Sausage-Potato-Broccoli Skillet

It's been years since I've had or made this dish, but it's another one I remember my mom making for us growing up.  I've been trying to think of super easy meals for us to make on Monday nights when we get home at 7:00 from dance. Even after bringing snacks with us after school, I know everyone's tummies are growling by that time. This skillet meal came to mind and I knew the girls would love it.

I know I've made it for our oldest before, but I don't believe our younger two have had the chance to try it. There really is no recipe here, just a matter of throwing some ingredients together. But it's really good and I know how much you all appreciate simple.

The girls ate well after class and even asked for seconds, which always makes mom happy. We'll definitely be keeping this one tucked away for busy weeknights!



Sausage-Potato-Broccoli Skillet

Ingredients:
Olive oil
12 oz. Beef smoked sausage ring
28 oz. bag O'Brien frozen potatoes
1-1/2 cups fresh, chopped broccoli
salt and pepper, to taste


Directions:
Slice sausage and set aside. Preheat a large pan on the stove with a generous drizzle of olive oil. Toss potatoes into the skillet and let cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes.

Add in sliced sausage and broccoli and cook until meat is warmed through and potatoes are cooked through and browned, about 12 minutes longer. Remove from heat and dish onto plates. Serves 4-6

Summer Corn Chowder

We are most definitely known for our sweet corn here in Iowa. I always like to take advantage of the short lived season by finding a good source and stashing some bags away in our freezer. It's a comforting treat to enjoy in the dead of winter, a little taste of summer.

I created this soup a couple weeks ago for dinner one night. Even though it's summer and generally hot, soup is still a great way for us to incorporate those garden fresh veggies. Everyone in the family ate this right up, which I declare a major success.

My non-squash loving children didn't even notice the zucchini in there because it was pureed. So of course they'll gladly eat up the corn and potatoes.  I did tell them about the zucchini being in there, while I think it's fine to sneak extra veggies into meals, I always want them to be aware of what they're eating. I don't think they minded though, especially since the small bit of leftovers were quickly gone the next day!


Summer Corn Chowder

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 zucchini, diced
1 bell pepper, any color, diced
1 pound baby potatoes, quartered
2 ears corn, kernels removed from cob
salt and black pepper, to taste
4 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions:
In a stock pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add in zucchini and pepper. Let cook for about 10 minutes, until veggies are tender.

Remove from heat and combine cooked veggies with broth in a blender and puree. Return back to pot. Add in potatoes, bring to a boil and let potatoes cook for about 15 minutes, until tender. Then add in corn kernels and cream. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook just until corn is heated, about 3 minutes.

Remove from heat. Serve with fresh bread or sandwiches.  Serves 4-5

Twice Baked Potatoes

I've shared these before with you, they are probably my favorite side to have stocked in my freezer. Just because they can be labor intensive especially for a weeknight meal, I'd rather make up a whole bunch at one time and be done with it. So that's what I do a few times throughout the year.

I'll bake up either a five or ten pound bag of potatoes and make them all into twice baked potatoes. I can't say they're the healthiest for you, but they sure are delicious!

We love to add these to our meals all year round, but I think they're awesome during the summer months. When we're grilling, I like to heat up a few to round out our dinner. These are usually on my list when I host my freezer swaps, I'm pretty sure everyone enjoys them as much as our family does.

Twice Baked Potatoes

Ingredients:
5 lbs. potatoes
1 stick butter
16 oz. sour cream
1/2 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled
Lawry's and black pepper, to taste
chopped green onions
4 oz. grated cheddar cheese

Directions:
Wash and scrub potatoes, place onto a large baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for at least one hour or until tender. Remove from oven, cut potatoes in half and scoop out the insides using a spoon. Place potatoes into a large bowl and leave the skins on the baking sheet.

Add in butter, sour cream, crumbled bacon, seasonings, green onion and cheese. Mix together well with a potato masher or electric mixer. Using a spoon, scoop potato mixture back into the skins. Place onto the baking sheet. If desired top with additional cheese.

