Potato, Potato!

My aunt wants some potato recipes, so here is going to be a ton of potato recipes. I love potatoes because (1) I think they taste very good, and (2) the actual time I have to spend in the kitchen is like 20 minutes.

Let's start with the easiest first. 

1. Mashed Potatoes

• Peel potatoes if desired (I hate the peels in there). Cut up potatoes, my general rule is 2 potatoes per person, throwing in an extra one if someone is a big eater, or just using 1 for children. I use 6 potatoes for JP and I, it's just enough for dinner and then leftovers for lunch one day.

• Put them in a pot, with water almost covering potatoes.

• Cook on an oven for 20-30 minutes, depending on how small or big you cut up your potatoes.

• Pour out excess water, but pour out as little as possible, because that's where the nutrients are.

• Add butter, however much you desire, I use one stick, and beat with a mixer. Add milk as necessary to reach the consistency you want.

• Add *garlic powder (2 T) and dill (1T) and a dash of pepper and salt (I prefer to let people do most of this on their own plates since JP and I differ in tastes there). 

• Eat.

2. Baked potatoes

• Scrub potatoes and poke with a fork.

• Rub butter on the skins and wrap in foil.

• Bake for 40-60 minutes @ 425, or 70-80 minutes @350

• Put on desired toppings (chili, cheese, butter, sour cream, etc…)

**Nutrition Information (per medium potato without toppings)

125 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g cholesterol, 28 g carbohydrates.

3. Scalloped Potatoes (One of my favorites)

     ½ cup chopped onion

     1 t bottled minced garlic

     2 T butter

     2 T flour

     ½ t salt

     ¼ t pepper

     1 ¼ cups milk

     4 medium potatoes

• Preheat oven to 350

• In a pan cook onion and garlic until tender

• Add flour, salt, pepper, and milk. Cook until thick and bubbly.

• Grease 1 ½-2 quart casserole dish.

• Slice potatoes and place half in the casserole dish, and cover with half of the sauce. Repeat.

• Cover with tinfoil, and bake for 40 min.

• Uncover and bake 15-20 min, until the potatoes are soft.

Nutrition Information (1/4 of dish)

187 calories, 15 g fat (9 g saturated fat), 44 mg cholesterol, 25 g carbohydrates

4. Optional preparation,

• add ¾ cup shredded cheese to sauce

Nutrition Information

273 calories, 15 g fat (9 g. saturated fat), 44 mg cholesterol, 25 g carbohydrates.

5.  Baked Potato Fans (one of JP's favorites)

     4 potatoes

     ¼ cup melted butter

     ½ t garlic

     ¼ t salt

     ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese

     ¼ cup sliced green onions

     2 T parmesan cheese

• Preheat oven to 350

• Scrub potatoes, slice potatoes, but don’t cut all the way through. One tip for that is to put the handle of a wooden spoon next to your potato, so it stops you from slicing all the way.

• Place potatoes in a baking dish and press down so the potatoes fan slightly.

• Combine melted butter, garlic, salt. Drizzle over potatoes, and in between slices.

• Cover with foil and bakefor 50 minutes.

• Uncover, bake for 10 minutes.

• Sprinkle potatoes with parmesan cheese, green onions and cheddar cheese. Try to get it in between the potato slices, or else it all falls off and makes a mess.

• Bake for 5 minutes.

Nutrition Information (per potato)

245 calories, 13 g fat (8 g saturated fat), 34 mg cholesterol, 27 g carbohydrates

6.     Cottage-Fried Potatoes

     3 T butter

     3 potatoes

     ¼ t salt

     ¼ t garlic powder

      Dash of pepper

     1 small onion, or ½ of medium onion

• Slice potatoes.

• Slice onion and separate into rings.

• In a large skillet, melt butter.

• Layer sliced potatoes and sprinkle with salt, garlic powder, and pepper,

• Cover and cook over medium heat for 8 min.

• Add onion rings.

• Cook uncovered, turning frequently for 10 minutes, until potatoes start to brown.

Nutrition Information (1/4 of dish)

168 calories, 9 g fat (6 g saturated fat), 25 mg cholesterol, 19 g carbohydrates

7.     Parmesan Cottage-Baked Potatoes

¼ cup melted butter

     3 potatoes

     ¼ cup Parmesan cheese  

Several dashes garlic powder    

      Dash of pepper

     1 small onion, or ½ of medium onion

• Preheat oven to 450.

• Slice potatoes.

• Slice onion and separate into rings.

• Layer potato slices and onion rings in a baking pan.

• Pour butter over potato slices and onion rings.

• Sprinkle garlic powder, pepper and parmesan cheese over potatoes and onions.

• Bake for 30 minutes, until potatoes start to brown, turning once.

Nutrition Information (1/4 dish)

197 calories, 11 g fat (7 g saturated fat), 30 mg cholesterol, 19 g carbohydrates

8.     Roasted Potatoes.

     3 potatoes

     2 T olive oil

     1 t minced onion

     ½ t garlic powder

     ¼ t salt

     ¼ t pepper

     ¼ t thyme

     ¼ t dill

     ½ t paprika

• Preheat oven to 325 or 450.

• Chop up potatoes into eights.

• Grease a small square baking pan and place potatoes in it.

• Combine olive oil, minced onion, garlic, salt, pepper, paprika, thyme and dill.

• Pour mixture over potatoes, and toss to coat potatoes.

• Bake for 45 min @ 325, or 25 min @ 450.

• Stir potatoes and bake another 10-20 minutes until potatoes are tender and starting to brown.

Nutrition Information (1/4 of dish)

145 calories, 7 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 0 mg cholesterol, 19 g carbohydrates.

*I love garlic, so most of these recipes are very garlic-y, if you're not a huge garlic fan you should probably put in less garlic than I say.

**Nutrition Information is an estimate.

***Almost all recipes are from the Better Homes and Gardens Special Edition Pink Plaid Cookbook, (which is one of the best cookbooks ever, and it supports the fight against breast cancer) with a few alteration made by me. I think my Grandma Larson gave that cookbook to me for my wedding; thank you very much Grandma, I love it!