Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

Barrett Potato Farms- Springlake, Texas

Do you ever look at the grower on that sack of potatoes you buy? I read everything on a label these days, from calorie count to country of origin. Maybe it's because my husband worked many years for a major food company, I do like to support America's farmers. What that makes me is possibly the worst kind of shopper to get behind in the grocery store aisle!

Potatoes make their way into millions of shopping carts every day. It's the old standby for most of us, it goes with practically any meal and there's hardly a person who dislikes them. I'm never without potatoes, I only vary the kind I buy. Right now we have baby reds and russets in the potato bin. How you store your potatoes makes a big difference in their shelf life. When you bring home a bag of potatoes, you need to go through them to make sure there aren't any green, bruised or soft ones. In fact, give that bag a good once over before you leave the store. You can easily spot a bad one. The best tip of all is to find a cool, dark place with good ventilation to store your potatoes. The ideal temperature to store them is between 50 and 60 degrees, the temperature of many garages in the winter is perfect. Transfer them to a brown grocery bag or a cardboard box to keep the light out. A single ripe apple will prevent the potatoes from sprouting since the apple produces ethylene gas and will lengthen the time you can keep your potatoes. Armed with all these suggestions, go ahead and buy that 20 pound bag of russets and reap the rewards of buying in bulk!

When we think of potatoes, Idaho comes to mind... but actually potatoes are grown commercially in 36 states. It's almost the perfect food; fat, sodium and cholesterol free, low in calories and loaded with nutrients. One medium potato has nearly half the day's requirement for Vitamin C and more potassium than a banana. A great antioxidant, potatoes contain glutathione that may help protect against some cancers. That's well worth the 110 calories! You thought there were more calories in there, didn't you? Well, it's what we do with the potato that gives them a bad reputation! By the time we load them up with butter, sour cream, shredded Cheddar and bacon bits... that healthy baked potato is now a full meal of calories! The russett also is the chosen potato for french fries and potato chips, all I can say is... "Thank you Lord" for the potato!

I want to share a great recipe that I found on Pinterest (duh!) It's a Pioneer Woman recipe so you can be assured it is slap dab delicious! She posted this one around Easter, perfect for our ham leftovers. I had never thought of adding meat to scalloped potatoes and serving as a main dish instead of a side dish. It was a BIG hit, what's not to love if you start with potatoes and cheese ;)

Scalloped Potatoes and Ham 

(adapted slightly from The Pioneer Woman's recipe, I halved the recipe since it's just the two of us)

3 pounds Russet Or Yukon Gold Potatoes, Washed Thoroughly

2 Tablespoons Butter

1 whole Yellow Onion, Diced

3 cups Diced Ham

1-1/2 cup Half-and-half

1-1/2 cup Heavy Cream (I used all half and half, I can't imagine how good it would have been w/whipping cream!)

1/4 cup Flour

 Black Pepper To Taste

1 cup Grated Cheddar Cheese

1 cup Grated Monterey Jack Cheese (I used all cheddar, cause that's what I had!)

 Chopped Parsley (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a large casserole dish. 

Heat butter in a large skillet. Add onions and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until they start to turn translucent. Add ham and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat and set aside.

Combine half-and-half and cream in a microwave-safe container and nuke for a minute or so, until no longer cold. Whisk in flour and black pepper until totally combined. Set aside. (You may add salt, but cheese and ham are salty, so add sparingly.)

Combine the two grated cheeses. Set aside.

Using a mandoline or slicer, slice potatoes into 1/8-inch slices (very thin.) Layer 1/3 of the potato slices in the buttered casserole dish. Sprinkle on 1/3 of the ham/onion mixture, then 1/3 of the cheese, then pour on 1/3 of the cream mixture.

Repeat this twice more, ending with a sprinkling of cheese and a pouring on of the rest of the cream mixture. Cover dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes at least, or until bubbly and hot.

Cut into squares and serve. Sprinkle on chopped parsley if you'd like!

(Note: To speed along the process a bit, you may boil sliced potatoes for 3 to 5 minutes before assembling the casserole. Just drain and slightly cool before assembling.)

I used Ree's tip on boiling the sliced potatoes for 5 minutes and it really does make them cook faster and have great melt-in-your-mouth texture. That CAN be a dangerous thing though!!

Print Recipe~

Fried Bologna Sandwich

Every week I have to figure it out, what's for dinner? One day folds into a week, then a month, then summer is gone, fall is here, winter is upon us and springtime arrives. I try to mix it up, we've been having a lot of THIS lately. When we get tired of THAT then we try a little SOMETHING DIFFERENT. I really never know what I'm in the mood for until I wake up and say THIS SOUNDS GOOD!