Stick baking sheet into the freezer for one-two hours or until potatoes are frozen. Remove from freezer and wrap each one individually in saran wrap. Then place into large freezer bags that have been labeled. Return to freezer until ready to use.

When ready to enjoy, remove from freezer to thaw. Heat in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until warmed through.

Makes about 22 twice baked potatoes

Buffalo Chicken Potato Skins

I apologize now if you're not a fan of anything buffalo style, I can't help it, our family just loves it. Even the kids, as long as the sauce isn't too spicy, they'll eat it right up. I'm calling these potato skins, but I suppose they almost look like a twice baked potato of some sort.

I think they're a great appetizer, side dish, heck even a light lunch or dinner. You could probably sneak more veggies in there but I like the hot wing/potato combination just fine.  If buffalo sauce isn't your thing, try substituting barbecue. Of course you'd want to eliminate the ranch dressing as well.  I bet barbecue would taste just as good too!

I know football season is a bit ways away right now, but I'm thinking these would be a great addition to your spread.  Don't you agree?

Buffalo Chicken Potato Skins

Ingredients:
8 medium sized potatoes
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup ranch dressing
1/2 - 3/4 cup hot wing sauce {I prefer Cookie's brand}
Lawry's and black pepper, to taste
green onion, for topping

Directions:
Scrub potatoes well and place onto a baking sheet. Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 45-60 minutes. Remove from oven, slice in half and scoop out the potatoes. Add half to a large bowl and save the other half for another use, such as mashed potatoes.

Combine the shredded chicken, cheese, ranch, hot wing sauce, Lawry's and pepper with the potatoes. Sort of mash the potatoes with the serving spoon as you're mixing everything together well. You'll want the mixture a little chunky.

Using a spoon, scoop the mixture back into the potato skins. Sprinkle with diced green onion if desired.

If preparing right away, put back into the oven at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Just until skins are crispy.

For freezing: do not bake, place baking sheet into the freezer for 1-2 hours or until frozen. Remove from freezer and wrap each potato individually in saran wrap. Then place potatoes into a large freezer bag, make sure to label with contents and date. When ready to use; let thaw and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until warmed through.

Sweet Potato Hash

This might not look like your typical child's lunch, but I have to say I've always prided myself on what I serve to my daycare kids. Now, I am far from perfect. We've had the occasional mac and cheese but I really do try to stay away from that stuff. I figure if I don't want to eat it, why should I force them to?

I didn't do any prep work ahead of time, like I normally might do, and still had lunch on the table within 30 minutes. I don't provide care for a large group, I've always liked to keep mine on the smaller side. But four kids is still four kids and I understand that it's not always easy.

Here I made use of ingredients we had on hand. A very simple dish, nothing complicated. I think the sweet potato and ground pork go very well together and bell peppers are always good in just about anything. I added a little bit of cinnamon and paprika for seasoning, then placed a fried egg on top. Of course on the kids' plates the egg was on the side and they had some fresh raspberries too.

Everyone ate really well. Of course they all have their dislikes. One doesn't really like peppers but always tries a bite. Another one didn't really eat much of the sweet potato. And that's totally okay with me! At least they're trying new things and who knows, one day they just might love that particular food.

I, on the other hand really enjoyed this dish. I think it works well for lunch or dinner, but maybe even for breakfast. Why not? Plus if you're following a gluten free or paleo diet, this would be a perfect meal to add to your repertoire.


Sweet Potato Hash

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. ground pork
2 medium sized sweet potatoes
1 bell pepper, diced
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cinnamon
fried egg, to top each serving

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wash potatoes and cut into small cubes. Throw onto a cookie sheet greased well with coconut oil. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until softened. Using a spatula, make sure to turn potatoes at least once while cooking.

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, brown ground pork until no longer pink. Drain any grease and return to skillet. Add in diced bell pepper and let cook over low heat. Sprinkle in seasonings and stir well to combine.

Once sweet potatoes are cooked through, add those into the skillet. Let cook on low to keep warm while you prepare the eggs to serve on top.

Garden Veggie Pancakes

This is how I spent my weekend! The girls and I went up to Harper's Ferry with my parents for the weekend; they have a place up there and try to make it up every weekend throughout the summer and fall.

