Iron Chef Potato Recap

We had a smaller than normal group for this competition: just five of us were able to make it. At first, we were a little disappointed since potato is such a fantastic ingredient. But it turned out to be a blessing in disguise because by the end of the night we were all incredibly full and starched out. I think the turkey has been getting a bad rap as the cause of post-Thanksgiving lethargy, because after this competition, I'm pretty sure potatoes play a devious role in that. The good news is that basically everything was delicious. We had a really hard time judging and I'm sure the scores were all really close.

I had the first dish of the night and the only appetizer. I made a "potaffle" which is essentially a potato pancake but made on a waffle iron. And I topped it with a Dill Jalapeno Sour Cream. My relationship with the waffle iron was sorely tested while making this dish, but it must have turned out all right because everyone wanted seconds and it earned me the runner's up prize!

Next we went right into the mains, starting with Emily's Baked Potato Soup. Potato soup is probably my favorite soup of all time, and Emily's recipe was very, very good. Nice and creamy, seasoned perfectly, with crumbled bacon and cheese. You can't go wrong there. It would be perfect for filling and warming your belly on a cool fall night.

Chelyen had the other main and her entry was extremely creative as well as yummy: Loaded Baked Potato Empanadas with an Sour Cream & Onion dip. It had a great crispy crust on the outside, then inside you could see plenty of delicious bacon, cheese and potato. I loved the dip as well, which she made with carmelized onions. She definitely got major points for inventiveness and also for having the guts to tackle something as complicated as empanadas.

So, then we had Kim's side. Poor Kim. She made Scalloped Potatoes with Spinach that looked beautiful as it came out of the oven. It also had a ton of great flavor-- I particularly enjoyed the spinach with the creamy sauce. The problem was that her potatoes didn't get cooked all the way. Even after she put them back in the oven for round two, they were just too darn stubborn. But we all agreed the flavor was there, so it's a shame that it didn't quite turn out.

Finally, the Iron Chef Potato winner! Doan decided to do a dessert when no one else had signed up for one, and it's a good thing she did. Her Sweet Potato S'Mores Cheesecake was to die for. In fact, by this point we were all so full, and the dessert was still so amazing, that we almost died eating it. Ok, not quite. If you don't have a Thanksgiving dessert planned yet, you should make this. It was seriously good and extremely impressive! Congrats on another win, Doan. Someone's got to stop her winning streak. We'll give it a shot at our next competition in 2015!

Mashed Potato Casserole with Smoked Gouda and Bacon

One of our very first Iron Chef's was Iron Chef Bacon. Can you believe we've been doing these Iron Chefs for almost 4 years??!! Yowa!! I remember loooving this mashed potato casserole courtesy of Bon Appetit. I, of course, thought it was the winner, but my presentation was pretty lame. Oh well. I've made this recipe several times since, and most recently at a Friends-giving party. I bet it would have been voted the winner had those friends attended the Iron Chef party. ;) This recipe is filled with lots of goodness: butter, potatoes, cheese, and bacon! Mmmm. Trust me; you'll love it and your friends will thank you for it! Enjoy!  

Ingredients:
6 slices thick-cut smoked bacon (preferably applewood-smoked)
3 large green onions (white and pale green parts only), finely chopped
3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
3/4 cup sour cream
1/3 cup whole milk
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
2 cups (about 8 ounces) coarsely grated smoked Gouda, divided

Take out a 13x9 baking dish and butter it. I omitted buttering the dish. I figured it wasn't needed since mashed potatoes aren't exactly sticky. Place the peeled and diced potatoes in a large pot with enough water to cover the potatoes. Throw in some salt and boil with the lid slightly ajar for about 30 minutes or until the potatoes come out fork tender.

Meanwhile;  cook bacon in a large heavy skillet until nice and crispy. I used the entire package of bacon. I mean really; 6 pieces?!  Anyway, once the bacon is sufficiently crispy; transfer to a paper towel to drain. Then take out a small bowl; and add in the chopped green onions along with the crumbled bacon. Stir and set aside.

Once the potatoes are fork tender; drain into a colander. Then place potatoes back in the same large pot, and while cooking over medium heat; stir until potatoes are dry and light film forms in the bottom of the pot. Next, add in the sour cream, milk, and butter. Use a potato masher to mash up the potatoes until almost smooth. Honestly, I used an immersion blender at this point because my masher wasn't doing a good job at smoothing the potatoes. They were quite chunky. Then, stir in 1 1/2 cups of the smoked Gouda and 1 cup of the bacon mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Next, spread the potato mixture into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining Gouda.

Pre-heat oven to 375 and then bake the potatoes for about 30 minutes or until the cheese melts and the edges of the potatoes start boiling. Sprinkle reserved bacon mixture on top and serve.

Chipotle Rosemary Sweet Potato Soup

I know I've said time and time again how much I dislike cold weather. But, it's so nice sometimes to make warm and comforting foods during this time of the year. I had a bunch of sweet potatoes sitting in my fridge begging me to do something with them. I did some handy-dandy googling, and came across this recipe from Tasty Trials for sweet potato soup. This soup was very good. I liked the smokiness that the chipotle provided, and I'm always looking for a way to use up some of my rosemary. The bacon added a nice touch as well. I will definitely make this soup again, and try to use up my sweet potatoes a lot quicker next time.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes
1/2 pound carrots
2-3 tbsp olive oil
3/4 tsp cumin, divided
2 tsp chopped rosemary, divided
3 strips of bacon, chopped
1 leek, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp pureed chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1/4 c dry white wine
3 c low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 c heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
Grated Cheese, optional

First pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees, and then peel and chop the sweet potatoes and the carrots. Doesn't have to be pretty. Pour the sweet potatoes and the carrots into a glass baking dish (9x13) and sprinkle with olive oil (a couple teaspoons). Add in 1/2 tsp cumin and 1 tsp rosemary. Season with salt and pepper. Toss well. Place in the oven and roast for 30 minutes or when they're fork tender. Remove from oven and set aside.

In a large pot, crisp up the bacon and set on a paper towel for later use. In the same pot, add in the leeks and the chopped shallots. Saute over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes until they caramelize. Then, add in the remaining cumin and rosemary, garlic, and chipotle puree. Stir, and let cook for a couple minutes. Add in the wine, and let reduce for a couple minutes. Then toss in the sweet potato mixture. Stir well. Add the chicken stock and simmer covered for 10 to 15 minutes. Use an immersion blender (or a regular ol' blender) and puree the mixture till smooth. Next, stir in the heavy cream and if necessary season with salt and pepper. Serve in bowls topped with the reserved bacon. Throw in some cheese if you are using. Enjoy!

Breakfast Potatoes

For Christmas 2012; I wanted to do brunch with my Dad. On tap for my menu; were these Swedish tea rings, this quiche, and breakfast potatoes. I found the recipe for breakfast potatoes from The Pioneer Woman's blog. My friend, Sara, swears by her recipes, so I figured I couldn't go wrong with it either, right? Right. It was very simple to make; and I even added cayenne and paprika pepper to kick it up a notch. I wish I had made more bacon, because I would have added crumbled bacon to it, as well. My only gripe was that I wish the potatoes were crispier, but I think it's because I used white potatoes instead of the red potatoes she suggested in her recipe. Oh well. They were still quite tasty. Overall, brunch was a success!

Ingredients:
4 whole (to 5) Large Red Potatoes
1 whole Onion, diced
1 Tablespoon Vegetable Or Canola Oil
1 Tablespoon Bacon Fat
Salt And Pepper, to taste
Red And Green Bell Peppers, Diced (optional)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1/2 tsp paprika (optional)
crumbled bacon (optional)

Wash your potatoes and throw in a large pot and boil until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain the potatoes and then dice 'em up. Set aside. Take out your onion and dice 'em up. Take out your saute pan and in the bacon fat and oil. I just used regular ol' bacon fat, because I can. Set the temperature to medium-high and add in the diced onion. Just as the onions are beginning to brown this is the time to throw in the diced potatoes. Stir and cook the potatoes for a couple minutes. Then kinda crowd your potatoes together and pat down with your spoon. Let sit for several minutes without stirring. Feel free to sprinkle some flour at this point. You can also add in the cayenne and paprika peppers if you so desire. The pan should be hot enough to crisp the potatoes but not so hot it'll burn 'em. Cook for several minutes and then flip with a spatula. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to your desired seasoning. And, keep cooking to your desired crispness. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Casserole

My all-time favorite Thanksgiving meal is not Turkey, not mashed potatoes, nor is it stuffing. It's sweet potato casserole. Yes, as a child I did not like this dish either. I seriously was missing out especially since there's a yummy sweetness to it. I found this  recipe about 10 years ago, and I've been making it ever since. If you don't like coconut flakes, you can omit those, but I think it goes great with the casserole. I was at Thanksgiving lunch at a friend's house, and her 5 year-old niece refused to try the sweet potatoes. I could certainly empathize with her, but I thought to myself; oh, one day you will realize how silly you were to not give it a shot. Enjoy!!

Ingredients:
3 cups mashed sweet potatoes (about 5 sweet potatoes, boiled until softened, skin removed)
3/4 c white sugar
1/3 c butter, softened
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c mlk

Topping:
1 c flaked coconut
1/3 c all-purpose flour
1 c packed brown sugar
1 c chopped pecans
1/3 c melted butter

Preheat you oven to 350 degrees. Combine the mashed sweet potatoes, white sugar, soft butter, beaten eggs, vanilla, and milk. Spoon into a 2 quart oven proof baking dish.
Next, in a medium bowl combine the coconut, flour, brown sugar, nuts, and melted butter. Sprinkle over the top of the sweet potatoes and then bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.

Sweet potato shepherd's pie

This was adapted from my favorite recipe website www.skinnytaste.com which means it’s the perfect combination of warm comfort food and low calories. I actually don’t like sweet potatoes but the chicken broth, garlic and sour cream gave the potato topping a creamy savory flavor that was simply delicious.

Sweet potato topping
1-1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled, diced
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup fat free chicken broth
3 Tbsp reduced fat sour cream
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Boil sweet potatoes until soft. Drain then return to pan and mash with chicken broth, garlic, sour cream. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Meat filling
1 lb lean ground turkey
1 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 parsnip, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
10 oz frozen mixed vegetables
1 cup fat-free low-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper
paprika

Sauté ground turkey until brown seasoning with salt and pepper. Add onion, celery, and parsnip. Cook about 10 minutes, until onions are clear and celery is soft. Next add garlic and mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes. Finally add frozen vegetables, chicken broth and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer on low about 15 minutes.

In a 9x13 oven safe dish spread the meat filling evening across the bottom. Add a heaping spoonful of the potato topping over each section and spread smooth to cover the meat filling. Use a fork to scrape the top of the potatoes to make a grid pattern across the top (it just makes it feel fancy). Sprinkle the potatoes with paprika. Bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let it cool 10 minutes before serving.

Reposted: Your Last Potato Salad Recipe

I'm reposting this recipe because, well, it's potato salad season. And also I've finally gotten my own photo. I also updated the ingredients slightly.

You know that saying, “As American as apple pie”? It’s total BS. I mean, come on. When was the last time you had a slice of apple pie? Might as well say, “As American as goat cheese.” Or “As American as Choco-tacos.” I say we should pick something else. Something we eat at every cookout. Something that screams Fourth of July with every bite. Something like potato salad. Say it to yourself. “As American as potato salad.” Makes sense right? Well it will, after you try this recipe.

Ingredients

4 pounds medium red-skinned potatoes, unpeeled, scrubbed
8 dill pickle spears, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 celery stalks, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 small red onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled, chopped
2/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
Salt and pepper to taste

Probably the best way to start is by hardboiling the eggs. I hate boiling eggs because it should be so easy and it never is. Look up “the perfect boiled egg” online and you’ll find twenty different ways to do it. This is how I do it. There may be better ways out there, but this works for me. Put the eggs in a pot and just cover them with cold water. Bring the water to a boil and let them boil for about one minute. Then remove them from the heat and let them sit, covered, for 12-15 minutes. Then rinse them with cold water until they are cool and ready to peel.

While the eggs are boiling, you can also boil the potatoes. I’ve done this both ways and I think the best way is to boil them whole. If you cut them up first, they boil faster, but the skins tend to fall off. So, throw them in the pot with cold water and let them boil until they are fork tender. Then drain and let them cool before chopping them up. Make sure you have a sharp knife!

Put the chopped potatoes, eggs, celery, onion and pickles together into a large Tupperware container (for easy storage). I suggest mixing up the dressing separately so you are sure it’s fully combined. Then pour it over the potato mixture and stir carefully. I like to let it sit overnight before serving, but you can also serve it right away. Just make sure everything is fully cooled. I guarantee it will be a hit at your next cookout, and soon you’ll be saying, “As American as potato salad,” along with me.

(Click here for printable recipe)

Irish Nachos

This is why my belly has been growing steadily since starting to work at Martin 7 years ago. There’s an Irish restaurant right next to my office called Sine (pronounced Shi-nay). And since it’s right next to my office I find myself there quite often, either for lunch or to enjoy an after work Guinness. One of my favorite appetizers to order there, and one I try not to order every time I go there, is the Irish Nachos. Now, there’s nothing Irish about these nachos. Just like there is nothing healthy about them. They are called Irish just because they use potatoes instead of tortilla chips as the main vehicle for all the delicious bacon, cheese and ranch dressing. Did I mention there’s nothing healthy about these? But delicious, yes. So, I tried to recreate the recipe at home with pretty good success.

Ingredients

5 strips of Bacon

1 jalapeno, thinly sliced

4 Russet potatoes, cut into cubes

Shredded sharp cheddar

Salt

Pepper

Garlic salt

½ cup Sour cream

2 Tbsps Milk

1 Tbsp ranch dressing mix

4 green onions, thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. I started with the bacon, slicing it into batons and frying it up. Set it aside on a paper towel. Pour off all but 1 Tbsp of the bacon grease, but save it for frying the potatoes later. Next I tossed in the thinly sliced jalapeno and just warmed it up and softened it up. You could also use pickled jalapenos if you prefer. Put these aside as well.

Next pour the reserved bacon grease back in the pan and fry your potatoes. If you forgot to save it, just use olive oil, no problem. I had to do them in two batches to fit in the pan. Season them generously with salt, pepper, and garlic salt. Don’t be stingy here since potatoes tend to suck up the seasoning. After the potatoes get a little crust on them, transfer them to a baking sheet and bake for about 25 minutes until they are cooked through.

While the potatoes are cooking, mix the sour cream, milk and ranch dressing mix. I actually forgot the sour cream when I made this but it’s what I had intended to do. Instead I had to use Ranch dressing and thin it out with milk. It worked but the dressing at Sine is a little milder and has a lighter texture than actual Ranch, so I think the sour cream idea is a better bet.

Once the potatoes are cooked, it’s time to assemble the nachos! Put the potato cubes in a bowl and drizzle a good amount of the ranch sour cream over them. It’s key to put the ranch on second so it incorporates all the way through. Next put on the jalapenos, as few or as many as you like, and the bacon as well. Top with cheese and then zap it in the microwave for about 60 seconds or until the cheese is melted. It’s probably better to do this in the oven, but my dishes aren’t oven safe. If yours are, go for it with my best wishes.

Garnish with the green onions and serve! It’s not really Irish, and they aren’t exactly nachos either. But sinfully good? Yes. Creamy, crunchy, comforting? Yes. Yes. Yes. 

(click here for printable version)

Potato and Cheese Soup

The author of this particular recipe titled it: The Best Potato Soup You Will Ever Eat. I beg to differ. While it was a good potato and cheese soup it definitely wasn't the best I ever ate. The best is another potato soup that I'm saving for a potential Iron Chef show-down. So, I just named this soup a boring: Potato and Cheese Soup. I'm definitely a soup lover, and I went searching for a new recipe to try. I came across this particular recipe and since it received pretty good reviews I thought I would give it a whirl. Again, it's not bad. I would make it again. It was pretty quick and easy to make.

Ingredients:
4 whole Potatoes
3 cans (10.75 Oz. Can) Cream Of Potato Soup
3 cans Milk (Use The Soup Can To Measure)
1/2 bags (8 Oz. Bag) Mozzarella Cheese
1 bag (8 Oz. Bag) Cheddar Cheese
2 cloves Minced Garlic
1 teaspoon Salt And Pepper

First step when you are buying these ingredients is to make sure you don't forget the main ingredient: the potatoes! I forgot this ingredient the other day, so I ended up making it yesterday after going to the grocery store just for the forgotten potatoes. Next, take out about 4 large potatoes and peel and wash them. Place in a pot with water and boil for about 30 minutes until soft. Pour out the water, and mash the potatoes making sure to leave some chunks in there. At this point I was a little nervous, because I had used 5 potatoes and there were a lot of mashed potatoes in my pot. But, have no fear; after placing the 3 cans of potato soup and pour milk into the 3 empty soup cans. It all turned out okay. I poured the salt and pepper in and the minced garlic. I added a little more salt and pepper to my taste. Then I dumped the 1/2 bag of shredded Mozzarella Cheese, the full bag of shredded cheddar cheese, and about a half bag of Colby and Monterey Jack shredded cheese. I fried up about 6 pieces of bacon and placed in the soup. After it's heated up and salted to your taste it's done. I think it could have used some kind of herb but I didn't add anything else. It was a good soup, and I'm having some leftovers today. Perhaps it will be even better the next day.

(Click here for printable recipe)

Potato Leek Soup

I am not sure where exactly my Aunt got this recipe, but what I do know is that it is very delicious. A couple of notes here, last night I used regular white potatoes as opposed to the russet this recipe called for. And, since the white potatoes are rather small I used six of them. Be sure to wash the leeks really thoroughly as dirt is often inside the crevices. And, I have gotten away with using 3 large leeks and it turned out fine. Be sure to boil the potatoes and leeks 'til the potatoes are soft otherwise it will come out tasting really weird. I can attest to this. Also, as far as the puree goes I don't have one of those emulsion tools nor do I have a food mill, which would probably make this process a heckuva lot easier. So, I take a ladle full of soup and add it to my blender. Be super careful about this because the soup is very hot and the lid can fly off once you start blending if you don't have it on tight. I usually put a towel over the blender, hold it down, and I do several pulses until I know the soup isn't going to fly out everywhere , which I can also attest to, and then I blend. I pour it out into another bowl, and continue doing this in batches until the soup is completely pureed.

4 Large Leeks
2 Large Russett Potatoes
4 Tbsp Butter
6 cups Chicken stock
Salt and Pepper to taste

Peel and dice the Potatoes. Wash and cut the Leeks (only use the whitish part of the Leeks).
In a Dutch Oven, or whatever pot will do for Soup, sauté the Leeks and Potatoes into the butter for about 15-30 minutes over Medium heat.
Pour in the 6 cups of chicken stock and let simmer till potatoes are soft. I "boiled" the soup to make it go even faster due to having to play volleyball within the hour. Add salt (I did several shakes of the salt shaker). Puree. Add back to Soup pot and continue to add salt and pepper to taste.

Again, I just use several shakes of the salt and pepper shaker until it tastes seasoned. I eat the soup with a nice chunk of french bread. Yum. And, despite all the words I've put in this post, the soup is relatively quick to make. It took me a little over an hour from prep to finish.

Enjoy!

Emily


(Click here for printable recipe)