Roasted Chicken and Cheddar Potatoes

Roasted chicken thighs and cheddar mashed potatoes with snap peas

This was an "in between" meal for me.

I purchased a 5 lb package of bone-in chicken thighs on sale for 87¢ per pound. Half of it I de-boned and made into green bean chicken stir-fry. The other half I roasted and shredded for chicken salad. Instead of shredding all of it, I grabbed two of the perfectly cooked thighs after they came out of the oven to enjoy for lunch and the end result was this plate of food.

While the chicken roasted, I made the cheddar potatoes. I steamed them in the microwave and mashed with cheese and unsalted butter. I didn't have any milk or cream to fluff them up so I couldn't call them actual "mashed potatoes" but they were tasty and a great compliment to the chicken.

This lunch took about 45 minutes, which was really just the time it took to roast and rest the chicken.

Like I said in the beginning, this is the "in between" meal, nothing fancy. I got creative with the other recipes I made using the thighs. I just couldn't resist eating a couple of them hot out of the oven, the aroma that filled my home was way to much to resist.

Eat well, cook often ...

ROASTED CHICKEN THIGHS
45 minutes; 1 to 4 servings
2 to 8 chicken thighs

Preheat oven to 400° Season thighs all over with salt and pepper. Place on a foil lined sheet pan fitted with an oven safe baking rack. Put chicken in center of oven and roast for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350° and roast 15 minutes more or until meat in thickest part of thigh reaches 160° on a meat thermometer. Let rest 5 to 10 minutes, then serve.

CHEDDAR MASHED POTATOES
Serves 2; 10 minutes
1 large or 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled, cut into chunks
1 cup cheddar cheese
4 Tbs unsalted butter

Place potatoes in a microwave steam bag. Season with salt and pepper. Add 1 tablespoon of water to the bag then seal. Place in microwave and cook on high for 8 minutes or until soft and cooked through. Time can vary depending on microwave. Remove from bag and place in bowl. Add butter and cheddar cheese, mash with a potato masher until cheese and butter are melted and all is combined, then serve.

Bacon Chipotle Mashed Potatoes

Printable version

Potatoes have to be one of the most versatile and loved things to eat on the planet (or at least in the Western Hemisphere). Fried, boiled, baked or even grilled (yes, they can be made great on the grill), whatever the preparation – they are delicious when made right. They're also one of just a few items that can be cooked in the microwave and you would never know it. On a plate they are usually a compliment to the main course but they can often steel the show. Kind of like Robin to Batman.

I still like to eat at McDonalds. Why? The Big Mac? Nope. Quarter Pounder? Nope. The fries are stupid good, best in of the fast food world as far as I’m concerned. I love them. And will likely eat at McD’s from time to time for as long as I live.

Now that I have gotten that out, it time to get down to business. Potato recipes are some of the most popular posts on this site. So every once in a while I like to get creative with the spuds and share it on the interweb.

For this recipe, I use bacon and chipotle pepper to add a smoky fire to some extra creamy mashed potatoes. And yes, I devoured the s**t out of these!

BEHIND THIS BITE

Bacon Chipotle Mashed Potatoes

I have documented well over 300 recipe in information graphic form since I began doing it 4 years ago. In that time, I have created a digital pantry of ingredients that I can re-use in recipes. I am trying to get my staple ingredients, like minced chipotle pepper, shot in every amount from teaspoon to quarter cup. That way when I use it in the future I don’t have to re-shoot it. I just get it from the digital pantry, much like I do when I’m actually cooking.

The prepped ingredients in this recipe are from the there. The bacon and potatoes needed to be shot because I didn't have those amounts photographed. All other shots were taken as I cooked and presented the recipe.

Here is the catch though.

The digital pantry made this a quick recipe to turn around, but ironically, I have been sitting on it for a couple of months! So much for quick turn around. Still, I’m glad to finally be sharing it.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Bacon Chipotle Mashed Potatoes

Serves 4 to 6; 40 minutes
2 1/2 lbs Potatoes, peeled, diced
1 Tbs salt
1/4 C Unsalted butter
1/2 Milk
1/2 C Sour cream
4 slices Bacon
cooked, crumbled
1/4 C Chipotle in adobo, minced

Cook potatoes
Put potatoes in a large pot. Fill with enough water to cover potatoes by at least 1 inch. Stir in salt. Place pot over high heat, bring to a boil and cook potatoes until tender. 12 to 15 minutes.

Drain, Mash, serve
Drain potatoes in a colander. Return to pot and add butter and milk. Mash potatoes until creamy and smooth with a potato masher. Stir in sour cream, bacon and chipotle until well combined, place in a bowl and serve.

Creamy Cheddar and Chive Mashed Potatoes

Printable version

If I’m eating roasted turkey with gravy, I love to have mashed potatoes on the plate. Creamy spuds are my second favorite Thanksgiving side dish behind green bean casserole and when I say creamy, I mean creamy! No lumps, lots of butter and nice wispy peaks.

