My Favorite Recipes

These are my tried and true favorites...the recipes I turn to when company is coming and I need a "sure thing" on the table.  These are the recipes that have been made over and over...some I've made for over 20 years. Try a few...and let me know what you think!

Chicken:  Barbecued Herb-Mustard Chicken


In the late 1980s my mother in law introduced me to this recipe from Sunset magazine.  She made it frequently for family get-togethers and Brian and I continue to make it on a regular basis. In fact, when I make it, I quadruple the recipe and fill up the freezer for easy-to-make meals at a later date.

Something else I should mention, is that it's worth trying even if you don't like mustard.  I HATE mustard.  Hate it. I don't even scrape it off of things...I simply won't eat mustard-y foods.   Yet I LOVE this recipe.  And speaking of mustard, the type/brand of mustard you use does matter. I've mentioned two easy-to-find national brands that work well with this.  But I've had it with other mustards and it's just not the same. 

Beef:  Marinated Flank Steak

This recipe really needs a better name because "marinated" doesn't describe the soy-ginger-garlicy goodness that leaves you drooling.  There are many similar marinades out there with different names, and I'm sure they're all good.  But I have no need to even try them because this one is so damn good.   And while the title says "flank" steak, it also works well with sirloins.  The flank is best, but for the budget dinners, it does wonders to a cheap sirloin.

Make sure to use fresh ingredients...onions, ginger, garlic.  None of that dried stuff, please.   

Pie:  Old-Fashioned Apple Pie


This recipe came from the McCalls cookbook we got for a wedding gift 21 years ago.  I've been making it ever since.  You can pretty much count on it for Thanksgiving and Christmas at my house.  Even if I make another pie, I still make the apple.  It's not a holiday meal without my apple pie.  When we have benefit pie auctions, my apple pie brings in a solid bid each time.  What can be better than that?  Pies for charity!!

When I first began making this I used the Pilsbury refrigerated pie crusts.  Now I make my own crust, but if you're looking for a short-cut, get the Pilsbury crusts.

Cake:  Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting


Incredibly moist carrot cake and the creamiest cream cheese frosting ever.  Make sure you thaw out the cream cheese before mixing so it's not lumpy.  Since the shredded carrots are the most time-consuming part of this recipe, I've found a short-cut:  I buy a bag of carrots and shred all of them in the food processor (using the fine shredding blade).  Then I bag them up in 4 cup servings, and freeze them!  I usually have a few bags of shredded carrots in my freezer.  When I need (or want!) to make this cake it's super easy to grab a bag of carrots...you don't even need to defrost them...just dump them in the mixing bowl.

Stir-Fry: Kung Pao Chicken

This is another recipe we've been making for 20 some years.  The only downside is that I haven't found a way to freeze parts of it for a make ahead meal....something to work on this summer!  Anyway, I just love the flavors in this sauce...so much better than any jarred/premade sauces you can pick up at the grocery store.  And, you can add just about any veggie to make it to your liking.  Shrimp or tofu is easily added or substituted for the chicken too.


Cookies:  Van's Chocolate Chip Cookies


The first thing you may notice is that these aren't so chocolate-y.  Don't let that stop you.  I'm not a fan of a lot of chocolate, and prefer to use about half the recommend chocolate chips in my cookies.  The linked recipe will give you a generous amount of chocolate!

This recipe comes from a woman named Van, whom I met when we lived in Indiana. These were the first home-made chocolate chip cookies that I fell in love with.  They just always turn out perfectly.    Van said the key was the Fleishmann's margarine and the Gold Medal brand flour.  I don't mess with perfection, so I always make them as she did.

Pudding:  Rice Pudding


The ultimate comfort food.   This version is baked in a water bath, leaving a creamy rice mixture on the bottom with custard on top.  Soooooooooo good!!

Pasta:  Baked Macaroni and Cheese


This is one of my newer favorites, as I've only been making it for 5 years.  I love the creaminess. Cook's Illustrated insists it's because of the colby cheese...which I've had difficulty finding at times.  It seems it used to be more readily available, but now I just find colby-jack, which is not what you want.   So go on a colby hunt. It's worth it!

Another plus....it's just as easy to quadruple the recipe and make up a bunch of pans to freeze.  I LOVE having this on hand in the freezer for some quick comfort food. When someone's in need and meals are being arranged, I can always volunteer immediately because this is stocked in my freezer.  It's kid-family friendly, vegetarian, and not spicy...all great pluses when you're cooking for someone recovering from an illness.

