Recipe Swap - Potato Bundles

Want to see what other Potato recipes were made during the swap? Here is the link to the Potato Recipe Swap Roundup

Did you know February is National Potato Month? I had no idea either. Since potatoes are a pretty standard yet versatile starch I thought they'd make the perfect theme for a recipe swap. Obviously my fellow swappers agreed because this was another incredibly popular theme. I can't wait to see all the other yummy recipes that are being made.

My recipe came from my friend Amy over at The Nifty Foodie. This is Amy's first time participating in the swap, mostly due to my arm-twisting abilities. She submitted one of her favorite side dishes, Potato Bundles. After reading through the recipe I was excited for two reasons - (1) the recipe sounded incredibly easy and (2) cream + butter + potatoes = my kind of recipe.


These bundles did not disappoint. Aside from peeling and chopping the potatoes and onion, this recipe requires practically no effort. My only word of warning is to double up on the tinfoil. I didn't initially and the cream started leaking out, which caused an unpleasant burning smell. After I fixed that we were golden. SP thought they were a little bland (I didn't agree), but that's easily remedied by switching up the ingredients in the bundles. I'm thinking a little garlic might work well, along with some other spices. Rosemary, thyme or sage would be great. I can't wait to experiment.

This recipe is also great for a crowd because you can double, triple or even quadruple the recipe with very little extra work.

Potato Bundles
Slightly Modified from The Nifty Foodie
Makes 4 bundles

1 lb russet or Yukon gold potatoes
1/2 onion, cut into large dice
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Paprika to taste
2 tablespoons minced parsley

Required equipment:
8 squares of tinfoil
1 large baking sheet

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Either peel or scrub potatoes, then cut into bite-size pieces.

Lay out 4 double layers of tinfoil. Divide potatoes and onions across the 4 packets. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to each packet. Splash on some cream, then sprinkle with salt, paprika, and black pepper.

Wrap bundles tightly, place on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes, or until extremely tender.

Open each packet and sprinkle minced parsley over the top. Serve bundles right on the dinner plate or remove potatoes from each packet onto a plate. Be sure to stir the potatoes around to get all the sauce up from the bottom.

Mom's Helper

My friend Lishie recently posted this recipe for Mom's Helper, a homemade version of the infamous Hamburger Helper. I needed a quick and easy meal to make on Super Bowl Sunday afternoon that we could take for lunch on Monday. SP said you can't go wrong with beef, pasta and cheese sauce so I gave it a whirl.


After I put aside our lunches and some for Baby Girl's dinner there was still another serving in the pan, which was incredible since the recipe only calls for 1/2-lb of pasta. This meal really stretches a buck, that's for sure. SP snacked on it in the afternoon before we went to a Super Bowl party and deemed it delicious. I enjoyed it for lunch the next day.

I used nugget pasta (also called radiatore) and I upped the amount of Italian seasoning since 1 teaspoon didn't seem like enough. I added salt and pepper to the cheese sauce and the beef mixture since I always season with both. I also erred on the bigger side of the estimates Lishie gave in her original recipe.

Baby Girl gobbled this up, although she picked around most of the bigger chunks of meat. She used to love meatballs but lately she doesn't want anything to do with them. Weirdo! Thanks for a great recipe, Lishie!

Mom's Helper
Modified from DeLish

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
1 lb. ground beef
Salt and pepper
8 oz. elbow macaroni (or other small pasta)
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a large saute pan with deep sides, heat the oil over medium heat. Saute the onion until translucent, then add the garlic and dried herbs. Season with salt and pepper then stir to combine. Add the ground beef and cook through, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, boil the water for the macaroni. Cook the pasta al dente. Drain.
Drain the oil from the beef mixture (you can use a strainer or just put a lid on the pot and invert). Combine the beef mixture and the cooked pasta. Set aside.

Using a small sauce pan, melt the butter. Add the flour and whisk to combine. Slowly add the milk and allow to thicken. Season with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and add the cheese. Whisk to melt the cheese.

Pour the cheese sauce over the hamburger/macaroni-mix and stir to combine.

