoes
1	cup sour cream
8	ounces chive & onion cream cheese
4	tablespoons butter
1/4	cup chives
1 1/2	teaspoons salt
1/2	teaspoon pepper
2	garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2	teaspoons onion powder
1	pinch marjoram (optional)
1/2-1	cup thinly sliced green onions
	bacon bits or 2 slices cooked crumpled bacon
	milk
	paprika

1. Boil potatoes until tender.
2. Beat softened cream cheese and sour cream in mixing bowl.
3. Add hot potatoes and beat until smooth, adding small amounts of milk as needed.
4. Add butter, chives, salt, pepper and onion powder and beat until well-mixed.
5. Add garlic, green onions, and marjoram and beat until well-mixed.
6. Pour into either casserole dish or crockpot.
7. Dot with additional butter and sprinkle with paprika.
8. Bake for 25 minutes in 350°F oven or cook on low in crockpot for 2-3 hours. If cooked in crockpot, add a few additional drops of butter and stir, just before serving.
9. Sprinkle with Bacon Bits or crumpled bacon just before serving.
10. NOTE: Can be refrigerated overnight in either casserole dish or crockpot.

Spanish Rice Recipe

We had a discussion this last weekend about spanish rice. I said I had a good recipe for it and when I thought about it, it had been a long time since I made any. So I dug out my recipe last night courtesy of recipezaar and wanted to share it with you because it's relatively easy to make.

Spanish Rice

• 1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 Tbsp. vegatable oil
• 1 small onion
• 4 ounces tomato sauce
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 tsp cumin

Brown rice in oil in 4 quart sauce pan. Add chopped onion, minced garlic, and cumin.

Add tomato sauce and chicken broth. Bring to boil-reduce heat to low- cover and cook for 15 minutes.

P.S. If you like your rice spicy you can use spicy tomato sauce and a pinch of cayenne pepper and 1 serrano or jalapeno pepper diced up. My kids freak out if anything is spicy so wasn't an option in my house but just so you know.

Sweet Potato Casserole

I made this yesterday. I didn't get my fill of Sweet Potatoes at Thanksgiving I guess. Pam makes the best Sweet Potatoes but this is a pretty good casserole. If you like your sweet potatoes not so mashed up I would cook them a little less than the recipe calls for. These were pretty much nothing but squishy by the time I had mixed everything in. I wouldn't cook them quite as long next time before I bake them.Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Casserole

• 1 1/2 pounds Sweet Potatoes
• 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 Tbsp. Butter
• 1 tsp. Vanilla
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup flour
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup Pecans

Grease a 2 quart baking dish; set aside. Scrub and peel sweet poratoes. Cut off and discard woody protions and the ends. Cut into cubes. In a covered saucepan, cook sweet potatoes in a small amount of boiling water until tender about 20 minutes. Drain and return to pan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add granulated sugar, milk, egg, 3 Tbsp Butter and vanilla to hot potataoes in pan. With a wooden spoon stir in to break up potatoes but not completely mash them. Transfer potato mixture to prepared baking dish.

For topping, in a small bowl, combine brown sugar and flour. With a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in pecan pieces. Sprinkle topping over potatoes.

Bake uncovered in preheated oven about 25 minutes or until set. If desired garnish with pecan halves. Serves about 8.