Rec. request: make ahead potato dish

Subject: Rec. request: make ahead potato dish
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking

From: Ann (fpringle at worldnet.att.net)
Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 01:11:10 GMT
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Need something different and easy this year to add to the Christmas groaning board. Perhaps some kind of scalloped potato with a different twist??? That can be done ahead of time??? I know I am probably asking too much, but, after all, it is Christmas!

TIA and Happy Christmas to you all

From: damsel at st-paul.crosswinds.net (Carol)
Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 02:15:57 GMT
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You could try making the standard scalloped potatoes, but add some diced or minced red and green pepper, some onion, and maybe a little cheddar cheese melted throughout ......

Hmmm. I was just going for pretty, but that sounds awfully good! Scalloped Potatoes O'Brien? Scalloped Potatoes McDamsel?

I think I'm gonna try this. Thanks, Ann, for posting a question that got my creative juices (saliva) flowing. *grin*

From: madelin at pacific.net (madelin)
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 1997 19:41:02 -0800
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Try layering the potatoes with lots of chopped garlic, salt and pepper to taste and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Use half and half for the liquid and some cheese on the top. Also a decoration of chopped parsley and thin strips of red bell pepper would be a nice seasonal touch. You can reheat at the party and add garnish at the last minute.

From: Sarah (sarah72grad at erols.com)
Date: 17 Dec 1997 11:30:16 GMT
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Alternate slices of potato with slices of turnip, with sautéed onion in, under, and all around. Bake or microwave in a casserole dish with lots of butter and some salt, pepper, nutmeg, whatever, to taste, until tender. (I test for doneness using a poultry trussing nail, like a toothpick test for cake, only you just want to see how easily the nail comes in and out.)

From: jrg14 at cornell.edu (Jan)
Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 11:11:45 -0400
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cook the spuds, drain well, add in sauteed onions, sour cream and grated cheddar cheese. Put into a buttered casserole. Sprinkle more cheese on top, decorate with red and green bell peps if you want, or paprika and parsley.

From: mikegregory at lucent.com (Mike Gregory)
Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 18:53:33 GMT
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Ann ... I am reading this message at work (really busy here today) so I don't have the precise recipe, but we have one which has cooked, diced potatoes, sour cream, cheddar cheese, chopped onions and chopped pimentos ... all of this is mixed to together and baked until the cheese is melted and the dish is heated through ... if this sounds like something you might be interested in, email me and I will get the recipe and send it ... Mike Gregory

From: Pam Jacoby (Pamela.Jacoby at Unisys.com)
Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 17:16:41 -0600
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Here are a few recipes----hope one captures your fancy!

MASHED POTATOES AND PARSNIPS WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS (Epicurious Web site)

6 tablespoon (3/4 stick) butter
2 1/2 large onions, halved, sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary or 2 teaspoons dried
6 parsnips, peeled, sliced
4 large russet potatoes, peeled, sliced
1 cup milk, heated

Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until golden, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Mix in rosemary. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.)

Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Add parsnips and potatoes; boil until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well. Return vegetables to pot; mash. Add warm milk and 4 1/2 tablespoons butter; stir until smooth. Stir in onion mixture. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover; chill. Rewarm over medium-high heat, stirring frequently and adding more milk if too dry.)
6 Servings
__________________________________

This one is a particular favorite.

MASHED POTATOES WITH LEEKS AND SOUR CREAM

3 tablespoons butter
4 large leeks (white and pale green parts only), quartered lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise
1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 1/4 cups water
1/4 cup sour cream

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks; sauté until just beginning to color, about 15 minutes. Add potatoes and water. Season with salt. Increase heat to high; bring to boil. Cover; boil until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Uncover; boil until almost all liquid evaporates, about 5 minutes.

Mash potatoes coarsely; mix in sour cream. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover; let stand at room temperature. Rewarm over low heat, stirring.) Transfer to large bowl.

Bon Appétit
November 1995
__________________________________

MASHED POTATO, RUTABAGA AND PARSNIP CASSEROLE WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS

7 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 pounds rutabagas, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/4 pounds parsnips, peeled, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
8 garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature

3 large onions, thinly sliced

Butter 13 x 9x2-inch glass baking dish. Combine first 7 ingredients in large pot; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover partially and simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 30 minutes. Drain well. Transfer vegetables to large bowl. Add 1/2 cup butter. Using electric mixer, beat mixture until mashed but still chunky. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer mashed vegetables to prepared dish.

Melt remaining 1/4 cup butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced onions and sauté until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and sauté until onions are tender and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spread onions evenly over mashed vegetables. (Casserole can be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Preheat oven to 375° F. Bake casserole uncovered until heated through and top begins to crisp, about 25 minutes.

8 to 10 servings

Bon Appétit
November 1994
____________________________

Another favorite---lovely with ham

CHEDDAR CHEESE POTATOES WITH SOUR CREAM (Bon Appetit R.S.V.P February 1987 - Cherrington's in Cincinnati)
6 servings

6 meduim baking potatoes, washed, unpeeled, and not cut in chunks
2 1/2 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese (I use white for appearance)
1/4 c. (1/2 stick) butter
1 c. sour cream, room temperature
1/3 c. minced onion
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Paprika

Boil potatoes until tender. Drain. Cool slightly; peel. Shred into bowl.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 8-in square baking dish. Cook 2 c. cheese and butter in heavy sauce pan over low heat until almost melted, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in sour cream and onion. Season with salt and pepper. Fold into potatoes. Pour into prepared dish. Top with remaining 1/2 c. cheese; sprinkle with paprika. Bake until bubbly, about 30 minutes.

Can be prepared ahead; increase baking time to about 45 minutes.

NOTE: Do not peel potatoes before cooking. This indeed does make a difference.

From: Lisa Smith (Pagemstr at plnet.net)
Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 18:47:18 -0600
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Hi Ann, This is a dish that is really good and tasty and reheats well. It's also very versatile ( I'll give you some variations at the end of the recipe) The amounts are approximate, cause I do things by feel sometimes!

Bacon Potato Bake

4 to 5 large potatoes, pierced and baked (microwave or oven, it doesn't matter) and cooled
2 cups white sauce
1 package mushrooms (or two cans)
1 small onion chopped in medium dice
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream
5 slices bacon, fried crisp, drained and torn into small pieces
salt and pepper to taste
dash of nutmeg

1. saute onions in butter till translucent. set aside
2. In same pan sauté mushrooms till much of the moisture evaporates
3. return onion to pan, and everything else but the bacon, potatoes and cheese
4. heat till just warm.
5. In the mean time, peel and slice potatoes. In a buttered casserole put in layer of potatoes, layer of sauce, sprinkle of bacon and so on. End layers with sauce and cheese sprinkled over top. Heat in micro on high for 12 minutes.

*** If you don't feel like making white sauce, take the all- American way out, Mushroom soup! (2 cans) I've made it both ways, and either way it's yummy. Also, This is wonderful for a main dish, using diced left over ham, or ground beef, drained. You can assemble this dish at home and, if your traveling, just heat when you get where your going.

From: mjgregory at worldnet.att.net (Mike Gregory)
Date: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 21:48:17 GMT
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Ann ... here is the recipe we use ...

Potatoes Romanoff

Combine:

5 cup diced cooked potatoes
2 cup cottage cheese
1 cup sour cream
3 T chopped green onion
3 T chopped pimento
2 T salt

Place in 9x13 pyrex dish, top with grated cheddar cheese and bake at
350 F for 30 to 45 minutes ... I really like the taste and look of the
onion and pimento so I usually double those quantities (6T) ... its
quick, easy and looks "christmasy" ...