Are you like that too? There's just some things that sound good in the SUMMER when it's too hot to cook. By the time Fall rolls around I'm thinking of FAMILY FAVORITES. Winter is for COMFORT FOODS, stick to my ribs meals. When I can't face another bowl of stew, then SPRING finally arrives with lighter MEALS. When life seems flavorless, look for something you haven't had in awhile. All of a sudden it tastes good again, but it's not the food. It's you that changes!

I'd love to have you join us on Facebook's Granny Mountain Group... it's a great way to pass along recipes, tips and ideas that we're all finding at Pinterest or even better... potlucks and family recipe boxes! 

Grandma Food

Somewhere along the way I've lost a recipe. It was one I clipped from the pages of Woman's Day that first year of marriage, 1970. Every week when I'd check out at Safeway, I'd reach for a Woman's Day or a Family Circle. They were our saving grace from a steady diet of spaghetti or tuna casserole! I picked up a Family Circle the other day and was surprised how thin it's got... and it costs $1.99 now. They were 20 cents when I was a newlywed... good thing too, because our budget for the week was $10.

In my neck of the woods, Chicken and Dumplings are one of those old-fashioned favorites that stirs up a lot of controversy-- the fluffy "dropped" versus the flat "rolled" variety. I grew up with the flat kind and never had a love affair with them until I found the recipe for the FLUFFY ones in Woman's Day. I was so enamored that I couldn't wait for my husband to taste them. He was a wise man even when he was young. He bragged about them, ate two bowlfuls and for the next two years I made them often. Then one day as we were finishing dinner, he said he loved his Grandmothers FLAT dumplings. My hackles went up, just for a second, but I definitely took umbrage to the fact that he loved her dumplings. After I got over that bump, I immediately started searching for a good recipe for the flat ones! Count yourself lucky if you've had a recipe passed down to you. Grandmas make the best ones so I went to a pro... my Sister-in-law's Mom!

Southern Chicken Dumplings~PRINT
Pauline Wallace~ she knows a thing or two about dumplings!
Chicken Broth:
1 whole chicken, pick one that's on the smaller side and it will be more tender

1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 chopped onion
2 stalks celery, sliced
water
In a large soup pot cover the hen in water seasoned with salt and pepper.Add the celery and onion and stew the chicken covered until the meat is tender, about an hour. Remove chicken and set aside to cool. Strain broth through a colander to remove vegetables, discard veges. Pour broth back into pot and reheat to boiling while you make the dumplings.

Dumplings:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons Crisco
1/2 cup milk
Sift flour, salt and baking powder. Cut in shortening, then add milk and mix. Allow dough to set about 15 minutes to let the baking powder do it's thing, namely a rise that will make the dumplings tender as a Mother's/Grandmother's Love!  Roll dough onto heavily floured surface to 1/8" thick. Cut into inch wide strips and cut into 2" lengths. Drop [floured] strips into boiling chicken broth and simmer covered for 15 minutes. Serves 6.
*Two secrets here, make sure you roll them thin, they will cook faster and you have less chance of them being "doughy." The second one is to dredge the strips again as you place them in the broth, the flour helps to thicken the broth. See why Grandma had the best dumplings???

There are cookbooks out there that are full of "Grandma Food."

One that I love, Being Dead is No Excuse by Gayden Metcalf and Charlotte Hays has  been called the official Southern Ladies guide to hosting the perfect funeral! Inside the covers are the tried and the trues, the dishes that comfort and heal.

Methodist Party Dish~Print

If you refuse to cook with corn flakes, skip this recipe. 
1 2-pound package hash browns
10 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 pint sour cream
1 can (10 3/4-ounces) cheddar cheese soup, not diluted
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pepper
Topping:
2 cups corn flakes
1 stick butter
Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare the hash browns according to the package directions. Combine the cooked hash browns with the other ingredients and place in a buttered 13 x 9-inch casserole dish. Top the casserole with corn flakes and dot with butter. Bake 40 minutes, or until golden, crisp, and bubbly. After you've eaten your fill, ask your doctor to write a prescrition for Lipitor!

Virginia's Butter Beans~PRINT

This recipe comes from the late Virginia Owens, a St. James' parishioner - and the recipe is a Mississippi Delta funeral favorite.
2 (10 oz) boxes frozen butter beans, cooked and drained
6 slices bacon, crumbled
1/4 to 3/4 cup minced green onions
1/3 cup minced celery
1/3 cup bell pepper, minced
2 tbsp flour
2 cups drained canned tomatoes
2 tbsp brown sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Fry the bacon and then saute the minced vegetables in the bacon grease. Add the flour, tomatoes, salt, pepper and brown sugar. Add the cooked and drained butter beans. Adjust the seasonings, pour into casserole and top with crumbled bacon. Bake until bubbly. Serves eight to ten and freezes well.

