Crash Hot Potatoes

Posted by Ree

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Man, do I love Australia. First, my oldest daughter was conceived there on our honeymoon…and while we’re on the subject, have I ever shared with you that we almost named her “Sydney” as a nod to her point of origin? In the end, I chickened out, though—I thought that might be a little corny, and truth be told, I think she was actually conceived in Brisbane. But I’ll stop there. This is a family-friendly website.

Anyway, I just love Australia. I just tried this side dish last night—it was sent to me by Trish, an Aussie friend/reader, a few weeks ago—and I wound up absolutely loving it. Created by Australian food writer Jill Dupleix, it’s called “Crash Hot Potatoes” and has soared to the top of my Favorite Side Dishes to Serve With Big Ol’ Hunks of Beef.

They’re so simple, it’s terrifying. Well, not terrifying…but almost. They’re a lovely twist on the tired old baked potato, and they perfectly embody a quality I always strive to achieve in my cooking: Flavorful, Crispy Surface Area. I’ll go into that principle more in a separate post, but just know I’ll be pontificating about Flavorful, Crispy Surface Area soon. And I’ll make you a believer.

For now, though, let’s take a chill pill and make Crash Hot Potatoes! Thanks, Trish from Australia, for sharing it.

The Cast of Characters: New Potatoes (or other small, round potato), Olive Oil, Kosher Salt, Black Pepper, and whatever herb you like. I’m using Rosemary.

Begin by bringing a pot of salted water to a boil.

Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make, and cook them until they’re fork-tender. And yes, I realize my pot is a little full, but listen: my boys filled my large dutch oven with a combination of dog food, potting soil, and gravel yesterday, and then they placed it on top of our garage. I have to learn to make do around here.

Oh! And I’d like to officially announce that as a result of my boys’ repeated attempts to dig to China, I no longer have any spoons in my kitchen. You heard me. Send spoons ASAP, please. We have cereal to eat.

Next, generously drizzle olive oil on a sheet pan.

This will mean the difference between the potatoes sticking and not sticking, so don’t be shy here.

When the potatoes are tender, place them on the cookie sheet…

…Giving them plenty of room to spread out.

Next, grab your potato masher and gently press down on the potato until it slightly mashes…

Then rotate the masher 90 degrees and finish flattening it. Of course, you don’t want to absolutely smash it into the pan—you want it almost to resemble a cookie.

Repeat until all are flattened. And really, I don’t know why you couldn’t use the bottom of a glass for this step if you don’t have a potato masher. The surface might not be as textured and interesting, but I think it still might work.

Next, brush the tops rather generously with olive oil.

And if you could please use a pastry brush that looks as bad as, or worse than, this, that would be great. I’ll sleep better tonight.

Look, I USE the stuff in my kitchen. I can’t be bothered with making sure it’s polished and perfect.

*Here endeth the rationalization.

Next, grab some Kosher salt. You can use regular salt, but I’d really recommend using kosher. It adheres to the potatoes more easily and really flavors them nicely without getting too salty.

Or something.

Remember: potatoes need salt. Don’t skimp!

Be ye ever as generous with fresh ground black pepper.

Now, you can grab some chives…or thyme…or whatever herbs you have available. I had this in my garden—the same garden that’s been pummeled by hail, wind, and rain for the past month. Let’s observe a moment of silence for all gardens in Middle America.

Whatever herb you use, just chop it pretty finely and sprinkle over the top.

That’s it!

Now throw them onto the top rack of a very hot (450-degree) oven, and cook them for 20-25 minutes…

…Or until they’re golden and crispy and sizzling.

Mmmm. Just look at these babies.

They almost look like latkes, don’t they? But only almost…

I was making steak for dinner last night, so I thought these would be just the ticket. That there thing on the left there is an iceberg wedge. In a moment it will be drizzled with homemade ranch dressing.

Marlboro Man has very simple wants.

Okay, by now I’ve already eaten two potatoes—I just picked ‘em up and ate ‘em with my fingers. And they are…DELICIOUS. The perfect combination of crispy, flavorful, and simple.

Oh, and Australia? I love you. Thanks for allowing my oldest daughter to be conceived in your fine country. I really like that kid.

And I really like these potatoes.

 

Recipe

Crash Hot Potatoes

Prep Time:

 30 Minutes

 

Cook Time:

 25 Minutes

 

Difficulty:

 Easy

 

Servings:

 6

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Ingredients

• 12 whole New Potatoes (or Other Small Round Potatoes)
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
•  Kosher Salt To Taste
•  Black Pepper To Taste
•  Rosemary (or Other Herbs Of Choice) To Taste

Preparation Instructions

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make and cook them until they are fork-tender.

