Sausage Stuffed Potatoes

When I saw these on Smitten Kittens Blog I knew they had "Chris" written all over them! And what an easy dish to throw together on a week night! Plus I LOVE to get my hands in my food, so when in the directions it said to use your hands I KNEW this was the recipe for me!
Ingredients
2 large russet (baking) potatoes (preferably organic; 3/4 pound each, scrubbed
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon water, divided
3/4 teaspoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, divided
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil plus additional for coating potatoes
1/2 slice firm white sandwich bread
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 pound bulk breakfast sausage (1 cup) or 1/2 pound of breakfast sausage, casings removed
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
5 cups salad greens (2 ounces)(we used arugula, which paired with the dijon sauce was deliciously kicky)

Directions
Prick potatoes with a fork. Microwave, covered with a paper towel, on high power until tender, 10 to 12 minutes.

Cutting lengthwise, remove top fourth of each potato and scoop out centers (reserve for another use), leaving 1/2-inch-thick walls.

Whisk together mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon water, tomato paste, anchovy paste, and 1 1/2 tablespoons mustard.

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Cook onion in oil with a pinch of salt in a small heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, tear bread into small pieces, then soak in milk in a medium bowl until very soft. Mix in sausage, parsley, onion, and 2 tablespoons mayonnaise sauce with your hands.

Divide filling between potatoes, then coat skins lightly with oil. Bake in a 4-sided sheet pan until sausage is cooked through, about 30 minutes.

While potatoes bake, whisk 1 tablespoon mayonnaise sauce with lemon juice, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoon mustard and 1/2 teaspoon water, and salt and pepper to taste.

Remove potatoes from oven and turn on broiler. Spoon remaining mayonnaise sauce over filling and broil 3 to 4 inches from heat until charred in spots, 3 to 5 minutes. Cool slightly.

Toss greens with dressing and serve with potatoes.

Crashed Potatoes

I got this from someones blog (whom??? not sure) who got this from Pioneer Woman... it was GREAT!
You get your baking potatoes and boil them until you can stick a fork in the side
Place them on a baking sheet covered in a very large amount of olive oil.
Now smash them, only until they look like a mistake, not until they are mashed.
brush on some olive oil
spinkle salt and pepper
top with a fresh seasoning, i had chives
bake for lets say 20ish minutes (check on them) at 400
Enjoy!
So easy and good, Chris just LOVED these! I don't think he even put cheese on them!

This was our dinner on Monday night! Steak, marinated in a Jack Daniel's Mesquite sauce, Sweet Potato French Fries, and Salad.
The salad is rather "normal" where it's from a bag, has cheese and salad toppers on it.

Ahhh but the Steak and Sweet Potato fries were amazing! YUMMM

Just the right side! Thanks to Katie I knew what I wanted to eat with my Steak and how good it was too! You don't need anything to dip these tasty treats in, but Chris still loved dipping in Vinegar, he's all Maryland!

Sweet Potato Garlic Fries

Ingredients:
5 large red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams)
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp kosher salt
5 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/8 c. flat leaf parsley, minced

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 500 degrees and line 2 baking sheets.
-Wash and dry sweet potatoes (leaving skin on) and slice into 1/8 inch thick wedges.
-Place into large bowl and combine with olive oil and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper.
-Lay out sweet potato wedges on baking sheets, dividing evenly between them, and place in oven.
-Bake for 30 minutes, turning occasionally, or until edges begin to brown and wedges are tender.
-Remove from oven, sprinkle evenly with salt, garlic, parsley, and serve immediately.
Juicy and Delicious!
This was Chris's idea, while we were grocery shopping he came across a marinade bag of this Jack Daniel's sauce and it was amazing!

Good Food With Good Friends

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Chicken Marsala with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Sugar Snap Peas with Bacon

Sugar Snap Peas with Bacon
Very Easy... my local grocer did not have fresh sugar snaps so I bought a frozen bag and steamed them. While that was steaming I cooked five strips of bacon. When both were finished I broke up the bacon and combined it in a bowl with the sugar snaps, a tablespoon of butter, and a little salt and pepper to taste.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Skin your russet potatoes (around 6-7) and cut into small cubes and put in boiling water. Boil until tender with the poke of a fork. Then drain the water and add a stick of butter. After butter has melted begin mashing the potatoes and while mashing add some garlic salt, salt and pepper to taste, and around 1/4 a cup of milk (you can add a little more milk if you want to keep mashing the potatoes and get a creamier texture).

