Who loves baked mashed potatoes? I do! There is something about the additional step of baking mashed potatoes that just makes it all come together. Granted, this requires an additional step in the cooking process, but the extra time spent is well worth the end result. I somewhat dreamed up a meal last weekend that I wanted to bring to life. These Baked Cheddar and Chive Mashed Potatoes were part of my dream.
I also dreamed that I was challenging myself to make 12 different types of mashed potatoes throughout 2013. Yes, this is what I really dream at night. And I realize this is obtainable since last month I blogged about my Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes and Cauliflower. So I think the challenge is on. I think in the past I was too intimidated to blog about mashed potatoes because mashed potatoes in general require a lot of precise measurements. And because I’ve been making them for so many years I’ve never spent the time to measure them out. But I like the challenge this year, and it is going to help me think outside of the box and introduce all sorts of fabulous mashed potato recipes that I love. I love mashed potatoes. I probably eat them at least once a week… from scratch. Never from a box because that is unacceptable. Making a simple mashed potato only takes about 30 minutes and is way better than any box of spuds. I’ve now taken it to the next level with the baked variety: Baked Cheddar and Chive Mashed Potatoes.
Do you see that in the background? It is a glimpse of whats to come tomorrow. Yep… I went there. Individual Bacon-Cheddar Meat Loaves! Come back tomorrow to make your Sunday meal complete or a regular week night meal. Or perfect if entertaining and you want your guest to have a very comfort food heavy meal!
2lbs, 9.5 oz of Russet Burbank Idaho Potatoes (about 7), peeled and diced
1 tbsp salt
4 tbsp salted butter
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese + 1/2 cup
1/4 cup chives, diced + 2 tbsp
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup whole milk
Cooking Spray
Directions
Peal and evenly dice your potatoes. Rinse them well and add them to a large pot of water. Add one tablespoon of salt to the water. Boil on high for 30 minutes. If they start to boil over reduce heat to medium. Once the potatoes are cooked through and fork tender, remove from heat, and drain.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place the potatoes back in the pot. Add butter, 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup of diced chives, black pepper and whole milk. Using a blender mix well until smooth and creamy (about 2 minutes).
Spray a baking dish (at least 9 x9 but I used a large oval dish) with cooking spray, then pour the potatoes into the dish. Smooth out and top with additional half cup of shredded cheddar cheese and diced chives. Bake for 30 minutes until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly. Remove from the oven and carefully spoon out portions of potatoes.
Notes
*Remember every cook top cooks differently. If your potatoes are done 10 minutes early by all means take them off the burner and drain them. You know your stove better than I do.
*If your potatoes hold a lot of water in them you may need less milk.
I know what you are thinking… not another cauliflower mashed potato recipe, again?!?! No! It’s not like that. This has real potatoes and cauliflower all-in-one dish. This lighter version of real mashed potatoes accompanied my super tasty crunchy-baked chicken strips. I watched my husband take a giant bite, and then noticed the puzzled look on his face. He then proceeded to take a few more bites of the mashed potatoes and cauliflower. I then finally spoke up (I felt bad leading him on) and told him that I incorporated some cauliflower into the mashed potatoes. He was like “oh that’s why they are super light and fluffy–they are great”. I was expecting him to complain that there was no gravy for the potatoes and that maybe they were lacking flavor since they weren’t full of butter and heavy cream. I was pleasantly surprised and as I began enjoying each blissful bite I realized that this is the way to go.
Our dinner conversation also got really interesting. We both agreed that this is the perfect way to hide vegetables for any non-veggie eater like children. Then all of a sudden my husband’s business-like mind started racing and within minutes he was telling me how I should write a cookbook on how to trick kids into eating foods that are full of healthy foods. I told him that there are already a few books on the market and thanked him for his “brilliant” idea.
So you get the idea… whether you are trying to hide veggies from you kids or maybe your picky non-veggie eating husband or just want to lighten-up your mashed potatoes give this recipe a try! I’m not going to lie… I did have to resist the urge to put a pat of butter on my potatoes. With or without the butter they are still delicious!
In a large pot add 3 cups of quartered red baby potatoes and fill with water, three quarters of the pot full. Add 1 tsp salt to the water. Bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes. Then add cauliflower to the same pot and cook for an additional 10 minutes or until potatoes and cauliflower are fork tender.
Drain and place back in the pot. Add olive oil, chopped herbs, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth using a hand mixer. Taste to see if you prefer more salt and pepper. Add more if desired. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
*All stove tops cook differently. Cook this recipe like you would normally cook potatoes. If your stove top cooks faster than what was written above then adjust your cooking times.
