Parmesan French Fries

I am on a pinterest roll, can you tell? I would love for you to leave a comment with a link sharing your favorite Pinterest recipe below. These fries pair up well with just about any sandwich or burger out there. I found them over at http://playwithsugar.blogspot.com/2009/07/oven-baked-parmesan-seasoned-fries.html

Ingredients:

1 pound of medium russet potatoes (approx 3 medium potatoes)
1 1/2 TBSP of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 tsp Dried Thyme
1/4 tsp Dried Oregano
1/8 tsp Dried Rosemary
1/4 tsp of Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp of Old Bay Seasoning
2 TBSP of Kraft Parmesan Style Grated Cheese (I used reduced fat)

Directions:

*Preheat oven to 425.
*Wash and cut potatoes into 1/8ths. 
*Place on a cookie sheet that has been lined with foil (I used Reynolds Release foil so that they will not stick, but you could also either use non-stick cooking spray or lightly grease the top of the foil with extra virgin olive oil). 
*Mix all of the spices and the parmesan cheese in a small bowl. 
*Place all of the potatoes (remember we are talking about one pound at a time) into a gallon size freezer bag, add olive oil and the parmesan cheese/spice mixture to the bag. 
*Seal the bag and shake until the potatoes are evenly coated.
*Once thoroughly coated dump onto the prepared cookie sheet and spread in a single layer.
* Bake 30-45 minutes or until tender and lightly golden brown. (Baking times will vary depending on the amount of fries that you make and the size that you cut them). For the ones shown in the picture they were baked at 425 for 45 minutes.

Grilled Potatoes & Onions

This recipe comes from Our Best Bites, which is a blog I have come to love. I recently got their cook book and can I just say Yummy! If you don't have it yet, you should get it!! I have made tons of their grilling recipes and have loved everyone of them that I have tried. This one is my favorite as a side dish though. It is so simple and yet so yummy. I like to cook mine over a little bit warmer heat so that they get a little crispy, I love crispy potatoes!

Ingredients:
1 potato per person
1/2 small onion per person
1 Tbsp. butter per person, cut into small pieces
1/4 tsp. salt per person
Freshly-ground black pepper
Smoked paprika

(You can either make small individual packets, i.e. one potato and some onion, or you can make one big packet with all the potatoes and all the onions)
Tear aluminum foil into desired length pieces depending on your preference of size. Preheat your grill. Slice Potatoes into 1/8"-1/4" thick slices, if you like thicker potatoes you will just have to adjust cooking times so that your taters get done. Next slice the onions into 1/8" thick slices. Place Potatoes on foil, top with salt & pepper then paprika, don't skimp on the paprika, it's not a strong spice so you will need a generous amount. Then place butter on top of potatoes and top with onions. Then roll the aluminum foil up so that you create a sealed packet/envelope to keep the steam inside while the potatoes cook. Then cook over low heat on a grill for 15 minutes on each side.

Sweet Potatoes

My aunt Lisa has the best recipe ever for Sweet Potatoes, its more like a dessert and I promise you can't resist going back for another spoonful. She gets assigned to bring them to our thanksgiving feast every year because no one can top them, they're divine. When I asked her for the recipe this was her response. "You mean the quadrupled recipe for luscious pecan/buttery topping with the single recipe of sweet potatoes underneath?"

Ingredients for Potatoes:

3 C. Sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed (4-6 small sweet potatoes, about 2-2.5 lbs.)

1 C. Sugar

2 Eggs

1/2 C. Butter

1 tsp. Vanilla

1/3 C. Milk

Mix ingredients and pour into shallow (9 x 13-in) pan. (The shallower the pan, the better because then you end up with fewer potatoes and more topping.)

Ingredients for Topping

1/2 C. Butter

1/2 C. Flour

1 C. Light brown sugar

1 C. chopped pecans

(NOTE: You might as well just double the topping ingredients because if you don't, you'll wish you had. In fact, in all honesty, I'd go as far as to triple or quadruple the topping ingredients, although at that point, you could probably just leave the sweet potatoes out altogether. Why bother with a vegetable at all?)

Mix topping ingredients together. Spread on top of potatoes and bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes (maybe longer).

Onion-Roasted Potatoes

We enjoy these at least once a month at our house. They are so simple and go with almost anything on the menu.

