Twice Baked 'Tater Casserole

'Taters so good, you'll slap your momma.

I love twice backed potatoes, even though I only grew up on the kind that came out of a box. Something about the smooth silkiness of potatoes with the crunch of bacon, or as in the case of the boxed kind - fake bacon.

But even though I love TBT, they are always such a bitch to make and really, I don't end up eating the baked potato bottom anyway. So it was a wonderful moment when I found this recipe on Pinterest.

It was way better than the time I just made cheesy bacon mashed 'taters. It was just so smooth and decadent. That might have something to do with the butter and cream cheese and sour cream and bacon and cheddar cheese. I could have eaten the entire pan, but I showed restraint, something my blood sugar appreciates.

I did make this all organically, with bacon and garlic from my CSA and the other ingredients organic. That's not to say that made a difference, but I did feel a little better about all the fat and carbs I was eating since they were organic. I bet my fat ass begs to differ.

Ingredients:
6-7 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced
10 slices bacon, plus more for top
8 oz cream cheese
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
8 oz sour cream
3-4 cloves garlic
3-4 green onion, sliced
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, plus more for top
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
~Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place peeled and diced potatoes in a large saucepan, and add enough cold water to cover by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and reduce to a simmer. Cook until tender and easily pierced with a paring knife, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a colander to drain; return to pan, cover, and set aside.

~Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add bacon, and cook until crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain; let cool, and crumble into pieces.

~In a small sauce pan melt the butter over low heat. Add the garlic cloves, peeled and crush and allow to steep in the butter for 5 minutes. Remove the garlic and set aside.

~In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand held mixer, combine potatoes and blend until fluffy and smooth. Add the cream cheese, garlic butter and sour cream and blend until combined and smooth. Add cheddar cheese, half of the sliced green onion, half the bacon, salt, and pepper. Stir until well combined.

~Transfer to a buttered 3-quart baking dish. Top with 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. Bake until top is slightly golden and potatoes are heated through, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven; garnish with remaining bacon and green onion. Serve immediately (and slap your momma).

recipe modified from: here

Potatoes Gratin/Au Gratin Taters

We eat a lot of taters on our house if you haven't noticed. But even I get tired of butter crisped taters and having mashed taters in summer is just wrong. I am still too lazy to fix twice baked taters on the regular, so that leaves me with the option of potatoes gratin.

Now, since The Good Husband is weird about food, I have to call them au gratin taters or he thinks there is something weird in it and won't eat it.

I modified this recipe from an Ina Garten one for tater and fennel gratin. Since I had no fennel this week in my CSA, I just used regular taters.

I slice the taters on my mandolin, trying not to cut my finger off again, so the taters come out uniform in thickness. I also slice them on the thinnest setting so they will cook faster.

Ingredients:
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 pounds russet potatoes (4 large potatoes)
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons milk or half and half
2 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
~Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

~Butter the inside of a 10-by-15-by-2-inch (10-cup) baking dish.

~Saute onions and garlic in the olive oil and butter on medium-low heat for 15 minutes, until tender. Peel the potatoes, then thinly slice with a mandoline. Mix the sliced potatoes in a large bowl with 2 cups of milk or half and half, 2 cups of cheddar, salt, and pepper. Add the sauteed onion and garlic and mix well.

~Pour the potatoes into the baking dish. Press down to smooth the potatoes. Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of milk or half and half and 1/2 cup of cheddar and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, until the potatoes are very tender and the top is browned and bubbly. Allow to set for 10 minutes and serve.

recipe modified from: Ina Garten

Taters and Cheese Soup

This was another simple dinner I made on the night of my CSA pick up. This was the first week we got 'taters, so I was very excited considering how fast we go through them in The Good Household.


Because we didn't get a lot of taters, I decided to stretch what we had and made this a taters and cheese soup. I would also have loved to put some beer in this, but The Good Husband differ extremely when it comes to tastes in beer and he wouldn't have like the beer I would have put in it. Maybe the next time I am making it just for me I will add good beer to it.

We also had grilled cheese along with our soup. TGH said it reminded him of being a kid again.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetables oil
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
2 cups milk
1 10- to 12-ounce russet potato, peeled, diced
1 cup packed shredded sharp cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)
chopped green onion for garnish

Directions:
~Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add celery, carrot, onion and thyme and sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour over and stir 2 minutes.