Chicken Marsala
From: America's Test Kitchens

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast (5-7 oz each), fat trimmed
1 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
salt and ground pepper
2 tbsp oil
2 1/2oz (a/b 3 slices) pancetta, cut into 1 by 1/8 in. pieces
8oz white mushrooms, sliced (a/b 2 c.)
1 med. garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 tsp tomato paste
1 1/2 c. Sweet Marsala
1 1/2 Tbsp juice from lemon
4 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley leaves

Directions:
-Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position on the oven, place a heatproof plate on the rack, and heat the oven to 200 degrees.
-Pat the chicken breast dry
-Place flour in a shallow baking dish or pie plate
-Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper
-Working with one at a time, coat both sides of chicken with flour.
-Lift the breast from the tapered end and shake to remove excess flour and set aside.
-Meanwhile, heat oil in a large 12in heavy bottom skillet over med-high heat until shimmering
-Place the floured chicken in a single layer in the skillet and cook until golden brown, about 5 mins.
-Using tongs, turn the cutlets and cook on the second side until golden brown and the meat feels firm when pressed with a finger, about 5 mins longer
-Transfer chicken to the heated plate and return plate to oven... (I had VERY thick chicken breast, larger then 5-6oz and found turning the oven up to 350 and letting them bake until the sauce was done cook them through).
-Return the skillet to low heat and add the pancetta.
-Saute', stirring occasionally and scraping the pan bottom with a wooden spoon to loosen the browned bits, until the pancetta is browned and crisp, about 4mins.
-With a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to paper towels to drain.
-Add the mushrooms to the pan and increase the heat to medium-high.
-Saute', stirring occasionally and scraping pan bottom, until the liduid released by the mushrooms evaporates and the mushrooms begin to brown, about 8-10mins
-Add the garlic, tomato paste, and cooked pancetta and cook, stirring constantly, until the tomato paste begins to brown, about 1 min.
-Off the heat, add marsala.
-Return the pan to high heat and simmer vigorously, scraping browned bits from the pan bottom, until the sauce is slightly syrupy and reduce, about 5mins
-Off the heat, add the lemon juice and accumulated juices from the chicken.
-Whisk in butter, one Tbsp at a time, until incorporated.
-Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Pout the suce over the chicken and serve immediately.

Mini Twiced Baked Potatoes!~

Mini Twice Baked Potatoes!
Have to give a major shout out to Katie on her Good Things Catered blog, she totally helped me impress. I made these for a bible study potluck and got major WOWs and then again when my MIL and FIL came over for dinner... I think these are a favorite with FIL. And don't worry, they are much easier to make then they look! A great tip and doing it ahead of time and wait to bake until the day you need them... they also aren't bad rewarmed in the oven!


Mini Twice Baked Potatoes

Ingredients:
1 lb. gourmet red potatoes (about 1- 1 1/2 in in diameter)
1 c. medium cheddar, finely grated
4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely minced
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp half and half

Directions:
-Place steam insert over large stockpot and bring to a boil over medium heat.
-Wash potatoes and halve legth wise, cutting an additional bit from the bottom so that the half can stand on its own.
-Place potatoes into steam insert and cook, covered, until fork tender, about 20 mins.
-Meanwhile, place cheddar, cream cheese, and parsely into medium bowl, stiring to combine completely.
-Let potatoes slightly cool and using a mellon baller, scoop out main portion of each potato half, leaving a solid shell.
-Place scooped out potato into bowl with cheese mixture.
-Once all potatoes are completed mix scooped potato and cheese mixture thoroughly until as smooth as possible.
-Add half and half to smooth mixture and salt and pepper to taste.
-Preheat oven to 375 degrees and prepare baking sheet.
-Place potato sheels onto baking sheet.
-Using pastry bag or plastic sandwich bag with end snipped, pipe mixture into potato shells.
-Bake filled potatoes until heated through and just browning on top.