Irish Grandmother's Shepherd's Pie

Did I tell you that Bo's mom is from Ireland?  As in, she still has a bit of her accent, even though she's lived in the States for fifty years.  So, of course, I asked her to make something festive, now that she's living with us!

Over the years, Bo has asked me to make him Shepherd's Pie because he loves it.  I'd never even tasted it, so when I went digging for recipes, I had no idea which ingredients would make a recipe good or not.  So, I tried a few variations on him.  He claimed that they were good; I didn't care for any of it.

Fast forward to yesterday, and I asked his mom to make Shepherd's Pie the way she's always made it.

Microwave Potato Chips

I told you it wouldn't be green! :)

I'd been staring at the directions for microwaved potato chips for a good year before I finally got around to trying it.  Silly, silly me!

Ingredient lineup, whatever! - these only call for potatoes and salt.  Period.  Nothing else.  You can get all crazy and whip out your favorite seasoning salt, but you truly don't need any other ingredient.  Which means, zero oil.  It's bonkers, I know.  You wouldn't think that the microwave could get potato slices crunchy, but it absolutely does.  These chips end up with a texture like kettle chips - a little on the heartier side with a good crispy crunch.

Chunky Potato Soup

My husband makes a delishish ham that my whole family devours.  However, there are always leftovers because it is so big.  I have finally found a great recipe to incorporate some of these leftovers in.  Potatoes, cheese, ham, are you drooling yet?  It just screams comfort food to me.

Serve this up with a side of salad and some crusty bread (or skip the bread!) and you've got yourself a filling, nutritious meal.  Yum!



Ingredients:
3 medium red potatoes
2 cups water
1 small onion
3 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
crushed red pepper flakes
ground black pepper
3 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup cubed cooked ham (mine was shredded)

Directions:
1.  Peel potatoes and cut into 1 inch cubes.

2.  Bring water to a boil in a large saucpan.  Add poatoes and cook until tender (approx. 20 minutes).  Drain, reserving liquid.  Set aside potatoes.  Measure 1 cup cooking liquid, adding water, if necessary; set aside.

3.  Peel and finely chop onion.  Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion to saucepan; cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent and tender, but not brown.  (approx. 6-7 minutes)

4.  Add flour to saucepan; season with pepper flakes and black pepper to taste.  Cook 3-4 minutes.  (this will make it into a thick mixture)

5.  Gradually add potatoes, reserved 1 cup of cooking liquid, milk and sugar to onion mixture in saucepan; stir well. 

Add cheese and ham.

Simmer over low heat 30 minutes, stirring frequently.

6.  Serve and enjoy!

This recipe is from a mail order recipe card from www.grandmaskitchenreicpes.com

Stuffed Spuds

I've been looking for recipes that I can make and freeze so on those crazy-busy nights I have something easy to pull out and heat up.  I discovered The Best Freezer Cookbook at my local library.  As I do with all my cookbooks, I grabbed a cup of coffee and a pack of sticky notes then I flipped through and tagged the recipes I thought my family might enjoy.  The first recipe I tried was Beef-Stuffed Spuds. 

Ingredients:
4 large baking potatoes
8oz lean ground beef
1/3 cup finely chopped onions
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley

Directions:
1.  Bake potatoes approx 1 hr. at 400 degrees
2.  In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, cook beef for 4 minutes or until no longer pink, breaking it up as you go.
3.  Reduce heat to medium.  Add onions, garlic and Worcestershire sauce; season with salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring often, for 4 minutes or until onions are softened.

4.  Cut warm potatoes in half lengthwise.  Carefully scoop out each potato, leaving a 1/4 inch shell; set shells aside.
5.  In a bowl, mash potatoes; beat in enough sour cream until smooth.  Stir in beef mixture, half the cheese and all the parsely; season with salt and pepper to taste.  Spoon into potato shells; top with remaining cheese.

6.  Arrange in shallow baking dish; bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted. 

I cooked these and ate them right out of the oven.  Since my family enjoyed them (and my husband really would like to see them return to our dinner table!) the next time I make them I will bake a double batch and freeze the extras.  I served them with some steamed broccoli and some fresh cherry tomatoes right out of the garden.

{To freeze:  Cool.  Wrap individually in plastic wrap, then in foil.  Freeze for up to 2 months.  To serve:  Thaw in refrigerator overnight.  Unwrap and bake in a preheated oven (350) for about 20 minutes until heated through.}

Chops and Chips

Just remember I warned you that I'd be returning to my Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook!  I bring you Skipper Zipp's Chops and Chips.