~Gradually whisk in broth, then milk. Add potato and bring soup to boil. Reduce heat and simmer soup until potato is tender, about 20 minutes. Add cheese 1/3 cup at a time, stirring until melted and smooth after each addition. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with green onion and serve.

recipe by: Epicrious

Butter Crisped Herb Potatoes

Ingredients:
Baby Yukon Gold potatoes, washed
Salt
Butter
Oil
Herb seasoning, I use Riley's All Purpose

Directions:
~In a large pot, bring water to a full boil and add salt and potatoes. Boil until potatoes are almost fork tender. Remove from water, quarter.

~Meanwhile in a large skillet over medium high heat, melt butter and add oil. Add the potatoes and toss to coat. Season with herbs and toss again. Allow the potatoes to sit in skillet to get a golden crust on one side, about seven minutes. Turn once and allow the other side to crisp. Serve hot.

recipe by: The Good Wife

Potato Leek Soup

You know there are a lot of simple recipes I haven't made yet. It seems like I would conquer the simple before moving on to the complex, but most of the time I forget I haven't made even the basic of dishes.

This is one of those simple dishes.

I had never made it or any variation of potato soup before. Come to think of it, I have never even had potato leek soup before.

But I had bought some leeks, thinking I would use them in a parsnip puree, but I didn't and I needed something else to make. Then it dawned on me to make this.

And it was simple to make and very flavorful. It was quick to make, which means it might become a staple in my menus.



Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 leeks, thinly sliced
3 shallots, chopped
6 – 8 russet potatoes, diced
4 cups turkey or chicken broth
1 cup milk or heavy cream
salt to taste
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
~Cook leeks and shallots in butter and oil in a large sauce pan until tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.

~Add potatoes and enough broth to cover. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Pour half of the soup mixture into a blender and puree. Meanwhile, use a potato masher and gently mash the potato mixture in the pan. Add the blended soup back into the pan and add the milk or cream. Heat through and served with bacon crumbles.

recipe by: The Good Wife

German Potato Salad

This was the first Memorial Day in our new house so The Good Husband and I decided to invite over some of the neighbors over for a cookout. My job was to take care of the sides, while the other two couples were to bring a meat to grill and desert. This was dish one of three and honestly, I think the best.

I wanted something traditional for a cookout and potato salad is very traditional. The only problem is that TGH and I don't like American potato salad. TGH likes German Potato Salad but I had never had it before.

After reading a recipe for it in The Joy of Cooking, and learning it had bacon in it, how could it be bad?

Overall it wasn't bad for my first attempt at GPS. I think it could have used more of the dressing, since the potatoes soaked it all up and there was nothing in the bottom of the bowl. But one neighbor absolutely loved it and asked for the recipe, so success!

Ingredients:
2 pounds potatoes, whole, with skins
1/4 pound bacon, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
4 dill pickle spears, chopped
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Directions:
~Add the whole potatoes (skin on) to a large pot of salted water, bring to a boil and simmer until the potatoes are tender and can be pierced with a fork, about 20-40 minutes.

~Drain the potatoes and allow to cool to a temperature you can handle. Remove skins and cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces and place in a serving dish.

~Meanwhile, as the potatoes are cooling, cook the bacon in a small pan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the bacon has browned. Remove the bacon from the pan, reserving the drippings and set aside. Add the onion and celery to the bacon drippings and cook until tender crisp. Add the pickles and remove from heat.

~In a small sauce pan, combine the chicken stock, vinegar, sugar, paprika, mustard powder, salt, and black pepper and bring to a boil.

~To serve, combine the cooked bacon to the potatoes and pour warm dressing on top. Toss to combine and serve warm and with a sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley.

recipe by: The Joy of Cooking

Valentine Dinner

The Good Husband and I don't go out much. We are saving for our new house and for The Good Baby. Besides, anything that I really want to eat right now, I cannot due to pregnancy. We aren't really gift giving people either, so my Valentine's Day gift to TGH was to make a nice dinner.

