Got leftover potatoes? Make these!

Recipe for Restaurant Recreation: Arby's Loaded Potato Bites

Thanksgiving is tomorrow and all week I’ve been seeing articles about how to cut the calories in the meal or what to eat so that you don’t consume a bazillion calories. I see it every year and it kinda drives me batty.

Holiday calories don’t count! We all need to splurge a little every now and then. To me, “splurge” means enjoying a piece of pumpkin pie – not three – without any guilt.

The recipe I’m sharing with you today is a great way – other than potato pancakes – to use up leftover mashed potatoes. If you’ve ever been to Arby’s and love their Loaded Potato Bites than you are in luck because they were the inspiration for this recipe. And they are pretty spot on too - crispy on the outside, and soft and cheesy on the inside with bits of bacon and scallions. A guilty pleasure for sure, but share them with some friends and I swear you won’t be sorry.

I should have taken a shot of the inside of these babies for you, but I ate them instead.

Whoops!

Loaded Potato Bites
*Makes 18-24 bites depending on size
Print it!

Ingredients:
- 2 cups leftover mashed potatoes
- 2 tablespoons of flour
- 2/3 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
- 3 strips bacon
- 1/3 cup scallions, chopped
- 1 egg
- 1 ¼ - 1 ½ cups Italian bread crumbs
- Oil for frying
- Salt and Pepper
- Ranch or Honey Mustard for dipping

Directions:

1. Take potatoes out of the fridge and let sit for a few minutes to take the chill off a bit. Meanwhile shred the cheese, chop scallions, and cook bacon then dice finely. Add potatoes and flour to a large mixing bowl and stir to combine well, then add cheese, bacon, and scallions. Take about a heaping tablespoon of mixture and roll with hands into a small ball. It if doesn’t hold its shape, add a little more flour to make the potatoes sturdy. Repeat until done.

2. Heat oil in a medium sauce pan – or use your fryer – over medium/medium high heat to about 350-375 degrees. Whisk egg into a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Place bread crumbs in an additional bowl. Dip each ball in egg and then roll in bread crumbs until fully coated. Set aside on a sheet pan.

3. Test oil with one ball. The oil should bubble when potato is in oil and ball should take about 1-2 minutes to brown and cook through. (If takes longer the oil needs to be hotter, if it browned too quickly on the outside and the inside is still cold, the temperature needs to be lower.) Once oil is ready, add potato balls in small batches and fry for 1-2 minutes – it will depend on size. Remove with slotted spoon and place on paper lined plate to allow excess oil to drain off. Repeat until done.

4. Allow to cool for a minute or two and serve with dipping sauce.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Homemade Dark Russet Potato Chips

Growing up my mom called these “Home Fries” and would serve them if we had hamburgers for dinner on the weekend. I always thought of them more like potato chips but a little more substantial since they are thicker. This is actually going to be a two part post because while you can certainly enjoy these by themselves, I actually made them for a really guilty pleasure.

First things first.

Homemade Potato Chips

*Serves 4
(printable recipe)

Ingredients:

- 2 large russet potatoes
- 1.5 tablespoons oil – veggie, olive, canola – whatever you prefer (I used olive oil)
- Salt and pepper


Directions:
1. Clean your potatoes well. Peel off the skin if you wish, I leave them on. Slice your potatoes thin and evenly. No more than 1/8 of an inch, but a little thinner is better. A mandolin is perfect for this, but not necessary.

2. You will probably have to do this in a couple of batches or using more than one baking sheet at once. So take a portion of the oil and brush a good amount on the sheet. Then take the potatoes and swipe them in the oil on one side and set them down on the other. Similar to how you would dredge chicken or fish in flour. Keep them in a single layer.

Roasted Red Bliss Potatoes with Mustard and Thyme

It would appear that roasted potato recipes are sought after rather frequently. I get a lot of hits from people looking for rosemary and garlic RRBP’s, a recipe I posted last year. Recently I had a small surplus of them in my house thanks to Brent making a southern dish that he likes. My New England roots don’t care for that dish too much, but I did want to make use of the leftover potatoes hanging around. So I checked the fridge to see what I had to work with and this recipe is the result.

Roasted Red Bliss Potatoes with Mustard and Thyme

*Serves 4
(printable recipe)

Ingredients:
- 1 ½ lbs red bliss potatoes
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 1 ½ - 2 tablespoons course mustard, adjust to your taste preference
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Wash potatoes, pat dry, and cut into quarters. Toss in butter and 2 tablespoons of EVOO and place in a baking dish in a single layer. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 30-35 minutes, giving a toss halfway through.

2. In a small bowl mix together mustard, thyme, white wine vinegar, and remaining olive oil. Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside while potatoes roast.

Southwestern Chicken Casserole

This is one of my favorite casseroles that I’ve come up with. There is just something so homey and delightful to me about a casserole. I make this one often because I usually have all or most of the ingredients on hand and it’s just so satisfying. This recipe is perfect for the day after you grill some chicken breasts. Just add an extra one and set it aside for the next night.

