Loaded Baked Potato Casserole

I'm SUCH a sucker for cheesy potatoes. 

 I love cheese. 

 I love potatoes.  

I love cheesy potatoes. 

This meal is so topped with some sour cream and a side of broccoli!  

Is it normal that my mouth waters just looking at this picture? 

Loaded Baked Potato Casserole

Ingredients:

3-4 Russet potatoes. scrubbed and diced (about 4 1/2 cups)

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced (optional)

4 slices bacon, cooked crisp, cooled and crumbled

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

4 green onions, sliced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350º.  Grease a 9x9 casserole dish. 

Spread half of the potatoes across the bottom of the pan.  Place diced chicken across the top, evenly. Season chicken with 1/4 teaspoon of each salt and pepper.  Sprinkle with 1/2 the bacon crumbles, 1/2 of the cheese and 1/2 of the green onions. 

Spread the remaining potatoes on top, followed by the rest of the bacon, 1/2 cup of cheese, rest of the green onions, salt and pepper.  Pour heavy cream over the top of the casserole and scatter the butter pieces across the entire pan.  

Cover with foil and back for 1 hour.  Uncover and back another 30 minutes.  

In the last few minutes of baking, sprinkle with the remaining cheddar cheese and bake until melted. 

Serve

*Always make sure your chicken was cooked to an internal temp of 160º before eating. 

Source: Inspire Dreamer

Crock Pot Potato Soup

Sometimes I make dinner and I wish there were more people around to eat it because I can't believe how amazing it tastes. And it always seems to be the simplest meals that I feel this way.  Makes me wonder, why do I always think the long, complicated recipes will be the best tasting?  

Simple really is better.  

The proof is in this soup!

**And on a side note:  This is similar to "Funeral Potatoes" or as my family calls them, "Heavenly Potatoes" only in a soup version, so if you are a fan of these type of potatoes (you know you are) then you'll LOVE this soup. 

Crock Pot Potato Soup

Ingredients:

1 bag of cubed frozen hash browns

1 can of cream of chicken soup

2 cans of chicken broth

1 package of cream cheese

1/4 cup onion, finely chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Mix together the cream of chicken and chicken broth and put in crock pot.  Add onions and potatoes and season with some pepper. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. 

 Cut the cream cheese into small pieces first and allow to soften, then add to the crock pot and turn to high.  Cook until the cream cheese is melted and can be stirred into the soup smoothly. 

Season with salt and pepper and top with shredded cheese.

Or, my favorite, spice it up with some Tabasco sauce!

Buffalo Chicken and Potato Casserole

This could become labeled as an obsession, but I've sorta been on a buffalo chicken kick....for the last 10 years.  I blame it on Buffalo Wild Wings.  Eating there for the first time 10 years ago changed my life.  That sounds dramatic, but I couldn't believe I had lived so long without realizing that buffalo sauce even existed!  So, I've been making up for it lately by making tons of dinners that have buffalo chicken incorporated into it somehow. I like this one because of the added potatoes.  Makes it feel like less of a dip trying to be a meal and more like an actual meal. 

Buffalo Chicken and Potato Casserole

Ingredients:

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces

1/3 cup Franks Buffalo Sauce

5 cups of red potatoes, cut into small pieces

1 cup ranch dresssing

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1 (10 oz) can Cream of Chicken soup

1/2 breadcrumbs

Directions:

Heat oven to 350º.  Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray. 

In a medium bowl, stir together the chicken and buffalo sauce.  Spoon in the casserole dish covering the entire bottom. 

In the same bowl, stir together potatoes, dressing, cheese and soup.  Spread over chicken.  Sprinkle bread crumbs over the top. 

Cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake another 20-25 minutes or until potatoes are tender and chicken is cooked through. 

Source: Holy Cannoli Recipes

Breakfast Casserole

Near the end of the school year, all the teachers hosted a Parent Appreciation breakfast.  I signed up to bring a breakfast casserole.  Since I'd never made one before, I made my family one on Saturday to test out the recipe.  I'm so glad I did, because it turned out great! 

