Sweet Potato Potato Salad

Lately, my recipe experiments have been mainly flops. :( I was so excited to finally find one that I WAS excited about! I lovelovelove this recipe! It makes the perfect potato salad. Seriously.

Ingredients:
2 potatoes (I used large new potatoes)
1 sweet potato (I used yellow)
4 eggs
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped (I just tossed in some green onion)
3/4 cup mayonnaise (or a bit less)
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper

Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 30 minutes. Drain, cool, peel and chop.

Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil. Cover, remove from heat, and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water; cool, peel and chop.

Combine the potatoes, eggs, celery and onion.Whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper. Add to potato mixture, toss well to coat. Refrigerate and serve chilled.

Raspberry Jell-O/Applesauce

The last post made me think of this one...another winner from my childhood.

Ingredients:
1 cup water
Raspberry Jello pkg.
2 cups applesauce

Directions:
Boil water. Dissolve Jell-O. Mix in 2 cups of applesauce. Refrigerate to set.

Strawberry Tapioca

Can you tell it's Strawberry season? (Unfortunately...it'll be over soon). This was a side dish my mom would make often when I was a kid. I think it's tasty enough for a dessert!

Ingredients:
2 cups water
1/3 cup minute tapioca
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries, crushed
1 cup whipped topping (optional)

Directions:
Boil water, tapioca, and sugar until mixture begins to thicken. Remove from stove. Add strawberries. Cool and serve with topping.

Glazed Julienned Carrots

My S-I-L made these for us when we went over for a meal in their new apartment last week. I am not a huge carrot fan, but these are SO delicious. They remind me of my mom's carrot recipe. I love the sweetness that they have because I think my biggest complaint about carrots is that they are sometimes NOT sweet. The best part is that these are so easy, and use ingredients I always have on hand.

Ingredients: (Laura halved the recipe and it fed 4 of us comfortably)
2 lbs. carrots, julienned
1/3 cup butter, cubed
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions: In a large skillet, combine all ingredients. Cover and cook over medium heat for 7-10 minutes or until carrots are crisp tender. Serve with a slotted spoon. Yields 8 servings.

Spanish Green Beans

Another favorite from the Pioneer Woman. Definitely a unique take on green beans. Not sure why they're called "Spanish" though? Plus, they're considered healthy...right?

Ingredients:
4 cans whole green beans (or 1-2 lbs. fresh)
2 cans whole tomatoes
1 medium onion
5 slices bacon
cayenne pepper

Directions:
Slice bacon into short strips. Put large sauce pan/dutch oven on med-low and throw in bacon. Cook until bacon turns brown. Dice onion. Drain off a bit of the fat and add the onion. Cook until they all turn a nice color (don't let bacon get crisp). Drain beans and throw them into the pan. Add whole tomatoes with their juices. Stir. Cover and reduce heat to low and cook for 45 minutes. Add a bit of cayenne pepper.

Gourmet Potatoes

My mom's! They're delish. :) They're probably my second favorite way to have potatoes (my first favorite being this).

Ingredients:
6 medium potatoes
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup butter
1/5 cups sour cream or milk
1/3 cup onions, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 TBSP. butter
paprika


Directions:
Cook potatoes in skins. Cover 3/4 of the way with water, boil til soft, then take off skins. When cool, shred coarsely. Melt cheddar cheese and butter in a saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat and blend in sour cream, onion, salt, and pepper. Pour into greased 2 qt. casserole dish. Dot with butter and sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Mom's Amazing Baked Corn

My mom makes this for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners every year. Maybe only having it twice a year makes it so special? Regardless, it's amazing, and everyone loves it!

Ingredients: (I have already doubled the recipe, below!)
2 pints frozen (thawed) corn
approx. 1 cup milk
4 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. salt
dash of pepper
2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar cheese (find at Weis)
4 TBSP. minced onion

Topping: 1 cup cracker/ bread crumbs mixed with 2 TBSP. melted butter

Directions:
Pour into large greased casserole dish. Top with 1 cup dried bread crumbs/cracker crumbs mixed with 2 TBSP melted butter. Bake about an hour at 350.

Carrots with Honey Mustard Sauce

Another recipe from my mom! Love it.

Ingredients: (MOM USUALLY HALVES THIS!)
baby carrots
2 TBSP. butter
1/4 cup (4 TBSP.) brown sugar
2 TBSP. mustard
1/4 tsp. salt
parsley

Directions:
Fill a small pot 1/3 full of water. Add a bit of salt. Add carrots. Bring to a boil and cook. Once booked, place in another bowl.

In the pot, cook the remaining ingredients until dissolved. Pour over carrots.

Corn on the Cob--Oven Style

If you have never had oven-roasted corn on the cob, you are missing out! This is a million times better (and easier) than boiling the ears! We get our corn fresh, and cheap, from the Corn Wagon. :) It is so delicious this way, that it doesn't even need butter or salt (my husband eats in plain).

Ingredients:
as many ears of corn as you would like

Directions:
SLIGHTLY husk the ears (get rid of the big, outer leaves, but be sure to leave the ears covered). Place husks directly on the oven rack in a 350 degree oven. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Do NOT place ears on top of one another. After you remove the ears from the oven, husking and silking will we super easy! Enjoy!

Twice Baked Potatoes

I found these on the Pioneer Woman's website, and they have become a favorite. I've made them about 4 or 5 times now, and always get rave reviews. They are SO bad for you, but SO amazing delightful. :) Make sure to bake them on a broiler pan so that the excess fat can drip off. By the way...am I the only one who has issues remembering how to spell "potato?" (Did I get it right?). You really can't go wrong with these ingredients...just add a little of this and a little of that. Very time-intensive, but SO worth it. :)

Ingredients:
8 baking potatoes
2 sticks butter
1 cup crumbled bacon pieces (just buy in a jar at the store, unless you have time to make your own)
1 cup sour cream
1/4 tsp. seasoned salt
1+ cup grated cheddar jack cheese
pepper to taste
2/3 sliced green onion

Directions:
Wash, then place 8 baking potatoes on a cookie sheet. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 1:15. Slice 2 sticks of butter into pats. Add to a large mixing bowl. Add bacon pieces. Add sour cream.

When potatoes are done, cut in half lengthwise and scoop insides into the bowl. Lay hollowed out shells on a cookie sheet.

Use a potato masher to smash all ingredients. Add seasoned salt and 1 cup cheese. Add pepper and green onions.

Add the mixture back to the shells. Top them with more cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350.