Do we have a results thread for the April project -- potato casserole?

[wryter2000]

I'm ready to report in.

:)

[Arkansas Granny]

1. I had asked the same question a few days ago in the original thread, but

I don't think I ever got a reply. I guess we could go ahead and start the report thread here.

I made a variation of Delmonico potatoes. Here's the original recipe I used. I've noted the changes I made below.

Ingredients:
2 cups diced cooked potatoes
2 cups white sauce, below
salt and pepper
shredded mild Cheddar or Swiss cheese
buttered bread crumbs

Preparation:
Combine potatoes, white sauce, salt, and pepper. Pour into a greased shallow baking dish. Sprinkle shredded cheese over potatoes the top with buttered bread crumbs. Cook at 425° for about 20 minutes, or until nicely browned. Recipe for Delmonico potatoes makes 4 servings.

White Sauce

4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
salt
white or black pepper

Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat; stir in flour. Cook for 3 minutes, but do not brown. Stir in milk and continue cooking over low heat, stirring constantly, until sauce begins to thicken. Season with salt and pepper. Add a tablespoon or two of heavy cream for a richer sauce.
Makes 2 cups of white sauce.

I sauteed some green onion in the butter before adding the flour when I made the sauce. I used just a very light sprinkle of cheddar cheese, maybe a handful. I also omitted the bread crumbs because I realized I didn't have any after I had started the dish. We served it with ham for Easter dinner and it was really good. You would expect it to taste like scalloped potatoes, but it's not the same. It has a lighter, fresher taste.

[wryter2000]

6. Yum!

I'll have to try that.

[Tesha]

2. Our 2 most prolific posters have gone AWOL...

They are ~for sure~ the roux that holds this saucy bunch together...

so to speak...

[wryter2000]

3. Well, I have a failure to report

I got out my potato cookbook, and my eye fell on a souffle recipe. I figured a souffle could be a casserole. :)

I remembered someone here suggested I throw some cauliflower in with the potatoes when I made mashed, and I really loved the flavor. So, I thought I'd make a potato/cauliflower souffle.

Guess what...you cannot force cauliflower through a potato ricer. It was really soft, but it would not go through. So, I ended up making a potato souffle. No matter how much cream and parmesan (the real kind, freshly grated) I put in there, it was bland, bland, bland.

It rose and browned nicely, so I ate it, but it had no flavor. None. Weird.

[Arkansas Granny]

11. How strange that it was so bland. I would have expected it to be bursting with flavor.

[Tesha]

12. That's the kind of situation where I call in Mr. Tesha!

If I'm not strong enough to, say, "rice my cauliflower", I just
call in Mr. Tesha! Odd's are, he can brute-force it but if he
can't, he'll just get out his air hammer or a hydraulic arbor
press or some darned thing, and before you know it, we'll
have "riced cauliflower", even it does cost us a broken ricer. ;)

(More likely, he'll really say "So have you tried the bar blender
yet?" That would probably do the trick!)

Tesha

[eleny]

4. Here's what I make when I think potato casserole - Lithuanian Kugelis

This is my friend's recipe. It's got all the high fat contents but lowfat substitutions work for the milk, eggs and bacon. I often leave out the crisco, and use fat free milk, eggs in the pour containers and turkey bacon.

This is good in the days after it's made. Heat a slice in a fry pan. It's good with either applesauce of sour cream on the side.

Kugelis

5 lbs of potatoes
1 lb of bacon
1 large can of evaporated milk
4-5 eggs
a large onion - grated
some crisco to fry up the bacon

Mix grated potatoes, eggs, onion and canned milk. Take the fried up bacon bits and add them - mix well and pour in a 9X13 pan that has been coated with some crisco (or spritzed with cooking spray). Bake at 450 for 30 minutes, turn down to 350 for 1 hour.

Here's a photo that I found on the web since I don't have a pic of one of my own.

[wryter2000]

7. OMG, I'm drooling

:hi:

[eleny]

8. It really is good

I was raised on this dish.

I grate the potatoes in the blender which makes it smoother than the traditional results that are slightly grainier. My friend got a classic potato grater from Lithuania that she found here in the states. So hers comes out like when you grate the potatoes on hand held graters like my folks used to use. But those make raw knuckles very fast no matter how careful I am. Maybe I should try the grinder that came with my KitchenAid.

:hi:

[Arkansas Granny]

10. That sounds wonderful. You just can't go wrong with potatoes, onion and bacon.

[Callalily]

15. That sounds yummy.

Will have to try this one too.

[Phentex]

5. I'm loving this thread already!

I don't have anything to share yet, but I'm printing the ones included so far. Yum!

[eridani]

9. Unfortunately I started work for the Census Bureau

Haven't had time for any culinary experimentation.

[csziggy]

13. Late - but I made Jansseon's Temptation - Yum!

I originally located this recipe to use some Swedish anchovies that my husband bought at IKEA. But when I opened the can, there was just a nasty liquid, no anchovies, so I threw that out. Usually I have regular anchovies around, but didn't that day, so I made this recipe with no anchovies and it was great. Also, since I never have heavy cream around, I used fat free sour cream instead.

Swedish anchovies are canned with spices so have a different flavor than the regular ones we get here.

Jansson's Temptation

Ingredients:
2 large onions, cut into 1/4 inch wide strips
14 fillets Swedish anchovies, or regular anchovies
6 potatoes, peeled and cut into strips
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
1 tablespoon melted butter
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. Spread onions evenly onto the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Evenly distribute anchovies on top of the onions. Place potatoes on top of the anchovies, then pour in heavy cream. Mix bread crumbs together with the melted butter, then sprinkle over top of the potatoes.
3. Place onto a baking sheet to catch any cream which bubbles over. Bake in preheated oven until the potatoes have softened, the cream has reduced, and the dish has turned deep golden brown, about 45 minutes.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Janssons-Temptation-Janssons-Frestelse/Detail.aspx

It turned out great! I cut the potatoes into julienne strips - I could see using frozen hash brown potatoes to save time or coarsely grated with a food processor.

[Callalily]

14. Here's what I made . . .

Just googled potato recipe and came up with this. I liked it so much I've made it twice already.


Cabbage & Yukon Gold Potato Casserole

Ingredients:
3 cups sliced peeled Yukon Gold or baking potato
1 1/2 pound (1-inch-thick) sliced green cabbage
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
OR
2 teaspoons dried rubbed sage
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Cooking spray
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cup (1%) low-fat milk
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2 large eggs
1 large egg white

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place potato in a large Dutch oven, and cover with water.

Bring potato to a boil, and cook for 6 minutes or until tender. Remove potato with a slotted spoon, reserving cooking liquid in pan.

Place potato in a large bowl, and set aside. Add cabbage to the cooking liquid in pan, and cook for 5 minutes.

Drain well. Add the cabbage to potato. Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat; add sage and garlic.

Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir the chopped sage mixture, salt, and pepper into potato mixture.

Spoon potato mixture into a 2 1/2-quart casserole dish coated with cooking spray. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife.

Combine flour, milk, and remaining ingredients, and stir with a whisk. Pour milk mixture over potato mixture (do not stir). Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until casserole is lightly browned.

This recipe from CDKitchen for Cabbage & Yukon Gold Potato Casserole serves/makes 6