Loaded Baked Potato Bites

Loaded Baked Potato Bites

These are a yummy side or appetizer to go with any meal.

Makes ~14-16 bites

 

Ingredients:

Instant mashed potatoes - prepared for 4-6 people *or use leftover mashed potatoes*

Olive oil

1/4 cup chopped chives

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup shredded cheese

Sour cream, cheese and chives to top

1. Heat a few teaspoons of oil in a pan. Combine mashed potatoes with egg, chives, and cheese. Mix well.
2. Add enough olive oil to make a sticky, consistent mixture.
3. Shape into ~ 1-2 inch balls and flatten to 1/2 inch thick.
4. Add to pan and brown on both sides (~1-2 minutes per side on medium).

5. Top with more cheese, sour cream and chives if desired. Enjoy!!

Pierogi Lasagna

Pierogi Lasagna

I failed like crazy to get a picture of this for the last 3 times we have had it. It is so good and I'm usually so hungry I can't wait to snap a pic before I eat. You'll have to deal.

 

Makes 1 13x9 pan of lasagna. Feeds 4 if you're fatties like the two of us and have half a pan for dinner.

 

12 Lasagna noodles

Instant mashed potatoes, milk, butter, and water - for enough potatoes to serve 6 per box

8 oz cream cheese

1/2 cup chopped chives

2 tablespoons garlic

Olive oil

Shredded cheese

Sour cream

 

1. Boil water and begin to cook lasagna noodles based on packaged instructions.

2. Heat oven to 350.

3. When noodles are 1-2 minutes from being cooked, start mashed potatoes.

4. Remove noodles when finished. Sprinkle with olive oil to prevent sticking. Add cream cheese to potatoes. Continue to stir until all has been incorporated and melted. Add chives and 1/2 cup shredded cheese to potatoes and stir well.

5. Oil pan on bottom and sides well. Place 3 noodles on bottom of pan and sprinkle a little shredded cheese on top. Spread 1/3 of the potatoes on top of these noodles. Add more shredded cheese. Repeat process until all potatoes and noodles are used. Sprinkle more shredded cheese to the top layer of the noodles. Cover with foil and cook for 35 minutes on 350.

6. After removing from oven, take off foil and let sit for 5 minutes. Slice, serve, and top with sour cream. Enjoy!!

 

 

Easy Peasy Steak Marinade

Despite its obnoxious color, Rick Bayless is onto something with this marinade. I have a slight obsession with Chef Bayless and he has never failed me! This green yumminess takes seconds to whip up and flavors the steak (or any other meat!) quickly. I left it on our steaks for about an hour and it was delectable!

Easy Steak Marinade (modified from the great Rick Bayless)
1/2 cup sliced, pickled jalapeños
2 tablespoons garlic
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
Salt and pepper

1. Char the garlic and jalapenos over medium heat for 10 minutes.

 



2. In a food processor (or in our case, the Magic Bullet (R)), combine the juices, peppers, and garlic. Mix until smooth.

 

3. Prepare the steaks with salt and pepper. What I have been told is to overdo it with the salt to impart more flavor. I tend to overdo it with the pepper as well :)

 

4. Add the marinade to a Ziploc bag, then cover the steaks with the marinade. I kept our steak/marinade bag in the refrigerator for about an hour. I then let the combo come to a warmer temperature for about a half hour before grilling by leaving it out on the counter. Make sure your grill is nice and hot before you place your steaks on it to get those gorgeous grill marks! I was too hungry to take a picture of the finished product, but trust me - delish!

 

 

Homemade Spiced Garlic Bread

My inspiration for starting up this "blog"... aka recipe book... was Joy the Baker and she's also the source of this recipe. I made this a few months ago and we both loved it. I ended up giving half of it to our friends who had recently had a baby. It is a very dense bread that does so great with a soup, chili, or pasta. We had it with homemade potato and cheese pierogi.


Amazing Dinner!

Spicy Garlic Bread (from Joy the Baker)
1 cup water
2 and 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
Pinch of sugar
4 ounces butter, melted
1 tablespoon thyme (I used dried)
1 tablespoon chives, chopped (I used fresh)
1 teaspoon chili flakes
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
~4 cups flour
Black pepper
Sea salt

1. Sprinkle yeast over warm water and add sugar, stir.
2. Melt butter, add herbs, chili, and garlic. Stir.
3. Using bread hook, mix flour, salt, and pepper. Add yeast mixture, stir on low until ball forms.
4. Place in greased bowl and allow to rise for 1 hour until doubled in size.
5. Heat oven to 450.
6. Knead dough on slightly floured surface for about 2 minutes.
7. Coat a dutch oven with olive oil and place dough in the pot. You want to use a pot that is large enough for the cover to be placed over the dough. Slice an X in the top of the dough and coat with about 3 tablespoons of olive oil, fresh cracked pepper, and salt.
8. Bake covered for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 400 and bake for another 15-20 minutes uncovered.