It was relaxing, we had perfect weather and enjoyed a full day out on the water. The girls got to fish, played on the beach, went tubing and enjoyed the beautiful surroundings.

It's back to the grind today and even after going to bed early I'm still tired! They wear me out.

Last Thursday before we left I made up these veggie pancakes using some of our produce box. They made for a  nice little appetizer to our meal and something that most of us really enjoyed.

Before I forget, this is a glimpse of what we received for last week. Lots of cucumbers! I've also been starting to get some in my own garden. I think we'll be eating cucumbers at every. single. meal! The kids immediately ate through the carrots. I did make a small batch of pickles that night, they're pretty good but a little sweet. I prefer dill pickles, so I'll have to tinker around and see if I can come up with a good recipe.

You can incorporate any sort of veggies you have on hand, but I used carrots, zucchini, potatoes and corn. These were so good! The hubby loves hot sauce with just about anything so that's what he topped his with. I enjoyed mine with just a touch of sour cream and salsa. We added just a little bit of cheddar cheese in the batter and they were perfect. I never thought I'd be one to enjoy vegetables this much, but I really do have fun each week creating new dishes that are healthy and good for us.


Garden Veggie Pancakes

Ingredients:
1 zucchini, grated
1 medium potato, grated (I used 2 small new potatoes)
1 medium carrot, grated
2 eggs
1/4 whole wheat flour
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
Olive oil, for frying

Directions:
In a medium sized bowl, combine eggs, flour and seasonings. Add in grated vegetables and stir to combine. Sprinkle in corn and cheese and combine well.

In a skillet, heat 1-2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. When skillet is ready, drop batter onto skillet and let cook for a few minutes and then flip to other side. Let cook until each side is golden brown, remove to a plate lined with paper towels.  Serve immediately with desired toppings such as sour cream and salsa.

Makes about 12 pancakes. These are best served warm.

Garlic Smashed Crock Pot Potatoes

I love having a nice meal ready for me at the end of the day, one that's been slowly cooking in the crock pot. In the summer it's great to not turn on the stove as often. Until the other day though, I don't think I've ever used my crock pot for a side dish. Lots of dips and appetizers, even a dessert but never potatoes.

I even felt we had a nice sit-down meal and were out the door by 6 p.m. for a night of softball games. I started these during nap time and by the time I started prepping dinner, they were all ready. I'm not sure how well they would work set at on the low setting for several hours, but it might be worth a try. I understand not everyone is able to work from home like I am and has the luxury to start meal prepping throughout the day.

These went great with our grilled pork chops as they would with any sort of meat. I even thought about adding some crumbled up bacon and cheddar cheese....maybe next time though!


Garlic Smashed Crock Pot Potatoes

Ingredients:
2-1/2 lbs. small red potatoes
3 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp. Lawry's seasoning
2 tbsp. olive oil
2/3 cup water
4 oz. cream cheese
3 tbsp. butter
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream or milk, plus another splash or two

Directions:
Dice potatoes and add to the crock pot. Add in garlic, seasonings, olive oil and water. Mix well to combine. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or until potatoes are tender. Remove lid and using potato masher, mash until desired consistency. Stir in cream cheese, butter and milk or whipping cream. Serve immediately or switch to warm setting until ready to serve.

Adapted from: The Crockin' Girls Slow Cookin' Companion

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Any big plans for today? I'm going to enjoy my day off with the family! No orders to fill for the weekend either. I think the girls and I will make our way to the pool later this afternoon to soak up some of this beautiful sun. Have a great Friday!

Monday Randomness

As I told my facebook readers Saturday morning, I had a few hours to get some meals prepped for the freezer while two of our girls were at bowling league. I had planned to make a 5 lb. bag of potatoes into twice baked potatoes, a triple batch of Green Chile Pork Tacos and one batch of Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork (except this time I used root beer instead of cola).

The four bags of pork literally took me about 15 minutes to put together, they were super easy. The potatoes had to bake for a good hour or so but then didn't take long to mix up the filling. All in all I probably spent a good two hours preparing everything. I now have 4 meals between the pulled pork and tacos and 22 twice baked potatoes, which will be enough for at least 4 meals for us.