I added mushrooms to the "real" casserole and that version was my favorite.  Green peppers definetly deserve a spot in this recipe too.  

I have to make this again because the picture is sad, but don't be fooled.....this casserole was really tasty! 

**This is a make-the-night-before dish, so plan ahead!  It's perfect for feeding company. 

Ingredients:

1 lb spicy pork sausage

1/4 cup onion, chopped

1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped (optional)

1/4 cup green peppers, chopped (optional)

2 1/2 cups frozen diced hash brown potatoes

5 eggs

1 3/4 cups milk

1 cup Original Bisquick mix

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Spray a 13x9 glass casserole dish with cooking spray.  

In a skillet, cook sausage, green peppers, mushrooms and onion over medium heat for 5 minutes.  Stir in potatoes.  Cook another 5-7 minutes, until the sausage is cooked through and the potatoes are slightly browned. 

Drain the mixture onto paper towels, then spoon into the casserole dish. 

In a medium bowl, stir eggs, milk, Bisquick and salt and pepper until well blended.  Stir in cheese. 

Pour over the sasuage mixture and mix well.  

Cover with foil and refrigerate for 8 hours. 

Heat oven to 350º and bake casserole for 45 minutes.  Uncover and make another 10 or 15 minutes (until a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean)

Serve with your favorite hot sauce, salsa and sour cream. 

Source: bettycrocker.com

Ranch Seasoned Potatoes

I swear I could eat potatoes everyday.  They are so versitile and in the kitchen can be prepared so many different ways; mashed, scalloped, fried, roasted... the list goes on! 

You can eat them for any meal of the day.  I love seasoned potatoes with a big omelette or with a plate of chicken and veggies like we did with these.  

Ok, my mouth is watering...

Ranch Seasoned Potatoes

Ingredients:

1 packet Ranch salad dressing and dry seasoning mix
Olive oil cooking spray
1 teaspoon salt


Directions:

Preheat oven to 425º.

In a large bowl add potatoes and spray lightly with the cooking spray.

Then, add in the Ranch dressing mix and salt. Toss well to coat each potato piece evenly.

Line a baking sheet with foil or spray it with non-stick cooking spray. Pour potatoes onto the baking sheet and spread out potatoes evenly.

Bake in oven until potatoes are cooked through, and edges start to turn very dark brown, approximately 20-25 minutes.

To check to see if they are done, pierce one of the larger pieces of potato with a fork to see if it is soft.

Source: The Girl Who Ate Everything

Baked Potatoes

Baked potatoes are an ideal meal for families whose taste preferences vary.  Also, baked potatoes are very filling and you can load them up with lots of broccoli and say it's healthy!  

Yea! 

Baked Potatoes

Ingredients

4-6 large russett potatoes

sour cream

cheddar cheese, shredded

bacon, crumbled

butter

(anything else that sounds tasty on top of a piping hot potato)

Directions:

Preheat oven to about 350º.  Wash potatoes and poke holes with a steak knife on all sides.  Coat with olive oil and roll in sea salt.  Bake directly on the rack (I always put an empty cookie sheet down on the rack below to catch juices...think: clean oven).  Cook until fork tender.  About an hour and a half.  The time really depends on how many potatoes you have. 

Once they are done, use a fork to perforate one side and mash it open.  

Load the open potato with your favorite toppings and dig in!

Lasagna Spinach Wheels

What is better than saucy noodles stuffed with cheese and spinach? 

These rolls are pretty easy to make and I liked being able to serve them individually. It makes for a prettier plate when serving. 

Source: The Girl Who Ate Everything

Ingredients:
9 lasagna noodles, cooked
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and completely drained
1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasonings
salt and fresh pepper
1 jar spaghetti sauce
9 Tablespoons mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Make sure you drain the spinach well. Combine spinach, ricotta, Parmesan cheese, egg, garlic, Italian seasonings  and salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Pour about 1 cup sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish.

