potatoes

Slow Cooker + Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage

You can cook it fast or cook it slow, but either way this corned beef and cabbage creates tender, fall-apart chunks of beef thanks to braising it in the crock pot or Instant Pot with beer and vegetables for an unbelievably easy and delicious one-pot dinner.

When asked whether corned beef is actually good for you, I say it may not be something to eat each and every day of the year, but I feel it’s totally fine when you eat it just like everything else you should—say it with me—in moderation!

But is corned beef actually Irish or not? Sure it’s traditionally served in the U.S. each and every St. Patrick’s Day and while you won’t likely find it served at the local pub in Ireland, it IS Irish-American.

I make corned beef and cabbage every single year around St. Patrick’s Day. Because like many of you, it’s a tradition that just can’t be ignored. It’s a ritual. And I’m good with that.

In fact I will cook a whole corned beef just so I can make my favorite Reuben sandwiches loaded with sauerkraut, that delicious sauce and melted cheese piled high on grilled rye bread, because seriously…who can say no to a killer reuben??

continue to the recipe… about Slow Cooker + Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage

Easy Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes

When your main dish recipe needs a decadent side dish side kick, there’s nothing like a creamy, thyme-infused cheesy au gratin potatoes recipe to do the job, and to do it easily too.

Au Gratin Potatoes Recipe

There are few side dishes that are more comforting than those made with potatoes. Creamy mashed potatoes. Buttery parsley potatoes. The best potato salad ever. Smashed, twice baked, and roasted potatoes, and so many more.

But au gratin potatoes hold a special place in my food loving heart. They’re creamy, cheesy, and no matter how you slice, spoon, or stack them, they fit in just right alongside both special occasion main dishes or simple weekend burgers.

Creamy on the inside with crisped bites along the edges, these au gratin potatoes don’t call for a floured roux or canned soup, instead letting the potatoes, cream and broth combine to do their creamy thing they do so well.

And here’s the final fact of this potato act…whether you make au gratin potatoes for a crowd of one or a crowd of many, they’re going to be a crowd pleaser every which way.continue to the recipe… about Easy Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes

Creamy Mashed Potatoes Recipe — How to Make the Best!

Knowing how to make mashed potatoes is a basic recipe every home cook needs in their kitchen skill set, and this easy recipe shows how to make the best creamy, buttery, mashed potatoes every time.

The Best Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Does the internet really need another mashed potatoes recipe? To some, the answer could be a “no”, but then the naysayers haven’t tried my easy recipe for the best mashed potatoes that works every single time.

Sure, flavored mashers like garlic mashed potatoes are tasty, and crock pot mashed potatoes might be convenient, but the best mashed potatoes to pair with any recipe are the kind mom used to make. Potatoes that are fluffy and creamy at the same time, and that don’t skimp on the butter.

There are a only a couple of easy tricks you need to master to get a great mashed potato to complete any meal. After years of mashed potato making, I’ve figured them out, and that’s why I’m adding my mashed potato recipe to the internet today.continue to the recipe… about Creamy Mashed Potatoes Recipe — How to Make the Best!

The Best Crispy Oven Roasted Potatoes

Crispy oven roast potatoes are an easy, healthy side dish for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner, because no matter what time of year, they fit every meal.

The Best Crispy Oven Roast Potatoes

Forget feeling all the feels, lately I’ve been feeling all the sides.

Maybe it’s because when I make up my weekly not-a-plan-flexible-meal-plan (subscribe to my newsletter and I’ll send it to you each Saturday for FREE) I realize there are so many easy side dishes I make that I haven’t yet shared here on the blog.

Or maybe it’s because if I had my druthers, my plate would be composed of a taste of this and a bite of that. Variety is my friend.

These crispy oven roasted potatoes will also add variety to your plate, with a variety of herbs, and served at a variety of times, these taters are at the top of my easy side dish list. And now, they are about to shoot to the top of yours. continue to the recipe… about The Best Crispy Oven Roasted Potatoes

Rosemary Garlic Butter Smashed Potatoes

This hybrid of roasted and mashed potatoes is literally a mash up of cooking techniques t0 create a creamy potato on the inside with the crispy edges everyone craves on the outside, and it’s all made extra good thanks to garlic, butter and rosemary flavored smashed potatoes.

Easy side dishes should be a dime a dozen but I keep hearing from you guys that this is one of the most challenging parts of putting the finishing touch on your dinner time meal.

