Slow Cooker Potatoes Au Gratin

It has been feeling more like July than June lately, so I'm still cooking everything in my Crock Pot. The poor thing is starting to feel the wear, too. An hour after I turned these potatoes from high to low I went to check on them and the pot was cold. I panicked, of course, fiddled with the switch, and it came right back on and I had no more troubles. Maybe I just didn't get the knob turned all the way to low or something, but I think I may be in the market for a new pot soon. Two pots would be great anyway! There have been nights when dinner was slow cooking away and I thought, some slow cooker chocolate cake would be awesome right about now. :) These potatoes are easy and relatively quick for a slow cooker recipe. And I haven't even started to describe how freaking amazing they taste!

You will need:

6 medium potatoes (I used Yukon Gold)
8oz cheese, shredded
3T butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk (skim is fine)
chopped garlic (optional, but recommended)
salt (not optional)

Wash, peel, and slice your potatoes.  You want them about a medium thickness.  (I ran them through my food processor.)  Grease your slow cooker.  I used 2T of extra butter, but pan spray would work just fine as long as you really coat the pot.  Add one layer of potatoes and salt them.  You can use regular table salt, Kosher salt, or even garlic salt, but do not skimp on the salt or your potatoes will be bland, bland, bland. 

Continue layering and salting until you have used all the potato slices. (You could also add chopped onions to each layer, but my kids don't like them.  Don't add too many, though, because they can overpower the potato flavor.)

When all the potatoes are in the pot, melt the 3T of butter in a large saucepan.

Add the flour and whisk.

Cook over medium heat until mixture starts to bubble up, then cook for 2 minutes whisking constantly.

Slowly pour in the milk and whisk until thickened.  (Add 2T chopped garlic now if you like. It's good!!)

Add the cheese...

and stir until melted. 

Pour over the top of the potatoes.  Don't stir the potatoes, but give them a jiggle to get some of the sauce down into the bottom of the pot. 

Place 2 paper towels across the top of the slow cooker and put on the top. 

Turn the pot on high and leave it for an hour.  You can leave it on high for two more hours or turn it to low for 3-4 hours. 

Time to feast!  These potatoes are sooooo good.  Creamy, cheesy, with a hint of garlic. 

Yummy! Scrumptious!  The perfect comfort food.  They are wonderful the next day, warmed in the microwave, too.  

Enjoy!! 

Baked Potatoes in the Slow Cooker

Still too hot here to turn on the oven, but not hot enough for the air conditioning. All that will change this weekend, though. It's supposed to be 94 and May is a good month to relent and turn on the canned air. I'll be sad to close up all the windows--they won't be open again until October! This recipe for baked potatoes is so incredibly, ridiculously, insanely easy. They also taste better than oven baked potatoes. (Did you know that microwaves steam potatoes, not bake them?)

You will need:

slow cooker
baking potatoes
aluminum foil
2 paper towels



That's it! Scrub the potatoes super, squeaky clean and dry them completely. (I use my potato buddy. So adorable.) You can rub the skins with oil or butter and sprinkle them with salt, but I put butter and salt in the potato before eating it and I figure that's enough. Prick each potato a couple of times with a fork.



Wrap each potato tightly in the foil, place in the slow cooker and turn on low.



Take two paper towels (don't rip them apart from each other) and lay them across the top of the slow cooker, but not down into it. Place the lid on top. That will keep the moisture that builds up from dripping down onto the potatoes.



Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 4-6 hours.
The potatoes turn a beautiful golden color inside, not white like in the oven. Cooking the potatoes this way gives them a richer, deeper flavor. (Please be careful unwrapping the foil because the potatoes are screaming hot.)



Top with butter,



sour cream,



cheese, etc. Bacon would be awesome, but I was out. Chives, too!




These are so filling that, paired with a salad, you really don't need anything else. Perfect for meatless night (which we do once a week). Absolutely perfect.



Enjoy!!

Surprise Mashed "Potatoes"

The girls and I were watching Food Network Challenge Sesame Street Cakes on tv the other night. The bakers got to meet the characters and even got to visit Sesame Street. (!!!) While one baker was interviewing Elmo about the cake she was making with his image Elmo said, "cake is a sometimes food." And so it has become in this household, sadly. (It didn't used to be this way.) Potatoes have joined cake, cupcakes, cookies, and brownies on the "sometimes" list. Oh, how we love potatoes in this family. Hash browns, mashed, sauteed, baked, in pot pies, in stews and soups, and (my personal favorite) sliced and layered with cheese, flour, and milk in my Pampered chef pan. I'm drooling! Steaks, roasts, everything just tastes better with a side of potatoes. So I had to find a substitute. I dug out my old South Beach Diet cookbook to find the recipe for Surprise Mashed "Potatoes." I've heard many, many good things about the recipe, but was always skeptical. But I was in the throws of major potato withdrawal, desperation fueled my every step. I tried it, I compared it to potatoes, and...I loved it. Really! A bit sweeter than regular mashed potatoes, but otherwise very little difference. Maybe a little less dense, but I wouldn't lie to you. This recipe is very good and will satisfy your potato cravings! Especially with a side of steak.