Alcoholic Beverage:  Minty Mojitos


Refreshing and light...perfect for a warm summer evening.  Kids seem to like the virgin versions of these too...just leave out the rum for theirs!  When you make this recipe, leave some room at the top.  That way you can adjust the taste....adding a bit more simple sugar, rum, or lime.  I tend to like a bit more lime!

Potato Dish:  Smoky Scalloped Potatoes




Another more recent favorite from Cook's Illustrated.  This is just soooooo darn good.  Creamy and cheesy.  It's a little time consuming and not anywhere near calorie-conscious so it gets made once a year for Thanksgiving or Christmas.  It fits in nicely with my holiday meal schedule, as it needs a 425 degree oven which is exactly the same as my cornbread and apple pie...so the three of them can cook up right after the turkey comes out of the oven.  Oh, and it can be assembled the day before, which helps with holiday stresses!

Appetizer:  Herbed Puffs

Hot little mouth-watering morsels of cheesy-herby goodness.  Can be made ahead and frozen. Enough said!

Dip:  Cilantro Dip



The best party dip.  Pour over a block of cream cheese and serve with water crackers. This one's been making the rounds within my circle of friends for several years.  You can make it as hot or mild as you like (just add the jalapenos a little at a time until it's just right for you). 

Holiday Meal Plan



When it comes to Thanksgiving and Christmas, I pretty much make the same dishes each year.  While that might seem boring, most of these dishes are only made for the holidays, so we look forward to them each year.

My holiday meals usually include the following dishes, which are all freshly home-made:

• Apple Streusel Coffeecake (morning)
• Turkey
• Tofurky
• Gravy
• Mashed Potatoes (or Scalloped Potatoes)
• Cornbread
• Broccoli with Garlic Butter and Cashews
• Green Beens with Pecans
• Sausage Stuffing
• Vegetarian Stuffing
• Apple Pie
• Turkey Pot Pie (for the day after)

The prep work and timing for these dishes could be overwhelming if I didn't do a lot of work the week before.  In this meal plan you'll find the shopping list, recipes, and a schedule for all the prep work.

The beauty behind this plan is the prep bowl chart.  I line up all my bowls, number them, and get out the ingredients. Then I fill the bowls assembly-line style.

Puff Pastry Pinwheels with Prosciutto, Gruyere Cheese, and Basil

Puff Pastry Pinwheel Post Part Two!

Earlier I posted the recipe for Puff Pastry Pinwheels with Prosciutto and Manchego Cheese.  I made two types...one with prosciutto and Manchego cheese filling, and another with prosciutto, basil, and Gruyere cheese.  Which one was best?  Ummm...they were gobbled up so quickly that they were both declared winners.

And how easy were they to make...FAST & EASY!!   Puff pastry pinwheels will now be appearing at any event we host.  They were that good.  (And that easy!)

Now, I'm definitely a measure and follow the recipe kinda' girl, but this is truly one "recipe" where you can easily add more of what you like, or change things up a bit.  Experiment and have a little fun. Live dangerously and just plop on your ingredients.

Puff Pastry Pinwheels with Prosciutto, Gruyere Cheese, and Basil

Ingredients:
1 package frozen puff pastry (I used Pepperidge Farm)
About 10 thin slices of prosciutto
About 1/2- 1 cup of shredded Gruyere cheese (found in the specialty cheese section of your upscale grocery stores)
egg white and a little water, whisked together in a bowl
10-15 basil leaves

Directions:
1.  First you'll need puff pastry sheets.  I used the Pepperidge Farm ones from the freezer section.  Since I was making these right away, I opened up the package and let them defrost on the counter for about 40 minutes.  You can also leave the box in your refrigerator overnight to defrost.

2.  Once the puff pastry is defrosted, lay it flat.  (You can leave it this size, or you can roll it out so that you're able to make a few more pinwheels for your party.)

3.  Layer prosciutto, Gruyere cheese, and basil leaves (however much you'd like!) on the pastry. 

4.  Roll up into one big spiral.

5.  Some recipes say to refrigerate for 3 hours (or more), while other recipes don't mention refrigerating at all before you cut them.  Since I didn't read this step ahead of time, I didn't have 3 hours!  I did put them in the refrigerator for 45 minutes and then sliced them into 1/2" sections.  I saved some of the roll and let that refrigerate overnight.  What I learned is that they're easier to slice when they've been refrigerated.  So, if you have time, go ahead and refrigerate.  If not, just roll up, and slice away!