On the menu:
~Shrimp Cocktail
~Seared New York Strip for TGH
~Butter Poached Lobster Tail for me
~Garlic Cheddar Mashed Potatoes
~Sweet Butter Peas

We went to the seafood market that morning during our errands and who knew that lobster was such a Valentine's Day staple? I didn't know, but then again, this was the first time the I cooked lobster. We normally don't eat lobster or crab because of the expense but since it was a holiday and all, I decided to splurge.

For the lobster - I used two 4 ounce rock lobster tails, removing the shell. I melted one stick of butter in a small sauce pan over low heat. I allowed the butter to heat for about 15 to 20 minutes. I then added the lobster tails and poached them slowly for about 8 minutes.

I will admit that I was terrified that I would over cook the lobster and it would become rubbery. But I think the poaching really did the trick because the meat was so sweet and tender and not at all rubbery. Worth every penny.

For the NY Strip - I allowed the steak to come to room temperature, 30 minutes before I was ready to cook them. I salt and peppered both sides of the steak and allowed a pan to get extremely hot over medium high heat. I added one tablespoon of oil to the pan, and seared the steak on each side for 3 minutes. I then removed the pan from the heat and turned the burner to low medium. I added 3 tablespoons of butter and allowed it to melt. I then returned the pan to the heat and based the steak with the melted butter for another 5 minutes.

Not how I usually cook steak but since it was a special dinner, I decided all the butter would be worth it.

For the 'taters - I used my normal mashed 'taters recipe, but I removed all of the skins. I added one clove of pressed garlic to the butter and allowed the butter and the garlic to melt together in a small saucepan over low heat while the 'taters boiled. I then added 1 cup of cheddar cheese to the 'taters when I mashed them.

This is really just a simple way to make something that tastes like twice baked potatoes, since we really only eat the filling and not the 'tater skin anyway. I just took the recipe for what would be the filling of a twice baked and served it alone.

For the peas - I cooked the peas the way my gma cooks peas. From the freezer, with a pat of butter and a spoon full of sugar. Place in a microwave dish, add the butter and the sugar and microwave, covered for a few minutes. Yum.

recipes by: The Good Wife

Colleen's Potatoes

This is yet another dish I was introduced to at a family gathering. I will say that having such a large family that I married into has it's benefits. I like this dish for several reasons; 1.) it adds to my potato repertoire, 2.) it is just cheesy goodness, 3.) it has a stick of butter in it, and 4.) another half stick of butter in the topping.

How can you not love that? I am actually kinda pissed that I gave The Good Husband the last of the leftovers for lunch today. Oh well.

I get a feeling that this is a dish that goes by several names. When describing the cheesy, buttery goodness to my mom she said, "Duh! That is Texas Potatoes." This from a woman that never cooks. But a quick google sure enough provides for similar recipes.

I don't care what they say. This dish will always be "Colleen's Potatoes" in the Good Household, a tribute to the best aunt ever!

Ingredients:
1 pkg. frozen Southern style hash brown potatoes, thawed (the little square kind)
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 stick butter, melted
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 cups (16 oz.) sour cream

Topping:
1/2 cup melted butter
2 cup crushed cornflakes

Directions:
~Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

~Combine the first nine ingredients. Mix thoroughly to combine. Pour into buttered 9x13 baking dish.

~Combine cornflakes and melted butter and top casserole. (I like to crush the cornflakes in a plastic bag using a rolling pin).

~Cover and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes until the topping has browned and the center is heated through.

The Good Wife Potato Salad

The Good Husband called me from work yesterday afternoon to say his company was having a last minute potluck today and he wanted me to bring a dish. My go-to potluck dish is potato salad. It is one of those dishes that I love to make but don't really care to eat. I can eat a small dish of potato salad but it is not my all time favorite. Since I am not tempted to eat most of it as I am making it, it makes for a big dish to bring to any potluck.

But I make this version, The Good Wife Potato Salad, for family get togethers and it is always a hit. Regular potato salad can be kinda blah so I spice mine up a bit. Note: This recipe is for a large serving for a get together. You can easily cut it in half.

Ingredients:
10 large potatoes, I used red
4 eggs
4 celery stalks, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 tablespoon celery seed
1/2 cup mustard
2 cups mayonnaise, I use a combination of both real mayonnaise and Miracle Whip
4 slices of thick cut bacon
1 bunch of green onion, chopped
Paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
~Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 2 large pinches of salt. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool, peel and chop.