The beauty of a simple side dish like potatoes is they go with pretty much any main dish. Personally, I could eat them as the main dish all on their own.

So why mash when you can smash?

Because smashed baby red potatoes that are crisped with garlicky butter and rosemary like these smashed red potato babies here are the sure cure for your dinner-finishing cravings.

continue to the recipe… about Rosemary Garlic Butter Smashed Potatoes

Puff Pastry Chicken Pot Pie with Asparagus and Mushrooms

This chicken Pot Pie—one of my favorite comfort food recipes—is a lightened-up version thanks to a puff pastry crust, loads of fresh veggies, and a creamy yet lower-fat and lower-calorie sauce that brings all the flavors together.

This recipe is brought to you by Almond Breeze

Chicken pot pie, with its homemade buttery crust and thick creamy sauce, rings in the comfort food season each and every Fall and then continues well into the cozy vibes of winter. Who’s with me in calling this pure comfort in a bowl?

But when winter gives way to spring and we start easing into our summery daze, those cravings for traditional chicken pot pie get a literal gut-check when faced with the fact it’s time to transition from hiding underneath winter’s cocooning cardigan sweaters to strutting our stuff in summer shorts and sassy swimsuits.

But that’s what I love about this lighter chicken pot pie recipe: It cures my still-holding-strong comfort food cravings (because do they ever really disappear?) with a healthier adaptation of ingredients, making it a favorite home-cooked dinner no matter what season it shows off in.

continue to the recipe… about Puff Pastry Chicken Pot Pie with Asparagus and Mushrooms

How to Make the Best Minestrone Soup

My Grandma’s easy minestrone soup recipe is one of the healthiest vegetable-loaded soups you’ll make, and it tastes far better than any of those Olive Garden copycat recipes thanks to the secret ingredient in the savory broth.

“It is well worth the time and effort.”

But then, isn’t most anything when it’s done with love?

My sweet Grandma Frieda passed away when I was a senior in college and while there are many things that remind me of her, as a recipe maker it’s the cookbooks I inherited from her that I see most often.

One of my favorite things about her copies of The Joy of Cooking (pub. 1953) and Epicure’s Delight (pub. 1944) are the pages and margins filled with recipes written in her elegant handwriting that as a German-immigrant shows off the hard work it took to become a part of her new country. Like the quote says above, it is well worth the time and effort.

Nestled within those cookbook pages are recipe cards for recipes from friends like Edith’s Coffee Cake and Loretta’s Zucchini Soufflé which have both moved to my must-make list.

But the recipe that shows up time and time again is this Minestrone recipe from San Francisco’s Petrini Gourmet Grocery Stores, likely cut from the San Mateo Times’ newspaper recipe section to promote more soup bone sales for the homemade beef broth.

And because it’s #soupweek (did you see the Instant Pot Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup?) we’re keeping the slurps going by presenting The Gourmet by Petrini’s Minestrone Soup where either the newspaper editors or Petrini himself lured readers with the headnote mentioned above and can describe any meal when it’s made with love: It is well worth the time and effort, and even more so because this recipe is actually really easy to make.

How to Make a Traditional Minestrone

Whether you say minestrone soup like the Italians aka “min eh stron ee” or “min eh stron eh”, this soup is the perfect gateway to woo non-veggie lovers into getting a head start on their five a day. It’s brothy and flavorful with potatoes, pasta, and cheese that makes the veggies more than palatable. Use a small macaroni or pasta that matches the diced size of your veggies for equal tastes in every bite.

Because this soup has the simplest of ingredients and can be made with ease, the key is starting with the best quality you can find or afford.

Let’s start with the the broth.

Grandma’s newspaper recipe calls for a super simple stock of bones and water slow-simmered for flavor. But I like a richer, heartier stock so my homemade beef stock fit the bill here. Or if you prefer, use chicken broth (this is my favorite homemade) or a veggie stock instead. If you don’t have the time or inclination to make your stock from scratch, always choose a grocery store version that’s high quality with ingredients you can actually read.

To the stock you’ll be adding diced tomatoes, adding more richness and a bit of acid to balance the flavors.

The other source for this soup’s distinctive minestrone flavor comes from the spunk of Parmesan cheese and while grandma’s recipe doesn’t call for it, I have a secret that learned of long ago: to cook the broth with a few leftover rinds of Parmesan cheese. This step really imparts that cheesy flavor and takes your broth from a tepid vegetable flavor to minestrone all the way.

