Kjome Hash

My favorite breakfast is some type of hash because you can do an easy fridge clean and it's always yummy!!

You can use packaged hashbrowns but I was out so I cubed a couple of peeled potatoes.

Put potatoes that you seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic powder and 1/4 chopped onion into a pan with a 1/4 cup water over medium heat.  Cover and cook until water is gone, you'll only need to do this with cubed potatoes, helps them cook through.  Add couple tablespoons of your favorite oil or butter and fry until crispy.  Season to taste.

Throw in the fridge!  In this case it was some chopped peppers, spinach, chopped tomatoes and some left over chopped bacon (sometimes I use ham or steak or chicken..whatever is in the fridge) and diced avocado. Give it a good toss.  If you don't like crunchy peppers, add them when you add the butter to the potatoes so they have time to soften while the potatoes crisp up.  You can also throw in some of your favorite cheese if you want.  Season to taste.

Fry two eggs to your liking.  I like over medium because it makes kind of a sauce for the hash.  Top your hash and squirt your favorite hot sauce and serve!!

Spicy Potato Soup

A friend at work brought this really yummy spicy chowder and I wanted to make it at home. Problem was, I didn't get to the store to to get all the ingredients so I improvised. I'll give you the "real" recipe another time but this one is a tasty substitute.

And, did I mention that it's EASY and it meets my crockpot rule of at least 8 hours!!

What you'll need:

10-12 Potatoes peeled
1 Leek chopped
1 Medium Onion diced
2 stalks Celery diced
Handful of carrots diced
1 Can Fiesta Cheese Soup
4 C Vegetable Broth ~ or chicken Broth
1 t Salt
1/2 t Pepper
1 t Dillweed
1 t Curry ~ you could maybe leave this out, I was going for curry flavor and when that didn't work for me, I went another direction. I only mention this because I used it.

Put all this in the crockpot and cook on low for 8-10 hours

1 heaping t Chipolte Pepper
1 C Frozen Corn
12 oz can Evaporated Milk

Mash your potatoes and add these things in the last 1/2 hour of cooking just to heat it through.

Here's the potatoes.

This is the carrots and celery. I said to "chop" them. Here is a simple rule I use when cooking, ask yourself "what size feels comfortable in my mouth". If you like bigger carrots, cut them bigger, just know that they might be a little crunchier when the soup is finished.

A leek looks like a BIG green onion. This is what it looks like when you cut most of the green off.

I cut it in half and proceeded to chop it. If I'm feeling lazy, I'll just use my kitchen shears to cut it into pieces directly into the crockpot.

Here's the onion, peeled and cut in half for easy chopping. If you run it under cold water, it keeps the tears to a minimum. The onion will break down as it cooks but if you want it minced really fine, I recommend the food processor.

If you are saying that you don't like onions, well onion really gives this soup the flavor, I promise you won't notice the onion when it's cooked. A friend of mine who "hates" onion is none the wiser;)

Peel your potatoes and chop in various sizes. You can be exact if you want to but I find that if you use different size cuts, you get a better texture. I don't like completely "creamy" potato soup but if you do, make sure your potatoes are more uniformly cut.

The old fashioned masher comes into play after the potatoes are soft. Use this directly in the crockpot to mash the large chunks. If you like a creamier soup, you could use one of those hand held beaters. As I said, I'm not a fan of creamy potato soup and I also don't play with too many gadgets in the kitchen;)

Hashbrowns

I'm not that organized to have ready made hashbrowns in the freezer or fridge when I want them but I almost always have potatoes so I make mine from scratch. Super easy and I think they taste better.

What you'll need:

2 medium size Potatoes shredded
1/2 small onion diced
2 T Butter
Drizzle Olive Oil
1 t Salt
1 t Pepper

Melt your butter in a frying pan. Add potato, onion and sprinkle with salt and pepper. If I am feeling really sassy, I'll add a teaspoon of garlic powder too. Pat this down as thin as you can. Cover and cook on medium for about 6 minutes, until it's golden brown. Take your spatula and flip, drizzle with a teaspoon or so of Olive Oil. Cover and cook about another 5 minutes and serve.

Here's what you're using to shred.




Getting ready to flip

Fried Potatoes

My Mom used to pan fry potatoes probably a couple times a month. And, we never had pork chops and cream corn without them:) They are good any time of day. I actually like them a lot with my eggs at breakfast.

My kids aren't big potato eaters so I don't make them very often which is kinda silly since they are really easy to make for just one person which is what I did tonight.

This recipe is for one, figured that would be the easiest because than you can just double, triple or whatever you need to do for how many people you are feeding.

What you'll need:

Medium Potato peeled and sliced thin ~ I used Russet because that's typically what I have in the house
1 T minced Onion
1 T Butter
1/4 t Salt, Pepper and Garlic Powder

You can layer your potatoes in the pan but try not to go more than about 4 potatoes thick, takes too long to cook.