~In a skillet over medium heat, brown the bacon. When browned, remove from pan, drain on paper towels and crumble. Set aside.

~While you peel the potatoes, place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil; cover and boil eggs for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from water, cool, peel and chop, reserving one egg for garnish.

~In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, 3 of the chopped eggs, celery, onion, celery seed, mustard, pepper, salt and mayonnaise. Mix well to combine.

~To garnish, slice the hard boiled egg into thin slices. Arrange the slices around the edges of the bowl, evenly spacing them. Sprinkle the bacon crumbles over the top and lightly dust the top with paprika. Finish the dish with the chopped green onion. Let sit overnight to combine the flavors.

Oven Fries

For photo, click here.

Ingredients:
4 large baking potatoes
Canola or other light oil, about 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Seasoned salt to taste

Directions:
~Slice the potatoes into 1/4 inch thick slices and then each slice into 3 strips.

~Place the strips in a bowl of cold water and allow them to soak for 10 minutes.

~Heat the oven to 450 degrees.

~Drain the potatoes and pat dry with a lean kitchen towel. Toss the potatoes with the oil, salt and seasoned salt. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer on the baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.

recipe by: The Good Wife

Potato Skins

One of the things on my 100 Foods I Want to Make is potato skins. This dish was no doubt made popular by all the casual dining chain restaurants that have taken the place of home cooked food in Middle America. I can maybe see some housewife in the 50s creating this dish out of boredom with having mashed potatoes over and over again, but I doubt it. I get a feeling that this dish might have been popular at bars, where the skins of the potatoes would have been left over from making french fries. But I am no food anthropologist, so that is just my uneducated guess.

The Good Husband loves 'tater skins and it is one of the only dishes where he will eat sour cream (he doesn't know I put sour cream in the mashed potatoes. Don't tell him, ok?). So here is my first attempt at making them.
'Tater Skins
Ingredients:
4 large Russet potatoes, scrubbed
6 strips of bacon
3/4 cups of shredded cheese, I used CoJack cheese
1/2 cup of sour cream
2 green onions, sliced, I didn't have any so I skipped this

Directions:
~Scrub the potatoes and cut them into thick slices. Bake on a large baking sheet in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes until the slices are almost tender.

~While the potatoes bake, brown the bacon, remove, cool and break into crumbles.

~Remove the potatoes from the oven and in a large skillet over medium high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of canola oil. Place the potato slices in the pan and fry until golden brown on each side.

~Remove the potato slices from the pan and allow them to drain on a plate lined with several paper towels.

~Place the crisp potatoes back on the baking sheet and top with the cheese and bacon. Bake for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

~Serve with sour cream.

recipe by: The Good Wife

Meat and 'taters or How to Cook a Perfect Steak

The Good Husband is solidly a meat and 'taters guy. Before we lived together (yes, we lived in sin for about 3 years before we got married, *gasp*. Good thing we are both atheists LOL) I rarely ate meat or potatoes. My former life is a culinary shame since I was forced to either eat on the cheap (ramen noodles and hot dogs) or at restaurants.

Along with eggs and 'taters, meat and 'taters is one of those dishes that I had to learn to prefect over time. I still run into some bumps every now and then and I am trying my hand at different cuts of meat, but I think I have the overall concept down.

This beautiful plate is what we had for dinner on Sunday. I usually reserve Sunday for making meals that seem nicer. We do have mashed potatoes and steak during the week, but this gorgeous cut of New York Strip just screamed "Sunday Dinner" to me.

So, after years of practice and more than a few burnt steaks, I offer my tips for the perfect steak.

~First, make sure the steaks are room temperature. Let them sit out for at least 30 minutes before you cook them. This allows the fibers in the meat to relax so the meat won't curl up on you.

~Make sure your pan in hot, as in smoking hot. This does NOT mean, however, to have the heat on high. Place the pan on medium high heat and let it sit there for about ten minutes or until the pan really starts to smoke. On my stove, it is about a 7 on the dial. I like to use a cast iron pan, but a grill pan would be great as well. I have also used my hard anodized pan as well and it can create a great sear.