Here is another dish that I’ve been making all year and yet to share on Katie’s Cucina. I created this recipe back in May when I was on my feta kick. Remember guys, I just started eating and cooking with feta this year! I know… I can feel the daggers coming through the computer screen–don’t kill me or my taste-buds please.
These mashed potatoes are fresh and full of flavor and surprisingly they don’t need any stinking gravy. You see… I have a slight problem with drowning my food with gravy. I guess we could call it a gravy addiction. I feel the need to smother my potatoes with the salty liquid, but for once… not these spuds! Anytime I make these potatoes for family and friends they all instantly fall in love with the potatoes! Why not switch up your usual holiday mashed potatoes and make these fresh and vibrant potatoes instead?
*I recommend using Yukon potatoes and not red potatoes (as pictured above). Since taking this photo I’ve tested the recipe a few more times and found that the Yukon potatoes yield a better and smoother texture for this mashed potato dish.
These creamy and fresh potatoes will add new depth to any meal. Some would think that sour cream was added in the potatoes thanks to the tanginess of the feta cheese.
Ingredients
6 medium white potatoes, peeled
1 tbsp salt
1/4 cup each fresh parsley, dill, and sliced green onions
1/2 cup feta cheese
1/4 cup salted butter
1/4 tsp black pepper
*3 tbsp milk if needed
Directions
Peel, chop, and rinse potatoes. Fill water to just above the potatoes and add 1 tbsp salt. Bring to a boil and cook for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft enough to fall apart when a knife is inserted in them.
Drain potatoes, and add 1/4 cup butter to the pot the potatoes were boiling in. Add the potatoes back to the pot then add fresh parsley, dill, and green onions followed by feta cheese. Place a lid on top of the potatoes and let them sit for 5 minutes.
Add black pepper to the potatoes and mash using a hand-mixer. Add milk if needed (one tablespoon at a time or until moist). Top with more fresh herbs and butter and serve immediately.
Notes
*Always chop your potatoes evenly so that they cook evenly.
*I've tested these potatoes multiple times and have found that yukon potatoes work best and 95% of the time I did not need to add any liquid to my potatoes.
Last month I was contacted by Magimix by Robot-Coupe to review the Magimix 4000. I was elated with joy. Before receiving this brilliant piece of machinery I used an old, handy-me down food processor that was barely chugging. It was on its last leg. So this review came at a welcomed time. The Magimix is manufactured in Burgundy, France. Since coming back from Europe last month, I feel like I have a great connection to all things European. I fell in love with France during the day I visited the French Riviera (I have 2 post to come on that). Magimix has been around for a while now. The brand was created in 1971 and was coined a French revolution of the 20th Century!
The first recipe I made using my new Magimix by Robot-Coupe was Gratin Dauphinois. The food processor comes with a recipe book with over 100 recipes. I love Potatoes Au Gratin and am always looking for a new recipe to try. This recipe was delicious. I’ve never cooked with Gruyere cheese before. I know… sigh… stone me, do whatever you want to me, but I’m being honest and real here. Needless to say, this recipe definitely intrigued me.
Look at the thin layer of potatoes. Every slice of potato was cut evenly ensuring that this dish cooks evenly throughout. Using the food processor was super simple. I’ve always been scared to use a variety of attachements. I think it stemmed back to not being educated on what to use when. The Magimix comes with a DVD that shows you how to use every attachment with ease. These creamy cheesy potatoes would make for a nice french spin for a side dish to make this Thanksgiving. Can you believe that Thanksgiving is less than 2 weeks away? I can’t, and I’m feverishly planning my menu. I’m hosting again at my house this year for 8 people instead of 12 like I did last year. So we will definitely be cutting down on the crazy amount of food I cooked and baked last year. I’m figuring out a way to incorporate these potatoes into my Thanksgiving menu plan!
I instantly fell in love with this machine, and so did my neighbor as she watched me grate soft cheese and thinly slice potatoes. It’s not noisy at all. I was able to talk over it without raising my voice. Then again, my husband pointed out that I talk loud to begin with! Even my husband commented how quiet this food processor was compared to my previous one. I will warn you… this piece of machinery is heavy. I can see many good workouts in the future lifting it, but to me its totally worth it. It also comes with an awesome storage container to store all of the blades. A nice perk that I welcome. The only downfall is that it doesn’t lock. So you have to keep it secure on a shelf and if you have little ones make sure to keep it out of their reach. Magimix is pleased to introduce a new 30 year warranty on all Food Processor motors. Its hard for me to imagine having anything for more than 30 years, so I love that they have a 30-year guarantee. I know that this food processor will be by my side in the kitchen for at least the next 30 years if not longer. Not pictured is the trio of nested bowls. Yes, as in multiple size bowls in one food processor.
