Potato Skins Two Ways

I am in love with potato skins. They are just all the good tasting, unhealthy things I love rolled into one, so what's not to love.  And I recently discovered that they are not too hard to make either. Give these a try and you'll love 'em!


1 dozen potatoes
8 oz cheddar or pepper jack cheese
5 or 6 strips of bacon, precooked and crumbled
2 tbsp oil


1. Boil potatoes in hot water for about 15 minutes, then remove and cool.

2. Cut the potatoes in half and use a melon baller or small cookie scoop to make a cavity.

3. Heat oil in a rimmed baking sheet in a 425 degree oven for a few minutes to warm.

4. Place potatoes skin-side up for 20 minutes, then flip over and cook another 10 minutes.

5. If you want traditional potato skins, use cheddar or for some extra spice use pepper jack cheese. Fill cavity with cheddar or jack cheese and bacon crumbles.

6. Bake for another few minutes until the cheese melts and serve warm with sour cream on the side.

Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

Before I tell you about this recipe, let me share a little but about my unhealthy obsession with the crock pot. It's been a constant battle for me, because I love the crock pot's abilities. Slow cooking offers moist meals, little work and prep, simple steps, and lots of flavor. But every time I thought about cooking something in the crock pot a little voice in my head said, "You are cheating!" I felt that real cooking takes more time, more effort, more work and using the crock pot gave me that guilty feeling like I am taking the cop-out; the easy route. It's the same feeling I have when I get a craving for Kraft Mac and Cheese. When I was younger, I was a super picky eater, the worst you could find, and I lived on Kraft Mac and Cheese. Nowadays, I'd gladly prefer my Grandma's Mac and Cheese or Italian Mac and Cheese, but there's still a place in my heart for that blue box. Well, I've decided that this year I am resolving my battle with the crock pot and putting it to good use more often, because this dinner was amazing! It's a new favorite for sure. Even with its minimal effort, this dish was so yummy and full of flavor! The slow roasted garlic gave it a more mild flavor, and the meat was fall-off-the-bone perfect! I will say peeling the 40 cloves of garlic was let's say a but time consuming. Next time, I may purchase pre-peeled garlic...

3 and 1/2 lbs of chicken pieces, I used leg quarters

3 tbsp olive oil

40 cloves of garlic, peeled

2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp rosemary

1 tsp basil

1 tsp paprika

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp flour

1. Rinse chicken pieces in water and pat dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper

2. Drizzle one tbsp olive oil in bottom of 5 quart crock pot. Place chicken in crock pot.

3. Drizzle with remaining olive oil and sprinkle rosemary, basil, and paprika. Then add the garlic cloves.

4. Let cook on low setting for 6 hours. Stir the garlic cloves and chicken around once halfway through cooking.

5. About half an hour before the chicken was finished cooking, remove about ten or twelve roasted garlic cloves and mash them with a fork, set aside.

6. Near the end of the cooking time, remove the juices from the bottom of the crock pot with a ladle and fill a small sauce pot. Add about half of the smashed garlic and one tbsp of butter and one tbsp of flour to make a yummy gravy. I also added the other half of the mushed garlic to the mashed potatoes to make garlic mashed potatoes.

Source: Adapted from A Year of Slow Cooking

Chicken Costolleta with Mashed Potato Balls

I saw this on a few blogs recently and knew it was definetly a recipe that should be made by me! After trying the recipe I think it's a food that will be made frequently, because it was delicious. The breading for the chicken cutlet was so crunchy and flavorful! I think I will take that part of this recipe and adapt it for other chicken dishes. Thank you, Joelen for posting this fantastic recipe.

Chicken Costolleta
(adapted slightly from Joelen's Crispy Chicken Costolleta )

2 lbs chicken breasts (cut thin and pounded)
1/2 cup flour
salt/pepper
2 eggs, whiked
2 tsp lemon juice
3 cups panko bread crumbs
1/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano
butter and olive oil for frying


1. Combine flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish.

2. Combine eggs and lemon juice in a bowl.

3. Combine breadcrumbs and cheese in different shallow dish.

4. Dredge chicken cutlet is flour then dip in egg mixture, and lastly in the breadcrumbs.

5. Heat medium size fry pan with 2 parts olive oil to one part butter. Fry chicken cutlets about 5-6 minute per side.

6. Top with sauce.
Cream Sauce

1 tbsp canola oil
2 garlic cloves, pressed
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/8 cup lemon juice
salt/ pepper
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp grated Pecorino Romano

1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan.

2. Add crushed garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes on low.

3. Pour in the cream and let reduce for 4-5 minutes.

4. Add in mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

5. Remove from heat and stir in butter and cheese.


Mashed Potato Balls

1 lb potatoes (peeled and cubed)
1 tbs butter
3/4 cup whole milk
salt and pepper to taste
panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup fontina cheese (finely cubed)
2 eggs beaten

1. Boil potatoes.

2. Drain potatoes and beat on low.

3. Add milk, butter, salt, and pepper. Let cool.

4. Fold in fontina cheese.
5. Shape into golfball sized balls.

6. Roll in panko breading.
7. Dip in beaten egg.

8. Roll in panko breading again.
9. Heat oil on high.

10. Drop mashed potatoe balls in oil for 5-10 seconds.

11. Remove with spider.

Cornflake Chicken Strips and Potatoes

Cornflake Chicken Strips and Potatoes

2 Lbs Chicken breasts (cut in strips or nuggets)
1/4 cup flour

salt

pepper

paprika

garlic powder

3 tbsp butter (melted)

3 cups cornflake cereal (crushed)

1. Cut the chicken in desired shape. Blot with paper towels to be sure it is dry.

2. Put flour in a bowl and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Dregde chicken in flour mixture.

3. Dip chicken in melted butter then immediately cover with crushed cornflakes.

4. Lay atop a roaster rack on a baking sheet.

5. Bake 20-25 mins at 400 degreres.

6. Serve with oven roasted potatoes.

Oven Roasted Potatoes

6-8 medium potatoes (peeled)

garlic powder

salt

pepper

olive oil

1. Boil a quart of water.

2. Add potatoes. Cook 15 minutes.

3. Remove from water and slice.

4. Lay potatoes slice in baking pan and drizzle a few tbsp of olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir together and bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees.