Tater Tot Casserole

I have a TON of cookbooks. I have ones that are for specific meals, like desserts, pasta, and chicken. I have others that are geared towards cooking methods, like cooking in foil pouches or using slow cookers. I have a few dedicated to TV shows and cooking contest winners. And I have a bunch that cover everything from soup to nuts. But my absolute favorite cookbooks are the ones that only have recipes using 4 or 5 ingredients. This recipe came from one of those, maybe 7 years ago, and it used to be one of the most requested dishes in our house. I haven't made it in a while, but Andrew has been begging for it lately, so I finally gave in. It's quick, it's easy, it's a real family-pleaser, and I'll bet you already have all of the ingredients on hand.

Chocolate Potato Chips

Potato chips. Covered in chocolate. Do I really need to say anything else??

The Best Beef Stew

When the weather turns cold, I love soul-warming dishes like chili, pasta fagioli, and red lentil soup. But at the end of the day, nothing beats a really good beef stew. With February winding down and visions of spring gardens dancing in my head, I thought this would be a perfect recipe to share. With a few special ingredients, this stew has such a deep, flavorful sauce. Potatoes, carrots, and peas never had it so good. What's that? You don't see peas in the picture above? That's because I received a special request to leave them out. Again. (I think Andrew thinks he might die if he actually eats one.) If you have your own picky eaters to deal with, dish theirs out first, then add the peas to the pot.

Veggie Stew with Biscuits

It's 21 degrees out. It's Meatless Monday. It's a perfect day for Veggie Stew.

Before you yell at me, I know there's chicken broth in it. And yes, I know that chicken is a meat, but that was all I had. And when you make it, you will use vegetable broth and make it totally meatless because you're awesome like that.

Smashed Baked Potatoes

When I was a kid, it was my job to peel potatoes. We ate a lot of potatoes. I HATE peeling potatoes. Even today, I am constantly coming up with new ways to make potatoes that don't involve a peeler. When I make mashed potatoes, I use red-skinned or yukon golds so I can just mash those skins right in. I really, really can't stand peeling potatoes. The beauty of this recipe is that you have to have the skins, otherwise you will never get the crispy outside that makes these potatoes so yummy. Perfection!

Roasted Garlic & Herb Potatoes

I love herb-roasted potatoes. I love french fries. If they got together, these would be their love child. Need I say more?

Hasselback Potatoes


 

As part of our new budget, I am trying to find ways to stretch our food dollar. We recently bought a 10-lb. bag of potatoes but let's face it, potatoes can be boring. You can only eat them mashed and roasted so many times. To keep things interesting, I have been trying to find fun ways to eat them. Years ago, I saw a picture of potatoes like this and decided to try it out.