What Vegetables Go In Minestrone Soup?

One of the best things about Minestrone Soup is it can truly be a clean-out-the-fridge recipe you can fiddle with based on what you have on hand or what’s in season. Traditionally, the are the vegetables that most often show up:

Tomatoes
Onion
Carrots
Celery
Potatoes
Beans (kidney and Great Northern beans are my favorites)
Peas
Zucchini
Cabbage (shred it thin)
Spinach
Kale
Leeks (use the white parts only)
Green beans (canned works wonders)

While most people think of minestrone as a vegetarian soup, Petrini’s recipe begins with salt pork. Yep, this recipe is from days gone by. I used bacon instead. To make this minestrone soup vegetarian, skip the bacon and use a rich vegetable stock in lieu of the beef stock instead.

More Recipe Ideas to Make With this Soup and Make a Meal

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Bookmark this recipe and leave a comment below, or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.

4.59 from 12 votes

My Grandma's Minestrone Soup

Because this soup gets a salty bite from the bacon and a generous helping of Parmesan cheese (plus Parmesan cheese rinds cooked with the broth) go light on the salt at the beginning of the cooking time and adjust the seasoning by adding more if needed just before serving.

Ingredients

4-5 slices bacon roughly sliced into bite size pieces
1 small onion chopped
1 cup chopped carrots
2/3 cup chopped leeks white part only
2/3 cup chopped celery
3 quarts beef stock 12 cups
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2-3 chunks of Parmesan cheese rind
1 1/2 cups potatoes
1 cup small macaroni
1 15- ounce can diced tomatoes
1 15- ounce can red kidney beans rinsed and drained
2/3 cup frozen peas thawed
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Add the bacon to a large dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat and cook until browned but not crispy. Add the onion, carrots, leeks and celery then reduce the heat to medium and cook until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the beef stock, kosher salt, pepper, and cheese rinds. Bring to a boil then reduce to a gently rolling simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, partially covered with a lid. Add the potatoes, macaroni, and tomatoes, then partially cover with the lid, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes more. Add the kidney beans and peas, and simmer until warmed through. Taste for seasoning and adjust to your taste. Just before serving, add the grated Parmesan cheese and serve sprinkled with more Parmesan if you’d like.

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Heavenly Funeral Potatoes Recipe

Funeral potatoes are an easy-to-make and even easier-to-love comfort food casserole that is totally heaven sent.

This recipe is brought to you by Cache Valley Cheese

If you grew up in Utah, there’s a 99.9% chance you’ve had (and loved) funeral potatoes. If you haven’t lived in Utah, you’re likely scratching your head wondering what in the world am I talking about?!? Unless you’re from the South, then you may be in the know, too.

This potato casserole’s roots run deep in the LDS faith and are a long-lived staple at family gatherings of every sort, including potlucks, family dinners, and any Sunday night dinner. My Grandma used to serve them at Christmas with her Roasted Turkey Breast with Oregano and Lemon with warm potato rolls, and believe me, rarely were there any potato casserole leftovers to be found.

So where did funeral potato casserole get it’s name? It’s from years and years of being served following Mormon funeral services, typically prepared by the ladies of the ward (aka the Mormon congregation) for a luncheon gathering for families and friends and pretty much anyone who crossed the threshold. I’m not Mormon, but I’ve been to several Mormon funerals, and I can bear witness that you’ve never seen so many pans of potato casserole than at a Mormon funeral. Proof that food does indeed heal.

But there’s another reason they’re called funeral potatoes, and that’s because they’re absolutely heavenly.

continue to the recipe… about Heavenly Funeral Potatoes Recipe

Cast-Iron Skillet Whole Roasted Chicken With Potatoes

Nothing says simple comfort food like a whole-roasted chicken, and when tossed into an already-hot, cast iron skillet with sliced potatoes and onions, you have an incredibly easy one-pot-meal that’s ready in just one hour for dinner any night of the week.

If you’ve ever watched an episode of Barefoot Contessa, you know that Ina’s husband Jeffrey’s favorite meal is a whole roasted chicken. Every Friday night. She even wrote a cookbook about it. So while it may have become a bit of a schtick, I’d have to say those two are onto something.

I like to make a roast chicken on Sunday as part of my meal prep to have on hand for lunches and throw together dinners through the rest of the week.