Place a piece of wax paper on the counter and lay out lasagna noodles. Make sure noodles are dry by patting them with a paper towel. Take 1/3 cup of ricotta mixture and spread evenly over a noodle. Roll carefully and place seam side down onto the baking dish. Repeat with remaining noodles.

Ladle sauce over the noodles in the baking dish and top each one with 1 Tablespoon of mozzarella cheese. Cover baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes, or until cheese melts. Makes 9 rolls.

To serve, ladle a little sauce on the plate and top with lasagna roll.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Talk about yum! At first I was unsure about putting corn in a loaded baked potato soup because who puts corn on an actual baked potato? The corn was just the right amount of sweet to offset all the salty bacon. Go on, celebrate the extra hour of sleep you get this weekend from daylight savings by making this soup!

Thanks for the great recipe Favorite Family Recipes

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients:
4-6 potatoes (bake in the oven if you have time or in the microwave if you don't), peel and cut into bite-sized cubes 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup flour 2 bullion cubes salt and pepper to taste 1 clove garlic, minced 6 cup milk 16 oz sour cream 10 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled 1 bag of frozen corn shredded cheese for topping
Directions
In a large pot, melt butter on low heat.  Stir in flour and seasonings.  Gradually add milk and turn up heat to medium.  Add garlic.  Bring to a boil and stir frequently until thick.  Remove from heat.  Whisk in sour cream.  Add potatoes, corn and bacon.  Serve with shredded cheese on top. 

Broccoli and Potato Soup

It may be 115º outside, but when the thought of soup sounds good, it doesn't matter how hot it is outside!  This soup is very creamy and rich.  A little goes a long way, I ended up freezing about half the batch because we just weren't going to eat it all.  Can't wait for the cooler months to hit so I can defrost my leftovers!

Broccoli and Potato Soup

Ingredients:

2 tsp oil

1/2 c white onion, chopped

5 russett potatoes, cubed

6 chicken bouillon cubes

4 tsp salt

2 8oz packages cream cheese, softened

1/2 c flour

4 c milk

4 c broccoli, chopped

Directions

In a large pot saute onions in oil.  Once onions are soft, add potatoes, bouillon cubes, salt and fill with enough water to cover the potatoes.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Simmer until potatoes are tender.  

In a bowl, blend cream cheese with flour until smooth.  Beat in milk until smooth.  Add to the potato pot, slowly.  Pour in broccoli.  Stir frequently.  Boil until thick and broccoli is tender. Salt and pepper to taste. 

*When I make this again, I'll be chopping the broccoli a little smaller. 

Grilled Sweet Potatoes

If you ask me, sweet potatoes are gross.  I just can't bring myself to eat them.  They LOOK good, and I wish I liked them.  So the only reason I decided to make these was for my husband.  He loves sweet potatoes.  

See how much I love him?

So as we are eating dinner, I am looking at these orange potato chunks and encouraging my 5 year old to eat them.  I realize that I can't talk to him about trying out the food that was prepared for dinner if I'm not willing to do it myself.  

I take a few pieces and put them on my plate.  I pick one up.  I take a moment to prepare myself for the yuck I'm about to eat.  I pop it in and chew.  And chew.  And chew.  Swallow.  

Surprise!  These babies aren't bad!  In fact, I enjoyed how they tasted so much I ate 2 more skewers full of sweet potatoes!  I felt like such a big girl, trying out new food!  

Glad I did!

Grilled Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

2-4 medium sweet potatoes

olive oil

salt and pepper

Directions:

Peel each potato and cut into chunks.  Place all the chunks in a microwaveable bowl and cover with plastic or a ziplock bag if the bowl will fit inside.  Microwave for 3 minutes, stir, recover and microwave again for another few minutes.  You want the chucks to be tender enough to put on a skewer, but not cooked all the way through.

Place 5-6 pieces on a skewer.  Lay all the loaded skewers on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.  Use a brush to coat all sides of the potatoes.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

Preheat the outdoor grill and grill the potato skewers for about 5 minutes on each side.  Cooking time may vary, so just grill until the potatoes are cooked through.  