Turn your burner on to about a 4. Melt your butter in the pan, throw in potatoes and onions. Season and cover. You want to cover so the steam can help cook your potatoes. Check at about 2 minutes and give a flip. Keep that up for about 8-10 minutes until the potatoes are soft and crispy all at the same time. Serve
Slice the potatoes in even slices and chop up some onion
Put them in a pan with a pat of butter and season. Cover and cook on low medium heat for a few minutes.
Give them a flip and cover again
Yum

Creamy Whipped Potatoes

Growing up, I didn't know that mashed potatoes and whipped potatoes were different. I didn't realize that mashed potatoes came with lumps because my Mom is a Whipped Potato girl.

I have seen her gag when she has taken a bite of potatoes that had a little lump in them. Making whipped potatoes isn't really hard, it just takes a little extra attention. Making them to get my Mom's final approval did take me awhile but she is over the top fussy about her potatoes. I accepted that I couldn't make them the way she loved them and then a miracle happened and I started getting them right.

I will share with you a few things to remember about making Whipped Potatoes turn out:

First, this is the biggest one...your potato chunks need to be VERY similar in size. You want your potatoes to boil evenly.

Second, make sure there is enough room in the pan to have at least an inch of water over the top of the potatoes and make sure you have enough salt in the water.

Third, you want to drain them well.

Fourth, you'll be using a hand mixer. You will whip but not over whip.

If you boil too long or whip too long, you get a texture you will never forget. A texture that makes me gag.

I don't intend to scare you, I just want to point out that there are a few things to pay attention to. And, probably the worst thing that will happen is you'll have a few lumps and if you're not my Mom...you'll be ok with that and get it next time.

Ok, so we're making 4 servings of potatoes and this is what you'll need:

5 potatoes peeled, washed and cut into equal size chunks

Put in a pot (I used my 4 qt sauce pot) big enough for you to have an inch of COLD water over the potatoes. Add 1 T table salt. Put the potatoes on the stove, high heat. Once the water starts to boil, it should take about 10-12 minutes.

Test with a fork. The fork should go in easily, if the potato falls apart, you've boiled too long (we'll address that later), if it offers resistance, meaning you have a hard time getting that potato off the fork, you need to boil another minute or two.

Drain your potatoes well. That means empty the pot into a strainer, make sure all the water is out of the pot and put the potatoes back in the pot.

Add 3 T Butter and whip your potatoes around the pan for about 30 to 45 seconds. You want to basically get all the lumps out at this stage of the game and if you've cooked them long enough, 45 seconds is plenty of time if you're moving your mixer around. If you've OVER cooked your potatoes you do NOT want to mix any longer than 30 seconds. The longer you whip the more gluten that comes out and you're gonna end up with a glue texture if you over whip.

"I" add about 1/3 C of Sour Cream and teaspoon of garlic powder (these two are optional, my Mom doesn't add these or you can also throw some cream cheese in here too) and about 1/4 C of milk and mix until just blended.

If you want them a bit creamier, add a little more milk but add a little at a time, you don't want soupy potatoes. If you've over cooked, you'll need less milk because the potatoes absorbed some of the water.

If you ended up with a couple of lumps...watch the size of your potatoes next time. Equal size pieces are the key or as close to equal as you can do. If the pieces aren't equal, the potatoes cook at differently and that's how you end up with lumps.

Equal size chunks are the key to creamy whipped potatoes
Make sure there is at least an inch of cold water above your potatoes. You also want to make sure that your water has enough salt. I used a T for this size pot
Nice and creamy
Best kind of left overs...I packaged up a meal for lunch..

Cheesy Hashbrown Potatoes

Some people call these company potatoes, some people put crushed Corn Flakes or Bread Crumbs on top. Me, I go for simple, straight forward...cheese, potatoes, sauce..enough said and YUM! You can also make these very easily in the crock pot. And, if I'm feeling fancy...I will top with more cheese just before serving so that it's melted all over the top.

What you'll need:

Bag of Ore Ida Hashbrowns~thawed
1 large Onion~chopped
1 stick of butter
2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup~98% fat free for me
8 oz Sour Cream~I use light
8 oz Cream Cheese~works best if it's cubed because it melts quicker
2 C Shredded Cheddar Cheese~I think I actually used a blend of Monterey Jack and Cheddar last time because it's what I had

Optional things to add..green peppers, ham, jalapenos

Add your onions and butter to a pan and melt on low. Cook for a bit to soften the onions. Add soup, sour cream and cream cheese. Cook on low until blended.

Mix potatoes and cheese. Pour sauce on top and mix thoroughly. Pour into sprayed 13x9 pan and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes or into your crock pot and cook on low for a few hours. Remember if you want, you can add some more cheese the last 5 minutes of cooking.

You can also make these ahead but might need to add 10-15 minutes of extra cooking time. Check the middle to make sure they are hot enough.

