Sweet Potato Chips

This is the ultimate "clean eating" recipe.. ONE ingredient! (Which technically disqualifies it as a "recipe") Ha! You could sprinkle them with a little bit of kosher salt or cinnamon before cooking, but they honestly don't need any seasoning. Drew, Brett, Reese and I all love them plain and they go quick when I make them.. daily.

Take a few medium sized sweet potatoes and wash and dry them. Leave the skins on and use a mandolin slicer to slice 1/16" thickness. I used the glass rotating plate that's in the microwave as a cooking surface (so you might want to wash that too before you cook on it). Lay slices on plate, touching is ok but not overlapping, and cook on high power for 5 minutes. They will start to turn a little brown, which is fine, but watch to make sure they don't burn. Flip over after 5 minutes and cook 1 more minute. *I used a little "trial and error" to get my cooking time and all microwaves are different so just keep and eye on them while cooking. If they come out too chewy then cook them a little longer. Remove to cooling rack and let them get crispy! One sweet potato makes about 75 chips. Enjoy!

Whole Hog Potato Salad

If you've never had potato salad from Whole Hog Cafe then you are really missing out! It is the best potato salad I've ever eaten. It's not mustard based but rather Ranch based. Who doesn't love Ranch? I found this recipe years ago and have made a few modifications over time. Hope you like it as much as we do!

2 lbs red or gold potatoes

1 cup mayo (not Miracle Whip)

1 cup sour cream

1/2 t garlic powder

1/2 t black pepper

1 T Hidden Valley Ranch mix (powder)

1/2 t dried parsley

1/2 t kosher salt

2 t sugar

splash of vinegar

1/4 cup chopped green onion

1/2 cup crumbled bacon (packaged is fine)

Bake potatoes at 350 degrees for about an hour or until tender. Cool slightly and cut into chunks. Meanwhile combine mayo, sour cream, spices, vinegar, onion and bacon in a large bowl. Mix well then gently fold in potato chunks. Cover and refrigerate. The longer it sits the better it tastes. Serves 6-8 Enjoy!

Fried Rice

Fried Rice can be made into a meal by itself or cooked as a side dish for grilled or roasted meat. The recipe below is just a place to start. Add your own diced chicken, shrimp, beef, scallops, etc. to make it a meal in one pan. The key to Fried Rice that isn't sticky is the rice you use. Minute Rice or boiled long grain rice can clump and gaum up. BUT Success Rice is parboiled then portioned into boil-in-bags so that the grains stay separate. Genius! 

2 bags Success Rice
2-3 T butter
1/4 c chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
3 eggs
soy sauce to taste
black pepper to taste 
sesame oil to taste
toasted sesame seeds
chopped green onions for garnish

Cook the rice according to package directions and allow to drain for a couple of hours. You want the rice to dry out a little in its plastic bag. If you're in a hurry you can always go ahead and use it but I like the results of letting it sit for a while. 

Melt butter over medium heat in a large skillet or sauté pan. (Add-ins would go here before the veggies) Add in onions and garlic and cook until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Break in eggs, one at a time, and stir well to scramble them a bit, cook for about a minute. Dump all of the rice into the skillet and toss it with the veggies and eggs. Season with a couple of tablespoons of soy sauce and turn the heat to medium high. Toss it every couple of minutes but also give it time to cook and make a crust in parts. You want the rice to get a little browned in areas. The crunchy parts have great flavor! When it's browned to your liking drizzle in a couple teaspoons of sesame oil and a couple of dashes of sesame seeds and toss. There's no "wrong way" to do it! Serves two as an entree or four as a side dish. Enjoy!

*Optional add-ins:
Cubed, raw chicken
Cubed, raw steak
Peeled, raw shrimp
(sauté in the butter before adding the veggies)

Diced zucchini
Diced carrots
Edamame or green peas
chopped, steamed asparagus
chopped, steamed broccoli
(sauté in the butter before adding the egg and rice)

The Best Green Bean Casserole

I always enjoy Green Bean Casserole at holiday meals but rarely think to make it as a side dish at home.. until now! The original recipe is from Paula Deen (y'all) but my sister Angela tweaked it a little bit this Christmas and I am IN LOVE. *Warning it is NOT fat-free and is highly addictive.

2 T butter
1/2 c onion, chopped
1 c fresh mushrooms, sliced
3 cans cut green beans, drained
1 can Campbell's Cream of Chicken
1 can Campbell's Cream of Mushroom
1 2.8 oz package french-fried onion rings
black pepper and garlic powder to taste (a couple of dashes)
1 c grated cheddar cheese


Heat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a small skillet and sauté onions and mushrooms until tender and golden. In a large bowl, combine the soups, seasonings, french-fried onions, and sautéed veggies. Fold in the drained green beans. Pour into greased baking dish. Bake 20 minutes, add shredded cheddar to top and bake an additional 10 minutes. Makes 8 servings. Enjoy!


*The cost to make this dish is approximately $8

Cornbread Dressing

Cornbread dressing is a family tradition for our Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. I can remember helping both my mom and dad make it on Christmas morning. These days, I make it the day before and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight. It tastes just as good and saves time when you have other dishes to prepare for a big meal! It goes great with turkey, ham or chicken. I'm ready to eat!

4 8-inch skillets of yellow cornbread (I use Martha White)   

1/2 c butter                         

2 c onion, chopped                         

2 c celery, chopped

5 c chicken broth

Salt & pepper to taste 

Rubbed sage to taste

4 large eggs, beaten    

Prepare cornbread according to package instructions. You can use any cornbread recipe you like but I like to make four small skillets because there's lots of crusty edge to flavor the dressing. Allow the cornbread to cool, crumble it up and set aside. Sauté onions and celery in butter until tender. Combine sautéed vegetables, cornbread crumbles, broth and seasonings in a large bowl. For sage and pepper, adjust to your taste (I usually start with one teaspoon of salt, two teaspoons of pepper and three tablespoons of sage). Add the eggs in after you've achieved the flavor you want. Pour into greased 9x13 pan (it will be soupy, don't worry it will firm up) and bake 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. I like to turn on the broiler at the end to brown the top. Serves 8-10. Enjoy!

               

Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Nothing smells more like "Autumn" than roasted vegetables with brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg! Sweet potatoes are a healthy alternative to regular potatoes and roasting brings out all of the natural sweetness.

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1" chunks
1 T olive oil
1 T butter, melted
1 T brown sugar
1 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
dash of ground ginger
salt and pepper to taste


Heat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x9 baking pan with non-stick spray.  Combine all ingredients except potatoes. Toss potatoes with oil and mixture and scatter in baking pan in one layer. Roast 1 hour, tossing every 20 minutes. Serves 2, plus leftovers. Enjoy!

Oven Roasted Broccoli

Yes, it sounds odd.. but just give it a try. A caramelized, garlicky, cheesy alternative to regular steamed broccoli. You could almost make a meal out of it!

1 large head of fresh broccoli, cut into large florets
2-3 T olive oil
4 cloves garlic, sliced
sea salt and pepper to taste
fresh parmesan cheese, grated
1 lemon, zested and juiced


Heat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil. Spray lightly with non-stick spray or olive oil. Toss broccoli with olive oil, salt and pepper and arrange in pan. Bake 20 minutes, tossing broccoli once halfway through. Parts will turn dark and caramelize during baking. Remove from oven and top with cheese, lemon zest and juice. Serves 2, with leftovers. Enjoy!