Oven Roasted Potatoes

Happy New Year.  I have high hopes for 2013, I hope you do as well. 

I have a lot of recipes I made over the holidays that I can't wait to share with you.  This first side dish recipe was made for Christmas dinner this year.  When planning the menu, I set out in search of dairy free recipes. It was much harder than I anticipated.  So many things have butter, cheese or cream...especially the traditional holiday sides.  I chose this one because even thought the original recipe calls for parmesan cheese, I thought it would be good without.  I knew the husband, father and brother would like it because it had bacon.  So, I decided to add it to the Christmas dinner menu.  

Results: The bacon was the most time consuming part of the recipe.  But, it's also the part that added the most flavor.  The potatoes were really good.  It was the perfect amount of seasoning and crispiness on the outside.  I didn't find myself missing the cheese at all.  The family approved as well, there weren't any leftovers.  Enjoy!

Oven Roasted Potatoes

Courtesy of Adventures in the Country 

Ingredients: 

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 lb hickory smoked, thick sliced bacon

3 1/2 lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated

coarse salt

fresh ground pepper

fresh parsley

Directions:
Scrub potatoes and place in a large pot.  Fill pot with water until potatoes are covered by 2-3 inches of water.  Bring water to a boil and cook for 12-15 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.  My potatoes were fairly large, so this took close to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, partially freeze bacon for easier cutter.  (Ten minutes in the freezer works well.) Slice bacon strips in half, then cut into 1/2-inch pieces.  I like to cut my bacon prior to cooking.  It’s easier to work with in the skillet and easy to drain with slotted spoon.

Cook bacon in a skillet until golden, but still flexible.  You don’t want it crunchy.  Remove cooked bacon onto a plate lined with paper towels.  Reserve the bacon drippings.
Check potatoes and if fork tender, drain and allow to cool.  If making this recipe again, I would peel the potatoes before I boiled them or try leaving the skins on all-together.  Yukon Golds have a relatively thin skin, so I think this would have added a nice look and texture to the potatoes.

While potatoes are cooling, preheat the oven to 425° and mince the garlic and parsley.  

Also, grate the Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Next, prepare the baking sheet by brushing 1 tablespoon of olive oil and half the bacon drippings on the bottom of the pan. I used a fairly large cookie sheet for this and it worked well.

Once the potatoes are cool, peel and cut in half, or quarter if potatoes are large.

Place cut side down on prepared pan and sprinkle with course salt and fresh ground pepper.   Place in 425° oven for 35-40 minutes.  Rotate potatoes halfway through the baking time to ensure an even color.  I did not do this and some of mine were more golden than others.

Reduce temperature to 375°, turn potatoes over and sprinkle with the bacon, garlic, and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Add more salt and pepper if desired.  Return to oven for an additional 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are evenly browned and cheese is melted.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with fresh parsley.  

Makes 4-6 servings, depending on serving size.

 Serve immediately!

Pan Roasted Chicken with Lemon Garlic Green Beans

I pinned this recipe a few weeks ago because a. it was very popular and b. had very little prep time.  I made it this past week because I already had red potatoes at home that I was using for another recipe.  When planning my meals for the week, I think it's so important to plan meals that have some of the same ingredients to save money.  So often, I would plan one elaborate meal with a variety of ingredients and I never would end up using them all.  I think we've all been guilty of that one time or another. 

I was very pleased with this recipe.  I used boneless skinless chicken, didn't put lemon at the bottom of the pan, just using one lemon for the juice and it turned out fine.  The chicken was juicy and the veggies were perfectly seasoned.  This recipe will definitely be added to the rotation. 

Pan Roasted Chicken with Lemon Garlic Green Beans

Recipe from Real Simple 

Serves 4| Hands-On Time: 15m| Total Time: 1hr 15m

Ingredients

• 6  tablespoons  olive oil
• 2 lemons, 1 thinly sliced, 1 juiced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4  pound  trimmed green beans
• 8 small red potatoes, quartered
• 4 chicken breasts (bones left in, with skin, about 3 1/4 pounds)
• 
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a large baking dish or cast-iron skillet with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Arrange the lemon slices in a single layer in the bottom of the dish or skillet.
2. In a large bowl, combine the remaining oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper; add the green beans and toss to coat. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove the green beans and arrange them on top of the lemon slices. Add the potatoes to the same olive-oil mixture and toss to coat. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, arrange the potatoes along the inside edge of the dish or skillet on top of the green beans. Place the chicken in the same bowl with the olive-oil mixture and coat thoroughly. Place the chicken, skin-side up, in the dish or skillet. Pour any of the remaining olive-oil mixture over the chicken.
3. Roast for 50 minutes. Remove the chicken from the dish or skillet. Place the beans and potatoes back in oven for 10 minutes more or until the potatoes are tender. Place a chicken breast on each of 4 serving plates; divide the green beans and potatoes equally. Serve warm.

French Onion Scalloped Potatoes

French Onion Scalloped Potatoes 

Courtesy Betty Crocker

This recipe was part of our Christmas dinner.  I was looking for sides that I could prepare before hand and pop in the oven.  I had high hopes for this recipe and it didn’t disappoint.  Everyone at dinner went back for seconds.  It was THAT good.  Add this recipe to your list, you’ll thank me later!


