Twice baked potatoes with bacon and eggs recipe

Back in the day I was not really a big breakfast kind of person, but now it has become kind of a tradition that Sunday mornings I make Eric and I a nice breakfast. It is just a good way to spend the morning, cooking and lounging around before Eric has to get to work. So as I was thumbing through my Food Network magazine the other day I came across this recipe and Eric's eyes lit right up...."Can we have that this Sunday?" Well, we ended up having chocolate chip pancakes...but next weekend it's on!


What you'll need:
4 large russet potatoes
6 slices bacon (prob more..)
1/4 cup milk, warmed
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
4 large eggs
1 tbsp butter

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pierce potatoes in a few places with a fork. Place in an oven mitt and microwave for 5 minutes.
2. Cook bacon in skillet until crisp then place on paper towel to drain.
3. Slice off the top 1/4 inch of the potatoes and then scoop out the flesh and put into a separate bowl, leaving 1/4 inch thick shell. You will only need the flesh of 3 of the potatoes, discard the flesh of the final potato. Add 1 tbsp of butter, and the warm milk to the potato bowl and mash with a masher or a fork until smooth. Stir in cheese, scallions, parsley, chopped bacon, and salt and pepper.
4. Divide the filling among the skins and then press down with the spoon to create a well. Place the filled potatoes on a lined baking sheet and then carefully crack an egg into each potato well.
5. Place baking sheet into oven until egg whites are set, about 20 to 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and top with scallions and more bacon.

Yum, can't wait!

Honey mustard kielbasa and potatoes recipe

Today was one of those "empty out the pantry" nights. It is back down to like -2 degrees here in Lansing, and that means this girl is NOT going out to the grocery store...time to improvise. I went with a package of kielbasa that was going to go bad soon, some potatoes that were just taking up too much space, and my very last onion. Throw in some seasoning and make a good sauce and we're good to go! This recipe was so hearty and flavorful. I am not a sausage eater, I think it has a weird texture, it freaks me out...just not for me. But tonight was another story. These little sausage pieces got crispy and caramelized and were perfect with the potatoes. This recipe is so easy and cheap it would be crazy for you to not try it.

What you'll need:
1 1/4 lb potatoes, about 4 (I used russet because thats what I had, but I would do baby reds in the future), cut into 1 inch pieces.
1 lb kielbasa, cut in 1/2 inch rounds
1 large onion cut into roughly 1 inch chunks
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup dijon mustard
1/2 tbsp yellow mustard
1/2 tbsp honey
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl until well combined. Season with a pinch of salt, pepper and garlic salt. Transfer into a baking dish lined with tin foil sprayed well with cooking spray.
3. Bake for 55-60 minutes stirring once or twice, until potatoes are tender and beginning to brown.


Ta-da! Super easy and I had all of the ingredients just waiting to be used at my house. Perfect quick weeknight meal.

See Eric's contribution to the plate? Yes, those are green beans with crushed up Ritz crackers in them. I have never heard of it before, but it was actually really good....

Potato leek soup recipe

This recipe from Taste of Home caught my eye because during the summer my old co-workers and I would go out EVERY wednesday night because in E. Lansing there are two bars that are half off all night, food and drinks. So every wednesday we would alternate between the two places, one was an Irish pub and one was....well I don't know what it's theme was but it had lots of fried foods and beer and we liked that. So anyways, on the nights we would go to Dublin (the pub) we would always get their potato leek soup. Even though it was like 100 degrees and we were sweating, that soup was irresistible and all three of us would end up getting it every time.




So in memory of our wonderful summer of Wednesday nights, here is a potato leek soup recipe.

What you'll need:
3 celery ribs, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
3 medium leeks (white portion only), chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cans (14.5 oz each) vegetable broth
1 cup water
3 tbsp flour
1/4 cup fat-free milk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 green onions, chopped

1. In a nonstick skillet dutch oven, saute the celery, onions, leeks, green peppers, garlic and jalapenos in olive oil until tender. Add potatoes, broth, water and a pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.
2. Mix the flour and milk until smooth, stir into soup. Cook and stir for 2 minutes until thick and bubbly. Reduce heat to low. Stir in sour cream and green onions until blended, heat through (do not boil).

Ahhhh yes....really brings back good memories.

Creamy potato salad recipe

I thought about saving the post until it was nice outside and I would actually be more likely to make it...but I just looked at the picture and my mouth it watering. So I am just going to post it now and it probably won't stay on the "on deck" list until next season.

What you'll need:
2 lb potatoes, 1 inch cubes
1/4 cup italian dressing
3 hard cooked eggs, chopped
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
1 tbsp chopped dill
1/2 cup mayo

1. Cook potatoes in boiling water for 15 minutes until tender.
2. Place warm potatoes in large bowl, add italian dressing and toss to coat.
3. Add eggs, celery, onions, and dill; mix lightly. Stir in mayo and refrigerate until chilled.

SO EASY! I would probably add more celery because I am obsessed with crunchy celery in potato salads, but that is just me.

Potato pierogi recipe

Just as I was deciding what recipe I wanted to add to my "on deck" list I stumbled upon this potato pierogi recipe and it looked so great. I said "Eric, what do you think about me making some pierogis?" He looked at me very skeptical....he said "I don't know, it is kind of my family tradition. Do you think you could make some that would stand up to theirs?" So of course, CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!