Twice Baked Potatoes

Talk about a crowd pleaser!  I don't know anyone who doesn't like a twice baked potato! I may or may not have eaten one of the leftover potatoes for breakfast the day after I made these.  

Twice Baked Potatoes

Ingredients:

4-6 medium russett potatoes

1/2 c sour cream

1/4 c butter, melted

2 c shredded cheese

1/4 c bacon bits

To bake potatoes:

olive oil

sea salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400º.

Coat potatoes with oil and cover with salt.  Poke 3 holes on each side of each potato with a steak knife.  Place directly on oven rack with a cookie sheet below to catch any drippings.  Bake potatoes for 1 hour.  

When potatoes or cool, cut in half lengthwise.  With a spoon, scoop out most of the potato, leaving about 1/4 and inch of the potato inside the skin.  

Set the scooped out potatoes aside. 

Brush each potato skin inside and out with butter.  Place skins on a cookie sheet, face up and broil for about 6-8 minutes.  

Use a potato masher to mix the remaining potato, sour cream, cheese and bacon bits and scoop into the skins.  Sprinkle shredded cheese and extra bacon bits over the tops. 

Broil for about 2 more minutes. 

EAT EAT EAT!

Pot Roast with Red Potatoes and Carrots

As I was learning to cook a roast, I easily went through about 15 roasts (and those suckers are NOT cheap).   One by one, they continued to turn out tough and bland.  I would call my mom after each one to complain and cry to her about the stubborn hunks of meat that refused to fall apart...like they were SUPPOSSED TO!  

Determined to feed my family a juicy and tender roast, I persisted.  Each time, I would tweek something, more broth, lower heat, longer time....Finally, one glorious Sunday afternoon, I pulled my roasting pan out of the oven and VIOLA!  I saw the tender roast I had been dreaming about all along!  Yeeeaah!   

Pot Roast with Red Potatoes and Carrots

Ingredients:

ROAST:

4lb chuck pot roast

2 cans beef broth

salt and pepper, to season (or your favorite seasoning)

8-10 red potatoes

1 white onion

1 bag of baby carrots

1 Tablespoon, Kitchen Bouquet (to darken the color of the gravy)

GRAVY:

3-4 packets of beef gravy mix

1 packet of Au Jus gravy mix

1-3 cups, milk

To cook the roast:

Preheat oven to 225º.  

In a roasting pan, place the roast in the center.  Season with salt and pepper and pour the 2 cans of broth  in.  Surround the roast with the potatoes and carrots. Chop the onion into four equal sections and place around the roast as well.  Add the Kitchen Bouquet.  

Roast in the oven for 5 hours.  After 5 hours, check the tenderness of the meat, turn up oven to 250º and roast another hour. 

To make the gravy:

Remove the roast and veggies and place the roasting pan over the burners on the stove.  While the juices is heating, mix in 3-4 packets of beef gravy mix.  Use a whisk to mix together.  Sprinkle in about half of the Au Jus gravy mix and add enough milk to taste.  You don't want it to be too salty. Heat and stir until the sauce thickens.  

*Our favorite rolls: Kings Hawaiian Sweet Rolls. 

Heavenly Potatoes

Each year for my birthday (or other special occasions) my mom would let me choose what I wanted for dinner that night.  She would make whatever I chose.  I think I picked Heavenly Potatoes almost every single time.  You can't go wrong with creamy, cheesy potatoes.  They are meant to be a side dish, but I could eat them alone as a meal on their own!

Heavenly Potatoes

Ingredients:

1 bag frozen hash browns
1 tub of sour cream
2 cans cream of chicken
4 c shredded cheese (2 c reserved)
salt and pepper (to season)
onion salt (to season)

Preheat oven to 350º.

Mix all ingredients (only 2 cups of cheese) together in a large bowl.  Spread half of the mixture in a 9x13 dish.  Cover with 1 c of cheese.  Spread the rest of the mixture over the cheese.  Cover with the remaining cheese.  