On a sheet pan, generously drizzle olive oil. Place tender potatoes on the cookie sheet leaving plenty of room between each potato.

With a potato masher, gently press down each potato until it slightly mashes, rotate the potato masher 90 degrees and mash again. Brush the tops of each crushed potato generously with more olive oil.

Sprinkle potatoes with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and fresh chopped rosemary (or chives or thyme or whatever herb you have available.)

Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Avocado Bacon Egg Rolls

Avocados are one of my most favorite foods, so I look for any excuse to enjoy them. These Avocado Bacon Egg Rolls are great for holiday parties, but beware: they are addictive and no matter how many I make, they are always gone in a flash. I think the colors of them make them a great choice for Christmas parties, but we also enjoy them for New Years Eve and Cinco de Mayo….plus other times throughout the year.

The ingredients are very simple: perfectly ripe avocado slices are drizzled with lime and then sprinkle with salt. I would happily eat this whole bowl before assembling my egg rolls, but I do my best to show restraint.

For each egg roll, you create a stack of avocado slices, bacon, and pepper jack cheese on an egg roll wrapper. There is really no right or wrong way, but my method is a 1/2 slice of pepper jack cheese (from the grocery deli, usually), an avocado slice, then 1/2 slice of bacon, and finally topped with another avocado slice.

The egg roll is rolled up nice and tight, sealed with a flour/water mixture, and fried until golden brown.

I don’t recommend making these too far in advance. I generally create them just before the party and then cut them in half right before serving. You can also serve them whole if you wish. I haven’t yet experimented with freezing them.

Having a dip with your Avocado Bacon Egg Rools is good and I think it makes a more impressive presentation. I actually think they are perfect without a dip, but I always serve them with something as I have certain family members who believe it’s a crime to enjoy things like this without a dip. Some dip ideas are: salsa, ranch dressing, chipotle ranch dip, sweet Thai chili sauce…but I’d love to hear your ideas. How would you dip these?

Ready to make these delicious little bundles of goodness? Here’s the complete recipe, which you can print or save to your ZipList recipe box:

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Avocado Bacon Egg Rolls

Ingredients

• Oil
• 2 large avocados; perfectly ripe, peeled, pitted, and sliced
• 1/2 lime
• Salt
• 6-7 slices pepperjack cheese
• 12-14 bacon slices, cooked
• 12-14 egg roll wrappers
• 1 tablespoon flour
• Water

Instructions

1. Heat about 2" of oil to 350 degrees F in a large frying pan.
2. Place avocado slices on a place or large bowl. Drizzle with lime and then sprinkle with salt as desired. Place flour in a small bowl and add water to make into a watery/thin paste.
3. Place one egg roll wrapper on your work surface, with one corner pointing towards you, forming a diamond on your surface. Lay 1/2 of a slice of cheese in the middle. Lay 1 slice of avocado on top of cheese, and then one slice of bacon, broken in half. Finish with another slice of avocado.
4. Fold the part of the wrapper pointing towards you over the stack of avocado, etc. Fold the left and right points over the middle and roll up egg roll nearly all the way, taking care to fold tightly with no openings for ingredients to fall or leak out. With finger tip, dab a bit of the flour mixture on the remaining corner at the top and then seal this corner onto the egg roll to close it.
5. Repeat steps with remaining ingredients. Carefully place a few egg rolls into hot oil and cook until golden brown, turning them over once during the frying. Remove from oil and allow to drain and cool on a place lined with paper towels or napkins. Serve whole or cut in half at an angle with dip of your choice (if you wish).

taco chicken bowls

This recipe is definitely “slow-cooker 101″. It’s probably one of the first recipes that most people learn to make in their slow-cooker. In fact, some version of it is probably included in that little mini recipe book that comes with the slow-cooker when you buy it. BUT, I had to post it because I know there are probably a lot of you who haven’t made it yet and I can’t bear the thought of you missing out.

This recipe is great for bachelors, students, or the chronically busy because it’s a “dump and heat” recipe. All you do is dump all of the ingredients together in a pot, and let it cook. Of course you’ll need to make the rice separate but even if you’re one of those people who can never get rice right, there is hope. Just stuff the chicken mixture inside of a tortilla with cheese for a quick burrito or fold it over in a tortilla and crisp it up in a skillet like a quesadilla. Presto. Easy, delicious, cheap food.

