Classic Potato Salad

I've made this a few times without my camera handy, and I'm glad I finally got my act together enough to snap pictures making it this time. Sorry that amounts aren't all that set, but this is really is a salad to taste.

Ingredients:
6-8 medium potatoes, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
6 hard boiled eggs
5 baby dill pickles, diced
1-1/2 - 2 C mayonnaise
4-5 squirts spicy brown mustard
Pickle juice to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Boil eggs. Drain and chill.

Chopped onion and put in large mixing bowl.

Chopped potatoes. Boil until soft. Drain. Add to bowl with onions.

In small bowl, mix 1 C of mayo and 1-2 squirts of mustard. Add salt and pepper to dressing. Add some dill pickle juice (not too much).

Coat potatoes and onions with dressing. If salad is too dry, make more dressing.

Dice pickles and add to salad.

Peel and dice four eggs. Add to salad.

Mix well. Slice last two eggs and garnish top of salad. Serve chilled.

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Cheesy Potato Casserole (aka Funeral Potatoes)

Here in Utah, everyone knows exactly what you mean when you talk about Funeral Potatoes. For those of you not fortunate enough to know what the heck I'm talking about, many, many years ago, it was decided by the powers that be (probably some Relief Society president in some obscure LDS ward in Payson, Utah) that dinners provided for the families after Mormon funerals would be ham, salad, and cheesy potato casserole. Because this cheesy, creamy, stuffed-with-calories goodness became a staple for these dinners (and because there's so much cheese and sour cream in them that they will likely cause your funeral should you eat too much of them), they became known as Funeral Potatoes. In 2002, when the Olympics came to Salt Lake City, there was even an Olympic pin made. It was one of the most sought-after pins of the games.

Isn't it cute? I know, right.

Ingredients:
1 lbs shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
1 C sour cream
1 can cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup
1 to 2 C shredded cheese
Green onion, chopped
1/4 C butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray or grease casserole dish.

In large bowl, mix all ingredients.

Spread evenly in casserole dish.

Cover top with more cheese.

Bake uncovered for 45 minutes.

Serve with ham (or anything you want to eat).

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Garlic and Rosemary Roasted Lamb

Last year, I did lamb with a mustard and rosemary marinade. This year, it's garlic and rosemary. There seems to be a theme when it comes to lamb: rosemary is the key.

Ingredients:
1 6-lb. boneless leg of lamb, trimmed and tied
12 large garlic cloves, unpeeled and divided
1 Tbl chopped fresh rosemary leaves
salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 Tbl unsalted butter, melted
4-1/2 lb. small red potatoes, unpeeled
2 Tbl extra virgin olive oil

Peel six of the cloves of garlic and place them in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade.

Add rosemary, 1 Tbl salt, pepper, and butter. Process until the garlic and rosemary are finely minced.

Thoroughly coat the top and sides of the lamb with the rosemary mixture. Place in large baggie or wrap tightly with plastic wrap and foil and allow to marinate overnight in the fridge.

Before baking, allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place the oven rack in the lower third of the oven so the lamb will sit in the middle of the oven.

Toss potatoes and remaining unpeeled garlic in a bowl with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt.

Put in large roasting pan. Place the lamb on top of the potatoes, fat side up.

Roast for 30 minutes and reduce temperature to 375 degrees. Continue roasting until the internal temperature of the lamb is 135 degrees (rare) or 145 degrees (medium).

Remove from the oven and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Allow the lamb to rest for 20-30 minutes before slicing.

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Roasted Chicken with Potatoes and Carrots

I've been experimenting with different herbs and spices, and I'm now ready to declare my favorite method of roasting chicken in a covered roaster.

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken

6 potatoes, cut

6 carrots, cut

6-8 cloves of garlic

3-4 Tbl crushed rosemary

1-2 Tbl fresh thyme

1/4 C lemon juice

salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375F.

Remove the giblets and neck from inside the chicken and rinse the chicken inside and out with cold water. Pat dry with paper towel.

Mince or crush 3 cloves of garlic. In a small bowl, combine minced garlic, thyme, 2 Tbl rosemary, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Pour mixture into the chicken cavity. I didn't have string to truss up the chicken, but you can do that if you want. Put chicken breast side down in your roasting pan. This makes the chicken breast amazingly moist and tender.

Peel the remaining garlic gloves and cut them in half (if large enough). Carefully cut slits in the loose parts of the skin, and put the remaining garlic under the skin.

Cover the chicken with the potatoes and carrots. Sprinkle with remaining rosemary and more salt and pepper (if desired).

Cover and bake for 1-1/2 hours. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before carving. There should be enough juice to make a very tasty gravy.

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Mashed Potatoes with Carrots

A dear friend of mine made this for a dinner party one time, and I've loved it ever since. It's easy, and it gets the kids more of their veggies. Plus, it makes the potatoes look really neat.

Ingredients:

6-8 potatoes, chopped but not pealed

3-4 large carrots, chopped

Butter to taste

Milk

Cut up your vegetables. Put them in a pot and cover with water.

Boil until tender. Drain. Add butter and milk, and mash to preferred consistency.

Serve with gravy, sour cream, or whatever your family likes on their potatoes.

Enjoy!

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