Restaurant Knockoff: Texas Roadhouse Green Beans

I've been in a side dish rut lately. I asked the ladies on my cooking board what they usually make and now I have a ton of recipes to try. First on my list were these Texas Roadhouse Green Beans. We love Texas Roadhouse. Our first experience at the chain was with my grandmother during a visit to West Virginia almost 10 years ago. I'd been there at least once before for some relative's birthday, but this was the first meal I remember. In addition to the delicious steak, I fell in love with their green beans. These aren't your usual steamed green beans. These came in a delicious broth with onions and bacon. They were kicked up green beans and ever since, whenever we eat at a Texas Roadhouse I have to order them.


I was excited to see how these would compare to the ones in the restaurant. They were absolutely perfect, exactly the same as what I get at the restaurant, although they needed a little salt. I added it to the ingredient list below. I'm really excited to have an at-home version for the next time we grill up some steaks. Here they are simmering away on the stove.


I was able to simmer them for probably 30 minutes since I made them on a Sunday afternoon. The recipe indicated the longer they sit the better the flavor so feel free to let them cook as long as you'd like. Canned green beans are already pretty mushy so it's not like you're running the risk of compromising the texture.

Texas Roadhouse Green Beans
Slightly Modified from The Rookie Chef

2 (16 ounce) cans of green beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups water
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 strips of bacon, diced
1/2 a medium onion, diced

Drain green beans and set aside. Mix water, sugar, pepper and salt until well incorporated. Set aside.

Preheat a deep pan over medium high heat. Add the diced bacon. Cook until just starting to get crispy. Add the onions and cook until they are tender, then add the green beans and liquid mixture. Stir to incorporate. Bring mixture to a boil and then lower the heat to simmer. Simmer until ready to serve.

Roasted Garlic Macaroni and Cheese

It's no secret that I love macaroni and cheese. As SP once said, how can you go wrong with pasta and cheese. This recipe for Roasted Garlic Macaroni and Cheese is originally from Annie's blog, but I didn't know about it until I saw it on Cassie's meal plan one week. I was anxious to hear what she thought of it and when it came back with rave reviews I added it to my menu.


I didn't have penne so I subbed shells, which worked well. A word of warning - this is one rich mac and cheese. I had to sub in some American cheese because I didn't have a full 8-ounces of cheddar. I don't know if that made a difference but I was glad I had some simple steamed broccoli to cut the richness.


It was still a delicious dinner that even Baby Girl, who is quite the mac and cheese lover, enjoyed. I love that she eats things like roasted garlic. It makes me proud.

Roasted Garlic Macaroni and Cheese
Cassie Craves

1 head garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb penne rigate
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
8 ounces white cheddar cheese, shredded
1 container (usually 5 to 6 ounces) Boursin (garlic and herb spreadable cheese)
Salt and pepper

To roast the garlic, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove most of the outer paper skins from the head of garlic, leaving it intact. Slice off the top portion of the head so that all of the cloves are exposed at the top, but the head is still intact. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the head of garlic on a piece of foil and loosely fold the foil up around the head of garlic to create a foil packet. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until the cloves are easily squeezed from the skins. Squeeze all of the garlic out of the skins and smash with a fork to make a paste.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions. Drain in a colander. Return the pasta to the pot and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour and the roasted garlic paste and cook, stirring constantly, until light golden, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce comes to a low boil and thickens noticeably. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheddar and Boursin. Whisk until the cheese is completely melted.

Add cheese sauce to reserved pasta and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Weekly Menu - Week of February 5, 2012

And just like that, it's February. I can't believe we are already a month into 2012. Where does the time go?

I'm finally able to announce that I recently accepted a new job! This week is my last week at my current place and it's bittersweet. I'm going to miss a lot of things about my current job but my new one has quite a few perks I'm looking forward to, the main one being that I'll be working from home. Yup, you read that right. My new company will be setting me up with a home office and my commute will be a flight of stairs. Being able to cook my lunch instead of just heating up leftovers is very exciting. And dinner prep should be easier. I've already got a list of things I want to make, including things with artichokes that SP won't eat. Unfortunately the first week I'll be heading about an hour away for training each day so next week is going to be all about leftovers, takeout and cleaning out the freezer. I'll be back the week of February 20 with a new weekly menu.

Sunday - Super Bowl Party. I'm also making Mom's Helper and Texas Roadhouse Green Beans for lunch the next day.

Monday - Potato Rosemary Soup, Texas Roadhouse Salad: I had this soup on the menu a few weeks ago but didn't get a chance to make it. I'm really looking forward to it.

Tuesday - Hoagies

Wednesday - Creamy Chicken Marsala Pasta, and sauteed spinach with garlic: SP loves chicken marsala so I'm excited to see what he thinks about this pasta.