And every time I roast that whole chicken I wonder why I don’t hear more about others preparing the whole humble bird. Because we all know, people love their chicken. Chicken breasts? Absolutely! Drumsticks? They’re the most transportable bite. Wings are always a party favorite, and even chicken thighs are having their day.

So when I picked up the latest issue of Bon Appétit’s Sunday Suppers issue and discovered a new variation on whole-bird roasting, I was in. And now, you are too. continue to the recipe… about Cast-Iron Skillet Whole Roasted Chicken With Potatoes

Buttermilk Blue Cheese Mashed Potatoes

Butter and the tang of buttermilk with blue cheese give these 5 ingredient mashed potatoes a rich flavor that pairs perfectly with chicken, beef or pork.

It’s okay to admit it. We all know it’s true. The best part of dinner, especially when it’s a holiday dinner, is the side dishes. And when the side dishes are rocked with flavor, the main dish can just scooch on over to the sidelines. Unless you’re slathering a turkey with hot and spicy sauce (like I did), because then we’ve got a match!

When you’re operating in the multiple side dish zone (which seems to be the theme of nearly each and every Thanksgiving table) it’s a good idea to keep those recipes simple. Complicated, overwrought 182 ingredient recipes just aren’t what the frazzled home-cooking-hostess needs when guests will be sampling a bite of this and a dig into that and complicates the beauty in simplicity that our palates crave when loading our buffet plate into a mound of food that would serve a family of four.

Simple you say? Let’s go with it. But don’t make it boring. Let’s add 2 different ingredients to the basic mashers to make them smashers. Yes, I did say that.

What Do You Put In Mashed Potatoes

These decadent 5-ingredient mashed potatoes start off with your basic russet or Yukon Gold potato that has a dryer, lighter texture when mashed. Save the waxy white or red potatoes when your tater needs to hold up to the blanketing of mayo (or yikes! Miracle Whip) and mustard link in my favorite potato salad,

My mashed potato 5-ingredient mashed list is:

Yukon gold potatoes for the creamiest blend, cut into quarters for quicker cooking
Buttermilk, to give the potatoes a bright tang (you could use cream, half and half, or milk instead)
Real butter. Always real butter.
Freshly crumbled blue cheese. Please, please, please, crumble your own fresh blue cheese rather than buying the pre-packaged crumbles. There’s a difference you most certainly will taste.
Chives or really thin sliced green onion, just for a bit of garnish

When boiling the potatoes, always salt the water so the potatoes are flavored as they cook. My husband always reminds me to add the salt after the water has come to a boil so the salt doesn’t pit the bottoms of the pans. And, I always quarter my potatoes before cooking so they cook faster, usually in about 10-15 minutes or until fork-tender.

How to Get Smooth and Creamy Mashed Potatoes

After making this recipe, I learned a few new potato tricks from Aimee’s post on Secrets to the Best Mashed Potatoes. I’ll definitely be incorporating secret #1 into my next batch. You definitely need her tips in your mashed potato arsenal.

Most home cooks use a hand blender to cream their potatoes, but if you blend for too long, your potatoes will turn to glue. Instead, do like the pros do for restaurant-style super smooth and creamy mashed potatoes without any lumps, use one of these kitchen gadgets instead:

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Bookmark this recipe and leave a comment below, or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.

3.89 from 9 votes

Blue Cheese Mashed Potatoes

Butter and the tang of buttermilk with blue cheese give these mashed potatoes a rich flavor that pairs perfectly with chicken, beef or pork.

Servings 8 -10 servings

Ingredients

2 1/12 pounds russet potatoes
1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for seasoning
2/3 cup buttermilk
6 tablespoons butter
4 ounces blue cheese crumbled, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup chives plus more for garnish
Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Peel potatoes and rinse under cold water. Cut each potato into quarters and place in 4-quart saucepan. Cover with cold water and bring to boil. Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt; then reduce heat to low boil. Cook until potatoes are tender and easily pierced with fork, about 12 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat buttermilk and butter together in small saucepan over medium heat until butter has melted and mixture is hot but not boiling.
Drain potatoes, return to pot and warm over low heat 1-2 minutes for the moisture to evaporate. Use ricer, potato masher or food mill to mash potatoes. Stir in buttermilk and milk mixture 1/3 cup at time until potatoes are consistency you prefer. Stir in crumbled blue cheese and chives and season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Garnish with additional blue cheese and chives.

