Thanksgiving Sides: How Sweet Eat's Mom's Cheesy Potatoes

 

If you're a potato lover you can't go wrong here.

Cheesy potatoes topped with crisp salty potato chips! A comforting holiday or winter side dish that is family-friendly.

Mom's Cheesy Potatoes

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

by Jessica Merchant 

Serves 6-8

2 pounds frozen diced potatoes, like Ore Ida, thawed

8 tablespoons salted butter

16 ounces sour cream

1 (10.5 oz) can cream of chicken soup

salt and pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon dried parsley

8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated

2 cups crushed potato chips, I like to use kettle cooked chips

Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick spray. To thaw the potatoes, I just stick the bag in the fridge overnight. Be sure to drain any liquid from thawing.

Melt the butter in a large bowl - you can do this in the microwave or on the stovetop. Let it cool slightly.

Whisk the sour cream and the soup into the melted butter until combined. Add a big pinch of salt and pepper. You can also add a sprinkle of dried parsley if you wish.

Fold in the thawed potatoes. Fold and stir until the potatoes are completely incorporated and evenly distributed.

Spread the mixture in the baking dish. Top with the grated cheddar. At this point, you can stick the dish (covered) in the fridge until you're ready to bake, or you can bake right away.

If baking right away, sprinkle the top with the crushed potato chips.

Bake for 60 minutes. Let stand for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Scoop to serve!

This freezes great! Once you spread the mixture in the baking dish, seal it tightly with plastic wrap and foil, then freeze. To bake, let it thaw completely, then top with the cheddar and potato chips.

Leftovers of this are also delicious - maybe even better than when it's freshly made!

The Best Holiday Side Dishes @ IHCC!

Erin French's Pecorino Puffs

Life, at least for me, has been ALL ABOUT THE CHEESE lately! I have been craving cheese every.single.day!

And bread. Sometimes I just want cheese and bread.

So, when I saw these Pecorino Puffs in Erin French's Big Heart Little Stove cookbook I had to make them!

So quick. So easy. You simply bring the butter, milk, salt, pepper, and nutmeg o a boil, then add the flour and stir for about 30 seconds. Transfer mixture to a food processor, or just a mixing bowl, and stir in the eggs one at a time. Add the cheese and you're all set!

Easy peasy. I used a cookie scoop to measure them out and scooped the batter onto the parchment paper. The recipe was perfect and they baked up warm and cheesy in 12 minutes!

We loved them. They are light, airy, cheesy, fluffy and such a good snack with pepperoni and/or salami. I will be making them again! 

Pecorino Puffs

Adapted from Big Heart Little Stove

by Erin French

Makes 24

1 cup whole milk

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter

1 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper

a few grates of fresh nutmeg

1 cup all-purpose flour

4 large eggs

1/2 cup grated Pecorino cheese

Note: I cannot usually be bothered to bring out big kitchen appliances like blenders and food processors, so I skipped that part of the recipe. I simply put my batter into a bowl and stirred the eggs in one at a time, followed by the cheese and it was perfectly fine!

Preheat the oven to 400F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, butter, salt, a few grinds of pepper, and the nutmeg and bring to a slow boil over medium heat. Give the pan a stir and continue stirring as you add the flour. Stir vigorously for about 20 seconds, until the dough comes together. Increase the heat to high and stir just long enough to cook off the raw flour, about another 10 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat.

Transfer the dough to the bowl of a food processor. With the processor running, add the eggs one at a time, waiting until each egg is ewll incorporated before adding the next. Add the cheese and pulse until combined.

Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a plain round tip. Pipe dollops of the batter about 1 inch tall and 1 inch wide onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.

Bake until puffed and golden about 12 minutes. Serve immediately. 

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How Sweet Eat's Cheeseburger Soup

 It is officially soup season when the nights get cold and dark and we turn the clocks back!

I made Cheeseburger Soup for the first time years ago and I remember it being a big hit! When I saw How Sweet Eat's share her family's favorite version, I knew I had to give it a try.

You start with browned ground beef, then add all the classic soup veggies like onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. You cook the cubed potatoes in broth with the veggies and meat, until tender and then you add in the roux, milk, and cheese.

In the soup world, I feel like there are two kinds of people: those who like thick soups and those who like brothy soups. This version is differently on the brothy side. We are not brothy soup lovers, but we did enjoy this with some pretzel garlic bread. It was cheesy and comforting and we loved dipping the bread in the soup.