Thursday - Out to eat after a late appointment

Friday - Homemade pizza

Spicy Chicken in a Garlic-Lime Broth

I was going through my recipe pile lately (in an attempt to organize and purge things I was never going to make) and came across this recipe for Spicy Chicken in a Garlic-Lime Broth. I made this way back in 2009 but for some reason hadn't made it since. I don't know what I was thinking. It immediately went on the menu.


Mary Ellen is not just a blogging friend, I've actually met her in real life. We met on the cooking board we both frequent, realized we live practically down the street from each other and met up for lunch. We've been friends ever since and now that we both have daughters we try to get them together when we can to play. If she recommends a recipe I know it'll be good.

Just like back in 2009, this didn't disappoint. I realized, while writing this post, that her original recipe called for a full 14.5 ounces of chicken broth while her new version only called for 1 cup. I definitely wanted more sauce, so I'm modifying it below. I'm also upping the amount of lime juice from 1 to 2 limes because there wasn't enough for me. I cooked the chicken in my cast iron skillet and it was delicious.

Baby Girl helped make this meal and you all know how happy that makes me. She tasted the lime (which she loved!), ate a piece of cilantro, mixed the spices together and sprinkled them on the chicken, and helped me grate the garlic. I love having her in the kitchen with me and exposing her to all these wonderful flavors has been so much fun.

Thanks for a great recipe, ME!

Spicy Chicken in a Garlic-Lime Broth
Slightly modified from Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin
Spices: Kosher salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, dried parsley, paprika
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/3 cup tequila
1 14.5-ounce can chicken broth
2 limes, juiced
Zest from 1 lime
Handful of cilantro, coarsely chopped

Heat olive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Mix spices together (about 1 teaspoon of each). Season chicken with the spices and add to the pan. Saute 4-5 minutes per side until cooked through. Remove from the pan.

Add a touch of olive oil to the pan then add the garlic. Saute 2 minutes. Deglaze pan with the tequila, scraping up the brown bits. Add the chicken broth, lime juice, and lime zest and bring to a simmer. Return chicken to the pan, add cilantro, spoon the sauce over the chicken, and let simmer just a few minutes.

Serve over rice or spaghetti.

Buffalo Chicken Tacos

These Buffalo Chicken Tacos have been making their way around some of my favorite blogs lately and with good reason. If you love chicken wings chances are you love the flavors in other forms. My Buffalo Chicken Pizza is always a hit and although I've never tried it, I've heard amazing things about Buffalo Chicken Dip (aka Crack Dip).


These were fantastic. I knew we'd like them from the ingredients alone but I ended up absolutely loving them (and eating more tacos then I should have). I cut the spice a bit by omitting the cayenne pepper from the coating and mixing in a little butter with the Frank's hot sauce to cut it like I do when I make baked chicken wings. We had some Marie's blue cheese dressing in the fridge so I used that instead of Ranch dressing, but either would work. And my guilty admission is that I used about 1/4 cup vegetable oil to shallow fry the chicken. I just couldn't see how 1 tablespoon of olive oil was going to cut it. SP's only complaint was the lack of cheese. In his opinion, tacos need cheese. I added Monterey Jack to the ingredient list but leave it off if you don't share his opinion.

Make these soon! If you love buffalo chicken you will love these. I promise.

Buffalo Chicken Tacos
Mrs. Regueiro's Plate

1 pound chicken breasts, skinless, boneless, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/3 cup flour
3 tablespoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (omit if you don't like too much spice)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/3 cup Frank’s hot sauce
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/4 cup vegetable oil
10 6-inch tortillas

Toppings:
Shredded lettuce
Diced onions mixed with cilantro
Avocado slices
Ranch dressing
Green onions, sliced thinly
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

In a large bowl, combine cornstarch, flour, cayenne (if using), and garlic powder. Dredge chicken in the flour mixture. You could also do what I did - put the flour, etc. in a plastic food storage bag, mix around then add the chicken. Seal the bag and toss to coat. No dredging required and everything is evenly coated, then you toss the bag for easy clean-up.

Add oil to the Dutch oven and once it gets hot, add chicken and cook on both sides – about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Once the chicken is done, drain on paper towels then toss in a bowl with Frank's and the melted butter.

Assemble tacos, dividing the toppings evenly among each taco.