Southwestern Chicken Casserole

*Serves 2 generously
(printable recipe)

Ingredients:
- 1lb potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 large chicken breast (or two small), grilled
- ½ cup salsa verde
- 1 bell pepper, sliced (any color)
- ½ small onion, sliced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2/3 cup black bean dip (or refried beans)
- 1 cup canned red beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon season salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1/3 cup chopped scallion
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Oil or additional butter for sautéing
- Cooking spray
- Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Add your diced potatoes to a pot of water and bring to a boil. Allow potatoes to cook until just before being fork tender. Once done, remove from heat and drain well.

2. While potatoes are cooking sauté peppers and onions over medium heat in a couple of tablespoons of oil or butter for about 10 minutes or until vegetables soften. Once done remove from heat and set aside.

Potato Pancakes

I love taking leftovers and giving them a makeover for their second appearance at the dinner table. Potato pancakes are one of my favorite ways to use up leftover mashed potatoes.

Potato Pancakes with Mustard-Dill Sauce

*Serves 4

(printable recipe)

Ingredients:

- 2-3 cups day old mashed potatoes
- 1 tablespoon flour
- Vegetable or canola oil for pan frying
- 1/3 cup sour cream

- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

- 1/8 teaspoon dried dill (double if using fresh)


Potato Pancake Directions:

1. Mix the tablespoon of flour into your mashed potatoes to help stiffen them a bit. If yours are really mushy, you may need to add a little more flour.

Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Shallots, Sage, and Pancetta

A while back a friend of mine shared the idea of mashed potatoes with caramelized shallots and sage. I loved the idea of this and thought it would be good, but maybe even better if I added some pancetta to the mix. I decided to make them for a special occasion not too long ago as a side for a Prime Rib roast BD and I did. They really don’t require a whole lot of extra work than regular mashed potatoes and really add an extra nice touch. You could use your own mashed potato recipe, but I’ve included my basic one in this here.

Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Shallots, Sage, and Pancetta

*Serves 2-4

(Printable recipe)

Ingredients:

For mashed potatoes -

- 1.5 pounds of potatoes

- 3 tablespoons of butter

- ½ - ¾ cup heavy cream

- Salt and pepper to taste

The mix-ins -

- 2 quarter inch thick slices of pancetta

- 2 medium or 3 small shallots, sliced thin

- 2 tablespoons of minced fresh sage (if using dried use half the amount)

- A heaping tablespoon of butter

Potatoes O’Brien

We are big fans of breakfast food here and we are always doing something different. Generally though, we are mercy to whatever random items are in our fridge or freezer at the time. That is when frittatas and breakfast burritos come in handy. But today’s post is about potatoes. We have been working our way through a 15 pound bag recently and I decided to make potatoes the other morning.

Potatoes O’Brien is a fairly standard breakfast item. Traditionally this dish is fully pan fried with peppers and onions. But since I’m not exactly patient when I’m hungry, I don’t always want to wait for my potatoes to fry in the am. Plus I like that these are a little softer and thus more versatile in my opinion.

Rosemary and Garlic Roasted Red Bliss Potatoes

I think there is truly something magical about how rosemary and garlic can come together. While this side dish does take a little bit of time to cook, its very low maintenance. Toss it all in a casserole dish and throw it into the oven. A little over an hour later – viola! A tasty side that is almost – I’ll reiterate almost – as good as mashed potatoes.

Rosemary and Garlic Roasted Red Bliss Potatoes

Serves 4

(print recipe)

Ingredients:
- 1.5 lbs of red bliss potatoes

- 2 sprigs of rosemary, removed from stems

- 5 cloves of garlic, crushed

- ¾ cup melted butter

- S&P to taste

Loaded Twice Baked Potatoes

I love twice baked potatoes. How could you not? You get mashed potatoes AND the crispy baked potato skin. It’s like hitting a home run…. only better because its potatoes. I’m only slightly ashamed to admit this but I was inspired to make these from the reality show Husbands of Hollywood. I’ve watched the show two …. or ten times. I am a reality show junkie. Anyway, the last episode I happened to catch one of the husbands made twice baked potatoes for his wife. This was about a week ago and I haven’t stopped thinking about them since.

Twice Baked Potatoes

(print the recipe)

Note: Use these measurements only as a rough guide. You may need to make adjustments based on the size of your potatoes. Therefore add butter, sour cream, and heavy cream little by little.

Ingredients:

- 4 large russet or baking potatoes

- 2 tablespoons of butter

- 3 tablespoons of sour cream

- 4oz heavy cream

- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

- ¼ chopped scallions

- 8 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

- S&P

Procedure:

1. Wash your potatoes well and place in a 400 degree oven. Depending on the size, they will take between an hour to an hour and a half. Once they are cooked, remove from oven and allow to cool for about 20 minutes. While they are baking, slice your scallions, and cook the bacon.