Methodist Fried Chicken~PRINT

1 chicken, cut up.a nice, medium-size yard bird
2 eggs
2 cups whole milk
2 cups flour salt black pepper
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
fat for frying (Crisco, vegetable oil, or a combination. Crisco is a nice way of saying "lard.")
Lightly beat the eggs and blend with the milk. Combine the flour, salt, pepper (a generous amount), and baking powder in a doubled brown grocery bag.shake to mix. Dip each piece of chicken in the egg/milk mixture. Shake chicken, one piece at a time, in the bag of flour until well coated (at this point, some cooks prefer the double-dip method where they repeat the egg-wash-and-flour procedure).
Using a preseasoned black-iron skillet, heat enough oil to almost cover the chicken. When you drop the chicken in, the fat sizzles! Frying is an art. The real art involves the grease, which must not burn but cook at an even, medium-hot level. Cooking time will vary according to the size of the piece of chicken. Approximately 20 minutes. Serves three to four.
GRANDMA SECRETS: Do not crowd the chicken when frying. Turn only once, when golden brown on one side. Remove pieces from the skillet and drain them on a brown grocery bag that has been covered with a layer of paper towels.soaks up extra grease better than anything!

The Methodist Ladies' Chicken Lasagna Florentine~PRINT

6 lasagna noodles, uncooked

1 (10-ounce) package chopped frozen spinach, thawed

2 cups cooked, chopped chicken, about 3 medium breasts

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1/3 cup finely chopped onion

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons white pepper

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup

1 (8-ounce) carton sour cream

1/3 cup homemade mayonnaise

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste

Butter pecan topping (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook the noodles according to package directions, drain and set aside. Drain the spinach well, pressing between layers of paper towels. Combine the spinach, chicken, cheddar cheese, onion, nutmeg, salt, pepper, soy sauce, soup, sour cream and mayonnaise in a large bowl. Stir well to blend. Arrange half the noodles in a lightly greased 11-by-7-by-1 1/2-inch baking dish. Spread half the chicken mixture over the noodles. Repeat this procedure with the remaining chicken mixture and noodles. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and Butter Pecan Topping. Bake, covered, for 55 to 60 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting. Serves eight.

Butter Pecan Topping:
2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 cup chopped pecans

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat; add the pecans and cook for 3 minutes. Cool completely.

Martha Jane Howell's Pineapple Casserole~PRINT

2 cans (20 ounces) crushed pineapple

5 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup grated sharp cheese

Ritz crackers

1 stick real butter

Drain the pineapple. Grease a 2-quart oblong casserole dish and put the pineapple in the bottom. Sift the flour and sugar together, blend it with the cheese and then sprinkle on top of the pineapple. Cover with crushed Ritz crackers, a tube or a tube and a half will do nicely. Melt the butter and pour over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Serves eight.

"Think of these teas as Methodist chardonnay. Methodists rarely drown their grief in anything stronger than flavored tea. Mint tea and almond tea are refreshing in the Delta summer and won't cause you to say things you regret later. The mint tea is a legacy of a long-gone minister."

Almond Tea~PRINT

4 cups strongly brewed tea

3/4 cup water

1 can (60 ounces) frozen lemonade, thawed

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons almond extract, a little goes a long way

Combine all ingredients. Stir it until the sugar is dissolved, and serve over ice. Makes about twelve cups.

Mint Tea~PRINT

16 cups water (1 gallon)

7 tea bags

7 sprigs fresh mint

Rind of 3 lemons

Juice of 7 lemons

2 cups sugar

Bring half the water to a boil. Add the tea bags, mint and lemon rinds. Steep for 12 minutes. Add the lemon juice and sugar to the remaining 8 cups of water. Mix with the tea and serve over ice. For funeral purposes, I wouldn't garnish each glass with mint, though that's a nice touch for less-somber occasions. Serve it from a glass pitcher.

Bing Cherry Salad with Coca-Cola~PRINT

You knew there was going to be a Jello salad in here, didn't you?

2 (3-ounce) boxes cherry gelatin

1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained

1 (15-ounce) can black cherries, drained

2 cups juice, reserved from pineapple and cherries, heated

2 (8-ounce) bottles Coca-Cola

1 cup pecans

Dissolve the gelatin in the hot juice, then add the Coca-Cola and pour into a dish. When gelatin starts to congeal, stir in the pineapple, quartered cherries, and pecans. Chill until firm. Serves sixteen.

