baked potatoes with broccoli cheese sauce...

This is a new favorite dinner at our house! Baked potatoes are hearty and filling and perfect on a cold night. Pair with a green salad and call it good. For my family I cooked five large russets it was the perfect amount of sauce. Bake potatoes at 425 degrees for 45 min to one hour. Prick potatoes with a fork several times and rub with olive oil and salt and pepper first before placing in oven.

1 head of broccoli, cut into florets 

1 cup milk 

1/2 Tbsp butter

1/4 tsp seasoned salt (Lawrey's)

1/4 tsp pepper 

1/8 tsp salt 

1/8 tsp chili powder 

6 oz Velveeta, cut into cubes 

2 oz cheddar cheese, grated 

2 oz Monterey Jack cheese, grated 

Steam broccoli for 3-4 min, or until slightly tender. Set aside.

Heat butter and milk over medium low heat until hot. Stir in seasonings. Add Velveeta and stir until melted and creamy. Stir in cheddar and Jack cheese until melted. Taste and adjust seasoning (add a little salt if necessary)

Recipe adapted from Pioneer Woman 

loaded mashed potato bake...

This is a favorite at our house. Any time 4 lbs of potatoes are polished off in one sitting...(keep in mind I do have three teenage boys) you know it must be good. 

This is everything you love about a loaded baked potato and everything you love about mashed potatoes combined in one delicious, creamy side dish.

4 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp pepper 

1 tsp chicken bouillon powder

1/2 tsp garlic salt 

1/2 tsp garlic powder 

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese 

6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled 

2 green onions, sliced 

In a large pot boil potatoes until fork tender. Drain well and return to pot. Mash potatoes. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees 

Add butter, milk, sour cream and seasonings and mix well. Stir in Parmesan cheese and one cup of cheddar.

Pour into greased 9x13 pan. Bake for 25 min. Remove from oven and top with remaining cheddar cheese and bacon. Bake for 5 more minutes. Sprinkle with green onions.

baked potato rounds...

2 large russet potatoes

4-5 slices bacon, cooked & crumbled

cheddar & monterey jack cheese; shredded

1 green onion; chopped

sour cream

olive oil

salt & pepper

Slice potatoes in 1/4 in thick rounds. Place on a baking sheet & brush each side lightly with olive oil & sprinkle with salt & pepper. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 min. Turn and continue baking for another 10-15 min. Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese. Return to oven just until cheese is melted. Finish off with bacon, onions & sour cream.

Really, really, really good. This is a great way to enjoy eating a loaded baked potato...on a much smaller scale. They were quick to throw together, which is always a bonus. If you have a few stray potatoes hanging around this is a great way to use them up. If you don't have any hanging around...go buy some and make these!!

This was another fabulous recipe from Amber's Kitchen.

sausage & potatoes...

3 tsp olive oil

1 onion; chopped

4 med red potatoes; chopped

16 oz light sausage link; sliced in 1/2 in pieces

1 clove garlic; minced

salt & pepper

parsley; chopped

Heat olive oil in pan over med heat. Add potatoes & onions and season with salt & pepper. Cook over med heat (stirring frequently) until potatoes are tender & browned. Add garlic and sausage & cook until sausage is browned a little. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

This just became a new favorite! The leftovers for lunch were even better! When you use light or turkey sausage this really is a low fat meal, and VERY filling. The only thing I would change next time is to par boil the potatoes first. Just cooking them a little before (you could even do that earlier in the day) really cuts down on the cooking time. Because I didn't do that it took about 15-20 min for them to cook through, and I put a lid on to trap the heat & speed it up a little. AND...the parsley isn't just for color. It really adds a great, fresh taste to the dish!

(4 serv. 6 pt ea)

crispy potato wedges...

4-5 med baking potatoes, cut lengthwise into wedges

nonstick cooking spray

1 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs

3 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese (optional)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray baking sheet with nonstick spray; set aside. Combine bread crumbs, parm. cheese, salt & pepper in a medium sized bowl. Spray cut sides of potatoes generously with cooking spray. Toss potatoes 1-2 at a time in bread crumb mixture, tossing to coat generously. Place on baking sheet. Bake about 20 min until potatoes are fork tender and golden brown. Serve with dipping sauces (ranch, honey mustard, etc.)

YUM!!!

rib eye steak, buttermilk mashed potatoes, roasted broccoli, chocolate pie...

*pan fried rib eye steak*

2 rib eye steaks

1 Tbsp Seasoned Salt

3 Tbsp Lemon Pepper

1 tsp salt

black pepper

1-2 Tbsp olive oil

1-2 Tbsp butter

Combine season salt, lemon pepper, salt & pepper (as much as you can stand). Rub onto both sides of steak. Heat a skillet on med high and add equal parts olive oil and butter, allow butter to brown a little. Place meat into hot skillet and cook 2-3 min, turn and cook another 2-3 min (for med rare.) Remove to a plate and cover with foil 10-15 min. (remember...the juices will run out if you cut into ANY meat too soon... result: dry meat)

*buttermilk mashed potatoes*

1 1/2 lbs boiling potatoes

1/4 cup milk

4 Tbsp butter

1/4 -1/2 cup buttermilk

salt & pepper

Cut potatoes into 1 1/2 in cubes. Boil until fork tender. Drain in collander and place back into hot pan on burner (burner should be off). This allows extra moisture to leave potatoes. While potatoes are boiling warm milk and butter in a small saucepan. Mash potatoes (either with a mixer or potato masher). Add milk/butter combination and mix until smooth. Add buttermilk to desired creaminess. Season with salt and pepper.

*roasted broccoli*

broccoli

olive oil

salt & pepper

lemon wedges

Cut broccoli into florets. Place on baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 min (approx) or until broccoli is fork tender. Serve with a lemon wedge.

I know the way to my man's heart...meat and potatoes!! I got the general idea for this meal and the recipe for the rib eye (along with a few other recipes) from Pioneer Woman (she is amazing!) I knew it was a hit when he rolled his eyes and put his head back with each bite!! I'm not much of a steak person and I thought this was unbelievably good.

The mashed potatoes are fabulous! I chose not to peel my red potatoes, but you can do whatever you like. The buttermilk gives it a little bit of a tangy flavor, very subtle.

And the broccoli...oh the broccoli!! Try roasting it, you won't be disappointed. The little bit of lemon juice on the finished product just gave it a very fresh flavor. Yum!

don't go yet...

*angie pie*

2 oz semi sweet chocolate, melted and cooled

1/4 lb butter; room temp

3/4 cup powdered sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp almond or vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 9in chocolate pie shell

Beat butter and powdered sugar until fluffy, blend in chocolate. Add eggs one at a time, beating each for 3 min (very important), add extract. Whip one cup cream and gently fold into chocolate mixture. Spread into crust. Refrigerate several hours. Serve with sweetened whipped cream.

Ok, this recipe calls for raw eggs...if you are pregnant, elderly, under two, or just grossed out by the thought...sorry! I googled ways to use uncooked eggs in recipes and found some good tips out there, I just didn't have time to make a back-up pie if it altered the outcome of the recipe. I've used egg beaters in other recipes with success, I just didn't here...I went with the fool proof way. Just make sure your eggs are fresh, and show no cracks.

Alright...I got this recipe from my cute sister in law...hence the name! We (my family) has worshipped her ever since the first time we tried it...some 15 years ago... (we love her for many other reasons, too!) When I make it I use almond and vanilla extract (one tsp of each), 2 tsp of almond extract is a little too strong for me, but that's just me. You can always just use vanilla and that is completely delicious, as well. Thanks Ang, it was the perfect ending to our dinner!