Small bowl is perfect for mincing herbs, chopping nuts, blending a sauce or making baby food. It can also be used directly in the large bowl without the medium bowl in place.
Medium bowl is ideal for slicing and grating.
Large bowl handles prep jobs like whisking egg whites, mixing batters, kneading dough and slicing or grating a large batch of vegetables.
Now, on to this amazing giveaway! One lucky winner, will receive one Magimix Cuisine Systeme 4200 XL. Below is a list of everything that comes with the food processor.
• 14-cup main bowl
• 12-cup midi bowl
• 6-cup mini bowl
• 950W commercial grade motor
Comes with:
• Mini and main metal blade
• Dough blade
• Egg whisk
• BlenderMix
• 2mm slicer and shredder discs
• 4mm slicer and shredder discs
• XL feed tube
• Storage accessory box
• DVD and recipe book with more than 100 recipes
Please wait for the rafflecopter widget to load. If you do not see your comment right away do not panic. Comments must be approved first and could take up to a few days.
Using the Magimix grate the cheese using the 2-mm grating disc and set aside.
Peel and wash the potatoes, and dry well.
Using the 2-mm slicing disc, cut the potatoes into thin slices.
Preheat the oven to 355 degrees.
Peel the garlic and cut in half. Rub a square glass dish with the garlic, followed by butter.
Cover the bottom of the dish with a layer of sliced potatoes. Add some of the cheese, salt and pepper, and 1 tablespoon of heavy whipping cream. Repeat until you have used up all the ingredients (I had about 5 layers). The top of the potatoes should end with grated cheese.
In a separate bowl stir nutmeg into the milk and pour over the layered potatoes.
Place the glass dish on a baking sheet, and bake for 1 hour or until liquid has absorbed and the top is golden brown. Serve immediately and garnish with fresh chopped parsley.
Notes
This recipe was provided by Magimix by Robot-Coupe.
This recipe is brought to you by Katie Jasiewicz of Katies Cucina
Disclaimer: I received the Magimix Food Processor to review and use in my home. As always, all opinions are my own. This giveaway is sponsored by Magimix by Robot-Coupe.B
I don’t know about you, but I love this time of year when the Super Bowl is quickly approaching, party invites go out and menu planning begins. I love all the greasy fattening food. In my mind it’s ok to indulge in these types of food for one day. Everything in moderation, right?
One of my favorite, bar style foods is the loaded potato skin. Words can not express how much I adore the potato, and then to broil it and make the skin crispy and load it with cheese, bacon, and green onions in my mind completes it! Potato skins can be a labor of love, but I’ve come up with a much quicker alternative. I microwave my potatoes and then throw them under the broiler. I know… gasp. This could be considered a crime in some people’s book, but it’s not in mine. I don’t want to wait hours to indulge in a few potato skins! So in my book–you get the best of both worlds. It takes half the amount of time to cook these spuds and you still get the crispy flavors like it’s been baked for an hour plus.
I also like using red potatoes which is steering away from the traditional large russet potato. Honestly, use what you have on hand. I always have red potatoes on hand, so that’s what I use. If you always have russet potatoes on hand–use those. The same goes with cheese. If you have Mexican blend shredded cheese on hand and not sharp cheddar–don’t go out to the store just to buy the shredded cheddar for the recipe. Adapt, adapt, adapt! Don’t be scared to do so. Typically, if I have fresh bacon on hand, I will cook up some fresh bacon, and crumble it for this recipe; however, if you don’t and all you have is bacon bits on hand don’t be afraid to use them ( I use them). It’s all about making cooking simple, and this is especially true if you are entertaining. And remember, don’t be afraid to indulge in these spuds!
Scrub potatoes clean, pierce with a fork and ramp each individual potato in a damp paper towel. Microwave on high for 5-8 minutes until tender but not soft. *Preheat oven at this time to 400.
Slice each potato in half. Using a spoon, carefully scrape the potato filling out of each skin. I like to keep about a half inch of potato in each skin.
Place your oven on broil mode. Then place each potato skin facing up on a baking sheet and broil on low for 5 minutes. Flip (potato side up), and broil on high for 1-2 minutes (do not allow them to burn and watch them very closely).
