(Part 3 of 3) “Lovin” those Potatoes – Tips, Twists, and A Few Favorite Recipes

Whether it’s mashed potatoes, fried potatoes, baked potatoes, boiled potatoes. or sweet potatoes, if you love potato dishes like I do, you are always looking for new recipes and different ways to make potatoes taste even better. In soups, casseroles, or as a side dish, potatoes are a great way to stretch a meal when you have unexpected dinner guests, and they can add a variety of flavors and textures to your favorite dishes.

Tips and Twists

After many years of cooking for a family of six, and my share of potato dishes gone wrong, I have discovered a few tips for preparing potatoes that help to avoid those potato disasters. In addition, I have collected some tips and twists from a few of my favorite cooks to share with you.

Tips for Mashed Potatoes:

• To prevent watery mashed potatoes, once the potatoes have cooked, drain the potatoes and put them back in the dry pot on the same burner that you used to boil them. Mash the potatoes over a low heat, allowing all the steam to escape before adding in all the other ingredients. Turn off the heat and add remaining ingredients. This will help evaporate any excess moisture that will make the potatoes watery. I discovered this tip in a recipe from Ree Drummond of “The Pioneer Woman” show on Food Network.
• If you prefer to use an electric mixer for mashed potatoes, just place the boiled potatoes back in the hot pot after draining and let them sit for about five minutes. Transfer your potatoes to the mixing bowl.
• Heat the milk or cream for your mashed potatoes before adding them. This helps the liquid to absorb better which prevents over-mashing that can cause the potatoes to become gluey or gooey (epicurious.com).

Tasty Twists on Mashed Potatoes

If you have browsed mashed potato recipes recently you will discover that there are endless ways to add a new twist to your mashed potatoes with alternative ingredients instead of the traditional milk, butter, and salt.

• Use sour cream and heavy cream instead of milk (The Pioneer Woman).
• Add cream cheese when mashing (Betty Crocker).
• Sour cream, butter and cream cheese (Paula Deen).
• Garlic.
• Sharp Cheddar or Longhorn Cheese (I use these in the mashed potatoes for my pierogis).
• Buttermilk.

A Favorite Recipe for Mashed Potatoes

---

Sour Cream and Ranch Mashed Potatoes
From Hidden Valley

• Prep: 10 min
• Cook: 30 min
• Total: 40 min
• Servings: 4 to 6

Ingredients:

• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 packet (1 ounce) Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix
• 2 pounds russet potatoes peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes

Directions:

Step 1: Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to boil, and lower heat to simmer, uncovered for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes fall apart when pierced with fork.
Step 2: Drain potatoes in a colander and return potatoes to the pot. Mash potatoes until smooth.
Step 3: Stir in Ranch seasoning and sour cream. Serve immediately.

---

Tips for Hash Browns:

• For crispy hash browns, after your potatoes are shredded, place them in a bowl of cold water and stir until water is cloudy. Drain in a colander and rinse well using cold running water. The idea is to remove as much starch as possible to prevent gummy hash browns.
• Transfer to a large kitchen towel. Gather together the ends of the towel and twist over the sink, squeezing firmly to wring out as much liquid as possible (another step that ensures crisp results). Open towel and toss potatoes to loosen. Gather up the towel and wring out potatoes once more (bonappetit.com).  I use doubled up paper towels and they work fine.
• When pressed for time, I use frozen hash browns. I place them in a colander and let them thaw and drain. I do not rinse them. I squeeze out the excess water with paper towels.

Tasty Twists on Hash Brown Potatoes

For many hash brown potatoes are a breakfast staple, but they are capable of so much more! They are used in casseroles, on sandwiches, as toppings and can often substitute for bread. Try a hash brown grilled cheese sandwich, a hash brown hamburger, or a hash brown scrambled egg sandwich. Hash browns are also a great substitute for the crust in a Quiche.

Use sweet potatoes with your russets (50/50).

Throw in some shredded cheese, onions, chopped bell peppers, green onions or Jalapeño peppers before frying.

• Make a hash brown casserole like the one served at Cracker Barrel made with creamed soup (allrecipes).
• Make a breakfast Quiche made with a hash brown crust (Paula Deen).  Try one of the new hash brown cups recipes (Ree Drummond).

A Favorite Recipe for Hash Brown Potatoes

---

Hash Brown Quiché
From the Food Network – Paula Deen

• Prep: 5 min
• Cook: 55 min
• Total: 1 hour
• Servings: 6 to 8

Ingredients:

• 3 cups, shredded frozen hash browns, thawed and drained
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 3/4 cup diced cooked ham (I often substitute bacon, sausage or steak)
• 1/2 cup diced green onions
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Step 2: Gently press the drained hash browns between paper towels to dry them as best possible. In a 9-inch pie plate, toss the hash browns with the melted butter into the plate.
Step 3: Press them into the bottom and up the sides to form a crust. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and starting to crisp.
Step 4: Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. When the hash brown crust is ready, pour the egg mixture over it and return to the oven.
Step 5: Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for about 30 minutes until the Quiche is light golden brown on top and puffed.

---

Tips for Baked Potatoes:

For crispy skin brush the potato with olive oil and salt after you scrub and dry the potato.

For a fluffy microwaved baked potato, after cooking wrap the potato in aluminum foil then wrap in a towel. Let them sit for 5 to 10 minutes and unwrap.

I have found that wrapping the potato in a damp microwave-safe paper towel before cooking also works well and it seems a lot easier. I wrap them in foil after baking only when I am not going to serve them immediately and need to keep them warm.

Tasty Twists for Baked Potatoes

There are so many wonderful toppings and recipes to dress up your baked potatoes and impress your dinner guests. Creativity and personal tastes are the key. Let your imagination run wild! There are hundreds of recipes available on the internet that use everything from your leftovers from dinner last night to toppings that will make your baked potato a standalone meal.

• Use dinner leftovers like chili, stew, veggies, sauces, gravies and leftover meats or fish. Leftover sloppy joe mixture with some shredded cheeses is great and so easy!
• For breakfast top a baked potato with scrambled eggs, bacon (or sausage) and some shredded cheese.
• Margherita – Season a baked potato and drizzle with EVOO. Top with minced garlic, chopped fresh mozzarella, chopped tomatoes, basil, black pepper and more EVOO. (Rachel Ray).
• Use baked potatoes in your soups and salads instead of  boiled potatoes.
• Try a taco stuffed baked potato with or without crushed tortilla chips (Daisy Brand).

A Favorite Recipe for Baked Potatoes

---

My Chili-Topped Potatoes Recipe

Prep Time – 10 Mins

Total Time – 48 Mins

Yield – Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1-pound ground chuck
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 (16-ounce) can pork & beans, undrained (or your preferred beans)
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and with green pepper, celery, and onion, undrained
• 1 (1 1/4-ounce) envelope taco seasoning mix
• Toppings: Shredded Cheddar Cheese, Sour Cream (or your preferred toppings)

Directions:

Step 1: Cook ground beef and onion in a large skillet, stirring until beef crumbles and is no longer pink; drain and return to pan. Stir in beans, diced tomatoes, and taco seasoning; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes.
Step 2: Scrub potatoes; prick several times with a fork. Wrap each potato in a damp paper towel (microwave safe), to help keep skins from shriveling.
Step 3: Microwave potatoes 1 inch apart on HIGH for about 15 minutes or until done, turning and rearranging after 5 minutes. Let stand 2 minutes. Split potatoes, and top evenly with chili. Serve with desired toppings.

---

Keep on “Lovin” Those Potatoes!

Loading Likes...