6.  Lay the sections flat, so you see the spiral.  Brush the egg/water mixture over the top for a glossy finish.

7.  Bake at 400 degrees for about 12-15 minutes, or until golden on top.

Serve hot or at room temperature.  (That's the beauty of these...they taste great at room temperature, so you can make them ahead to bring to a party.)

You should be able to get about 20 spirals from half the package, so 40 if you're using the whole package.  

Feel free to experiment with other fillings:

Muenster cheese, Parmesan cheese, chopped green onion, garlic salt, spinach

Cream cheese, broccoli, ham

Pesto, cream cheese

Cream cheese, spinach, onion, and Italian sausage

Serrano ham, Manchego cheese

It doesn't have to be savory either...you can go sweet too!  Think of fruit pie fillings...oh my, the options are endless!  Have fun experimenting!

Puff Pastry Pinwheels with Prosciutto and Manchego Cheese

Puff Pastry Pinwheels with Prosciutto and Manchego Cheese

Prosciutto and Machego Cheese Pinwheels; Prosciutto, Basil, and Gruyere Cheese Pinwheels

So what appetizer was the hit of the Super Bowl party last night?  Scrumptious little puff pastry pinwheels!  I made two types...one with prosciutto and Manchego cheese filling, and another with prosciutto, basil, and Gruyere cheese.  Which one was best?  Ummm...they were gobbled up so quickly that they were both declared winners.

And how easy were they to make...FAST & EASY!!   Puff pastry pinwheels will now be appearing at any event we host.  They were that good.  (And that easy!)

Now, I'm definitely a measure and follow the recipe kinda' girl, but this is truly one "recipe" where you can easily add more of what you like, or change things up a bit.  Experiment and have a little fun. Live dangerously and just plop on your ingredients.

Puff Pastry Pinwheels with Prosciutto and Manchego Cheese

Ingredients:
1 package frozen puff pastry (I used Pepperidge Farm)
About 10 thin slices of prosciutto
About 1/2- 1 cup of shredded Manchego cheese (found in the specialty cheese section of your upscale grocery stores)
egg white and a little water, whisked together in a bowl

Directions:
1.  First you'll need puff pastry sheets.  I used the Pepperidge Farm ones from the freezer section.  Since I was making these right away, I opened up the package and let them defrost on the counter for about 40 minutes.  You can also leave the box in your refrigerator overnight to defrost.

2.  Once the puff pastry is defrosted, lay it flat.  (You can leave it this size, or you can roll it out so that you're able to make a few more pinwheels for your party.)

3.  Layer prosciutto and Manchego cheese (however much you'd like!) on the pastry. 

4.  Roll up into one big spiral.

5.  Some recipes say to refrigerate for 3 hours (or more), while other recipes don't mention refrigerating at all before you cut them.  Since I didn't read this step ahead of time, I didn't have 3 hours!  I did put them in the refrigerator for 45 minutes and then sliced them into 1/2" sections.  I saved some of the roll and let that refrigerate overnight.  What I learned is that they're easier to slice when they've been refrigerated.  So, if you have time, go ahead and refrigerate.  If not, just roll up, and slice away!

6.  Lay the sections flat, so you see the spiral.  Brush the egg/water mixture over the top for a glossy finish.

7.  Bake at 400 degrees for about 12-15 minutes, or until golden on top.

Serve hot or at room temperature.  (That's the beauty of these...they taste great at room temperature, so you can make them ahead to bring to a party.)

You should be able to get about 20 spirals from half the package, so 40 if you're using the whole package.  

Feel free to experiment with other fillings:

Muenster cheese, Parmesan cheese, chopped green onion, garlic salt, spinach

Prosciutto, basil, and Gruyere cheese

Cream cheese, broccoli, ham

Pesto, cream cheese

Cream cheese, spinach, onion, and Italian sausage

Serrano ham, Manchego cheese

It doesn't have to be savory either...you can go sweet too!  Think of fruit pie fillings...oh my, the options are endless!  Have fun experimenting!

Spicy Chicken Tortilla Roll-Ups

Today was the Super Bowl party.  Until kick off the only thing I could've told you about the game was that Madonna was performing at half-time.  OK...I know...that's not even about the game.  That shows you how little I knew.  What I did know, however, was that a bunch of hungry people were coming to my home, and I needed some tasty appetizers that I could quickly prepare.