More Recipes to Serve Alongside Mashed Potatoes

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The Best Buttery Parsley Potatoes

Boiled baby red potatoes get an infusion of butter and parsley to make this super easy, 3-ingredient side dish one of my all-time favorite side dish recipes for any meal.

This is one of those recipes that comes so naturally, without much thought, that I didn’t really think about sharing it.

Until someone asked for it.

I bet we had these potatoes at least once a week when I was growing up. They’re the ultimate pairing for any and all comfort food because they’re so insanely simple to add along to any main. And so intensely delicious.

Baby red potatoes are the simple cook’s dream side dish. They’re creamy in texture. They cook quickly. You don’t have to skin them. And they’re easy to prepare no matter what your method. Roasting. Grilling. Smashing. And like here, with your basic quick boil in water.continue to the recipe… about The Best Buttery Parsley Potatoes

Bacon Broccoli and Potato Frittata

Invented to be the perfect vehicle for any sort of leftover lounging in the fridge or flavor combination you can’t get out of your head, the essence of this frittata’s baked egg goodness is delivered in each and every bacon, broccoli, and potato-filled bite.

This post is brought to you by Kroger

Frittatas are a meal that leads a double life, possessing the wow factor of the uppity and far more finicky egg soufflé with the utilitarian goodness of a hardy egg omelette. They’re comfortingly adaptable. You can add meats, cheeses, and veggies of any sort. You can serve them hot, or serve them cold. You can eat them on fine china or from a napkin in your hand, in the car, on the way to work.

It’s true. Frittatas may just be the ultimate all-in-one food.

Even better, once you have the method and the proportions down, you can customize these custardy skillet bakes to your food craving’s content, making for a delicious breakfast, brunch, lunch, and even dinner that serves a crowd with minimal fuss.

Minimal fuss. Now, THAT is what I call the ultimate crowd pleaser.
continue to the recipe… about Bacon Broccoli and Potato Frittata

Butternut Squash Beef Stew (Instant Pot, Pressure Cooker or Slow Cooker)

Tender chuck roast pairs with classic stew veggies and butternut squash in this healthy fall stew made easy in the Instant Pot, pressure cooker or slow cooker.

If there’s one addition to my kitchen that I can’t quit raving about, it’s my Instant Pot, the slow cooker/pressure cooker/steamer and more 7-in-one cooker I’ve become a die hard fan of. I think it’s probably been my favorite topic of conversation since the first snowflake fell this winer and it was tops on my list for holiday gift giving.

So what is it that I love about the Instant Pot? It saves me valuable time in the kitchen, helped minimize my collection of duplicate appliances, and has made meal planning a habit I’m actually becoming a fan of.

If you haven’t become an Insta Pot loyalist yet, join the bunch of us that are. Isn’t it time to save yourself some time in the kitchen, too?continue to the recipe… about Butternut Squash Beef Stew (Instant Pot, Pressure Cooker or Slow Cooker)

Slow-Cooker Mediterranean Egg Casserole

This hearty, filling slow cooker egg casserole recipe with Mediterranean flavors, goat cheese, and prosciutto is simple to put together and can be assembled the night before so it’ll cook while you sleep!

This post is in partnership with KraftRecipes.com. As always, thank you for reading and supporting companies I partner with, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you. All opinions are always my own.

We can all breathe a collective sigh of relief because the finish line is close. The end of 2016 is drawing near and holiday reverie is slowly slipping from our candy cane-grubbed-grasp.

There’s just one downside to the holidays. Okay, make that two.

The first one is that the holidays eventually come to an end. I’m a Christmas girl so holiday time for me is honestly the most wonderful time of the year.

The second—and the one we need to watch out for the most—is the supreme pressure we put on ourselves to make the holiday perfect. We overcommit, over-extend and over-do. This year I say we cut ourselves a little slack and take an easier way out—especially when it comes to cooking. How? By taking a few shortcuts to create a homemade holiday from the heart.continue to the recipe… about Slow-Cooker Mediterranean Egg Casserole

The Best DIY Foil Packet Dinners

Cooking an entire dinner in a simple foil packet is every cook’s dream. Everyone can choose their own ingredients, you can cook in the oven or on the grill, and there’s minimal clean-up afterward.

This post is brought to you by Reynolds Wrap.

If I had a genie in a bottle, these would be my 3 wishes.

1: I wish I could just win the lottery/win the cumulative jackpot at Wheel of Fortune in Las Vegas/discover a pirate’s treasure trove of precious gems, jewels and coins/ so that I never had to work again. I would be the BEST philanthropist EVER.