Cheeseburger Soup

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

by Jessica Merchant

Serves 4-6

1 pound ground beef

salt and pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 sweet onion, diced

1 cup freshly grated carrots

1 cup diced celery

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 pound petite gold potatoes, quartered

4 to 5 cups chicken stock*

2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

16 ounces freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

freshly chopped parsley or chives, for serving

*Note: If you are a brothy soup person, go ahead and use the 4 cups of chicken broth in this recipe. If you're into thicker soups, maybe start with 3 cups of broth and add more if you feel like it needs it.

Season the ground beef all over with salt and pepper. Heat a large stock pot over medium heat and add beef. Brown the beef, using a meat chopped or wooden spoon to break it into small crumbles.

Once browned, remove the beef with a slotted spoon and transfer it to a plate.

Add the olive oil to the same skillet. Add in the onions, carrots, celery and garlic with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Add the oregano. Stir. Cook, stirring often, until the veggies soften, about 5 to 6 minutes.

Add in the potatoes and 4 cups of chicken stock. Return the beef to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Heat the butter in a separate skillet. Once melted, whisk in the flour to create a roux. Whisk and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the color is golden and the mixture is fragrant.

Use a spatula to scrape the roux right into the soup pot. Bring the mixture back to a boil. Boil for 1 to 2 minutes. Add in the milk and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cheese. Stir until it is all melted. At this point, you can add in the additional cup of chicken stock or not. Sometimes I like to add it before I pack the soup up for the fridge since it thickens more as it sits. Taste and season the soup with more salt and pepper if necessary. Stir in the sour cream. Once melted, serve! Top with fresh chives or parsley to serve. 

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Half Baked Harvest's Pesto Zuppa Toscana Meatballs {So Comforting}

 Who doesn't love a giant casserole full of cheesy flavorful meatballs? Why haven't I made these before?

I was checking my email at work when I saw the recipe for these meatballs and I immediately stopped what I was doing to write down the list of ingredients so I could make them asap!

I could hardly wait to tuck into these meatballs in a creamy and flavorful sauce of onions, garlic, fresh herbs, sun-dried tomato pesto, cream, and broth. The sauce is thick and creamy and the flavor is just on point.

 

Then you top the meatballs and sauce with mozzarella cheese and bake! It is the perfect dish  for those comfort food cravings you are having right now! Serve this with pasta or bread, either way it is delicious. I will be making this on repeat all winter long. So yummy!

 

Pesto Zuppa Toscana Meatballs

Adapted from Half Baked Harvest

by Tieghan Gerard

Serves 4-6

1 pound ground spicy Italian chicken sausage*

1/2 pound ground chicken, turkey or pork* 

1/2 cup panko

1/4 cup grated Parmesa

1 egg

3 teaspoons Italian seasoning, divided

1 yellow onion, sliced

2 tablespoons fresh thyme*

2 cups finely shredded kale

1/3 cup pesto*

3/4 cup heavy cream or whole milk

1 cup broth

2 tablespoons lemon juice*

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

*Note: I made a few changes to these meatballs, namely using all ground turkey (because it's what I had on hand. I also subbed fresh basil for fresh thyme, omitted the kale (I didn't have any), used sundried tomato pesto instead of basil pesto, and omitted the lemon juice. I also want to mention that you might need to cook the meatballs in batches, unless your pan is huge.

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Add the sausage, chicken, panko, parmesan, egg, and 1 teaspoons Italian seasoning to a bowl. Mix until just combined. Roll into meatballs and place each in a skillet. Add the onions to the skillet.

Set the skillet over medium heat, then cook the meatballs for 5 minutes, turning them 2-3 times, until crisp. Add the garlic, thyme, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, kale and pesto. Pour over the cream, broth, and lemon juice. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat. Add the mozzarella, then bake until the cheese is melted, 10 minutes.

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Giada's Grilled Lamb Chops

 My son had a lamb dish at a restaurant and kept talking about it over and over so I decided to try my hand at grilling lamb chops. 

I chose Giada's recipe for Grilled Lamp Chops because I had just harvest all my herbs and have been trying to use them up. This recipe was so simple. You make a paste with garlic, rosemary, thyme, cayenne, salt, and olive oil. Then you marinate the chops in that paste for an hour. After marinading the chops, you allow them to come to room temperature and then you grill them for just 2 or 3 minutes per side.