I have a line up of tried-and-true recipes, but I wanted something new.  So I headed over to Pinterest and scanned my "To Try" boards.  These roll-ups (pinned from the Homemade by Holmnan blog) caught my eye because 1) SPICY always catches my eye, and 2) my roll-ups are BORING.    Of the 3 recipes I found,  I thought these would be the most time consuming but that was not the case...they were quick and easy. 

Spicy Chicken Tortilla Roll-Ups
(adapted from Homemade by Holman)

Cook in a boiling pot of water:
     1  1/2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts

When the chicken is cooked through (no pink in the center), remove from the pot.  Cut off any chicken "gunk"...tendons, fat...the yucky stuff.  Shred the chicken with two forks* while it's still warm.

Mix the shredded chicken with:
     1 10 oz. can Rotel (tomatoes and green chiles), drained
     12 oz cream cheese, softened
     1 C shredded cheddar or monterey Jack cheese (I used cheddar)
     1 clove garlic, minced
     1 TB chili powder
     1/2 tsp cayenne powder
     1 tsp cumin
     1/2 tsp garlic salt
     1/4 C chopped cilantro
     6 green onions, finely chopped (white and green parts)

Spread the chicken mixture over the surface of a tortilla, and roll up tightly.  You can slice them at this point, but I find it best to refrigerate them for a bit (20+ minutes...overnight is fine too) before slicing.  Slice them to 1/2" - 1" pieces.  Try not to eat too much before serving!!

They were delicious!  So much better than my slap-some-cream-cheese-ham-and-a-long-green-onion-on-a-tortilla kind of roll up.  MUCH better.  So much better that I'll never, ever go back to those boring roll ups.  As for the spiciness level, they weren't too spicy.  A hint of a kick.  If you really like spicy (as I do), you could up the chili powder or cayenne pepper.  I might try that next time. 

*OR....try my new favorite way to shred chicken...in a KitchenAid mixer!!  I read about this on Pinterest too.  It's so incredibly easy you'll wonder why you never thought of it before!  Just put the chicken (cut in quarters or halves) in the mixing bowl with the paddle.  Turn on low (speed 2 or so) and watch the chicken shred without any work at all.  It doesn't mush it or create a weird texture...it perfectly shreds your chicken!!  After I shred the chicken in the mixer, I simply dumped the rest of the ingredients in, and let the mixer stir it together.  Easy-peasy!  Here's a tutorial I found on the Taste and See God's Goodness blog.

Mini Egg Rolls

(Not the best photo.  It was dark, and I took it in a hurry.  Don't let that stop you from trying the recipe though!)

For our annual Christmas party, I thought about making potstickers -again-.  I make them every now and then, and while, they're a hit, I wanted to make something different.  Egg rolls were the first things to come to mind.  I searched different on-line recipes, and finally settled on an adaptation from Allrecipes.com.    I planned on making full sized egg rolls, but when Brian came home from the store, they were out of the full sized wrappers, and just had the won-ton wrappers. In the end, I LOVED the won-ton wrapper size for a party.  They're the perfect bite-sized morsel.  Easy to eat, and tasty too!

Mini Egg Rolls

Mix in a bowl and set aside:
     2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
     2 tablespoons water

Shred:
     3 C cabbage
     1/4-1/2 C carrots

Saute the shredded veggies with:
     2 TB soy sauce
     2 TB water

Cook thoroughly in a skillet:
     1 lb ground pork
     2 tsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
     2 tsp garlic powder

Mix the veggie/pork mixture together in a bowl.

Place a dab of the pork/veggie mixture in the center of a won-ton wrapper.  Place a dab of the flour paste on the top corner (this will be the "glue", keeping it together).  Fold the side corners in toward the middle.  Fold the bottom corner up toward the middle, rolling upward. Continue until you've used up the rest of the pork mixture. 

Heat oil (about 1/4" in the pan) in a large frying pan to 375 degrees (medium-high heat).  When the oil is hot enough to sizzle, quickly place the mini egg rolls in the pan.  Cook until the side is golden brown, then turn over.  When both sides are golden brown, remove from the pan onto a plate or shallow bowl that's lined with a paper towel (to absorb any grease).  

Serve plain (yes, they're good enough to eat without sauce!) or with your favorite Asian dipping sauce. 

