potatoes

Baked Potato Salad

Jun 09, 2020

Baked Potato Salad – everything you love about baked potatoes in a potato salad! Potatoes tossed in sour cream, bacon, cheddar cheese, and chives. Perfect for summer barbecues!

This post originally published July 22, 2011. Updated on June 9, 2020

This is my alltime favorite potato salad recipe. It’s also currently the only potato salad recipe on this site.

“Why, Amanda, is this the only potato salad on your site?”

You guys, I’m so bad at boiling potatoes for potato salad. They either end up undercooked or so mushy that they practically turn to mashed potatoes.

This Baked Potato Salad is my answer to that problem because the potatoes are baked instead of boiled. And then they’re diced up and tossed with crispy bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, fresh chives, and a sour cream dressing.

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Amish Breakfast Casserole

Jan 19, 2020

Amish Breakfast Casserole – bacon, hashbrowns, 2 cheeses, and eggs! An easy, hearty weekend breakfast or meal prep it to have all week long.

This post originally published on August 17, 2014 – updated on January 19, 2020.

I have been making this Amish Breakfast Casserole for years and had the ugliest photos of it on the blog. You really couldn’t tell what a fantastic meal for any time of day it is from my garbage photos.

I made it twice this past weekend. Once to update the photos and then again when my kid that was at a sleepover came home and was upset that I made it while he was gone. We had no leftovers either time.

And if you just love breakfast casseroles as much as I do, my Loaded Grits Casserole is another one we love.

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Loaded Baked Potato and Cauliflower Soup

Feb 09, 2018

Loaded Baked Potato and Cauliflower Soup – creamy potato and cauliflower soup with bacon, cheddar cheese, and green onions. A lightened up version of baked potato soup!

Hi guys, I don’t usually post on the weekends but I’ve been holding onto the photos for this Loaded Baked Potato and Cauliflower Soup for weeks now and wanted to get it post while the weather is terrible and we’re all freezing.

I had plans today, got all the kids in the car, and then immediately drove home after putting gas in the car because I literally couldn’t.

Too cold for me.

Everyone keeps saying, “Amanda, it’s February, of course it’s cold” but y’all, last February I was wearing sleeveless dresses in New Orleans during Mardi Gras and not complaining about it being too cold to have a Jeep.

Summer needs to hurry.

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Turkey, Potato, and Corn Chowder

Dec 18, 2017

Heeeey guys, happy first day of winter break!

My kids are already driving me crazy. Shocker, right?

It’s crazy cold right now and nobody wants to go outside and run off their energy. So far we’ve gone a movie, taken the dogs to see Santa, decorated cookies, watched Home Alone 4 times, and eaten 3 batches of my mom’s Christmas mix.

Please send ideas.

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Kielbasa and Potato Breakfast Burritos

Sep 05, 2017

Kielbasa and Potato Breakfast Burritos – easy make ahead breakfast idea! Kielbasa, potatoes, and peppers rolled into tortillas with cheese and eggs.

Heeeey guys, happy short week! Who’s excited?!

You know what I’m excited about right now? We’ve got a high of 80-something most days this week which means I can finally get back to hiking.

I haven’t gone for a hike since May. That’s a long time for me to stay out of the woods. It’s just been so hot even if I get up super early. The one time I tried to take the boys for a hike this summer, we ended up just sitting in a creek.

Like, actually sitting in it. Fully clothed.

ANYWAY.

The second week of school officially starts today for us. So let’s talk easy breakfast ideas.

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Bacon Cheddar Mashed Potatoes

Oct 11, 2016

Bacon Cheddar Mashed Potatoes – the perfect side dish for every meal! These potatoes are loaded with sour cream, cheddar cheese, bacon, and green onions!

So if you follow me anywhere, you know I was in Austin at BlogHer Food all weekend. It’s a conference for food bloggers where we all talk about what annoys us about our job and then we eat everything in the city.

And, in case you’ve ever wondered, I am horrible at conferences. (Very good at the eating part though.)

I showed up for 3 things the entire conference. And only stayed the full time for 1 of those.

Sitting still is hard for me, y’all.

Also, I sat down with a group of girls I didn’t know for the closing keynote and they asked if I had a business card.

And I didn’t.

I mean, do I seem like the kind of girl that carries business cards?

Anyway, one of the girls said, “Aww, you must be a new blogger!”

So that was kind of how the conference went for me.

I did get to hang out with friends that I’ve only ever known over the internet which was honestly the only reason I went to begin with so that totally made up for the conference being… ahem… lame.

And also there was lots of food!

