Marbled Potatoes Two Ways

Tried a new recipe for a side dish recently...

I made some twice-baked potatoes the other day using a combo of russet potatoes and sweet potatoes - so good! I had a lot of filling left over and just served that as a mashed potato side another night. The kids didn't mind it, either, which is always a bonus! Sorry for the pics - it's a phone pic, taken before I baked them. You get the general idea...

Marbled Twice-Baked Potatoes

4 large russet potatoes
1 large sweet potato (I had 2 medium-ish ones, and used those)
1/4 c. sour cream
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed
2 tbsp. fresh chives, minced (could also use scallions, sliced thin)
1/2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
freshly grated nutmeg (optional, but I like it!)
salt & pepper to taste

Poke your potatoes a few times, and bake them at 400 degrees for about an hour, or until they're tender. Take them out, and let cool for a bit. Slice the sweet potato in half, and then squeeze the delicious insides right into the bowl. For the russet potatoes, slice off the tops (length-wise), and then scoop out the insides with a spoon.

Combine the rest of the ingredients and potato with a fork, and then spoon back into the hollowed out shells. Bake about 30 minutes more at 350 degrees, or until they're kind of browned and crispy on top, and heated all the way through. You can make them in advance, too - I made mine in the morning, put the stuffed potatoes in the fridge and then baked them later for dinner.

You can just serve the filling as-is, like a mashed potatoes-type side, or fill the potato shells and make twice-baked potatoes with this recipe.

Layered Mexican Trifle Salad

So this is awesome. It's a lot of work, but it is awesome. Feeds a crowd, looks cool, tastes great. What more can you ask for? I first had this at a party, and then tracked down the recipe - I believe it was originally from Pampered Chef. You can mix it up, but I really like this combo. It's easy to double or whatever is needed, based on the serving dish. The one pictured was MASSIVE, and was basically a triple batch - so much work, and at the last minute! Layered Mexican Trifle Salad I ngredients: Beans: drain, rinse and mix together 1 15 oz. can pinto beans and 1 15 oz. can black beans 1 15 oz. can whole kernel corn, drained (I've also used fresh) 1 large tomato, diced (I usually use several Roma tomatoes) 2 green bell peppers, diced 3 ripe avocadoes, diced and mashed with the juice of 1 lime and salt and pepper to taste 1 large onion, diced (red or white) 2 cups cooked chicken, diced or shredded 2 cups cheddar or jack cheese, shredded

Skillet Chicken, Broccoli, Ziti & Asiago Cheese

We ALL really love this recipe. This is based on a recipe from the good people at Cooks Illustrated - I am grateful to them for getting my kids to happily eat sundried tomatoes and broccoli! I've also made this in a huge batch and served it family-style for a dinner party (and got to use my giant Pampered Chef Simple Additions square pasta bowl (it's really big), and it was AWESOME). If people could have licked the bowl clean, they might have - there was NOTHING left. Try this, and love it: Chicken, Broccoli, Penne and Asiago Cheese Skillet 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch squares 2 tbsp. vegetable oil (or olive oil - just don't heat that to smoking) 1 medium onion, minced (about 1 cup) 3 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tbsp.) 1/4 tsp. dried oregano 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes 8 oz. ziti or penne (2 /12 cups) 3 c. water 2 c. low-sodium chicken broth 3-4 c. broccoli florets 1/4 c. sun-dried tomatoes in oil, rinsed and choppe

Another Take on Comfort Food

Sometimes there's nothing you can do but cook. I've had the displeasure of seeing 2 young moms in our school community recieve cancer diagnoses in the last 18 months. If you're like me, when someone you know is hurting, you want to help, but lots of times, there's not much you can do. If you can cook, you can take away some of the stress of getting the family fed and bring a meal or two. In fact, even if you can't cook, you can pick up a meal at a restaurant or a bag of groceries, or even a gift card for a local restaurant. I think it comes naturally to some - the church and school communities I grew up in always loved with food - church potlucks, school spaghetti dinners, and of course lots of meals for people who needed them. But not everyone has done this before, so it might be overwhelming. As in my "feeding a crowd" blurb, there are a few things to keep in mind. Don't try to impress - don't try new recipes. Find out if you're

A Cooking Baker

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