So here's what you will need:

1 bag frozen cauliflower (not thawed)
1 T butter
2T half and half (or milk)
garlic salt to taste (or regular salt)
pepper to taste
food processor (or blender)
*****************
optional:
rice cooker/vegetable steamer





I have a vegetable steamer so I will give you the directions using one, but if you don't have one, steam your cauliflower any way you like. Just make sure that the cauliflower is softer (more well done) than you would cook it if you were just going to eat it. Your fork should just slide right through with no resistance.

Assemble your steamer with full water on the bottom and the cauliflower in the tray/bowl with the holes. (It probably has a name, but I lost my booklet on my steamer a loooong time ago.) You don't need the rice bowl. Put the whole bag of frozen cauliflower in the steamer.



Set the timer for 30 minutes.



When it is ready, remove the cauliflower in its little tray and pour it into the food processor or blender. Do not add any of the water from the steamer. A note of caution: never try to open your steamer without hot pads or the Ove Glove on each hand. The very first time I used my steamer I steamed my fingers and had to go to the hospital and get a tetanus shot. To this day when it rains they cramp up... :) :)



Add your butter, milk or cream, salt, and pepper. I really like the little bit of flavor that garlic salt adds to these "potatoes."



Now pulse, pulse, pulse until it's all smooth.



Very creamy, super yummy.



Did I mention incredibly cheap?? Less than $2 for the bag of cauliflower and you probably already have the milk and butter on hand. This recipe will feed a family of four with a couple of second helpings. Your little kids may not be able to tell the difference at all. Slap a little fat free gravy on top and I bet they will lap it up. Big kids won't be fooled, my two weren't. But they did like it. Not as much as mashed potatoes, though.


*note: Sadly, Elmo's cake didn't win the Challenge.

Hasselback Potatoes

Hasselback Potatoes originated in Scandinavia sometime in the 1700's and quickly became a common European dish, although they may be known by other names. (They are accordion potatoes in Ireland.) These potatoes are incredibly easy to make and come out looking like they belong alongside filet mignon.



No measurements with this recipe. Use as many potatoes as you need of any variety and scrub them clean.



I use this little guy to get the potatoes squeaky clean...



Cover any pan with sides in foil and either use cooking spray or oil to grease it. Slice the potatoes in about 4mm intervals about 3/4 of the way down. Place them in the pan, drizzle with oil (any type), and sprinkle them with salt. I used Kosher salt, but you can use garlic salt, pepper, slices of fresh garlic, parsley, or even red pepper to spice them to your tastes.



Bake at 425 degrees for about 45 minutes or until tender.

Fun With Meatloaf

Growing up I hated meatloaf. But you're supposed to as kid, right? Like on The Christmas Story when Randy says, "Meatloaf, smeatloaf, double-beatloaf. I hate meatloaf." Recently I stumbled on an amazing food blog Bake Me More and saw an idea for making meatloaf fun for kids. You'll need to make some mashed potatoes for the fun part of this idea. But first, the meatloaf recipe:
2 lbs lean ground beef
1 large green pepper
1 large onion
1 egg
1 cup oats (quick or old-fashioned)
3/4 cup ketchup

I use two pounds of meat so that we will have leftovers, but if you want to use one pound of meat just use smaller veggies, 1 egg, 1/2 cup each of ketchup and oats. Also, you can substitute the ketchup with tomato sauce or even tomato soup. I'm allergic to tomatoes. One touch and I look like I have a chemical burn. Thankfully, all of the acids (or whatever tries to kill me when I touch or eat them) has been cooked away in ketchup.

Mix all the ingredients, except the meat, in a large bowl.







Add the meat and mix thoroughly. I use disposable gloves and mix with my hands. Or let Tinker Bell do it. She loves mixing meatloaf! Sometimes I press the meat into an 8x8 pan, other times a loaf pan. Last night I lined a 6-cup muffin tin with aluminum cupcake liners and pressed a spoonful of meatloaf mixture into each one. I put the rest of the meatloaf into a loaf pan. I like to spread a little more ketchup on the top of the meatloaf. It gives it a nice crust and a prettier color than grey cooked meat.



After baking at 400 degrees for 60 minutes for the loaf and 30 minutes for the cupcakes, allow the meatloaf to sit for 10 minutes. If you use lean ground beef the moisture you see in the pan after baking won't contain much fat. I made the mistake once of draining the moisture immediately and the meatloaf was dry, dry, dry.


Now for the fun! Eyeball enough mashed potatoes to cover the 6 meatloaf "cupcakes" and put the potatoes into a small bowl. Add two drops of liquid food coloring, any color, and mix. Then frost your cupcakes! Bake Me More got creative and used a pastry bag and made the prettiest meatloaf cupcakes. I just spread the potatoes like frosting. Either way the kiddies will be tickled with their meal.






Even my picky eater ate her meatloaf!

Split Pea and Ham Soup

So, you bought a big ham for Easter and have exhausted your recipes but still have a bunch of ham stuck to the bone. What to do? Throw it in the Crock Pot!



You'll need to rinse a bag of split peas, but because they will cook overnight in the pot, there is no need to soak them.