Twice Baked Potatoes

Ingredients:
5 lbs. potatoes
1 stick butter
16 oz. sour cream
1/2 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled
Lawry's and black pepper to taste
Chopped green onions
Grated/Shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Wash and scrub potatoes, place on a large baking sheet and bake in oven for at least one hour at 400 degrees. Once potatoes are tender, cut in half and scoop potatoes out with a spoon into a large bowl. Add butter, sour cream, crumbled bacon, seasonings and chopped green onions to the potatoes. Mix together well with a potato masher. Scoop filling into potato skins and top with grated or shredded cheddar cheese. Place back on baking sheet and stick in the freezer for a good hour or two. Wrap each potato individually with saran wrap and stick in freezer bag. When ready to bake, remove from freezer and heat in oven until heated through.

I found a great recipe for pork tacos in my Picky Palate cookbook. We've made in once before during the winter months and I figured it would be great to throw everything together in a freezer bag so it's ready to dump in the slow cooker. These are full of great Mexican flavor and our family really enjoys them!

Slow-Cooked Green Chile Pork Tacos

Ingredients:
2 lb. pork butt
Sprinkling of salt, black pepper and garlic powder
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
16 oz. jar Tomatillo salsa

Directions:
Season both sides of pork with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Place in freezer bag. Add Worcestershire sauce and tomatillo salsa to bag. Remove air from bag and seal shut. Label and stick in freezer. When ready to cook, remove from freezer and let thaw overnight. Dump into slow cooker and cook on low for at least 8 hours (If you think pork is getting dried out, you can add 1/4-1/2 c of water) Shred pork when done and return to juices. Serve on tortillas with desired toppings.


I also worked on a new way of menu planning this weekend. Spring and summer are always so busy for us, with softball games for the girls during the week, my own hubby's softball schedule and I'll be back at the farmers' market this year on Saturday mornings selling baked goods. I try to keep our freezer stocked with meals and that really helps but even so we still find nights where we leave the house at 4:30 and won't return until late at night. Which means supper has to be on the go and in the cooler.

I made a list of easy meals perfect for this time of year. Meals that won't require much thinking or planning on my part. Meals that I'm sure you often rely on for your own families.

I simply started filling in days with simple meals, also leaving about 2 days blank each way so I can still try out new recipes. This way though I won't be overwhelmed with the idea of menu planning for our busy months but yet I can still have room for trying new dishes....hey I still have to blog about something right?

We'll see how this idea goes, maybe it will be helpful and work out for the best.

Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes

Can you believe that I've never made real twice baked potatoes before? I figure I don't have a need when we can enjoy mashed potatoes this way. I've been making these for awhile now, we don't have them with our meals too often because well, for one, they aren't exactly good for you. I'd say we enjoy them a few times throughout the year; since the dish makes quite a bit I like the prepare them when we have company.

A couple weekends ago I had my family over for dinner, I made pulled pork and served it with these mashed potatoes and various other sides. It was the ultimate comfort meal!

You can certainly cut the recipe in half if you're not feeding several people. Otherwise I highly encourage to give these fabulous potatoes a try, your family is bound to request them over and over again!


Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:
20 med-sized potatoes
8 oz. cream cheese
1 c sour cream
3/4 stick butter
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp garlic powder
2 c shredded cheddar cheese
6-8 slices cooked bacon

Directions:
Peel and cut potatoes up into small chunks, place in a large pot of cold water and cook over medium-high heat. Cook until potatoes are fork tender. Drain potatoes and add to a large mixing bowl. Add in cream cheese, sour cream, butter, salt, pepper and garlic powder. With an electric mixer, blend all ingredients together until smooth. Stir in a few slices of crumbled bacon and 1/2-1 c of shredded cheese. Mix together and transfer to a lightly greased casserole dish (I generally use a 2 qt. dish). Sprinkle with remaining cheese and crumbled bacon. Bake at 375 for 25-30 mins. or until cheese is melted and potatoes are heated through.  Serves about 12.