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Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole

Apr 27, 2016

Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole – easy weeknight meal! Ground beef or turkey in a delicious sloppy joe sauce topped with cheese and tater tots! Kids love this one!

Originally posted March 2014. Photos updated April 2016.

I know. It’s way too early in the morning to be talking about things like tater tot casseroles.

I’m sorry.

I was sick all weekend – all weekend! – and didn’t have time to get a bunch of yummy things baked and photographed. I made this banana bread crumb cake and it’s delicious and amazing but I couldn’t stop coughing long enough to take pictures. Being sick is the worst.

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Twice Baked Red Potatoes

Oct 06, 2015

This article has been compensated by PAM Cooking Spray. All opinions are mine alone. #PAMCookingSpray

One of my favorite things about this time of year is the anticipation of the holidays and holiday meals. I’ve had a forever long list of Thanksgiving menu ideas on my desk since August.

Last year it was kind of up in the air whether my husband would be home in time for Thanksgiving (deployment) and he ended up coming home on Thanksgiving. So it was super simple since the boys and we spent several hours at the welcome home ceremony. This year though? I wanna go all out. Because next year my husband will probably be gone again. So why not?

One of my favorite and most important ingredients in my cooking, especially around the holidays, is PAM Cooking Spray. I use it pretty much every day of my life but because I use my vintage Pyrex dishes (handwash only!) for all holiday meals, I am most definitely spritzing everything with PAM Cooking Spray. PAM Cooking Spray leaves 99% less residue than margarine or bargain-brand sprays so clean up is quick and easy! It just makes life so much easier. Really, who wants to spend time scrubbing dishes after the Thanksgiving meal?

*vs. leading cooking sprays (except olive oil), after spraying on glass bakeware, baking at 400°F for 30 min, cooling, and then washing in standard home dishwasher with detergent and repeating 4 times.

These Twice Baked Red Potatoes are something you could serve for a holiday meal or just with a regular weeknight dinner! My husband and I used to make these when we lived in our very first apartment before we had kids. We’d make baked chicken with a salad and these potatoes and we felt like real adults. Because we bought raw potatoes and cooked them ourselves.

The recipe is super simple. Just bake the potatoes on a PAM Cooking Spray coated pan until their fork tender. Scrape out the insides and mix it with all kinds of cheesy goodness (and bacon!) and then put it back in the potato shells. So easy and so yummy! You can’t go wrong with potatoes with cheese and bacon!

For more information on PAM Cooking Spray, visit www.PAMCookingSpray.com. Follow PAM on Facebook and Pinterest for recipes and cooking tips!

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Corn and Chicken Chowder

Feb 24, 2015

Can we talk about how it just keeps snowing here in Colorado?

I didn’t really expect snow because last I’d heard, the weather guy was literally saying “Expect between 2 inches and 32 inches” which, you know, is kind of a broad range. And the jerk’s been known to lie about snow before. Plus the grocery stores were packed because everyone was buying ALL THE BOTTLED WATER and I just wanted to yell, “Quit! You’re jinxing it and it’s never going to snow and you’re going to be stuck with 57 cases of bottled water in your laundry room!”

Yeah, I’m totally that annoying person that doesn’t talk about certain things or won’t do certain things because I’m afraid of jinxing something.

My brain. It does funny things.

But anyway, it snowed a ton (somewhere between 2 and 32 inches – thanks weather guy!) and like I mentioned yesterday, we went sledding and then we went sledding some more and then we threw snowballs at each other. Because who knows when we’ll live in a snowy place again!

I made this Corn and Chicken Chowder to warm up after all the sledding. I don’t really know what inspired me to make soup because my kids seriously have no idea what to do with soup. But I think this one was thick enough and had enough going on because they were all about it. My oldest even said, “I had no idea I liked soup!”

It’s got corn and chicken and potatoes. And there may even be some bacon in there!

Yeah, there’s definitely bacon.

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Burger and Fries Pot Pie

Jan 28, 2015

Yesterday my kid came home and told me that they’d had a lockdown. It happens more than it probably should (#armylife) and thankfully it’s always nothing.

Really, it’s usually a parent threatening to punch the principal or something.

And no, it’s never been me.

Yet.

Anyway, I asked what happened and he said, “There was a mountain lion! I saw it’s footprints on the playground on the way home!”

I was all, “Yeah….” and sent him upstairs to do his homework. So I went to my husband and said, “Hey, he said they had a lockdown because of a mountain lion.”

And he said, “Yeah, it’s possible. We see all kinds of things on the ranges.”