2: I wish that I could eat whatever I wanted, all day every day or whenever the whim struck, and never gain weight.

3: I wish that I never had to do dishes again.

Sadly, #1 and #2 are highly unlikely to happen. But #3…now that is somewhere in my sights thanks to foil packet dinners.

The thing is, everyone thinks of foil dinners (or as we used to so un-polictically-correctly call them, hobo dinners) as the meal you prepare when you go camping. And for good reason. All you need is some aluminum foil, a sampling of ingredients and some heat.

But in my opinion, there’s no reason to wait to break out the camp fire because foil dinners are so incredibly easy to make at home and EVERYONE ends up loving them. People love the idea of harkening back to memories of camping and eating these out in the wild. It’s almost romantic that way.

And even more, they’re one of my favorite things to make for a DIY dinner party. Everyone gets to choose what they want, and prepare the packet dinners themselves. And even better for the hostess, clean-up is a breeze and that makes everyone happy.

continue to the recipe… about The Best DIY Foil Packet Dinners

Mustard Salmon Sheet-Pan Dinner

A tangy mustard sauce flavors this sheet-pan baked salmon recipe with caramelized asparagus and potatoes for a super simple dinner with minimal clean-up.

If this sheet-pan recipe gives you even 15 more minutes to spend with those you love, my job is done for the day.

It isn’t just about savoring the meal, it’s about savoring the moments.

A few of my local blogging friends are going through trials and tribulations that have reminded me to do just that. The unexpected death of one friend’s beloved mother. The diagnosis of leukemia for the sweetest little pre-schooler of another blogging friend, and the unknown prognosis of yet blog friend after a hair-raising and lengthy hospital stay where questions still remain.

Hug your kids. Kiss your husband, your wife or partner. Call your mom. Snuggle with your pet, because they are your children. Time is precious and you shouldn’t waste a minute of it.

This sheet-pan salmon recipe will have you in and out of the kitchen so you can get to what’s really, truly important. The ones you love.

I can guarantee, you’re going to love this recipe as much as they do because it’s incredibly easy, fast and makes weekly meal planning a breeze with some tasty leftovers to spread through the week.

continue to the recipe… about Mustard Salmon Sheet-Pan Dinner

Market Street Clam Chowder Recipe

This recipe is a favorite I published in the early days of FoodieCrush. This past weekend I ran into a friend at the grocery store who said she’d been searching for the famous clam chowder recipe from Salt Lake City’s Market Street Grill, which reminded me to re-share the recipe with some updated photos for you. So, without further adieu, here is a re-post of the best clam chowder recipe, in my opinion, EVER.

“Hey, Chowda-head!”

It was a greeting that one of my fellow waiters at my post-college/pre-real-life-seafood-restaurant-job has been teased about for lo’ these many years. And he has NEVER been happy about hearing it again, and again, and again.

See, that job at Salt Lake City’s Market Street Grill was all about presentation and customer service. That meant every dish, every cup and even every spoon was served by the waiter from a tray.

So when you had a 6-top—that’s waiter-speak for a table of six—who all ordered the house specialty, famous clam chowder, we would load up a HUGE tray, hoist it high over our heads with the straightest arm we could possible muster, and charge forth through the sea of waiting to be seated customers to serve our eagerly awaiting diners bowls of creamy, white chowder in heavy china bowls with plated liners.

One especially busy night—it must have been a big rush before a Utah Jazz basketball game—my friend had a big table and of course they all ordered chowder. He loaded up the tray, even stacking the bowls two high!

It was a feat to behold for mere waiter mortals.continue to the recipe… about Market Street Clam Chowder Recipe

Loaded Twice Baked Red Potatoes

These mini twice-baked potatoes are super creamy and loaded with all the fixins’, for a crowd-pleasing appetizer or side to any meal.

Why is it that mini-me versions of favorite standards seem like so much more fun?

Baby versions of standard stuff are what get me every time.

Puppies and tiny dogs edge out the big guys in the oohs and awww how cute department every time. Mini bottles of condiments get opened whether needed or not. Baby carrots are so much easier to grab and snack. And sliders! Who can have just one?

Don’t even get me started on baby elephants. Cutest. Things. Ever.