Remove potato skins from oven and top each skin with one tablespoon shredded cheddar cheese, 1 teaspoon bacon bits, and sprinkle with green onions.
Broil on high for 1-2 minutes, until skins are browned and cheese has melted. Serve immediately, sprinkle salt and pepper on skins and top with sour cream.
I’ve always had a love for potatoes, so when Potato Inspirations contacted me and asked if I’d like a few free bags of potatoes to try–I did not hesitate! Potato Inspirations is a new company that is selling their premium potatoes to local Publix supermarkets. These potatoes are grown my family farmers and are made for fast prep, fantastic flavor, and can be used for everyday dishes or gourmet meals!
I’m always dreaming up ideas on easy and hastle free side dishes. Especially starch side dishes since I get tired of eating the same old plain potatoes and rice. I feel like I don’t use the spice blend herbes de provence enough, and knew that it would compliment the potatoes well. This was an easy dish to prep and with everything said and done took a half hour from start to finish!
Rinse and dry potatoes. Quarter each potato (to form a wedge). Place wedged potatoes in a large zip lock baggy and toss with herbes de provence, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Seal bag and mix until all the flavors are incorporated.
Place potato wedges on a baking sheet and cover with tin foil. Bake for 20 minutes covered. Remove foil from top of pan, using a spatula move potatoes around, and then bake for another 5 minutes or until fully cooked. Serve immediately.
I love onions and when I saw this recipe I instantly dog eared the page in the October issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray. BUT I knew that this would probably not be a winner in my husbands book. He on the other hand is opposite of me and is a hater of onions. Ok, maybe that is harsh. He has started warming up to onions in most recent years. Mainly because I cook with them so often! I was really excited about this meal and knew that my husband wouldn’t be, so I had some leftovers in preparation for a boycott. Surprisingly, he inhaled the the onions. He absolutely loved them. Mostly because the onions were cooked down and glazed with balsamic vinegar that it partly disguised the onion taste. I did tell him they were onions and he exclaimed that he loved them! I will note that the spinach partly wilted down in the spots where the chicken and onions rested. Next time I would blanch the spinach for 30 seconds prior to serving. Or just simply saute the spinach for 30 seconds in the pan that the onions glazed in. This was a delicious meal to make on a busy week day!
Ingredients: 5 large red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 1/4 cup each chopped flat-leaf parsley and grated parmesan cheese 2 tbsp butter salt and pepper to taste 3 tbsp olive oil 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast 2 red onions, thinly sliced 1 tbsp butter 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar 1 bag fresh baby spinach
Directions: 1. Preheat the oven to 400°. In a large pot, combine the potatoes and salted water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and cook until fork-tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain and return the potatoes to the pot. Toss with 2 tablespoons. butter, the parmesan and parsley; season with salt and pepper. Cover to keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook, turning once, until golden-brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a baking dish; roast until cooked through, about 10 minutes.
3. In the same skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon each butter and olive oil over medium heat. Stir in the onions and vinegar and season with salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are caramelized, about 15 minutes. At the end, stir in 1/4 cup water and scrape up any browned bits.
4. Serve the chicken on a bed of spinach and top with the caramelized onions. Serve the potatoes on the side.
I can’t lie here. I wasn’t too excited about this recipe the night I went to cook it, but I had originally pulled it because it sounded interesting. I figured if anything my husband would eat this meal, and I would find something else that interested me. I dished myself out a tiny little plate, and gave my husband a normal sized portion. Took my first bite and couldn’t stop eating the chicken. It was amazing! I did not make the full one and a half pounds of chicken like the recipe called for and was hoping to stretch a third portion for my husbands lunch the next day. It was so good that I decided to eat part of his lunch portion and he finished up the rest. He ended up having to buy lunch out the next day–but it was totally worth it. This goes to show you that looks and sounds can be deceiving! This is one of those sweet and savory dishes and to be honest just reflecting back on this meal makes me want to cook it again sometime soon. I hope you’ll give this meal a try like I did, because if I never did I would have never known what I was missing in life!
1-1/2 lbs chicken breasts or tenders, cut into large chunks
Pepper
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup apricot preserves,
3 tbsp honey
2 tsp poppy seeds
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp fresh dill, chopped *I used dry since I didn’t have fresh on hand
Directions:
1. In a medium pot, add the potatoes and enough cold water to cover by 1 inch. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Salt the water, lower the heat and simmer the potatoes, uncovered, until fork-tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
2. While the potatoes are working, in a large skillet, heat the extra virgin olive oil (2 turns around the pan), over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook in the skillet, turning once, until browned, 2 minutes total. Add the shallots and cook for 3 minutes. Add the vinegar and cook until slightly reduced, 1 minute. Add the chicken broth, apricot preserves, honey and poppy seeds and simmer over medium-low heat, stirring. Stir in 1 tablespoon of butter.