2. Once cool enough to handle, slice the top third of the potato off. Then carefully remove the inside.

 Also, remember to scoop the potato from the tops into your bowl. Don’t scrape it all the way down to the skin. Leave a little potato to help keep the skin sturdy enough to hold the mixture.

3. Add the butter to the bowl with the potato. Using a potato masher, mash potatoes until incorporated.

You can use a mixer as well. Then add your sour cream, S&P and mash again. Lastly add the heavy cream little by little until you reach the right consistency. You want them to be soft, not stiff or runny.

4. Next add your bacon, cheese, and scallions – mix with a spoonula. Add more S&P if desired.

I could have eaten them just like this

5. Spoon the mixture into each of the potato halves. I mounded mine up fairly high. Top each with some extra pepper.

Place in 400 degree oven and bake for another 20 minutes.

My thoughts: The potato was soft and creamy. Initially, I was worried that there wouldn’t be enough cheese, but I was wrong. The cheese melted and the flavor went throughout the potato. The bacon and scallions didn’t overwhelm the mixture and were nice little “surprises” in every bite.

These were HUGE – they seriously could have been a whole meal alone. BD couldn’t even finish his, but I was a champ and ate all of mine. I had too, ya know for research.

Triple the Cheese, Please!: Parm Tater Tots and Phake Phillies

Last Wednesday night DB ended up having the night off. Usually he is working at the restaurant on Wednesday so I get a chance to relax, catch up on the DVR, be lazy, and NOT cook. My plan of rummaging in the fridge for something to eat and watching the Real Housewives of NJ was foiled. So I ended up whipping together some Philly Cheese steaks and some Parmesan tossed tater tots. Quick, easy and cheap.

One of our food staples is frozen Philly steak meat. I'd never had it before and honestly was a little grossed out by it when BD wanted to buy some. Then a couple of years ago on X-mas Eve he made a couple for us before we went out. I was pretty shocked at how quick and yummy it was.

Philly Cheese steaks - A fast and loose recipe!

Ingredients:
- Sliced Onion
- Sliced green, red, yellow (whatever color!) bell pepper
- Sliced Mushrooms
- Philly Meat (or left over steak sliced really thin)
- Garlic - powder or minced
- Rolls
- Cheese! I used Provolone and American

Procedure:
1- Slice your veggies and saute in a little EVOO or butter till tender. Remove from pan and set aside.
2- *Some brands want the meat thawed and others don't so be sure to check for that.* Throw it in the pan, sprinkle with S&P and garlic to taste. Cook until thoroughly done.
3- Throw veggies back in the pan and toss together.
4- Place mixture on bread and top with cheese. (as much or as little as you want)
5- Throw under a broiler until cheese is melty.

Parmesan Tater Tots
*This is sooooo easy and makes tater tots even better than they already are.

Ingredients:
- Frozen Tater Tots
- Parmesan Cheese - grated
- S&P
- Garlic and Onion powder

Procedure:
1- Take tots and place on a sheet pan.
2- Lightly coat in melted butter or EVOO
3- Sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder to taste.
4- Bake according to package.
5- When done sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and toss to coat.


What I like about this meal is that even though its not fancy, hard or takes a lot of time - it still have a homemade quality to it. Plus its great comfort food.

While I was at the grocery store picking up a few things I needed for dinner that night I wandered into the bakery. BAD IDEA. I came across these Brownie Cookies. Soft cookies with walnuts and chunks of white chocolate in them. Sooooo good. And with a cold glass of milk I was in heaven.

I made DB hide the other two from me so I wouldn't eat them too!

Whipped Potatoes

Creamy Whipped Potatoes

Inspiration: Nothing special really. I wanted to do something different because I generally will only eat plain mashed/whipped potatoes when I have some tasty gravy to pour over them. Still this is my basic recipe I use either for "as is" or as a jumping point for something with a little more pizazz.

*This recipe is technically for two though we did have a decent amount of leftovers.

(print recipe)

Ingredients:

- Two large Idaho potatoes

- 4 tablespoons of butter

- approx 1/2 cup of heavy cream

- Lots of Salt and Pepper

Procedure:

1. Peel and chop potatoes and then drop into a pot of boiling water. (Be sure to rinse the potatoes after peeling them)

2. Stir occasionally until potatoes are done. They are done when they are fork tender. The amount of time depends on how big or small you chopped them. 15 minutes for mine for example.

3. Drain potatoes and then place back in the hot pot for a few minutes.

4. Add two tablespoons of butter and using a masher - mash potatoes until most of the chunks are gone. **I do this first because its then easier to whip them and you don't have potato flying across the kitchen - true story.

5. Add about 1/3 of the cream and using a hand mixer (or beater you might call it) start to whip the potatoes. Slowly add more cream and butter until you get your desire consistency.

6. Add S&P to taste.

*Serve immediately or place on a warm burner to keep warm.

My thoughts on this dish: Its pretty standard and really simple but it comes out tasty. I prefer to use buttermilk instead of heavy cream but DB hates buttermilk.

Side note: If you use buttermilk and reduced fat cream cheese you can make a lower calorie mashed potato.