So when I thought about making little red potatoes locked and loaded to the rim like their full size cousins, that was my, “well of course you should” moment.

continue to the recipe… about Loaded Twice Baked Red Potatoes

Dilled Red Potatoes and Peas

There are only three steps in this easy recipe for boiled red potatoes and English peas with butter and fresh dill, making this a lovely side for a spring lunch or dinner.

Signs of spring are popping up everywhere.

We cleaned out the last of fall’s remnants of fallen leaves so that now the crocus are sprouting through, piles-of-dead-leaves-free, with their yellow and purple happy faces.

This weekend I bought a mess of Girl Scout cookies. How many samoas and thin mints can be eaten in one sitting with three people? 2 boxes is the answer.

And our new rescue pup Zoee is shedding like there’s no tomorrow. Pair the vacuuming of dog hair with the sneezes of hay fever and we have quite the symphony going on at our house.

Ahhh, spring.

But most of all, spring gets me craving simple, flavorful eats. With the emphasis on SIMPLE.continue to the recipe… about Dilled Red Potatoes and Peas

Fish Chowder With Copper River Salmon

This thick and creamy, perfectly chunky, and easy to make chowder made with the best Copper River salmon gets a Thai makeover with flavors of coconut milk, fresh lemongrass, ginger, and kaffir lime, for a unique spin on a comfort food favorite.

This fish chowder, if it could talk, would have a long story to tell about a very short trip I was on that ended in minutes with a very quick fall.

This soup and I met on a rainy Alaskan night. There were no walks on the beach but we did get caught on the rain. The piña coladas were on an entirely different continent and man oh man, how I wished I had champagne to kill the pain. But this soup from Cordova, Alaska’s local Fishwives, and it’s subtle Thai-inspired flavors saved me instead.

continue to the recipe… about Fish Chowder With Copper River Salmon

Curry Turkey Pot Pie With Homemade Butter Pie Crust

Put your Thanksgiving turkey leftovers to good use with this pot pie! The addition of curry powder lends aromatic flavor in this fun twist on the classic chicken pot pie, which also features the most tender and flaky all butter crust.

Pie, pie, pie. It’s all anyone is talking about this time of year. Today I’m talking pie, too. But not just any pie. I’m diverting from the sweet side and heading South to savory to share my FAVORITE recipe: My mother-in-law’s Curry Turkey Pot Pie. And to make it even more special, it’s topped—and bottomed—with a heaven is waiting for this butter crust.

I may start making pies every day of the week because for this wanna be baker, this recipe proved that once you get the basics down, baking pies is really that easy.

The turkey, veggies and creamy filling of the pot pie are the heart of the dish, but the crust is where it finds its soul. And I like me a buttery, flakey soul.

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Baked Balsamic Vegetables and Roasted Garlic

Even if you don’t readily know the name, you’ve certainly taken notice of their brightly colored hues of their noticeably durable, obviously quality cookware.

And if you’re like me, you’ve coveted the day you could add a piece to your growing kitchen collection. What cook doesn’t covet owning a quality, enameled baking vessel that performs each and every duty it’s assigned at the stove or oven and is equally presentable at the table.

If only Le Creuset® also created boyfriends worthy to take home to the parents for presentation, we’d really be in business.

While they may not be in the match making business, Le Creuset® definitely knows cookery. And now, they’ve added yet another baking beauty to their storied line of distinctly cool kitchen cooking accessories and I’m giving you the chance to win not just one, but TWO Cocottes, for yourself.

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Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

It’s hard to face reality after a week of vacation.

To remember what it’s like to plot and plan the coming week’s menu of cooking. Instead of perusing a restaurant menu for your vacation’s 3 square meals after hiking about or lounging at the pool.

And let’s not even talk about how 5 o’clock somewhere comes along a lot slower or sometimes not at all.

Sigh, let’s not even get started. Vacation, where did you go?

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Crushing on Scarletta Bakes and Breakfast Tostadas Plus a Giveaway

If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. We have a feeling that might the motto of this auburn-curled and witty dame behind the blog Scarletta Bakes. And the creator of these simple but amazingly tasty Breakfast Tostadas with Cumin-Roasted Fingerling Potatoes. Because she has flavor like that.

Her name is actually not Scarletta. The spunky, self-taught cook, blogger, photographer, and cookbook author‘s real name is Meagan Micozzi. Her husband affectionately penned the nickname “Scarletta,” for her tendency for her cheeks to turn a bit scarlet when she’s all fired up. Sounds like a girl after our own hearts.

