Dilly Dip Potato Salad

I've never been much of an experimenter in the kitchen; I have always been pretty dependent upon other people's expertise, cooking wise. That said, I've been getting braver in the last year or so, and today's recipe is representative of that. I adapted two different recipes for this potato salad, which I'll be taking to a party tomorrow. The first recommended baking the potatoes, rather than boiling them, so that's what I did. The second recipe is my own, which usually calls for mayo (Miracle W and mustard); I decided to go really crazy and use a local product that I'd never tried before: Let's Get Dilly dip mix, from Chics-n-Dip.

"Specializing in creating zesty chip & veggie dips, sweet cheesecake dips, meat rubs & bread mixes," Chics-n-Dip is a small Wisconsin company run by two women who work their tails off to offer more than thirty delicious dips and more. My personal favorites are The Villain, I'm Too Sexy for My Beer Belly, and Bling for Carrots; but that's only because I like them so much (as do my guests) that I haven't had the chance to try the rest! I'd never tried the Let's Get Dilly Dip, but since the others are so great, I figured it would be too, and I was right! The directions are simple: mix with one cup each of sour cream (or plain yogurt) and mayo, and you're in business.

I mixed the dip, chilled it, and then prepped the rest:

1 cup chopped celery

1.5 cups chopped cucumber

1 cup chopped dill pickles (my favorite ingredient)

3/4 cup chopped red onion

3 hard boiled eggs, chopped

yellow mustard

1 cup real mayonnaise

1 cup sour cream 

1 pkg Chics-n-Dip Let's Get Dilly dip mix

I used this much mustard:

[I had my ingredients in bags because I prepped them ahead and put them in the fridge.]

1 5-lb bag of potatoes

Poke holes in and bake the potatoes (whole) at 350 degrees for an hour or until soft. 

Cut them in half and let them cool enough to handle.

Remove the skin (or keep it, if that's your style) and chop into bite-sized pieces.

Place on a tray and chill about an hour.

(This helps the bites keep their shape and keeps the dressing cold during mixing.)

Mix everything together,

add salt if desired, and enjoy!

I enjoyed some before it even had time to "get happy," 

and I can't wait to eat my fair share tomorrow!

It has just the right amount of dill in it, and the crunch and zing of the pickles...YUM!

Dawn's Kick-Butt Cheesy Potatoes

My friend, Dawn, made these potatoes for our Halloween party, and they were a big hit. I don't have a photo (too busy that night), but I do want to share the recipe.

1 red onion, diced
1/2 stick butter
2 bags hash browns
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Vegetables (mushrooms, green pepper, broccoli) optional

Saute onions until soft. Put all in a crockpot and heat 4-6 hours on low (first hour on high) or bake in the oven.

If you bake it, add a topping.
Warning: This recipe is a beast on a crockpot (messy), but that's what dish soap and hot water are for, right?

Confetti Scalloped Potatoes

In Wisconsin, we like our *cheesy potatoes. This recipe is a crowd pleaser and comes from my SIL, *Mary Sue.  Matty, you should definitely try this one--It's even easier than the Easy-Peasy Bars From Heaven and is really, really delicious!!

Ingredients:

1 bag Ore-Ida Potatoes O'Brien (The recipe only calls for 16oz. The bag is 28 oz. I used most of it.)

1/2 stick butter
1 can Campbell's Cream of Whatever soup (really, use whichever one you like.)
1 soup-can of milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
dash of pepper
1 cup crushed cheddar-flavored crackers (we like Cheez-Its), divided

Oops-What the heck is that little white thing in the pic?! Garlic?! I did NOT use garlic in this recipe; I think it snuck over from the other ingredients on the counter; you know how garlic is always showboating in recipes. Just ignore that, okay? Now let's get crackin'!

In a bold and daring move, I actually chose not to measure the crackers!!  Join me on the wild side and just throw some in a sandwich bag and pretend that each little square is a bit stress in your life; take it out on the crackers inside, til they're all smashed up!

Set those aside.

Next, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat.  Now, here's where I actually adapted the original recipe (which is something I'm usually too chicken to do, so Go Me! I'm such a daredevil!)  Instead of the original call for 1/2 cup chopped onion, a small green pepper, and 2 tablespoons of pimiento, I just bought the kind of hash browns that already had those ingredients in the bag.  Because I didn't need to saute anything, I also cut the original 1/2 cup butter to 1/4 cup. It really turned out really well, so my recipe reflects these changes.

