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

Marbled Quiche with Potato Crust

Although the name "cobalt" may make you think of blue, this quiche is pretty much all the warm colors that warm colors could be ;)  Quick, easy, cheap, and transports well-- Quiche is another one of those meals for the weeknight that make you feel like you are living in style while on a budget!  It then transports well to work the next day for lunch as well :)

Ingredients:
filling
12 eggs
2c marbled cheese chopped
1/2c broccoli, fresh or frozen
2c celery, chopped
crust
1/2c potato flakes
1/2c flour
1/5c water
1tbs oil

Time: 
                    12 min to prepare
                    45 min to cook        
Total            about an hour

Serves: 8+ servings


Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2) Combine all the filling ingredients in a mixing bowl, and mix until all the ingredients are well coated with the broken eggs.

3) Mix the crust in another bowl, (or right in the mixing cup as pictured to the left and right)! You can easily mix the crust with a fork.

4) With your fingers, coat the bottom of all the future quiche pans with a thin layer for the crust mixture.  Take you time- There is no baking soda in this recipe!  If you run out of crust, you can make more.   You do want the bottom covered, or serving could be difficult.

5) Add the filling mixture to the dishes and pop in the oven! I like to keep the cheese chunky, because as it cooks the cheese will darken first, giving the finished result of a marbled look-- To go with the cheese!

6) Bake for 45 min, or until above mentioned marbled look is achieved.  Serve hot or chilled!

Cost:
eggs                $3.00
cobalt cheese  $2.00
broccoli           $0.50
celery              $0.50
potato flakes  $0.50
flour               $0.50
oil                   $0.10   
Total              $5.10
Per serving     $0.63

Quick and Easy Dinner for Two (or more!)

For the work days: A Hearty, Comfort Food, Bake Dish

Potato Casserole

This is one of those meals that can be prepped before hand, even cooked before hand, and the timing is less crucial on.  Meaning:  You throw it in the oven when you first walk in the door and by the time you are actually ready to eat , ( you've read the mail, your changed your work clothes, etc), it's ready... No matter when that is! If you prefer a non-vegetarian version, in between the layers of cheese and the precooked meat of your choice. I strongly recommend some slices of deli cute ham!

Ingredients:
7           redskin potatoes
8-12     slices of white cheese (Mozzarella is great if you want to eat fast)
1/2 cup milk (any kind)
1 tbs     oil (or bacon grease)
seasonings to taste
(deli ham optional)

Prep Time: 30 min
Cook time: variable (10 min to no more than an hour)
Total time: 45 min

Serves: 2*
*If you would like to serve more, just add more potatoes and cheese!

Directions:

1) Boil the washed redskin potatoes in a pan filled with 6 quarts of water.  This can be done the night before, as long as you leave the skin on to protect the potatoes from oxidizing.  An oxidized potato ins't spoiled, but may be less fun of eating them do to it's less slightly appearance.

2) Grease the bottom of your casserole dish with the 1 tbs oil.  Above is a 4X6 Pyrex dish.  The less filled the pan the more crispy the casserole will be.  You can make any size casserole/backing dish work work.

3) Let the potatoes cool to a safe handing temperature.  Cut the potatoes in slices.

4) Layer the casserole dish with a layer of potatoes.  I leave the skins on the potatoes for their appealing red skin color and for extra fiber.

5) Pour just enough milk over the potatoes to cover the surface.  You should not "cover" the potatoes in milk, just "wet" them.  This should take less than 1/4 of a cup of milk.

6) Add a layer of cheese slices.  If you are adding meat, you should do so on top of the "wet" potatoes and before the cheese.

7) Lay another layer of potatoes.  "Wet" with milk again, using less than 1/4 of a cup.  Cover this layer with cheese.*

8) Repeat Steps 6-7 until your casserole dish is full, you run out of an ingredient, or you decide you want to be done.

9) Bake the casserole (uncovered) at 325 degrees for 10 min to an hour.  (The longer you think you will back it the 'harder' the cheese should be.  Feel free to see prior posts on Jarlsberg being a great and cheap hard cheese to back with. Also, if you plan on baking this casserole an hour, add an extra 1/4 cup of milk evenly over the top before you put the dish in.

* I usually add a "pinch" of seasonings to each layer.  A "pinch" begin a light dusting of say black pepper and Italian seasoning.

10) Serve hot and with a cold beverage to finish out your day!

Cost:
redskin potatoes        $2
white cheese              $2
milk                           $0.50
oil                              $0.10
seasonings to taste     $0.15
(deli ham optional)    ($2)                                  
Total:                        $4.75 (or $6.75 with meat)
Cost per person:     $2.37!