FREEZING

They're also easy to freeze.  I doubled this recipe and served half at Christmas time, and half at our Super Bowl party today.  Once I filled the won-ton wrappers, I placed each mini egg roll on a baking sheet to flash freeze.  Then I placed them in a FoodSaver bag, sucked out all the air, and put them in my freezer, Beauty (Yes, I've named my freezer!!).   To quickly thaw, I put them in the microwave on defrost for a minute.  Then I proceeded to heat up the oil, and cook them following the directions below.  In just 5 minutes the egg rolls were ready to serve to guests.  It doesn't get any easier than that!

VEGETARIAN OPTION
My daughter's a vegetarian, so I used this same recipe and replaced the pork with GimmeLean ground "beef".   There were several vegetarians at the party, who agreed these were worth making again!

Cilantro Dip

I discovered this dip at the Meads' Civil War party. The Beavers (their team) may have lost , but I found this winning dip that was brought by their neighbor, Shannon. Shannon made two new dips for the first time, the recipes coming from a friend of hers. This friend told her that of the two dips, the cilantro one would be gobbled. The friend was right. The other one would have fared well on its own...but sitting next to the cilantro one, it never stood a chance! The dip has a bit of sweet and sour, with a little kick of spiciness that hits you toward the end of your bite.

So for our annual "Stragglers" Christmas Night party, I decided early on to make the dip. It's a definite keeper as it's so simple, and has proven to be a crowd pleaser at two events. Last night, the first brick of cream cheese was quickly eaten, but there was still enough "gunk" left to scoop over a second brick. So mid-party, I placed a second one on the platter, and spooned the dip over the cream cheese. What I'm getting at, is that there is definitely enough dip for two bricks of cream cheese.

Cilantro Dip

Mix together:
3/4 bunch of chopped cilantro
1 bunch of chopped green onions
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped*
3/4 C dried cranberries**
2 tsp sugar
1/4 C balsamic vinegar***
1/8 C olive oil***

Let the mixture sit for a couple of hours. Then pour over a brick of cream cheese and serve with crackers.

*I like things a bit spicy, so I did not seed my pepper. Friends who were at both events stated they liked the spicier version better. So, if you like a bit more heat (still mild enough for kiddos), leave in the seeds.

**I chopped the cranberries so they were smaller. Not a big change, but thought I'd mention it...

***The friend of Shannon's doubles the given amount of oil and vinegar as she likes more juice. So, you can play around with that as well!

The Perfect Appetizer: Herbed Puffs

These babies are pure appetizer heaven.

What makes them so perfect?

1. FAST.
2. and EASY to make.
3. Can be made well ahead of event.
4. Freezer Friendly!
5. They are DELICIOUS little morsels!

Cooking tip: Have all your ingredients measured out, ready to go. Once you start dumping it in the pot, you need to work fast!

I've made these several times. They are always a hit. Next time I will probably triple the recipe, and flash-freeze them so they are ready to go when we have guests.

Something else to try with them: slicing them in half and adding a slice of thin cheese and prusciotto or salami. I got this from my friends, Nikki & John, who made a similar appetizer. Their recipe called for the slicing and addition of the meat and cheese inside. They were tasty!

Herbed Puffs (San Francisco Encore)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine in a saucepan, and bring to a boil.
2/3 C water
1/3 C + 2 TB milk
1 stick (4 oz) butter
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

As soon as it boils, remove from heat and immediately pour in (all at once):
1 C flour

Using a wooden spoon, stir rapidly until all of the flour is incorporated and the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Return to a low heat and cook for an additional minute.

Beat in, until the mixture is thick and smooth:
4 eggs, one at a time

Add in:
4 oz. Gruyere cheese, grated
2 green onions, minced
1 TB minced parsley
1 tsp dried dill

Spoon the batter into 1 ½” mounds onto the prepared baking sheets.

Beat together:
1 egg
pinch of salt
and brush over the tops of the puffs.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until nicely browned. Remove from the baking sheets and cool on wire racks.

These freeze well and can be reheated. (Since we had freezing temps, I did my flash freezing on the patio!)