Ingredients

1 envelope Lipton onion soup mix
5 medium potatoes, but into bite size chunks
1/3 cup olive oil

Directions
Preheat oven to 425. In a 9x13 baking dish combine all ingredients. Bake, stirring occasionally 35-40 minutes or until potatoes are tender golden brown.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breasts with fresh Tomato & Basil. Potatoes with Peppers & Onions

This one sounds tricky, but it's not. It's a Rachael Ray recipie that I love, especially this time of year when I can gather most of the fresh ingredients from my own garden or the local farmers market. Enjoy.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds red baby potatoes
• 1 small red bell pepper,cut into thin strips
• 1 green pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 4 large cloves garlic, cracked away from skin
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Coarse salt and pepper
• 2 cups shredded Parmesan, available in tubs near deli (not grated, shredded)
  
• 4 (6 to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 4 plum Roma tomatoes or small, vine ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 15 to 20 leaves fresh basil, pile leaves, roll then thinly slice

Directions

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

Cut potatoes into halves or quarters, depending on thickness.

Cover a large cookie sheet with foil. Place potatoes on cookie sheet. Combine with peppers and onions, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Coat the potatoes, peppers and onions with extra-virgin olive oil just enough to coat vegetables in a thin layer, 2 to 3 tablespoons. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Place potatoes in the oven and roast 20 to 22 minutes, until potatoes are just tender and peppers and onions are crisp at edges. Toss mixture with tongs, turning the potatoes after 15 minutes. When the potatoes are cooked, transfer them to a serving dish.

While potatoes cook, prepare chicken. Roll out a 2-foot piece of waxed paper or foil near the stove top. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat -- your pan must be very hot when the chicken is added. Pile the shredded cheese on the work surface created with the waxed paper or foil. Season your chicken breasts with black pepper but no salt; the cheese will add enough salt to the taste of the dish. Press the breasts firmly into the cheese. Coat both sides of breasts with as much cheese as possible. Add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil to the skillet, 1 turn of the pan. Set breasts into the skillet and cook 7 minutes on each side, until cheese forms an even, golden casing around the tender chicken breasts.

While chicken cooks, combine chopped tomatoes with basil in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to your taste.

Drain off any excess oil from chicken as you remove it from the skillet. Top chicken with big spoonfuls of raw sauce and serve with potatoes, peppers and onions.

Dutch Oven Chicken And Potato Delight

My sister (Cheryl) made this recipe for us while camping a couple weeks ago. It was fabulous, so good I forgot to take the after picture, because I wanted to dig in. The picture above is it cooking and I HIGHLY recommend it.

8-10	boneless, skinless chicken breasts	1	cup sour cream
1/2	lb. bacon	3	cups grated cheddar cheese
2	medium yellow onions; diced	1 1/2	tsp. seasoning salt
1 1/2	cup fresh mushrooms; sliced	1 1/2	tsp. poultry seasoning
12-14	medium potatoes; peeled & sliced	1/2	tsp. garlic salt
(1)	10 ½ oz. can cream of chicken soup		salt and pepper to taste
(1)	10 ½ oz. can cream of mushroom soup

Heat a 12" deep Dutch oven using 18-20 briquettes bottom until hot. Cut bacon into 1 inch slices. Add to hot oven and fry until brown. Cut chicken breasts into bite size pieces. Add chicken, onions, mushrooms, and ½ tsp. of the seasoning salt to the bacon. Stir, then cover and cook until onions are translucent and chicken is tender. Add potatoes. Stir in soups, sour cream, and the remaining seasonings. Salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook for 45-60 minutes using 8-10 coals bottom, and 14-16 coals top heat. Stir every 10-15 minutes. When done, cover top with cheese and replace lid. Let stand until cheese is melted.

Serves 8-10

Roasted Red Potatoes

I love roasted Red Potatoes, and when I found this recipe on the Olive Gardens website, I knew that I couldn't go wrong, and I wasn't disappointed. Hope you enjoy this simple recipe!

2 lbs red bliss baby potatoes
6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
8 garlic cloves, chopped
2 Tbsp butter, melted
2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 450ºF. Wash and dry potatoes. Cut into wedges and place in a large mixing bowl. Toss potatoes in oil, melted butter, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper. Transfer seasoned potatoes onto sheet tray. Roast for 25-30 minutes. Shake pan occasionally for even roasting. Serve Immediately.

Roasted New Potatoes

This is from my same friend Elizabeth Dansie. These go great with chicken, but I also love it with Salmon or basically any meat. You can't go wrong with red potatoes.












2-3 lbs. potatoes (new potatoes are best, but any type will work. I always leave the skin on, even with russets.)
1/2 onion, chopped
A few splashes of oil
2 T minced garlic
1-2 T herbs de Provence (or Italian seasoning)
Seasoning salt, pepper

Cut the potatoes into 1-inch wedges. (I usually cut in half and then cut each half into 4-6 pies slices). Place in bowl, splash on plenty of oil, garlic, and season generously. Give it a good stir and place on a baking sheet or pan in a single layer. The key is a single layer. This lets the potatoes get crispy on the outside, while keeping their softness inside. Bake in 350 degree oven or on the grill with the chicken for about 1 hour. Flip the potatoes once or twice while baking.