~Brush the steaks with oil (I use canola) and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the seasoned side down in the pan and season the other side.

~The steaks and the pan WILL SMOKE. Having a good exhaust fan will help get most of the smoke out. But if you are lacking a good fan, you might have to open the windows or risk setting off the smoke alarm, like I do every other time I cook steak.

This is the biggest point of contention in our house. TGH hates the amount of smoke I create when I make steaks. He was not used to having steaks cooked on the stove top and our lack of good ventilation drives him nuts. But a little suffering is worth it when he finally has a bite of good steak. So, just be prepared for a little smoke. It will clear out and you will be happy with the quality of your steak.

~Do NOT move your steaks once they are in the pan. By not moving them you allow for the meat to sear, trapping the juice inside. If you are using a grill pan, you will have great grill lines on the steak. Flip them over once. That is the only movement allowed.

Now, you can either cook the steaks completely on the stove top for finish them off in the oven. If you choose to finish them on the stove top, I would turn the heat down slightly and cook them for about 7 to 8 minutes per side for a nice medium rare. The steaks I used were about 1 1/2 inches thick, thicker than what I am used to. But they looked so good at the local butchers that I couldn't pass them up. Thanks Mr. Henry! So cooking time should increase about 1 minute per side.

Or you can finish them off in the oven. TGH likes this version better since it cuts down on the smoke in the house. Just preheat the oven to 350 degrees and cook the steaks for about 6 minutes for medium rare.

~Let the meat rest! Letting the meat rest - anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes - allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, making sure than when you cut into it, all the juices won't run out and the rest of the meat is bone dry. Also resting the meat allows you time to make a killer pan gravy from the drippings.

So with that lesson behind us, on to Sunday Dinner or Meat and 'taters.

1 recipe steak (see above) I used thick cut New York Strip
1 recipe mashed 'taters (following) with pan gravy (following)
1 veggie side dish (I used canned seasoned green beans)

Mashed 'Taters
Ingredients:
6 large red potatoes, scrubbed, skins on, rough cubed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 oz sour cream
Splash of milk (optional)
Salt to taste

Directions:
~In large stockpot add potatoes and enough water to cover. Once the water boils, add 1 tablespoon salt.

~Reduce heat and simmer, covered 15 to 20 minutes or until fork tender.

~Drain and add potatoes back into the warm pot to evaporate any left over water.

~In mixing bowl mash the potatoes with a potato masher or electric mixer, breaking the potatoes into large pieces. Add 3 Tbsp. butter and continue to mash until all of the butter is melted.

~Add the sour cream and mash until all of the sour cream is incorporated and most of the lumps are broken up. If the potatoes are too thick, add a splash of milk. Add salt to taste. Serve with pan gravy.

Pan Gravy
Ingredients:
Pan drippings from steak
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups of beef stock
1 teaspoon onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
~Using the same pan you cooked the steaks in, place the skillet on medium low heat.

~Add the butter to the pan, allowing it to melt completely. Add the flour to the pan, and using a whisk, combine the flour and butter, cooking for 1 minute.

~In the meanwhile, combine the beef stock and the onion powder.

~Whisking continuously, add the beef stock slowly to the pan until the liquid and roux (the butter and flour mixture) is combined. Increase the heat and continue to whisk, making a figure eight pattern in the pan. This will prevent the gravy from both burning and clumping. Add the salt and pepper to taste.

Whisking and slowly pouring the beef stock is the key to lump free gravy. If you find you are have problems with making a lump free gravy, I suggest that you add only ONE cup of the beef stock at first and whisk to break up any lumps. Once the gravy is lump free, add the rest of the stock, careful to never stop whisking.

~When the gravy starts to bubble and there are no lumps, pour into a gravy boat and serve over mashed potatoes.

recipes by: The Good Wife

Eggs and 'Taters 2

I know I have eggs and 'taters already, but it is not the typical eggs and 'taters that The Good Husband eats. That version is a "low fat" version of this original recipe.

Cooking eggs and 'taters is really more about technique than anything else. It has taken me 6 years to finally master the 'taters so they are even in the same ballpark as The Good Grandma's 'taters. TGH was raised by TGG who made every single thing from scratch and also made eggs and 'taters better than anyone else.