Stir in potatoes, soup, and milk. I took this pic for you to see how much of the potatoes I used (about four cups.) And yes, it was supposed to be a soup can of the milk, not a cup. (I hope we survive!!)

 Stir. Then add the cheese, pepper, and 1/2 cup of the cracker crumbs.

Pour into a buttered, shallow casserole dish. If you forget to butter the pan, feel free to dump everything back out again, wash the pan, butter it, and move back to the previous step. (Not that I did that or anything....)

Top with remaining cracker crumbs and bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes. [Yields 6-8 servings.]

Get ready to be showered with praise for your fine work. Everyone loves these. 

*Warning:  This recipe calls for a double-dose of Lactaid, if you (like me) are lactose intolerant.  (How is it possible that I would live in Wisconsin and have this affliction? I love milk and cheese, but they do not love me. Thank heaven I can pop a pill or two and indulge :)

[P.S. If you're lucky enough to have a copy of our first family cookbook, this recipe can be found on page 37.]

Emeril's Twice-Baked Potato Casserole

Eight out of nine entrees that I've posted here feature cheese as an ingredient. It's Wisconsin; we like our cheese, and today's post is no exception. If you've ever had a twice-baked potato, you will love these. I made them for a dinner party we were invited to.

Ingredients:
10 large russet baking potatoes (about 7 lbs total)
8 tbls (1 stick), plus 1 tbls unsalted butter, room temp
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tsps salt
1 1/2 tsps freshly ground black pepper
3/4 lb bacon, cooked until crisp, crumbled
1/2 lb sharp white cheddar cheese, cubed
3/4 lb mild cheddar, grated (3 cups)
1/2 cup green onions, finely chopped
3 eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. We were in a hurry, so even though the directions said to scrub the potatoes clean first, we figured, "Why bother? We're not eating the skins!" (Wash and pat them dry if you must.) Poke them a few times with a fork and bake for an hour to an hour and 15 minutes, or until tender. Remove from the oven and set aside on a wire rack until cool enough to handle (more on that later!) Meanwhile, put the bacon on to cook, and prep your other ingredients. [In retrospect, I would add a little more cream. Maybe 3/4 cup total. What will you do with the rest, anyway?!]
Sharp white cheddar isn't the easiest cheese to find, and I have no idea what would be the equivalent, so keep your eyes out for that one. I had a pound, so I had to first cut it in half.
Then cut that for easy cubing...
Keep an eye on the bacon...
I had a pound of cheddar, too, so I had to use math again for that.
See, you do need math later in life!
Here's where you should stop to call your hostess and tell her you're running late!
Prepare three eggs, slightly beaten.
In case you don't already know, slightly beaten means you just run a fork through to pop the yolks.
Here's my first chance to use Mr.4444's brand new knife (a Christmas present from his loving wife.) Isn't it beautiful?
Here's the best way to chop green onions; first, line them up nice...Get set...
Separate!
Then chop. Isn't this pretty? I thought it looked kind of artistic, so I took this shot!By the way, you have just witnessed an historic event; I will never again use that knife. Can you guess why? It's because if anything ever happens to that knife, guess who's going to get blamed for it? I've decided to let Mr.4444 clean it and put it back in it's velvet lined box (just kidding about the box!)

Okay, back to it. Use the extra tablespoon of butter to grease your pan.
Then, cut up the stick of butter and set it aside.
Get your weapons ready for the big event!
Hurry up now; it's getting late! As soon as the potatoes are done, get scooping (Screw that "allow to cool on a rack" business!) Of course, this is easy for me to say, because I have this cool Pampered Chef mitt that keeps me from 3rd degree burns.
Smash up the potatoes, butter, sour cream, heavy cream, salt, and pepper, and mash until chunky-smooth. Add the bacon, cubed white cheddar, half of the grated cheddar, the green onions, and eggs, and mix thoroughly.
Pour into prepared pan...
And top with the rest of the cheddar cheese. Then, run it to your friend's house and cook it there at 375 degrees (for some odd reason, Emeril recommends preheating the oven at a higher temp than you need it.)
Cook 35-40 minutes, or until bubbly around the edges and heated through and the cheese on top is melted and lightly golden. Makes 12 servings.