Twice Baked Potatoes, Family Size :)

Although I know football season just ended-- there is ways the next season... football, baseball, hockey, the olypics, and because it goes well with beer.  The twice baked potatoes featured here are easy, fast, and fool-proof!  The simple and universals approach for these means that even people who think they don't like potatoes will love these ;) Enjoy

Ingredients:

5 baking potatoes

1/2c bacon bits
3/4c moterilla cheese
1/4c milk
black pepper and seasonings to taste

Serves: 5, with two per person... but you know your guest!

Time: 1 hour and 20 minutes, almost all of which is back time

These are such an easy party food- But they also go great with steak and breaded chicken!  Twice baked potatoes also freeze amazingly for the busy days of the week.


Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

2) Bake five washed potatoes for 40 minutes.  Make sure you poke holes in to skin of the potatoes in several places first to avoid having to clean up an explode potato from your oven!

3) Grate or slice cheese and mix with bacon and milk. The milk is a healthier version of the butter you usually see in recipes like this :)

4) Once the potatoes are cook enough to touch-- cut them in half longways (as shown in the image to the right).

5) Scoop out the soft potato centers and add them to your bacon bit  mixtures.

6) With a serving fork or potato smasher, mix the potato thoroughly with  the bacon bit mixture.

7) Re-fill the potato skins with the bacon bit mixture to just over the hight of the potato skin-- this will help make the potatoes look decadent AND it will make sure you use up your ingredients  evenly ;)

8) Place the filled potato skins on a backing sheet and return to the oven for 30 minutes, if a crisp top is desired.  The crisp top is highly recommend! 

9) Serve hot!

Cost:

Potatoes       $1.50
Bacon bits    $1.00
Milk                $0.15
Cheese         $0.75
Total              $3.40
Per serving   $0.68

Cheesey Eggplant Pie!

Otherwise know as eggplant parmesan.  This version is pasta-less, but feel free to add your own.  My husband and I prefer garlic bread as the carb in this one :)  It's a fast dish to prep so you can get back to the party, of 1, 2 or more!

Indigents: 

1 large eggplants, cut crosswise into rounds

2c pasta sauce

2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

3tbs basil

1/4tsp black pepper

1/4tsp red pepper

2 eggs, beaten in a large bowl

1 1/2c breadcrumbs, fine, and seasoned to taste

1c flaked cheese (harder is better)

Serves: 4-6 people

Time: 20 min. pre

          40 min bake

             1 hour total

This recipe requires a slightly longer cook time due to the "skipped" step of dehydrating the eggplant with salt.  If you choose to do this step: Toss all the eggplant rounds with 2 teaspoons salt in a large bowl... then rinse and let drain for 30 minutes. This step does leave a fair amount of salt in the dish, so health conscious cook beware!  

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 375°F.

2) Set up your dinner prep area as the eggplant does oxidize.  Make sure you are ready with your washed eggplant and cutting board, your beaten egg, your seasoned bread crumb mixture, and your baking dish!

3)Add 2 tbs of pasta sauce to the dish you will be baking in.  Swril teh dish or spread teh sauce with a spoon to coat the bottom of the dish.

4) Slice the eggplant in to 1/4 to 1/3 inch rounds.  This is a cross section cut.

5) Coat both sides of the round with the egg mixture.  (If you choose not to dehydrate the eggplant, not much egg will stick.  If you did dehydrate the eggplant, you will probably need a third egg.)

6) Place your egg coated round in the bread crumb mixture.  Flip the round to cover both sides. PRO TIP: Add some cheese to the bread crumb mixture as well ;)  

7) Transfer eggplant to your backing dish.  If you want your egg plant extra crispy you will need to precook the eggplant in a pan after you coat it in bread crumbs.  Otherwise, you can arrange it to go straight in the oven.

8) Work with one piece at a time until you have arranged the first layer of eggplant. 

9) Add 1c of sauce, a layer of cheese, and 1/2 your basil, minced garlic and pepper seasonings.

10) Create another layer of eggplant rounds.  Fill in as necessary to make for a "full pie."

11) Add  the rest of the sauce, cheese, seasonings and garlic.

12) Bake covered for 35 min. The sauce should be bubbling and the cheese melted and golden!

13) Uncover for the last 5 to 10 minutes to give it a crisper top.  Serve hot!

Cost:

eggplants              $1.50

pasta sauce           $1.50

seasonings            $0.30

eggs                      $0.27

bread crumbs        $1.00

Cheese                  $5.00               

Total                     $9.57

Per serving           $1.59

Cheesy Easy Party Poppers!

Parties are definitely happening this time a year-- and warm treats are always a big hit.  This recipe is a super easy and fast guest favorite. As much as I am usually a fan of doing things from scratch, that isn't always the best plan with the holiday bustle... So enjoy this Party Poppers right out of something you would except from a 1950's kitchen!

Ingredients:

 12 slices of cheddar cheese
2-3 slices of smoked turkey sandwich meat
(Depending on thickness)
1 roll of Ready-to -Bake Biscuits
That's it!

Serves: 12 poppers... But VERY easy to scale up ;)

Time: 18 min, with 12min  of that being the baking!

Directions:

1) Pre slice the cheddar cheese into slivers that can easily be rolled into the biscuits... The size will depend on the biscuits you buy.  The slicing of the turkey is the same.

2) Assemble cheddar cheese and turkey into the biscuit, pinching shut each one to create a roll.

3) Place on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.  Serve hot!

And that's it!!

Cost:

Biscuits    $1.35

Cheese     $0.35

Turkey     $0.80     

Total        $2.50 

I recommend serving with BBQ, or the Honey Hot Sauce as featured next ;)