What you'll need:
2- 2 1/2 cups flour
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1 cup water, lukewarm
3 potatoes, cooked and mashed
1 cup cottage cheese
1 onion, diced sauteed in butter

1. Make your dough by placing flour in a bowl and making a well in the center. Put the egg in the center and a little bit of the water. Start bringing the ingredients together, adding more water or flour as needed. Kneed the dough well for about 8 minutes. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes.
2. While your dough is resting make your filling by chunking the potatoes and boiling them until tender then mash with the skin on adding the cottage cheese, onion and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
3. Roll your dough out on a floured work surface and cut into 2 inch rounds. Place a teaspoon of filling in the center of the dough round, wet the edges with your finger and some water, fold over and pinch edges shut with a fork.
4. Start a large pot of boiling salted water. Once your pierogis are made drop them into the water. When they start to float let them cook for about 6 minutes longer (do not over crowd the pot, do them in batches). Remove them with a slotted spoon. If you would like them served steamed then they are ready after this step. If you would like them crispy and fried move on to step 5
5. Melt 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter in a skillet and fry your pierogis until brown and crispy on the outside.

These sound awesome and I love making homemade doughs. I think that my recipe would involve a lot less butter (no butter) and I think I would just go for a regular shredded cheese because that would be what I have on hand. But who knows, I do love cottage cheese so I wouldn't mind having some around the house!

Hopefully these stack up to the polish family traditions!

Corned beef and cabbage recipe

To start....sorry there is no photo of this glorious master piece of a meal, but I found this one on google just to try and get your mouth watering. I specifically brought my phone to the kitchen to capture a picture of mine right when I brought it out of the oven and then I was struck by its beauty and instantly forgot to take a picture haha. So just use this photo to imagine what a beautiful 3lb slab of meat looks like resting on a bed of carrots, potatoes, and cabbage. It is the best I could do, and actually it looks quite similar to my finished product.

This was only the second time I have made this dish and the first time was a disaster, so this has definitely been a learning experience. It is something that Eric's parents make and he LOVES so I have been trying really hard to perfect it. I still think there is one thing I would change for next time, but we will get to that.

What you'll need:
2-3 lb Corned beef brisket, with seasoning packet
1 lb baby red potatoes, quartered
1 head cabbage, chopped
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp ground cloves

1. Place your brisket with all seasoning from packet into a large pot and cover with water. Get water boiling and then turn heat down so you have a steady rolling boil. Let boil covered for 50 minutes per pound of meat.
2. Once you have about 1/2 hour left of boiling add your cabbage, potatoes, and carrots to the pot and continue the boiling.
3. Set your oven to broil and prepare a deep roasting pan lined with tin foil that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Drain the water from the brisket pot, reserving 1 cup.
4. Stir in about 2 tablespoons of the Dijon mustard into the reserved water and pour into the bottom of your roasting pan (I must warn, I have not tried this part. Next time I make corned beef I will be doing this though. I think it will add a good sauce to the recipe). Then in a small bowl mix together the rest of the Dijon mustard (about 1/4 cup), honey, and cloves. Now at this point feel free to add more honey if you prefer sweeter honey mustard or keep the mixture with more mustard if you prefer it to be tart. Once this is combined, slather the mixture onto the top of the brisket and place into the oven for about 15 minutes, until the top has formed a crust and the liquids in the bottom of the pan have begun to reduce.
5. Slice thinly for sandwiches or into chunks to serve with the potatoes, cabbage and carrots.

I hope you enjoy this one and that my pan sauce experiment works! That boiling liquid just has SOOOO much flavor, I don't want it to go to waste. It would make the perfect sauce. I wanted to wait and post this until I had it perfect, but I am not going to make this again for a while (corned beef is pretty expensive!) and I just couldn't wait to post it, it is too good of a winter meal. Let me know how it turns out!

Roasted garlic red skin mashed potatoes recipe

Just looking at the picture of these makes my mouth water. I had never made mashed potatoes before, and I don't think that I will ever try another recipe. These mashed potatoes are the perfect side dish to go with any entree and they would be a BEAUTIFUL addition to any holiday spread. We are talking restaurant quality mashed taters here people.

What you'll need:
5-7 red skin potatoes
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
5 gloves garlic
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tbsp butter

1. First you need to start roasting your garlic. This is KEY to these delicious potatoes. Peel the skin off about 5 cloves garlic and place into a tin foil pouch with a slash of olive oil. Seal it up tight and put it in a 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes.
2. About 20 minutes after your garlic goes in the oven start boiling your potatoes. Quartering them helps cook them faster. Put them into boiling water for about 15 minutes, until they are fork tender. Then drain the water and bring out the garlic. It should be very soft and fragrant. Put the garlic right into the pot with the potatoes and add the cream, milk, butter and a pinch or salt and pepper. Smash with a smasher (technical term?) until they are your desired consistency. Feel free to add more or less cream to get them smoother or more rustic.
3. Dump in your cheese and give it all one last stir. Serve with a little more cheese on top.

YUMMM!