This couldn't be any easier. The paste really flavors up the chops and they are tender. juicy, and succulent! We really enjoyed these!

Grilled Lamp Chops

Adapted from Food Network

by Giada De Laurentiis

Serves 4

2 large garlic cloves, crushed

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

pinch cayenne pepper

coarse sea salt

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

6 lamp chops, about 3/4" thick

In a food processor, or mortar and pestle, add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, cayenne, and salt. Pulse until combined. Pour in the olive oil and pulse into a paste. Alternatively, grind with a mortar and pestle until you have a paste. Rub the paste on both sides of the lamb chops and let them marinate for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator. Remove from refrigerator and allow the chops to come to room temperature; it will take about 20 minutes.

Heat a grill pan over high heat until almost smoking, add the chops and sear for about 2 minutes. Flip the chops over and cook for another 3 minutes for medium-rare and 3-1/2 minutes for medium. 

Simple Is Best @ I Heart Cooking Clubs!
 

Erin French's Apple Cider and Prosecco Cocktail from The Lost Kitchen!

My daughter bought her first new car so it was time to celebrate with cocktails! And a fall cocktail is just what's in order. An Apple Cider and Prosecco Cocktail from The Lost Kitchen Cookbook.

In Erin's cookbook she calls for straight up apple cider mixed with rosemary simple syrup and Cognac. I happened to have her Apple Cider and Rosemary Sorbet from last week, so I used that in place of the liquid.

All I had to do was scoop some sorbet into a Champagne glass, top with 1/2 ounce Cognac, and then pour the Prosecco on and garnish with a rosemary spring!

Quick and easy, but also refreshing and crisp. We loved the earthiness of the rosemary with the fruitiness of the cider, and let's not forget...bubbles from the Prosecco. It makes for a lovely fall cocktail!

 

Cider-Prosecco Cocktail

Adapted from The Lost Kitchen 

by Erin French

Makes 1 cocktail

1/2 ounce apple cider, chilled

1/2 ounce Rosemary simple syrup*

1/2 ounce Cognac

Prosecco, chilled

Rosemary sprig, for garnish

*Note: You can use apple cider and rosemary simple syrup, but I'm using a scoop of the apple cider sorbet that I made last week which has both apple cider and rosemary simple syrup in it.

Pour the apple cider, rosemary simple syrup, and Cognac into a champagne glass (or place a scoop of apple cider sorbet into a champagne glass). Top with Prosecco (and Cognac if using apple cider sorbet) and garnish with a spring of rosemary.

 Nibbles & Sips @ I Heart Cooking Clubs!

 

 

Erin French's Apple Cider and Rosemary Sorbet From The Lost Kitchen!

Over the summer I made ten different ice creams, or frozen treats, and learned a lot! A few weeks ago I bought some apple cider and decided to pour it into my ice cream machine. The instant results were delicious, kind of like an apple cider slushy or granita. When I put away the leftovers, however, they froze solid in the freezer. I had a feeling that would happen.

That very week, I bought Erin French's The Lost Kitchen Cookbook and saw her recipe for Apple Cider and Rosemary Sorbet! Imagine my surprise when Erin added a rosemary infused simple syrup to the apple cider. Turns out the simple syrup is exactly what this needed to sweeten the dessert up and also keep the sorbet more scoopable in the freezer. Simple syrup for the win! And by the way, use ALL the simple syrup. It might seem like a lot, but Erin says when things freeze they usually require more sugar because our taste buds can't taste the sweetness as much.

Look, this is THE FALL DESSERT OF YOUR DREAMS! Seriously, it's so easy and refreshing and delicious - literally everyone should be making it! Make it with a basic simple syrup, infuse it with rosemary for some added earthiness, scoop it into a glass and pour some Prosecco over it. Whatever you do, just make it! Its amazing!

 Apple Cider & Rosemary Sorbet

Adapted from The Lost Kitchen

by Erin French

Makes about 1 pint

Rosemary Simple Syrup (recipe follows)

2 cups apple cider

Making The Rosemary Simple Syrup: Combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water, and 4 sprigs of rosemary in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Allow the mixture to boil just long enough for the sugar to dissolve, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool. Pour into a jar with a lid and refrigerate for up to a week  

Making The Sorbet: Combine the rosemary simple syrup and apple cider, then transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's directions (or as I like to say, until you get the desired consistency).

 

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