German Potato Salad and Cally's finished Kitchen Island

Move over Mustard Potato Salad there is a new favorite in town :)

Best Fried Potatoes

After Cally's graduation party I had baked potatoes coming out my ears.  We had a baked potato bar and there sure were a lot left over.

Garlic and Parsley Potatoes

I love potatoes no matter how they are fixed!  Garlic and Parsley Potatoes have to rank right up there at the top of my list!  Melted butter and garlic are a weakness of mine.

CrockPot Garlic Chicken, Potatoes and Mushrooms

Yum
With today being Monday and I was not wanting to get up early to start my work, I knew I would be working overtime tonight.  Overtime = Perfect time to use the crockpot.  

Buffalo Chicken Potato Nachos

We pretty much love anything with Buffalo Chicken flavor in our house.  The Nachos are made with potato slices instead of the traditional tortilla nachos and they were oh so good!!!

Miss Polly's Perfect Potatoes

Today has been a busy day.  I spent most of my time in the kitchen.  I was preparing out Christmas Eve dinner and also making cakes for the soup kitchen tonight.  Bill, Cally and I served dinner at the soup kitchen tonight.

For our dinner we had Ham, Green Beans, Scalloped Corn, Miss Polly's Perfect Potatoes, Spicy Sweet Potatoes, Deviled Eggs, Rolls, 7-up Salad, Lemon Meringue Pie and Cherry Pie.  I am stuffed and it was all sooooo goooood!

Miss Polly's Perfect Potatoes is a recipe that was entered in the fair for the cheese category and took 2nd place in 2005, it was made by a friend of our family, Gaybrielle R.  I think the secret ingredient of these potatoes is the french onion chip dip.  The dip makes these potatoes really flavorful.  And a nice thing about these potatoes is you do not have to peel them, I love that part!  These potatoes have become a favorite for our family.

I hope everyone has a Very Merry Christmas!!!

Miss Polly's Perfect Potatoes
source: Gaybrielle R

5 lbs red skin potatoes (I used white skin potatoes)
1/2 C butter, no substitutes
1 (12oz) container French onion chip dip
1 (8oz) cream cheese
1 t salt
1 T pepper (optional)
1 (12oz) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
6 oz french fried onions

Place potatoes in a large stock pot, add water to cover.  Bring to a boil; cook until tender; drain.  Mash potatoes with butter, dip, cream cheese, salt and pepper.  Spoon potatoes into buttered 9 x 13 baking dish.  Top with shredded cheese.  Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.  Sprinkle onions over top and bake for 1-2 additional minutes.  Serves 6-8

Hearty Sausage and Potato Bake

Tonight is our Church's turn to make food for the soup kitchen.  I have been trying to donate a crock pot of food every Wednesday night.  It is getting really cold here in Ohio and a lot of the people we help do live on the street.  I make my food and take it to my terrific friends Kathy and Sherry and they take my food along with theirs and serve at the soup kitchen every Wednesday night.

The Hearty Sausage and Potato Bake is a recipe that I received from my friend Julie.  She has entered this recipe in the dish of the day competition for pork dish at the fair and has won several ribbons.

The thyme leaves in this dish are so robust and add a fabulous flavor.  I have made a few changes to the original recipe.  I have added mushrooms, boil my carrots before adding them to the mixture and I do not brown my sausage.  I just slice my sausage up and throw it right in the pan.

Hearty Sausage and Potato Bake
adapted from:  Julie A.

1 # new potatoes, quartered
1 lg onion sliced
1/2 # baby carrots, boiled until tender
8 oz fresh mushrooms
2 T melted butter
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1 t garlic powder
1/2 t dried thyme leaves
1 1/2# smoke sausage, sliced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray.  Combine potatoes, onion, carrots, mushrooms, salt, pepper, garlic powder, thyme and margarine.  Toss to coat.  Place potato mixture in prepared pan.  Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.  Add sliced smoke sausage to the potato mixture and bake an additional 15-20 minutes.