Earlier this fall I made basic creamy mashed potatoes and I prepared this batch the exact same way, but this time I added cheddar cheese and chives to punch up the flavor.

I could eat this stuff by the fist full! And that is what I basically did when I served them. I used my finger to scoop a bite out of the bowl every time I passed by and no one was looking. Mashed potatoes to me are like frosting on cake and it’s nearly impossible for me to walk passed without snatching up a sample. Adding further to the temptation was the flavorful cheddar cheese and fresh chives.

BEHIND THIS BITE

Cheddar and Chive Mashed Potatoes

As I mention in the introduction, I documented a prime rib dinner back in September and creamy mashed potatoes were part of the spread. I made them as basic as possible because I knew that I could use many of the elements again whenever I wanted to make mashed potatoes for a new post. Most of the photography in this recipe information graphic was originally shot for the basic creamy mashed potatoes. Only the last stage featuring the chives and cheddar and the final shot at the bottom of the recipe are new. I made this exactly like the basic version until I made the additions of cheddar and chives.

I have been re-using photographs of prepped ingredients for a long time, but this is a relatively knew technique I’ve started to develop involving basic recipes. This allows me more time to be creative and less time doing production work. Look for another mashed potato recipe soon, because Christmas dinner wouldn’t be as special without a batch of creamy spuds.

Eat well cook, often ...

THE RECIPE

Cheddar and Chive Mashed Potatoes

 
Serves 12 to 15; 40 minutes
5 lbs Potatoes, peeled, diced
3 Tbs salt
1 stick Unsalted butter
1/4 to 3/4 C Milk
1 C Sour cream
2 C Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 C Chives sliced

Cook potatoes
Put potatoes in a large pot. Fill with enough water to cover potatoes by at least 1 inch. Stir in salt. Place pot over high heat, bring to a boil and cook potatoes until tender. 12 to 15 minutes.

Drain, mash, serve
Drain potatoes in a colander. Return to pot and add butter and a splash of milk. Mash potatoes until creamy and smooth with a potato masher. Add more milk if necessary to achieve desired creaminess. Stir in sour cream, cheddar cheese and chives, place in a bowl and serve

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Printable version

Mashed potatoes are a dish that is universally loved by all. Probably because they can be eaten by almost everyone. No teeth are required and therefore no chewing. Anyone from babies to the elderly have the ability to wolf them down.

They are relatively easy to make and come in instant form, which I do not recommend, but if the choice between instant potatoes and starving were to arise, I’ll take the instant spuds. They also compliment nearly every type of main course, but that is true about potatoes in general, regardless of preparation.

Personally, I love to mix vegetables with mashed potatoes, particularly – sweet corn. As a child I would skip the gravy all together when Mom paired them with corn and just spoon a heap right onto a mound of mashed potatoes then swirl them together. To this day, that is my favorite way to eat them.

I like my mashed potatoes wispy as apposed to chunky and butter is a must. I don’t mind them made with skins or with cheddar cheese sprinkled in — those are just preferences though. I’ll eat mashed potatoes anytime, hot or cold.

BEHIND THIS BITE

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

I made mashed potatoes for a Thanksgiving meal I documented almost 2 years ago and I figured it was time to do them again. I wanted these to be buttery and extra creamy — so buttery that they didn’t need any gravy. A full stick of butter and a cup of sour cream helped me accomplish the "no need for gravy" effect with these potatoes. They were rich and decadent.

This recipe is really how I prefer my mashed potatoes, like I said in the intro, wispy and creamy and these are just that. They could be made chunky with less mashing and milk and they would still turn out delicious. These potatoes were salted in the beginning and no other seasoning was needed. I could have thrown in black pepper but for the purposes of presentation I left the pepper out, which is rare for me but it didn’t matter – these were still delicious.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Serves 12 to 14; 40 minutes
5 lb Potatoes
peeled, diced
3 Tbs salt
1 stick Unsalted butter
1/4 to 3/4 C Milk
1 C Sour cream

Cook potatoes
Put potatoes in a large pot. Fill with enough water to cover potatoes by at least 1 inch. Stir in salt. Place pot over high heat, bring to a boil and cook potatoes until tender and heated through, 12 to 15 minutes.

Drain, mash, serve
Drain potatoes. Return to pot, add butter and a splash of milk. Mash potatoes until creamy and smooth with a potato masher. Add milk to desired creaminess. Stir in sour cream, place in a bowl and serve.

Cheddar Chipotle Potato Cakes

Printable version

For my last post I created Nacho Potato Skins, which left me with 3 cups of cooked potato that I could either throw away or put to good use. Rather than throw it out, this is what I made – Chipotle cheddar potato cakes! They were fun to make and tasty to eat. I got dirty and used my fingers to make the patties for this one. It was just like mixing together a meat loaf, I could’ve used a spoon but it’s easier and more thorough to use the fingers and just get messy.