3. Drain the potatoes, return to their pot and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, the dill and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with the chicken.
There is no denying it. I love potatoes, and when I made the barbecue beef brisket I knew I wanted to serve a potato salad with it. I called my mother to find out how to make her mother’s light and fresh potato salad. My mother graciously told me what ingredients I needed; however, it’s one of those unwritten recipes and because of this she had no measurements to give me. I had to figure it out on my own.
Can I just tell you how excited I was when I nailed it on the first try! Because I was making the potato salad to accompany dinner I was able to lure my mother over for a late dinner once she was off from work. When she got to my home and saw the potato salad she then realized she forgot to tell me one extra ingredient! Mayonnaise. I was so mad that she failed to tell me that key ingredient; however, I had already tried some of the potato salad and knew it was spot on. I could have sworn that I never-ever remembered this potato salad having mayonnaise in it. But then again it had been an easy 5+ years since my mom had last made it. After my mom took her first bite she was beyond pleased, and actually liked my version better than her own mothers. *Now, if you’d like to add the mayonnaise you only need a tablespoon or two depending on your taste. I don’t ever plan to add mayonnaise into this potato salad. It is beyond amazing and I could not be happier with this recipe.
As we sat down for dinner I had to remind my husband that this potato salad would be nothing like his mother’s potato salad which is full on mayonnaise based (and delicious). I was really concerned that he wouldn’t like my version, but he was beyond pleased with it and couldn’t stop dishing spoonfuls of it onto his plate! I hope you will enjoy this recipe as much as I do.
Slice the red potatoes at about a quarter-inch thick. Add the sliced potatoes to a large pot with enough water to cover the potatoes, and add one tablespoon salt to the pot of water/potatoes. Boil on medium-high heat until soft but not falling apart. Depending on your stove top this should take around 25 minutes. *Keep a close eye to make sure the potatoes don’t get too soft and begin to fall apart.
While the potatoes are cooking you can make the dressing. In a bowl add the minced dried onions, parsley, sugar, canola oil, apple cider vinegar, and salt and pepper. Mix well, then add the diced celery.
Drain the potatoes in a strained and set aside. In a larger serving bowl add a quarter of the dressing to the serving bowl, followed by ⅓ of the potatoes. Pour another quarters worth of the dressing over the potatoes, followed by more potatoes, and repeat until completed. You will want to be very cautious of mixing this potato salad since you want to keep the slices as whole as possible. Gently mix, chill for as little as an hour. Serve and enjoy.
If I have time on the weekend I love to make breakfast potatoes and a rather large drawn out breakfast. Most of the time I’ll make double the amount of diced boiled potatoes to use throughout the week or make an extra batch of breakfast potatoes with. I happened to have a container of potatoes from the weekend and wanted to use them for dinner… I racked my brain on what to do and this is what I came up with; a loaded baked potato casserole of sorts. This casserole (like most casserole’s) was creamy and rich and gave me all the flavors that I would get if I was eating a loaded baked potato.
Source: Katie Original
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 25-30 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
3 cups potatoes, diced and cooked
1 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese plus more for topping
1/2 cup bacon, cooked, and diced
1/4 cup green onions, diced
2 tbsp parsley (dried or freshly minced)
Salt and pepper to taste
Non-stick cooking spray
Directions:
1. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. While oven preheats spray a large casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine sour cream, cheese, bacon, green onions, and parsley. Mix well then add potatoes and gently mix. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place the mixture into the casserole dish and top with additional cheddar cheese.
3. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
I'm Katie Jasiewicz: home cook, food blogger, and recipe developer. I’ve always had a love for cooking, and more so in the past few years a love for eating!
Join me on a culinary adventure where life always tastes good. {more}
Who loves baked mashed potatoes? I do! There is something about the additional step of baking mashed potatoes that just makes it all come together. Granted, this requires an additional step in the cooking process, but the extra time spent is well worth the end result. I somewhat dreamed up a meal last weekend that I wanted to bring to life. These Baked Cheddar and Chive Mashed Potatoes were part of my dream.
I'm Katie Jasiewicz: home cook, food blogger, and recipe developer. I’ve always had a love for cooking, and more so in the past few years a love for eating!
Join me on a culinary adventure where life always tastes good. 
