Creamy Potato Recipe

I have no idea what these are really called. They serve them a restaurant in Utah. I can't remember the name of the place. Anyhoo...Mary gave me this recipe and we made it for Christmas dinner and they were awesome. I'm not sure how many lbs of potatoes I actually used and the recipe is kind of vague about it, but I think I used 5 or so large potatoes. Just enough to fill an 11 x 14 glass pan. Helpful I know, but so worth figuring it out. :)

11 x 14" glass pan
10 lbs Uncooked Potatoes (you won't use them all)
1.5 qt. Heavy Whipping Cream (Marigolds Cream)
1 Tbsp Salt
1 1/2 tsp White Pepper (1 Tbsp for spicy)
1/2 Cups Corn Starch (1/3 for creamier mix)

Peel potatoes and cut into thin slices like Au Gratin style and fill medium sized pot until 3/4 full. Fill pot with enough water to cover potatoes. Bring to a boil. Cook until they are almost thoroughly cooked (cooked but firm). Preheat oven to 380 degrees. When potatoes are put into the water to boil pour chilled Whipping Cream in a different pot and then blend in corn starch with a whisk as you pour in the corn starch. Add Salt and white pepper to whipping cream. Cook whipping cream mixture on medium to low heat until it is the consistency of gravy (it is a dairy product so it can burn easily so keep low and stir continually). Do not over cook potatoes. When potatoes are done put in pan and when whipping cream is done pour over potatoes (best if potatoes are still hot) so they are completely covered and slightly mix in. Cover with foil and cook for 1 hour.

Basil Tomato Soup

Now that it's getting so cold, soup's good to warm you up. I have about 10 recipes for tomato soup, but I'm usually in too big a hurry to do anything exotic. Here's a quick and easy one for winter that we really like.

1 quart bottled tomatoes (In season, I use fresh tomatoes.)
6 basil leaves
1 c. half and half*
salt & pepper to taste

I use my handy stick blender to blend the tomatoes in the pan along with the basil leaves. Or use regular blender. Heat through, add cream... (It curdles, but I again blend it till it's smooth.) *I often substitute 1/2 c sour cream or 1/2 c. heavy cream for the half and half, depending on what I have on hand. We like to eat it with grilled cheese sandwiches.

Christmas Goodies

It's getting close to time for all the yummy Christmas baking to begin. I would love it if you could all share some recipes of things you will be making. I would particularly like a good fudge recipe. Here are a couple of my favorites. (Neither of them actually require baking. :))

Cookie Dough Truffles
(adapted from Taste of Home)

½ cup butter, softened
¾ cup packed brown sugar
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup chopped walnuts (optional, I did not add them)
1 ½ pounds semisweet chocolate candy coating, chopped

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the flour, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla; mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts, if using.

Shape into 1-inch balls; place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Loosely cover and freeze for 1-2 hours or until firm. (The dough softens quickly at room temperature so it works best if they are frozen, not just chilled in the refrigerator.)

In a microwave safe bowl, melt candy coating, stirring often until smooth. Dip balls in coating; place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes. If desired, melt remaining candy coating and drizzle over candies. Store in refrigerator. Yield: 5 ½ dozen.

(I couldn't find the candy coating, so I added 1 1/2 tbsp of shortening to one bag of chocolate chips and melted them together. It worked just as well and is also a cheaper option.)


Crispy Peanut Butter Balls
(also from taste of home)

2 cups creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
3-3/4 cups powdered sugar
3 cups crisp rice cereal
4 cups chocolate chips
1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon shortening, divided
1/3 cup vanilla or white chips

Ina large mixing bowl, beat peanut butter and butter until blended; gradually beat powdered sugar. Stir in cereal. Shape into 1-in. balls. Refrigerate until chilled.

In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine choc. chips and 1/4 cup shortening. Microwave on high until chips are melted; stir until smooth. Dip balls into chocolate; place on a waxed paper-lined pan.

In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine vanilla chips and remaining shortening. Microwave at 70% power until melted; stir until smooth. Drizzle over candies. Refrigerate until set.

(To drizzle white chocolate, I use a Ziploc bag and cut a tiny whole in the corner.)

Apple Pie

I found this recipe and thought it was an interesting way to do apple pie. I made it and it was sooooo good.

Filling
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
8 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.

Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Cover with a lattice work of crust. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.

Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft.

Pastry:
3 cups of flour
1 cup + 2 T shortening
1 1/2 tsp. salt
7 or so T cold water

Combine flour and salt; cut in shortening with pastry blender till mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle cold water, 1T at a time, evenly over surface; stir with fork till all ingredients are moistened. Shape into 2 balls.

Layered Ice Cream Cake

I saw this recipe on TLC and thought it sounded so good. I haven't actually made it so if any of you make it, let me know how you liked it.


Ingredients:

24 ice cream sandwiches
8 oz cool whip
2 king-size butterfinger candy bars crushed
1 squeeze-bottle chocolate syrup
1 squeeze-bottle caramel topping

Instructions:

Arrange in six layers in a 9x13-inch pan:

First layer: 12 ice cream sandwiches placed over the bottom of the pan

Second layer: half of the cool whip

Third layer: half of the crushed butterfinger candy bars, topped with half the bottle of chocolate syrup and half the bottle of caramel topping.

Repeat layers 1-3. Freeze and eat as desired.

Crock Pot Potato Chowder

I'm not a big soup person, but I really liked this soup from "Real Mom Kitchen". It was really yummy. I think the cream cheese is what made it so good to me. I am a big fan of cream cheese.

Crock Pot Potato Chowder

8 cups diced potatoes
1/3 cup onion, chopped
3 knorr boullion cubes (these are two teaspoons in size, so I used 6 teaspoons of my boullion powder)
6 cups water
1 10 3/4 ounce condensed cream of chicken soup
1 8 ounce package cream cheese
1/2 lb. of bacon, cooked and crumbled
Dried parsley or sliced green onions for garnish-optional

Combine potatoes, onion, water, boullion, and chicken soup in the crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until potatoes are tender. Add cream cheese to crock pot and blend. Top with bacon and parsley or onions before serving.

Corn Bread and Honey Butter

I somehow lost all of my recipe books and favorite recipes I've printed and saved over the last 4 years. I remember seeing them while unpacking when we got here, but I have no idea where they got put. I've looked everywhere. So, my favorite corn bread recipe is gone. But I found a pretty good replacement from My Kitchen Cafe. It's more cake like than your average corn bread, but the kids LOVE it. We also tried the honey butter recipe and really liked it. Not at all good for you, but good. haha.

Cornbread
½ cup cornmeal
1 ½ cup flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup oil
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1 ¼ cup milk

Add dry ingredients, make a well and add oil, butter, eggs, and milk into the center. Stir until just mixed (batter will be runny - don't be alarmed!). Bake in an 8” square pan at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. This doubles perfectly for a 9X13-inch pan.

Honey Butter:
2 sticks butter, softened
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup marshmallow fluff

Whip all together with an electric mixer and serve at room temperature (can be refrigerated and softened).