Ingredients:

  2 boxes (4.7 oz each) Betty Crocker® scalloped potatoes
1 package (1 oz) Hidden Valley® The Original Ranch® salad dressing and seasoning mix (milk recipe)
3 1/2 cups boiling water
2 cups half-and-half
3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 can (2.8 oz) French-fried onions
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, if desired

Directions:
Heat oven to 400°F.
In 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish, stir together both Sauce Mixes (from potato boxes), the dressing mix, boiling water and half-and-half with wire whisk. Stir in both Potatoes pouches and the bell pepper. Bake uncovered 35 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Top with onions; bake 10 minutes longer. Sprinkle with parsley before serving. Let stand 5 minutes before serving (sauce will thicken as it stands).
Makes 8 servings

Mini Meat Loaves & Ranch Potatoes

I'm continuously in search of new meatloaf recipes.  I've come across some great ones in the past, but I don't like to make the same thing twice, so my search continues.  This recipe appealed me to because it is made with a packet of ranch dressing mix.  I also loved the idea of the mini loaves, which makes less cooking time.  Any how, the recipe comes from Betty Crocker.  It was easy peasy to make.  And one of the best meat loaves I've had.  The loaves look like oversized meatballs but they were the perfect size.  I think the recipe made about 5 loaves.  The leftovers were just as tasty as the night we made them. For the potatoes, I used another packed of ranch mix and a tablespoon of olive oil.  I used about 3 cups of quartered potatoes.  I put them in a large ziplock bag, poured in the oil and the packed of ranch and mixed it up.  I laid them on a baking sheet and baked with the loaves.  I did put them in 10 minutes earlier than the loaves and took them out at the same time.  All in all, a fabulous dinner in less than an hour. 

Ingredients:

1/4 cup milk 

1 egg

1 pound lean ground beef 

1/4 cup Progresso® dry bread crumbs (any flavor) 

1package (0.4 ounce) ranch dressing mix 

1tablespoon Worcestershire sauce   

Directions:

 * Heat oven to 350ºF.

    * 2 Beat milk and egg with fork in large bowl. Mix in beef, bread crumbs and salad dressing mix (dry). Shape into 6 small loaves. Place in ungreased rectangular pan, 13x9x2 inches. Brush loaves with Worcestershire sauce.

    * 3 Bake uncovered 35 to 45 minutes until no longer pink in centers of loaves and juice is clear. (If using meat thermometer, insert so tip is in center of one loaf. Thermometer should read at least 160ºF.)

    *  Let stand 5 minutes.

Crunchy Onion Potato Bake

One of the things I love about the beach house in the Keys is that it has a kitchen filled with everything needed to cook.  We don't go out to eat and bring tons of food down with us each year.  My job this year was sides.  I picked this one because of it's ingredients.  I didn't want to spend the time making mashed potatoes while on vacation, but wanted a potato recipe.  This Betty Crocker  recipe was not only perfect because I didn't have to spend tons of time mashing potatoes but the ingredients were easy to tote down to the Keys.  If I were to make this at home, I would definitely use fresh potatoes instead.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 1/2	cups milk
1 1/2	cups water
1/4	cup butter
1	box (7.2 oz) Betty Crocker® homestyle creamy butter or roasted garlic mashed potatoes
1	can (15.25 oz) Green Giant® whole kernel corn, drained
1	cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 oz)
1	can (2.8 oz) French-fried onions

1. 1Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In 3-quart saucepan, heat milk, water and margarine to boiling. Stir in contents of both pouches of potatoes (from potatoes box) just until moistened; let stand 1 minute. Stir with fork until smooth. Stir in corn.
2. 2Spoon half of potato mixture into dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 each of the cheese and onions. Top with remaining potatoes; sprinkle with remaining cheese and onions.
3. 3Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and onions are golden.

BBQ Glazed Chicken with Potato Smashers

I think I've fallen in love...with Kraft Foods Recipes! Which is exactly where I found this chicken recipe. Like I've said before, I don't use the grill.  So I did a great job preparing this dish and let my Mr. do all the dirty work.  The marinade is fantastic.  Easy to make and different from your typical BBQ sauce from the bottle.  I paired the chicken with potato smashers, also from Kraft Foods (duh). Now, this recipe was not as easy as I thought it would be.  My potatoes fell apart and definitely didn't look like the ones on the website.  Nonetheless, they were still tasty.  Enjoy!

Easy BBQ Glazed Chicken Directions:

               what you need

1/2 cup KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing, divided

4 small  boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)

1/4 cup KRAFT Original Barbecue Sauce

2 Tbsp.  orange marmalade

make it

HEAT grill to medium heat.

POUR 1/4 cup dressing over chicken in shallow dish; turn over to coat both sides of each breast. Refrigerate 10 min.

MEANWHILE, mix barbecue sauce, marmalade and remaining dressing.

REMOVE chicken from dressing; discard dressing. Grill chicken on covered grill 12 to 15 min. or until done (165°F), turning occasionally and brushing with barbecue sauce mixture the last few minutes.

Potato Smashers Directions:

what you need

8 new potatoes (3/4 lb.), 1-1/2 inch

1/2 cup  water

2 Tbsp. KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing

1/2 cup  KRAFT Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

4 slices OSCAR MAYER Center Cut Bacon, cooked, crumbled

make it

MICROWAVE potatoes and water in 2-qt. microwaveable dish on HIGH 10 min. or until potatoes are tender. Let stand 5 min.

DRAIN potatoes; place on work surface. Flatten to 1/2-inch thickness.

HEAT dressing in large skillet on medium heat. Add potatoes; cook 4 min. or until bottoms are golden brown. Turn potatoes over; top with cheese and bacon. Cover; cook 2 min. or until cheese is melted.