Getting in the kitchen and baking seemed to be best way for this spitfire to simmer down, thus, Scarletta Bakes was born in 2011. Naturally, the Arizona resident’s favorite ingredient is chiles, and she’s often armed with the usual suspects…ancho, habanero, chipotle, and jalapeño. This girl is not afraid to pack a punch!

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Gluten-Free Quinoa and Cauliflower Chowder

Do you have your megaphone ready? I’m digging my husband’s out of the garage.

Yep, he has a megaphone because he’s in a band, you know, for “special effects” and stuff. He also has these weirdo 1960’s goggles and a suit covered in Christmas lights—because he’s in a band.

But that’s another story for another day.

Today’s story is that we’re all banding together and shouting at the top of our lungs—or into said megaphone if you have one handy—we’re shouting, “GOODBYE FROZEN TUNDRA, and good riddance.” Why? Because (happy dance) this week marks the official first day of spring. Yes!

But that certainly doesn’t signal the end of eating savory soups and stews. Heck, this is just the beginning.

And since we’ll probably do the winter/spring dance tease of warm one day, cold the next and I’m sure I’ll have to cover my tomatoes for at least two more snow storms, this gluten-free chowder is just one way to walk the tightrope of comfort food cravings and spring clean eats desires.

Last week I may have said I wasn’t a devout whole foodie. And now, here I am, posting whole foods. To me, that is exactly how a foodie should be. Balanced. Eating what feels right. What cures the craving.

Lightened up, but still savory, this chowder is a great #MeatlessMonday meal. Because that’s what I’m craving now.

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Stetson Chunky Potato Salad

If I had my druthers—which I often do—I’d skip the traditional main protein (chicken or meat) and instead go for a selection of side dishes. I’d much rather have a taste of this and a bite of that, a smattering of tastes to satisfy my undecided thanks to so many options cravings.

When I shared my Roasted Potato Salad with Bacon Dressing recipe I mentioned I’d be sharing a few new recipes with you this summer. Potato salad is one of my all time favorites, and lucky for me, there are plenty of options out there. Mayonnaise based, olive oil based, some with pickles, some with herbs and more, more, more. I may never run out of recipes and flavor combinations to try.

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Roasted Potato Salad with Bacon Dressing

Who is ready for summer? Who is ready for summer fun? And summer trips? And who wants to go on trip with me and a few other bloggers to see where the food on our tables actually comes from? I’ll fill you in on that opportunity right after this potato salad fills you up. Memorial Day conjures up a serious craving for barbeques and deck time. Which translates to grilling and potato salad for most any red-blooded American. And even a few border straddling Canadians. It’s the start of summer so let’s ring it in right.

This recipe is an adaptation of one my sister in law makes for nearly every BBQ feast at their house. While Chad is busy pulling his smoked salmon or ribs out of the smoker, Audrey has usually whipped up a simple, roasted potato salad that is supremely delish.

G Dawg and I were craving something similar last weekend when we had a few friends over for eats and sips. With a few errant strips of bacon languishing in the fridge, he got all inspired to create a riff on Audrey’s recipe, sans the mayo. Why no mayo? Probably because we’re a house divided on mayo/Miracle Whip preference and he didn’t want me giving my two cents on what tastes better. However I did lend my opinion on his recipe documentation skills as he scribbled his notations on a napkin. He’s a mad scientist in the kitchen with no time to dawdle around looking for paper.

Napkin notations or not, his potato creation was spot on: Create a hot bacon dressing to be soaked up by crispy, roasted, bacon spruced potatoes. Inspired it was, leftovers it was not. These babies went fast and hard and happily so.

To ring in barbeque and picnic season, I’m going to be featuring several of my favorite potato salads perfect for every occasion from canyon cookouts to luncheon main dishes. There’s so many options you’ll be potato-sized in no time.

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Friday Faves and a Pepperoni Italian Egg Skillet

It’s the last weekend before the final gorge, aka Thanksgiving.

But before you sweat it out over the pumpkin pie with distant cousin Miranda who doesn’t hesitant to tell you allllll about her kids amazing experience at the gifted children’s private school where they’re getting straight A’s or listen to Uncle Barry’s wife #4 who he met on his most recent trip to Baja, we must eat breakfast. Something that’s hearty enough to nourish us early in the a.m. and carry us past noon or until the big bird sings and more “interesting” relatives show up.continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves and a Pepperoni Italian Egg Skillet

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