Pig-On-Pig

Most people have fancy names for this like, "Bacon-Wrapped Smokies" or even "Bacon-Wrapped Brown Sugar Smokies". But when you get right down to it, it's simply pig on pig. These are not the classiest of appetizers, but I promise if you bring them to a holiday party they will be devoured. Even before the meatballs simmering in jelled cranberry and chili sauce (another trailer park winner that will have everyone talking about what a great sauce you make...but that's for another post...) are half gone, the Pig-On-Pig platter will be empty. Guaranteed.

The secret? Take some pig (that would be Hilshire Farms Lil' Smokies) and wrap with more pig (1/3 - 1/2 piece of bacon). Secure with a toothpick and spread out in a baking pan. Cook in an oven at 325 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven, kick up the heat to 350 degrees, and generously sprinkle brown sugar over the smokies. Place back in the oven until the bacon crisps and the brown sugar is bubbly (another 10-15 minutes or so).

Once out of the oven, place on your finest serving platter, scooping some of the liquid grease (oh, I mean the melted brown sugar!) back over the smokies. Serve hot.

(1 pound of bacon cut in thirds is enough to wrap one package of Lil' Smokies.)

Chicken & Beef Sate

Last weekend I spent a lot of time re-stocking our freezer with prepared meals/meat. I made up several new recipes, including this one, which we made for our dinner tonight. Brian gave me a thumbs-up at the dinner table. We'll be making this again for sure. It was soooooooo good! I can't wait to taste it with beef, though I think I'll prefer the chicken. Brian said the peanut sauce would also be good with Buffalo Wings.

Chicken & Beef Sate
(Good Housekeeping, August 1996)

Slice into 1" thick strips:
2-2 1/4 lbs of skinless, boneless chicken breasts -or- boneless top sirloin steak

In a medium bowl combine:
2 tsp lime zest
2 TB fresh lime juice
1/4 C soy sauce
1 TB fresh gingerroot, grated
2 tsp sugar
2 garlic cloves, crushed

Add meat strips to the above mixture and marinate for 30 minutes.

Spicy Peanut Sauce
In a small bowl combine:
1/4 C creamy peanut butter
1/4 C very hot tap water
4 tsp seasoned* rice vinegar
1 TB soy sauce
1 TB light molasses
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (more/less depending on preferred spiciness level)

Thread meat onto wooden or metal skewers, weaving it on accordion style. If you’re using wooden ones, soak them in water for at least 20 minutes so the wood won’t burn.

Grill meat for 2-7 minutes, turning once, until cooked through.

Serve with the Spicy Peanut Sauce.

If you want to freeze this recipe, fill 2 separate freezer bags with the meat/marinade and the peanut sauce**. Defrost and prepare as mentioned above.

* I did not have seasoned rice vinegar on hand. The regular rice vinegar worked fine, but I’d like to try the seasoned kind to see how that would taste.

**I successfully froze the meat/marinade, but did not try freezing the peanut sauce. It seems like it should freeze well. If not, it’s quick and easy to make just before serving.

Hot Wings/Buffalo Wings

At our gathering last night, our friend, Dave (the one with the killer BBQ sauce...still need the recipe, Heidi!!) brought some Buffalo Wings with a killer sauce. I'm not a wing person, but I did sample the sauce. It was GOOD! Dave laughed as he shared the recipe with me: Frank's RedHot Sauce by Durkee and brown sugar. That's IT. Mix to your liking (whether you want it sweeter or hotter), nuke it a bit in the microwave for the brown sugar to melt, stir, and it's ready.

I'd definitely recommend it for Buffalo Wings at your next gathering. I'm planning on using it as a marinade for chicken breasts. It's sooooooo easy!

Twice Baked Potatoes

Brian and I had a gathering last night, so I decided to do something with the sack of potatoes that was sitting in the pantry. I shredded a bunch of cheddar cheese, cooked up some bacon, and got out a stick (or two) of butter, some salt and pepper. Sometimes I add fresh chives to them as well, but it was rainy, and I wasn't up to checking the garden to see if any were sprouting. (Often I have chives year-round.)

I rely so much on recipes. I've said before, I am not a "throw in a little of this, a little of that, to taste...." type of cook. I like a little more guidance, if not precision in what to do. But with this recipe, I'm loosening up, and relying completely on taste. The only way you can do wrong is to add too much salt and pepper. And, if you do that, just get a few more potatoes, and balance it all out.

The end result is pure heaven. Cheesy potato-ey goodness.

Here's what I do:

Twice Baked Potatoes

1. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.