You can also use Potato O'Brien if you want, just a different shape of potato.
Give your onion a good chop
Butter and onions making magic
Potatoes and cheese waiting for the sauce
Sauce
Mixed and ready for a sprayed 13x9 pan or the crock pot

Twice Baked Potatoes

I wanted something that I could make ahead and throw on the grill with the steaks. Twice baked potatoes fit the bill. I am going to give you the direction and ingredients for a solo potato so adjust for each additional one you make. You can also make these the day before and they are good to go.

1 medium Potato~washed

Poke two holes in the top of the potato. You don't want to poke all over the place because you are going to be re stuffing these potatoes.

I microwaved the potato for 5 minutes and it was perfect. You want the potato to be soft and not squishy.

Cool for about 10 minutes and then very gently slice off the top of the potato. Don't go deep, you just want enough off to be able to scoop out the inside.

Scoop out the inside, being careful not to tear the skin or go too deep. You want a light layer of potato around the shell so it holds its shape.

If you're making a bunch of these, pull out your mixer. If you're making only one or a two, use a fork to mash the potato.

Add
1-2 T Butter and Sour Cream
2-3 T of shredded Cheese~I used Colby Jack Mix
1/4 t Garlic Powder, Pepper and Salt
1/4 t Parsley, Thyme or dill..optional for extra flavor and color

Taste and make sure there is enough salt. Now, you can get fancy and get a pastry bag and stuff these potatoes or you can spoon the mixture back in. I opted for option B.

Wrap up in foil leaving some room for steam to help the cause and make sure it's sealed well. Put on a medium grill for 30 minutes (45 if you are taking them from the fridge) or 350 oven.

OR if you're making a bunch. You can put them on a cookie sheet to bake, turn on the broiler for a minute at the end to crunch up the top.

Cut the top off your slightly cooled potato like this
Hollow out your potato, you don't have to get crazy, it's ok to leave some potato around the edges
Mash up the potato and mix in the good stuff.
Put your stuffing back into the potato. You might have just a bit left over
Seal up tight but leave the foil a little bit tented.
All done and I will admit that it could be prettier with some parsley or paprika but if we're going for taste...these work, I promise

Cheesy Potato Chowder

Cooking relaxs me. Eating good food, makes me feel better. A LOT of people say to me that it's too hard to cook or it takes too long to cook. For the most part, I don't have a lot of time but I still manage to cook and bake. So, I figured I'd share my little detour to the kitchen. Also want to note, since this is my first attempt at downloading photos...I'm asking for patience;)

6-8 med size potatoes; peeled, quartered/diced
1 med carrot or handful of baby carrots chopped
2 stalks of celery chopped
1 Leek chopped
1 medium onion diced
4 C Water
4 Chix Bouillon Cubes ~ if you'd like to make this vegetarian, use vegetable bouillon without any taste difference
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 t dillweed
1 t paprika
12 oz can evaporated milk..I typically use Fat free
1 C Frozen Corn
1-2 C shredded cheese, I used cheddar/jack mix tonight

Put everything in the crockpot EXCEPT for milk, corn and cheese. Cook on low 8-10 hours or high for 4-5. Mash potatoes a little. Add rest of ingredients, heat through and serve.


This is the carrots and celery. I said to "chop" them. Here is a simple rule I use when cooking, ask yourself "what size feels comfortable in my mouth". If you like bigger carrots, cut them bigger, just know that they might be a little crunchier when the soup is finished.

A leek looks like a BIG green onion. This is what it looks like when you cut most of the green off.

I cut it in half and proceeded to chop it. If I'm feeling lazy, I'll just use my kitchen shears to cut it into pieces directly into the crockpot.

Here's the onion, peeled and cut in half for easy chopping. If you run it under cold water, it keeps the tears to a minimum. You can also use a food processor to chop the onion. The onion will break down as it cooks but if you want it diced really fine, I recommend the food processor.

If you are saying that you don't like onions, well onion really gives this soup the flavor, I promise you won't notice the onion when it's cooked. A friend of mine who "hates" onion is none the wiser;)

I know I said 6-8 medium potatoes, but this is what I had. Size doesn't matter as long as it rounds out to at least 6 medium sized potatoes.

Peel your potatoes and chop in various sizes. You can be exact if you want to but I find that if you use different size cuts, you get a better texture. I don't like completely "creamy" potato soup but if you do, make sure your potatoes are more uniformly cut.

Here is everything except the milk, corn and cheese. Give it a stir, cover and leave it alone for 8-10 hours on low or 4-5 on high.

The old fashioned masher comes into play after the potatoes are soft. Use this directly in the crockpot to mash the large chunks. If you like a creamier soup, you could use one of those hand held beaters. As I said, I'm not a fan of creamy potato soup and I also don't play with too many gadgets in the kitchen;)

Now, shake your evaporated milk and pour it in. Add your corn..I prefer frozen but drained can corn will also work and the cheese. You can use any variation of cheese. I typically use something that involves cheddar. Give it a stir and heat through.

You're done. Hot soup after a cold day at the rink. Doesn't get any better than this. It also freezes well.