Just dump them right onto the ham...



Add 2 quarts of water, put on the top of the Crock Pot, set on Low, and go to bed. (Don't, however, do like I did and start the soup at 1am because you were waiting for some overnight cinnamon rolls to rise and they were being difficult. That leads to mistakes because you are tired, such as turning the Crock Pot to Warm instead of Low. Not a good thing.) In the morning you can either keep the soup in the Crock Pot or transfer it to a pot on the stove. If you put it on the stove: after adding all ingredients, bring to a boil, turn down heat to low, cover, stir often, and cook all day or at least 3 hours. If you keep it in the Crock Pot: after adding all ingredients, turn pot to high for one hour, then turn down to low, and cook for at least two more hours or all day.

I put it on the stove, but it really doesn't matter. You'll need an onion, carrots, celery, and a small potato. I put my carrots in my tiny food processor and chop them until they cry uncle.





Do the same thing with the onion and celery. OR you can just chop and add. I mutilate the poor veggies in order to fool my oldest daughter, a veggie-phobe, into thinking they aren't there. Chop the potato into tiny pieces and add. It will break down in the soup and help to thicken it. Now toss in a couple of bay leaves. I was going to take a picture of them, but I'm embarrassed by how old and desiccated my leaves look. :) Now here's my secret ingredient...don't tell anyone.



Cavender's. It's a greek seasoning, but I use it in everything, especially on turkey at Thanksgiving. In fact, since I grew up using it, I don't like to eat turkey without it! But, if you don't have access to Cavender's, it is basically a blend of salt, pepper, garlic, oregano, onion powder, and parsley. I would suggest using salt and pepper to taste, a couple of shakes of garlic powder, onion powder, and celery salt, and maybe a few parsley flakes. Then taste and see what you think. Here's the finished soup:



Split Pea and Ham Soup

ham
1 16oz bag of split peas
2 qts water
1 medium onion
1 medium potato
1 cup celery
2 cups carrots
2 bay leaves
Cavender's (to taste)


I usually make buttermilk biscuits to go with this soup. But cornbread is great, too.

Enjoy!!

my recipe card:

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

We're supposed to call them slow cookers now, but I own an actual Crock Pot and can't seem to call it anything else. But Crock Pot Pot Roast sounded ridiculous. :) I have a real love affair with my pot and try to use it at least once a week. It is all the more special to me because after 14 years my old pot died and when I complained about how much I missed it, a very dear friend got tired of my whining and sent me a new one. ;) Such a surprise and so very, very sweet!! I think about her every time I use it. (Thank you again!!)
This recipe is easy, as low fat as you're going to get with pot roast, and can be adapted to your tastes.
(First an apology...I forgot to take pictures of the meat in the Crock Pot.)
For this recipe you will need:
a bottom rump roast (any big loaf of meat will work--I just find that this cut, when trimmed, is leaner than an actual pot roast cut)
2 envelopes of Lipton onion soup
2 envelopes of brown gravy mix
water
carrots
potatoes
This first step is the easiest. Plug in your crock pot, trim off the fat from your rump roast, and toss it in the pot. Sprinkle both envelopes of Lipton on top and add 6-10 cups of water. You want the meat covered, but not swimming. Cover, turn on low, and leave overnight. In the morning, remove the roast and place it on a plate to cool (until you can touch it without burning your fingers). Pour the "soup" into a large pot. I use a 6 quart. When the meat is cool enough, shred it and toss it into the pot. It should just fall apart in your hands.




Chop up as many carrots as you would like. I use about three big handfuls of baby carrots. My youngest daughter loves carrots, so I always add extra. (Once I added too many and the post roast turned out orange.)




Now toss those babies into the pot with your meat.





Potatoes turn now. I use golden potatoes, but you could use Russet or even reds and leave on the skin. I have found that white potatoes, while cheap, turn to glue when cooked for a long time. Making mashed potatoes out of them is a nightmare.




You are going to have to salt the masses now. I know, salt. I blame the potatoes, but it has to be done. I use a teaspoon of Kosher salt. Table salt has an annoying habit of not tasting salty until it is oversalted. Feel free to add more, but you risk a bland pot roast if you try to add much less.




Time for the gravy. I pour two envelopes of gravy mix into a mixing cup and add just enough water to make a soupy paste. Don't follow the envelope directions, although do take a peek at the label and make sure you bought a brand with little or no fat. I buy generic and it has .5 grams of fat in each 1/4 serving. But we are diluting it massively, so you won't get that much in your serving.





Pour the gravy into the pot with everything else, mix well, and then turn your burner on high enough to get a boil. After it boils, turn it down and simmer until the potatoes are tender. I usually do all this in the morning and then simmer until dinner. I put the top on the pot, but not sealed--leaving one side open to prevent it from boiling all day.




You think that this looks more like beef stew, don't you? Not so! Notice we didn't add any oregano, basil, rosemary, garlic, or any of the other beef stews hangers-on. This recipe is pot roast on the stove...and Crock Pot. Best part, your house doesn't heat up from having the oven on for hours! Except for the 15 minutes it tastes to bake the buttermilk biscuits that go so well with this dish.