From Oh Say Can You say? :

If you like to eat potato chips

and chew pork chops on clipper ships,

I suggest that you chew

a few chips and a chop

at Skipper Zipp's Clipper Ship Chip Chop Shop

It is really just pork chops and potato wedges but I find that when you add fun names it makes it more fun to cook and to eat.  It seems to entice the kids a bit more as well.  This is a good basic meal that everyone in the family enjoyed.  We rate it 4 spoons.

For a sweet treat at the end I bring you Gertrude McFuzz-y Berries.  Now I know some of you may think that I took perfectly healthy berries and made them unhealthy by dredging them in sugar but let me just say...Yumm!  These are great as is but I also think they'd be great over some vanilla ice cream or on top of a brownie.  The raspberries were my favorite, mmmmmm. 

Enjoy!

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Skipper Zipp's Chops and Chips

Ingredients:
4 center-cut pork loin chops, with bone (I used boneless)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 large potatoes, cut lengthwise into 6 wedges
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Directions:
1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
2.  Sprinkle half the salt and all the pepper on the chops and put them on a baking sheet.  Set aside.

3.  Put the potatoes on a baking sheet, then sprinkle them with the olive oil and roll them around.  Sprinkle them with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and the paprika.

4.  Put the potatoes in the oven and turn after half an hour.
5.  Put the pork chops i nthe oven when you turn the potatoes.  Cook both until the chops anre juicy and brown about 20-25 minutes, and the potatoes are golden and tender, about half an hour.
6.  Serve hot on a platter.
Makes 4 servings.

Gertrude McFuzz-y Berries
Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
3 ounces fresh raspberries
3 ounces fresh blackberries
3 ounces fresh blueberries

Directions:
1.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2.  Put the berries, 3 or 4 at a time, into a bowl containg the sugar and turn them around until coated.

3.  Put the sugared berries in a single layer on the foil.

4.  Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
5.  The berries may be refrigerated in a plastic bag for up to two weeks.

Nana Flora's Awesome Potato Salad

I wanted to share with you my mother, Nana Flora's, awesome potato salad recipe. The flavor of this salad is outstanding. Really. Of course I wouldn't be my mother's daughter if I didn't play with the recipe a bit and add my own twist! When I saw these beautiful garlic scapes at the farm stand down the street I knew I wanted to try substituting these for the scallions in this recipe.

Nana Flora's Awesome Potato Salad

*

Ingredients:
8 red potatoes, scrubbed and sliced
1/2 lb. of fresh green beans, stemmed and sliced
1/4 cup sliced scallions OR 1/4 cup cup garlic scapes chopped
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
3 Tbsp. Fresh Tarragon chopped (or 3 tsp. dried)
3 Tbsp. Fresh Dill chopped (3 tsp. dried)
3 Tbsp. Fresh Chives chopped
3 Tbsp. White Vinegar
2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Tbsp. chicken broth
2 Tbsp. Spicy Brown Mustard

Boil potatoes 6-8 minutes.

Add the green beans and cook another 3 minutes. If you're using scapes add these to the boiling water at the same time as the green beans to soften them up a bit.While the vegetables are cooking mix vinegar, EVOO, Chicken Broth, Spicy Brown Mustard, Salt & Pepper together to make the dressing. Set aside.

Drain potatoes, rinse in cold water and drain again. Add your chopped herbs.

Pour on the dressing and stir gently.

My pictures do not do this salad justice. The flavors of the dressing and fresh garden herbs are out of this world. I particularly like that there is no mayo in this potato salad. It's wonderful at summer dinners, barbecues and picnics and the flavor just gets better as it sits over night.
Enjoy!

Our boys will not eat ANY potato salad but all of the adults at the 4th of July barbecue gave this a definate 5 spoons!

Corn Chowder with Smoked Sausage: Crockpot Meal

Corn Chowder:



Ingredients:
1 pkg. Smoked Sausage
1/4 Cup Butter or Margarine
1 Med. Onion, Chopped
1/4 Cup all-purpose Flour
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/8 tsp. Ground Black Pepper
4 Cups of Milk
1 Can (15.25oz.) Whole Kernel Corn, Drained
2 Cups Cubed Potatoes (I learned this is about 3 medium potatoes)

Chopped Parsley and shredded Cheddar Cheese (optional)



Directions:
Put Onions and Butter in the crock pot, turn on low and melt.



Once melted throw in the rest of the ingredients and Cook until Potatoes are tender.



I rated this a 5 spoon. Hubs said 4 because he isn't a Sausage lover... LOL We also concluded that Bacon would be really good in it to replace the Sausage.

Another GREAT thing about this meal is you can make it for less than $10.00