You would think that frying 'taters wouldn't be all that hard, right? I mean you get those little "Southern Style Hash browns" or "Country Fries" when you go to any good diner (or after a night of drinking so heavily you will eat at Denny's). How hard can it be to cube and fry up some 'taters? Well, as it has taken me six years to finally get the 'taters how they should be, I can tell you that it is harder than it looks. Kinda like html code.

The trick to making 'taters the way TGH eats is to not really fry the 'taters. Seems odd, doesn't it? You mean you don't really fry your fried 'taters? Yes. Yes, I do.

See, I used to crank the heat up to high and wait for the cast iron skillet to get super hot and then I would fry those little suckers up until they were a deep golden brown and crunchy. But, alas, that was not the way TGH likes his eggs and 'taters. So after one weekend at TGG's I finally cracked the secret to good fried 'taters.

The trick is to keep the heat on medium and cover the skillet so that the 'taters sort of steam in the pan and only get slightly crunchy on the outside.

This is good for two reasons - 1.) It allows me to make the eggs in the same pan as soon as the 'taters are finished and 2.) I don't have to dirty up a different pan.

Before, when I would cook the 'taters on high, I couldn't cook the eggs in the same pan. If the heat is too high and you try to fry an egg, it will all bubble up and stick to the pan. You then can't flip the egg without breaking the yolk and ruining the whole dish.

But with cooking the 'taters on a lower heat and for a longer amount of time, you can just scoop out the 'taters and drop in the eggs.

So lesson learned on how to fry 'taters. Never did I think I would have to spend so much time perfecting something so easy as eggs and 'taters. But dish 1 out of 32,165,133,494 that TGG makes that I will have to learn to perfect.

Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Bacon and Roasted Potatoes (Meat and 'Taters)

I get a little tired of having beef steaks all the time and pork tenderloin is a nice break from the ordinary. We used to buy pork tenderloin medallions already seasoned from a local butcher, but we haven't been in a while and I saw some tenderloin on sale at the store and thought it would be great for dinner.Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin Medallions

Directions
4 pork tenderloin medallions, about 1 inch thick
4 pieces of bacon, I used thick cut apple wood smoked bacon
1 tablespoon all purpose seasoning, I use Riley's All Purpose Seasoning
Salt
Pepper

Instructions
~Heat the oven to 425 degrees F.

~Wrap the tenderloins with the bacon and secure with a toothpick. Sprinkle one side of the medallions with salt, pepper and the all purpose seasoning.

~Heat a 10 inch skillet (I use cast iron) on medium high heat until hot and it starts to smoke lightly.

~Add one tablespoon of oil (I use canola) to the pan and add the medallions, seasoned side down. Once the medallions are in the pan, take the time to season the other side. Sear each side of the medallions for 1 to 2 minutes.

~Transfer the skillet to the oven and finish cooking for 20 minutes or until the juices run clear or a meat thermometer registers 140.

~Let the meat rest for 5 minutes before serving.



Roasted Potatoes

Directions
4 medium red potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
Olive and canola oil
1 tablespoon all purpose seasoning, I use Riley's All Purpose Seasoning
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
Salt
Pepper

Instructions
~Heat the oven to 425 degrees F.

~ Wash and scrub the potatoes, removing any eyes. Cube.

~In a medium mixing bowl, combine canola oil (a little over 1/4 cup) with a splash of olive oil. Add the seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Toss to coat.

~Spread the potatoes out on to a cookie sheet and bake for 35 minutes, turning once about halfway through cooking.

recipe by: The Good Wife

Eggs and 'Taters

Like any Good Midwestern Wife, I learned rather quickly how to make this staple of a Midwestern Husband's diet:

Fried eggs and 'taters.

Normally you would fry the eggs in butter and the 'taters in oil. But trying to be healthier, I "fried" the eggs in one tablespoon of canola oil in a good nonstick pan and baked the 'taters in the oven at 450 for 25 minutes before I broiled them for another 10 minutes.

This is one of the very first dishes I learned to make for The Good Husband (TGH) and to this day, every time it turns out differently and they are not as good as Grandma's. But still, most Sundays you will find eggs and 'taters a-cooking at our house.

recipe by: The Good Wife