I’m a black bean lover so next time I’m going to use two cans (or two can’s worth ofhomemade) beans and extend the recipe even further.

Oh, also, this freezes well. Cheese and all. Then just nuke and stir for a couple minutes until hot. Instant freezer meal!

Okay, one more thing. If you for some strange reason need this recipe to be even easier or you don’t have a well stocked spice cabinet, just substitute a packet of taco seasoning for all of the spices and herbs that I used below.

Taco Chicken Bowls

4.8 from 24 reviews

taco chicken bowls

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

8 hours

Total time

8 hours 10 mins

 

Serves: 9

Ingredients

• 1½ lbs. chicken breasts 
• 1 (16 oz.) jar salsa 
• 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained 
• ½ lb. (8 oz.) frozen corn 
• 1 Tbsp chili powder 
• ½ Tbsp cumin
• ½ Tbsp minced garlic
• ½ tsp dried oregano 
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper 
• ¼ tsp salt
• to taste cracked pepper
• 2 cups dry rice
• 8 oz. shredded cheddar
• ½ bunch cilantro (optional)

Instructions

1. Add everything except the rice, cheese, and cilantro to the slow cooker along with ¼ cup of water (for good measure). Give everything a good stir and make sure the chicken is covered in the mixture.
2. Secure the lid on your slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hrs.
3. Near the end of the cooking time, cook the two cups of rice according to the package directions (Bring the rice and 3 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot with a lid in place, as soon as it reaches a boil, reduced the heat to low and let simmer for 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving).
4. After 8 hours of cooking, carefully remove the lid of the slow cooker. Stir with a fork to shred the chicken (it should be super tender and will shred easily). Build the taco bowls by placing rice on the bottom, then the taco chicken mix, shredded cheese and fresh cilantro.

Step By Step Photos

This is the chicken that I bought. I usually buy a 5 lb. package to get a good price but even this 3 lb. package was priced super low! I used half and froze the other half for another recipe later. You can also use chicken thighs for a richer flavor (more fat) or bone in chicken and then just remove the bones after cooking.

Place the chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker. Easy.

Add the rest of the ingredients (salsa, drained beans, corn, herbs & spices) plust 1/4 cup water. Easy.

Stir everything together and then make sure the chicken is pushed down below the sauce. Easy.

Secure the lid and cook on low for 8 hours. Easy.

Stir it up and give it a few good pokes with a fork to shred the chicken. It will be so tender that it will practically shred on its own. Easy.

Cook some rice. Semi-easy.

Put the rice, taco chicken mixture, cheese, and cilantro in a bowl. Eat. BAM. Easy.

I can’t wait to make this again and again and again… and experiment with different salsa flavors.

Cheesecake Factory Chicken Marsala Copycat

• • 

  • Ingredients 

  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets
  • 8 asparagus spears
  • 4 mozzarella cheese slices
  • Marsala Sauce:
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
  • 3 cups Marsala wine
  • 2 cups beef stock
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

• Instructions

  1. 1. Pound the chicken with a mallet until it is about ¼ of an inch thick. Sprinkle each fillet with salt and pepper.
  2. 2. Heat up 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium to medium high heat. Saute each of the chicken fillets for about 5 minutes per side. You only want to brown each side just a little bit.
  3. 3. Remove the chicken fillets from the pan and wrap them together in foil in order to keep them warm while making the sauce. Leave the pan just as it is on the heat.
  4. 4. Add two tablespoons of oil to the skillet. Also add in the sliced mushrooms and saute for 2 minutes.
  5. 5. Add the marsala wine, butter, pepper, and beef stock to the mixture. Bring the sauce to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the sauce reduces to ¼ it's original volume.
  6. 6. When the sauce is finished, it will have thickened and turned to a dark brown.
  7. 7. Bring a saucepan filled about halfway with water to a boil. Add salt to the water and toss in the asparagus and boil for 5 minutes. Drop the asparagus in a bowl of ice water to halt the cooking. The asparagus should be slightly tender but still crispy when done.
  8. 8. Set your oven to broil and give it time to reach temperature. Place the chicken fillets on a baking pan. Cross two asparagus spears over each fillet and cover each fillet with a slice of mozzarella cheese. Broil the fillets for 3 to 4 minutes or until the cheese begins to develop light brown spots.
  9. 9. Place two chicken breasts on each plate and spoon desired amount of marsala sauce over the chicken. Enjoy!