2. Scrub a bunch of potatoes. (I do a whole bag, freezing a bunch of them for later.) Use a fork to pierce each potato. For the really large potatoes, I pierce twice. I'm not sure if this is necessary or total over-kill, but I've never had a potato explosion in the oven, so I'll keep on pokin'.

3. Place the potatoes directly on the oven racks. I put the larger ones in back, as I'll be taking the smaller ones out first. Set the timer for 45 minutes (to check on them).

4. While they're baking, cook up a pound or so of bacon, and a pound or so of cheddar cheese.

5. Take them out of the oven. How to tell if they're done? A fork will be able to easily pierce right into the middle. Obviously, the smaller ones will be done sooner, so keep checking and poking them as needed. The "done" ones will also have a little bit of potato guck bubbling outside the skin where you first pierced them.

6. Place a sliced up stick of butter and some cheese in a large bowl.

7. Once they're done, place them on a baking rack to cool slightly. Slice the potatoes in half, and scoop out the insides. Make sure you don't scoop too much, or you'll tear the potato skin. It's better to leave a little more potato as a lining, than to cut too close to the skin. Though hotter to handle, I find it's easier to cut them in half, and scoop out the insides when they are pretty warm. Cold potato insides take a bit more "umph" to scoop out. So I grab a pot holder (love these little silicone ones by KitchenAid), and scoop away, putting the potato on top of the butter and cheese. The hot potatoes will soften the butter. To aid in scooping I use a grapefruit spoon with serrated edges.

8. Add some crumbled up bacon, some salt and pepper. Mash up until thoroughly mixed. I don't make mine smooth and creamy, though you can if you like. I have little potato lumps in mine...more rustic I guess.

9. Taste. Add more cheese, bacon, salt, pepper...whatever you think it needs. When you're happy with the taste, the fun begins!

10. Get out a pan. If you're making these for a gathering within 48 hours, put them in a 9 x 13" baking pan (or whatever size you like...it doesn't really matter). If you're going to be freezing them, I'd suggest a jelly-roll pan for flash-freezing/vacuum packing.

11. Put the filling back into the potato skins. Make little raised mounds on top. Fill up your pan.

12. To cook: These can be kept in the fridge for a day or so. When cooking, place in an oven pre-heated to 450 degrees. Bake uncovered until the filling is heated all the way through and the potato skins are once again crisp. It takes about 20-30 minutes. As long as you don't burn them, they'll be great!

If frozen, defrost them, and bake as described above. When I freeze them, I will usually make just a few at at time from the bag. I defrost in the microwave, and then put them in the oven to finish them. The hot oven crisps up the skin.

They take a little bit of time. But it's one of those things where you can make a bag full of potatoes nearly as quickly as a few potatoes. So why not make them in a larger quantity and freeze some for later?!

The Perfect Appetizer: Herbed Puffs

These babies are pure appetizer heaven.

What makes them so perfect?

1. FAST.
2. and EASY to make.
3. Can be made well ahead of event.
   
4. Freezer Friendly!
5. They are DELICIOUS little morsels!
   

Cooking tip: Have all your ingredients measured out, ready to go. Once you start dumping it in the pot, you need to work fast!

I've made these several times. They are always a hit. Next time I will probably triple the recipe, and flash-freeze them so they are ready to go when we have guests.

Something else to try with them: slicing them in half and adding a slice of thin cheese and prusciotto or salami. I got this from my friends, Nikki & John, who made a similar appetizer. Their recipe called for the slicing and addition of the meat and cheese inside. They were tasty!

Herbed Puffs (San Francisco Encore)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter 2 baking sheets.

Combine in a saucepan, and bring to a boil.
2/3 C water
1/3 C + 2 TB milk
1 stick (4 oz) butter
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

As soon as it boils, remove from heat and immediately pour in (all at once):
1 C flour

Using a wooden spoon, stir rapidly until all of the flour is incorporated and the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Return to a low heat and cook for an additional minute.

Beat in, until the mixture is thick and smooth:
4 eggs, one at a time

Add in:
4 oz. Gruyere cheese, grated
2 green onions, minced
1 TB minced parsley
1 tsp dried dill

Spoon the batter into 1 ½” mounds onto the prepared baking sheets.

Beat together:
1 egg
pinch of salt
and brush over the tops of the puffs.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until nicely browned. Remove from the baking sheets and cool on wire racks.

These freeze well and can be reheated. (Since we had freezing temps, I did my flash freezing on the patio!)