Cook until heated through. (about 30-40 minutes)

Hamburger Pie

This is another treasure I've gotten from my awesome mother-in-law.  Hamburger Pie was a regular meal at my husband's house growing up, probably because it's so delicious! It's so comforting and filling.  Perfect for feeding a large group.  Yum! 

Hamburger Pie

Ingredients

1 lb of ground hamburger (I prefer to use ground turkey)

1 egg

1/4 cup ketchup

1 cup milk

1 cup shredded cheese

2-3 cup instant potatoes

1 tsp salt and pepper (to taste)

minced onion (to taste)

Preheat oven to 350º.

Mix raw meat, 1 1/3 cup of dry instant potatoes, egg, ketchup, milk, salt and pepper and minced onion. Spread in an ungreased baking dish. 

Bake uncovered for about 35-40 minutes or until the meat is cooked through.  Prepare the remaining potatoes, add to the top of the meat mixture and cover with cheese. 

Bake until the cheese melts.  (about 5 minutes)

Rose's Potato Salad

I started making potato salad because of my husband.  His mom makes this and out of all 6 of her kids, I think he always eats the most.  When we moved away, I called and asked for her recipe.  It's simple, but it hits the spot!

Potato Salad

Ingredients


8-10 russett potatoes
8-12 hard boiled eggs
Miracle Whip
Onion salt 
Paprika

Peel and chop potatoes.  Boil until fork tender. Be careful not to cook too long or the salad will become mushy.  Use and egg slicer to slice the eggs (reserve 2-3 eggs).  Mix together with the Miracle Whip until you reach the desired consistency.  Spread the reserved 2-3 eggs over the top and sprinkle with Paprika.

*I like to add a dab of mustard to my bowl to give it a little kick.

IKEA Meatballs

When looking to furnish a room in our first house we visited IKEA for the first time on a trip to California.  It was love at first sight.  To a young couple looking to buy cheap furniture it was the happiest place on earth. Then, we entered the food court...we couldn't believe it....it just kept getting better.  After a long day of shopping we sat down to enjoy some Swedish meatballs and potatoes. Now, it's the only thing we order when we go.

Dear IKEA,

Please come to Nevada.

A few years later, I found a recipe titled IKEA Meatballs from a cookbook the ladies in my ward put together.  I immediatly tried it.  Now....it's a favorite!

IKEA Meatballs

Ingredients

2 cups cream
1 cup beef broth
1 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp white flour
2 Tbsp water, cold
salt and pepper (to season)
1 bag frozen meatballs (not Italian style)

In a large skillet bring beef broth to a low boil.  Add the cream.

In a small bowl mix the flour and water to a creamy consistency.

Add to the skillet and stir. (make sure the cream and broth are boiling)

Add salt, pepper and soy sauce.

Allow to simmer to allow sauce to thicken.

Add meatballs and simmer until they are heated through.

Serve with mashed potatoes.

Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

Originally, we ate this meal at a friends house.  I couldn't believe the tastiness!  It was so filling and full of creamy flavor.  After we left, I just couldn't stop thinking about how good it was.

About 3 months later I got this cookbook.

                                      

Guess what I found inside?  Not only the same meal I had eaten at my friend's house, but lots of dog-ear-the-page worthy recipes!  But out of them all, this is the one I go back to the most often. Such a good meal. I did make one adjustment, though.  It calls for russet potatoes, but I prefer red potatoes.  Scalloped Potatoes and Ham Ingredients: 8-10 red potatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds 1 ham steak (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into cubes 1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup 1 soup can water 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese Grill seasoning to taste (we like Johnnys Seasoning Salt) Layer potatoes and ham in slow cooker. Combine soup, water, cheese and seasoning in a bowl.  Pour mixture over ham and potatoes.  Cover; cook on HIGH 3 1/2 hours or until potatoes are fork-tender. Turn slow cooker to LOW and continue cooking 1 hour.