“What? Like they just come through the gate? That jerk wouldn’t let me through unless I took my sunglasses off the other day. But they’re letting mountain lions in?”

“Uhhh, a mountain lion could jump the fence. Pretty awesome, huh?”

And now I’m terrified. Of mountain lions. Hanging out in my backyard.

So in honor of the kid that may be telling me the truth or may be just trying to really scare his mother, I made something I knew he’d love.

Burger and Fries Pot Pie!

It’s really simple and my kids all loved it. It’s ground beef with some diced tomatoes and cheese and then it’s all topped with crinkle-cut French fries. How can that be bad? We won’t talk about how many French fries I stole off the top.

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Sloppy Joe Fries

Oct 09, 2014

Sloppy Joe Fries – fries topped with sloppy joe meat, melted cheese, green onions, grape tomatoes, and jalapenos! Perfect football food!

Today starts 5 days off school for all my children.

Who decided this was a good idea?

Someone should’ve consulted me before such an important decision was made.

On the brightside, I don’t have to go anywhere today. I will change into workout clothes and then right back into pajamas after my workout. And a shower, of course.

Tomorrow, however, is parent/teacher conferences. The reason the kids have 5 days off.

Uggghhhh.

I’m always so nervous going into those things.

You guys already know that I’m prone to crying when I’m aggravated and there’s nothing worse than crying in a meeting with your kid’s teacher.

Because then you’re that parent the rest of the year.

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Potato Skin Poppers

Oct 02, 2014

You guys.

I came down with a case of the stupids recently.

So, with my husband deployed and all, I had to suspend his cell phone so that we don’t have to pay for it when he’s not using it and so that he can keep his number. Every 90 days I have to go on the Verizon website and just click a few buttons.

Last week sometime, the 90 days was up and I re-suspended his line.

Or so I thought.

So Monday morning I get in the car to go to a doctor’s appointment and I was already on edge because I was having to take my 3 year old and my 4 year old with me. To the lady doctor.

Yeah.

As soon as we pulled away from our house and WiFi connection, Dierks Bentley stopped singing and maps stopped telling me where to go. I, of course, blamed everything but myself. The weather, Fort Carson being dumb, etc. Because I’d been texting multiple people THAT morning. I mean, surely I couldn’t text people and receive texts if I was dumb enough to suspend my own line.

Wrong. (What is that?! I thought suspended meant nothing worked! Get your act together, Verizon!)

And then I started freaking out as I got further into the city. Because I had no idea where I was going without maps telling me. Yeah, I know where every Ulta, every Whole Foods, and every thrift store is in this city. But a doctor’s office in the middle of downtown? Nope.

I did what everyone would do in that situation. I detoured to Target to use their WiFi. Guess what. Verizon’s mobile site let’s you see which line is suspended but doesn’t have the option to reconnect service. So I got maps going again on Target’s WiFi and decided to hope for the best.

All was going well until maps decided to reroute us. But it couldn’t.

Because we had no data connection.

Omg.

I eventually figured out that if I called enough random numbers, my phone would tell me to dial *something and I could reconnect from there.

I ate my weight in these Potato Skin Poppers after my doctor’s appointment. They were the ultimate “feeling sorry for myself” food but they’d also be perfect for football games or even a weeknight dinner!

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Loaded Totchos

Sep 04, 2014

Y’all. I think something’s wrong with my brain.

I’ve had this cold literally since the day after my kids went back to school. It’s one of those that gets better but not all the way better and then it gets worse, then better, then worse. So after 3 weeks of this, I think it’s really messing with my brain.

I cannot do anything.

Yesterday I went out to the car and found a grocery bag from Monday.

It had bacon in it. And avocados.

Yummy.

I showed up to the wrong field last night for the kid’s football game.

I couldn’t remember how to open the car’s hood when I got searched at the gate a few days ago.

I just feel like I am so out of it.

Just thought I better warn you guys in case I start posting strange recipes or something. Stranger than Totchos, of course.

So Totchos are tater tots dressed up like nachos. These have cheese and bacon and avocado and other fun things that I had to pick off for my kids. I’m obsessed. They’re like loaded fries but better because duh, tater tots are better than fries.

Definite football food! The best way to serve them is in a bowl with ranch dressing drizzled over everything. And then you use a fork to eat them so you can make sure you get a jalapeño in every bite. I mean a little of everything in every bite. #jalapeñoobsessed

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Funeral Potatoes

Nov 11, 2013

Happy Veteran’s Day! I hope you’re enjoying a well-deserved day off.

I wanted to talk to y’all about something today.

