Mashed Potato Pancakes

Here's a great idea for your leftover mashed potatoes.  Super easy and good with scrambled eggs or omelets!  Mmmmm, I am hungry all over again!

Mashed Potato Pancakes
2 C, mashed potatoes, cooled is OK
1/2 C. flour, for dredging
salt and pepper, to taste, go ahead and mix in with the flour
2 T. vegetable oil (for frying)

Heat up the oil and add a dollop of mashed potatoes that first stopped off in the flour mixture.  Flatten lightly with a spoon, cook for 3-4 minutes, flip, then cook for 2-3 minutes until golden brown.  Yum!

PS I have also imagined adding other veggies to these (onion, fine-chopped broccoli, spinach, bell peppers) and I am sure that would be good and work well too!  

Broccoli Parmesan Fritters

I made these a while ago, just had the ingredients and the motivation at the same time.  They were good and definitely worth making again, although I liked them more than anyone else in the house.  They were on the slightly greasy side for my tastes, and I may try to figure out a way to bake them or use less oil or something, but they were really delicious and hey, its broccoli so it must be healthy, right? :-)

Broccoli Parmesan Fritters
3 C. broccoli, chopped (steamed, frozen or fresh)
1 egg
1/2 C. flour
1/3 C. parmesan, grated
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 t. salt, plus more to taste
pepper, to taste
olive or vegetable oil for frying.

Combine all the ingredients, mash the broccoli and all the ingredients together.  Add 2-3 T. of oil and heat it up (you know its ready when a drop of water sizzles!) and then scoop a mound of the mixture in to the pan.  Press it down slightly with a spoon, let it go for 3-4 minutes, and then flip and go for another 2-3 minutes.  Both side should be slightly golden.  Set on a plate with a paper towel to drain excess oil and either eat immediately or put in a 200 oven to keep warm.  Yum!

Sweet Potato Casserole ala Ruth's Chris

I made this today for Thanksgiving, and after trying several sweet potato casserole recipes, I think this is the winner.  It is very much like the Ruth's Chris version and fairly easy to prepare.  It was so good that I had more of the casserole for dessert instead of the pumpkin and pecan pie! :-) Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Casserole
3 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes*
3/4 C. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 C. butter, melted

Topping: 
1 C. brown sugar
1/3 C. flour
1 C. chopped pecans
3 T. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350.  In large mixing bowl, combine the first six ingredients.  Spread into a greased 9x13 pan.  In a separate bowl, make the topping, and then spread over the top of the sweet potatoes.  Cook for 30 minutes uncovered.

*I boiled my potatoes after skinning and then rough chopping them, and from putting them in the pot with the cold water, cranking up the heat, they were ready to go after maybe 25-30 minutes.

Homemade Refried Beans

Homemade Refried Beans

Firehouse recipe from Jason, WAY better than canned and not too hard to do.  Clean and sort dried refried beans, as much as you want to make.  Rinse and add water, 1 cup of beans and 2 cups of water.  Bring to a boil, reduce to medium low and cook for about two hours or until beans will squish smoothly with your fingers.  Keep an eye on your water level and add more, if needed.  Get them past the grainy stage, you want them smooth.  Add milk, cheese and salt to taste.  Yum!

Slow Cooker Potato Soup

I have had this recipe saved for months, but today seemed like a nice, cloudy day and I knew we'd be home, so I gave it a go.  All four of us liked it a lot, and it was certainly easy.  I think this is a good one to make on a cool morning for lunch, maybe serve it aside panini's or grilled cheese.  I think it would be easy to make this vegetarian style too, maybe sub in cream of potato soup and veggie stock?   I told Jason I think he should make it at the fire house, especially if he can hide some of the bacon they fry up almost every day. :-)

Slow Cooker Potato Soup
1 - 30-ounce bag frozen potatoes, squared/southern style
2 - 14 oz cans chicken broth
1 - 14 oz can cream of chicken soup
1/2 C. chopped onion
1/3 tsp. black pepper
1 - 8 oz block cream cheese, softened
Optional toppings - green onion, cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon

Combine potatoes, chicken broth, chicken soup, onion and pepper in the slow cooker.  Cook on low for 5 hours.  Stir in cream cheese, cook another 30 minutes or so stirring occasionally until well blended.