The potato is really just a canvas used to hold and present the other flavors. I decided to use my holy trinity: cheddar-bacon-chipotle, or creamy-smoky-spicy. I love that flavor combo. I bet I ate 7 or 8 of these myself, enough for the spice of the chipotle to give me heartburn and for me, That’s a lot! On second thought the pickled jalapenos as garnish may have contributed to that also. Hard to tell, one thing’s for sure though – I ate a bunch of these.

BEHIND THIS BITE
It took me a batch in the skillet to get these right. At first I had too much oil in the pan and I wasn’t getting the crust, so I had to change course. That’s when I cleaned the skillet and used just enough oil so the cakes wouldn't stick, and I left them alone until they were sizzling. It took a little patience and a change of direction, but I got the crispy skin to compliment the creamy and cheesy center.

I ate them with sour cream and pickled jalapeno but these could have been put in a sandwich just as easy. Any number of ingredients and flavors could be used to make them and I highly recommend trying something like this when there is left over baked or mashed potato. Actually, I’d be willing to cook some potatoes to just make more cakes like these again.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Make 10 to 12 cakes; 30 minutes
3 C Potato, fully cooked or mashed
1 C Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 C Bread crumbs
1/2 C Bacon, crumbled
1 Egg
2 Tbs Chipotle pepper, minced
Pickled jalapenos and sour cream for garnish

Mix ingredients, form patties
In a large bowl mix together potatoes, cheese, bread crumbs, bacon, egg and chipotle pepper. Thoroughly combine. Roll about a 1/4 cup of the mixture into a ball and flatten into a patty. Repeat until mixture is gone. Should make 10 to 12 patties.

Cook and serve
In a large skillet with a little oil cook patties in batches until golden brown. 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove to a plate, garnish with sour cream and pickled jalapeño, then serve.

Thanksgiving: Turkey, Creamy Mashed Potatoes, and Green Beans with Caramelized Onions

Printable version

It’s commonly believed that the first Thanksgiving was celebrated in Plymouth colony by the pilgrims and Native Americans in 1621, but similar celebrations occurred before in Jamestown and the feasts were not held on an annual basis.

Thanksgiving wasn’t an official holiday until 1863, when Abraham Lincoln designated the last Thursday of November as a “national day of thanksgiving.” He made the declaration after key victories of the Union army in the Civil War at Vicksburg and Gettysburg. Since then every president has declared Thanksgiving a national holiday.

For this recipe, I have prepared turkey, the traditional centerpiece of the Thanksgiving meal. For flavor and moisture, I soak a turkey breast in a salt brine overnight. The brine will lock in moisture and infuse the meat with the flavorful spices included in the mix. The use of a meat thermometer is also essential, the turkey is cooked to perfection when the internal temperature of the thickest part reaches 165°.


Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Printable version

No Thanksgiving dinner can be complete without mashed potatoes. For this version, I went for creamy and smooth. What does that really mean? Lots of added fat! Heavy cream and butter make these potatoes rich and decadent. The chives add a hint of onion.

This is the way I expect mashed potatoes when I order them at a nice restaurant as a side to a cut of meat or some other star on the plate. Just a nice flavorful side of potatoes. Usually, I like to add cheese, bacon bits or a more fragrant herb like rosemary or thyme. But those flavors appear elsewhere in this Thanksgiving feast and that's what makes this version so good – it's just about the potato!



Green Beans with Caramelized Onions

I bought these beans fresh the night before cooking this feast and when I cleaned them the next day I decided to leave them long and intact, rather than cut them into thirds. This choice made the final product a different experience when it came to consuming. Instead of stabbing at a pile of beans with my fork and getting 4 or 5 bean chunks on it before taking a bite, I was just fishing for one at a time, much like the way I eat asparagus. It was a different and welcomed change. I also left the beans slightly crunchy. It made for a nicer texture and gave this side a savory salad feel.

The other two elements in this dish put this one out of the park. Smoky bacon and sweet caramelized onions. Need I say more? Well yes, I need to say just a little more – the sweet onions and smoky bacon act as a smoky and sweet dressing to the beans. The bacon provides the salt in the dish, a little pepper can be thrown in if desired. The crunchy, al denté-cooked beans are the star here and the other two ingredients come along for the show, providing small hints of extra flavor.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Eat well, cook often ...

A Roast For Dinner Part 2: The Potatoes

Printable version

The potato side dish for my roasted pork dinner contains not only cheddar cheese but a little fresh rosemary as well. I love the taste of pork with rosemary, but I left it off the pork and incorporated it into the side. I leave fresh herbs off meat when I am roasting it for a long time in the oven. They seem to crisp up and burn when bathed in heat for such a long period. If I had choose to use rosemary on the roast, I would have used the dried version and probably incorporated it into the brine.

I leave the skin on the potatoes for nutrients and looks. (I always do when using red potatoes) I add butter for creaminess, and mash it all together. It is simple and comes together in about 25 minutes. It's a great compliment to the tender pork loin.

RELATED POSTS
Part 1: Perfectly Roasted Pork Loin
Part 3: Sweet Corn and Red Pepper Relish