I think I’m going to skip posting Thanksgiving recipes on the blog this year. I’ve done them in years past and cooking them and then eating them for days afterwards… it really takes away the magic of Thanksgiving. You know, the one day of the year that you can eat whatever you want without guilt. The special, once a year casseroles. Stuff like that just loses it’s specialness (not even a word, I know) once you’ve already done it, photographed it, and yapped about it on your blog.

But depending on how many glasses of wine I’ve had by the time Thanksgiving dinner is ready, I plan on photographing and blogging. No promises, but… maybe.

In the meantime, I thought I’d share a recipe that is definitely Thanksgiving-appropriate.

I’ve been hearing about these potatoes for years but since I’m not really a potato person unless they’re deep-fried and served with chicken nuggets, I’ve kind of just ignored them. But I’ve been obsessed with The Shaytards lately and they mentioned them in a vlog recently and all of the sudden, the potatoes seemed really appealing.

They are SO good. I had three bowls of them. I skipped everything else I cooked and just ate potatoes. And now I may end up making them on Thanksgiving because they are just that good.

One year ago: Pumpkin Pie Milkshake
Two years ago: Monster Cookies
Three years ago: Jalapeno Popper Dip
Four years ago: Sweet Cream Biscuits
Five years ago: Enchiladas in Pumpkin Sauce

Funeral Potatoes

from Taste and Tell

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup melted butter
1/4 cup dried onion
32 ounce package cubed hash browns
3 cups coarsely crushed corn flakes
2 tablespoons melted butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with oil.
In a large bowl, combine the cheese, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, melted butter and onions. Fold in the hash browns. Spread in the prepared pan.
Sprinkle the crushed corn flakes on top of the mixture. Drizzle the 2 tablespoons of butter over the corn flakes.
Bake in the preheated oven. If using shredded hash browns, cook for 30 minutes. If using cubed hash browns, cook for 55-60 minutes.

Steak, Potato, and Mushroom Kebabs

Jul 22, 2013

Can I rant about something stupid? Because it’s Monday? And because my husband went back to work today after 3 weeks off? And because the dog has been sneezing every 30 seconds for the past 3 days?

Ugh.

We live on an Army post so in order to get home, I have to go through a gate where a military policeman scans my ID. And theyÂ randomly choose to search people. When this happens, you have to open all the doors, hood, and trunk of your car. Then stand in this red square off to the side while they dig through your stuff and/or take a mirror under your car.

And while this is going on you’re going “Omggg, I’m wearing the jeans that make my butt look big and I have 7 boxes of Fruit Loops in my trunk and ALL THESE PEOPLE DRIVING BY ARE LAUGHING AT ME!”

It’s awful.

And guess who’s been searched 4 time in the past week. FOUR TIMES. Yesterday I not only had the Fruit Loops in my trunk but I also had Taco Bell in my front seat and then the MP in the next lane yelled at me for having my phone and it was just horrible.

I told my husband I’m not leaving the house for at least a week.

Anyway. The highlight of my weekend was definitely these kebabs. They are delicious and a super easy meal since you have your meat, potato, and veggie all on the kebab! The best part was definitely the mushrooms – they become extra delicious after marinating in balsamic vinegar.

One year ago:Â Chocolate Oatmeal Pecan Cookies
Two years ago:Â Baked Potato Salad
Three years ago:Â S’mores Granola Bars
Five years ago:Â Cherry Rhubarb Cobbler

Steak, Potato, and Mushroom Kebabs

adapted from Ezra Pound Cake

Ingredients

2 pounds small potatoes such as red or gold
1 pound small portobello mushrooms
2 pound rib-eye steak
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons minced garlic
skewers soaked if bamboo

Instructions

Place the potatoes in a large pot; add water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and cook until barely fork-tender, about 10 minutes. Drain, and allow to cool. Cut the potatoes in half; set aside.
While the potatoes are cooking, remove the stems from the mushrooms and place the caps in a large bowl.
Cut the steak into smallish pieces, and season them with salt and pepper. Place the meat in the bowl with the mushrooms. Add olive oil, balsamic vinegar, rosemary and garlic, and stir to coat mushrooms and steak well. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
Heat a grill to medium-high, and lightly oil the grate.
Put the meat, potatoes, and mushrooms on the skewers in whatever order you prefer. Reserve the remaining marinade for basting while grilling.
Grill the kebabs for about 3 minutes, basting them once. Turn and cook for another 3 minutes, basting, before turning them over to cook on the first side again. Continue to cook on the first side for 2 to 3 minutes before turning them over and cooking a final 2 to 3 minutes.