Macaroni and Cheese

If you are lucky enough to have an "Aunt Bee" in your family, she probably has tucked away for safe keeping a stash of "BEST" recipes... she might even share them with you if you ask nicely! But if you don't have a favorite Aunt or dear Grandma who has spent years perfecting her macaroni and cheese, then you are on the lookout. I have several that I fall back on, one from Tyler Florence on Food Network that he calls Ultimate... it's good!

Click to PRINT all...

Tyler Florence's Ultimate Macaroni and Cheese
From Tyler Florence's Ultimate Cookbook
1 lb elbow macaroni
4 cups milk
2 -3 sprigs fresh thyme
4 garlic cloves, smashed and divided
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 1/2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
fresh ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
4 slices bacon, cut crosswise into thin strips
1 large onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1/4 bunch fresh thyme
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the macaroni and cook for 8 to 9 minutes, until al dente. Drain.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a small saucepan heat the milk with the thyme springs and 2 garlic cloves. Melt the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, to keep lumps from forming. Strain the solids out of the milk and whisk it into the butter and flour mixture. Continue to whisk vigorously, and cook until the mixture is nice and smooth. Stir in the 4 cups of the cheese and continue to cook and stir to melt the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Add the cooked macaroni and the parsley and fold that all in to coat the macaroni with the cheese mixture. Scrape into a 3 quart baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining 1 1/2 cups cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
While that bakes, heat a saute pan. Add the bacon, render the fat and cook until crispy. Add onion, garlic and thyme leaves and cook for about 5 minutes to soften the onion. Season with salt and pepper.
To serve, scatter the bacon mixture over the mac and cheese.

Another from the Deen Brother's Cookbook that never fails to please..

Ultra Creamy Mac and Cheese Casserole
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces and softened,
plus additional for coating dish
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
8 ounces American cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
4 ounces cream cheese, cubed
1 cup half-and-half
4 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 13x9-inch baking dish; set aside.
In a large pot of water, cook the macaroni according to package directions; drain. Return the macaroni to the pot. Add the cheeses to the hot macaroni and stir well; spread in the prepared dish.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the 1/4 cup butter, the half-and-half, eggs, sour cream, salt, cayenne pepper (if using), and black pepper. Pour over the macaroni. Bake, uncovered, for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Servings: 8

...and the tried and true recipe from the back of Velvetta, easy to make and CHEESY-GOOD!

Velvetta Macaroni and Cheese
2 cups (8 oz.) elbow macaroni, uncooked
3/4 lb. (12 oz.) Velveeta cheese product, cut up
1/3 cup milk
1/8 tsp. pepper
Cook macaroni as directed on package; drain well. Return to pan.
Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Cook on low heat until prepared cheese product is melted, stirring frequently.
Courtesy of Kraft Foods

Today I was listening to Martha Stewart on Sirius and they were interviewing Ann Hodgman who's written Beat This, a cookbook with recipes she guarantees to be better than anyone else's! ALRIGHT!!! So when I got home, you guessed it...I Googled Ann Hodgman mac and cheese and here it is!


The Best Macaroni and Cheese From Beat This by Ann Hodgman
What makes this recipe the best? Its creamy, creamy creaminess. To achieve maximum smoothitude, you really have to use evaporated milk and Velveeta.
Ingredients:
10 ounces extra-sharp cheddar, grated
4 ounces Monterey Jack, grated
4 ounces Velveeta, cubed(or, if you must, 4 more ounces of Monterey Jack, grated)
4 ounces cream cheese
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
6 slices extra-thick bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
Salt and pepper to taste
12 ounces elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
1/2 cup plain dried bread crumbs
2 ounces parmesan, grated
Instructions:
Heat oven to 350. Put cheeses (except parmesan) in the top of a double boiler (if you don't have one, set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan with about 1 inch of water in it) and melt over simmering water, stirring frequently. Gradually add milk, whisking until completely smooth. Whisk in mustard, bacon, salt, and pepper. Pour into a 9-by-9-inch baking dish, add macaroni, and toss to coat (for 4-ounce bowls like the one at left, mix macaroni and sauce in a medium bowl, then spoon into dishes). In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs and parmesan; sprinkle over the top. Bake until crumbs are browned and cheese is bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes (15 to 20 minutes for individual portions).

I'm going to try it out this weekend on the toughest critic I know... my 11 year old grandson. Results, next week!