Potato Soup

· 4 lbs peeled red potatoes, chopped in small cubes

· 4 stalks celery, chopped fine

· 1 large yellow onion, chopped fine

· 1 (12-ounce) package bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

· 1 stick unsalted butter

· approximately 1 cup Half & half (adjust more or less)

· Salt (about 2 tbsp)

· Pepper (about 1/2 tsp)

· Water, enough to cover potatoes

Directions:  Cover potatoes and celery with water (just enough to cover). Add salt and pepper to taste.  Boil until potatoes are tender. 

Fry bacon until crisp.  Reserve a few Tbsp bacon grease for cooking the onion.  Sauté onion in bacon grease.  Crumble bacon into potatoes and add sautéed onions.  Cook for 3 or 4 minutes.  Mash with potato masher.  

Add stick of butter and half and half.

*Optional:  Before serving, garnish with grated sharp cheddar cheese and diced scallions.

* Recipe courtesy of Mike Gieger. 

*Potato Salad

2 lbs Russett Potatoes (peeled and chopped in 1.5 inch cubes)

*note: The weight is the final amount after peeling and removing any bad areas.  If you don't have a food scale, it is an excellent investment.

1 1/2 c red onion, diced fine (wt. 6 oz / 180 g)

*note: roughly, a whole large onion

1/2 c. Mayo

2 tbsp yellow mustard

3/4 c. sweet Gherkins (or homemade sweet pickles), chopped fine (wt. 3 oz / 90 g)

1/3 c. juice from Gherkins

2 med hard boiled eggs 

1/2 Tbsp Salt, added to potatoes while boiling

Black pepper, to taste

Step 1:  Boil potatoes with salt. Drain water off potatoes once they are fork tender.

Also put eggs on to boil at the same time. 

Step 2:  While potatoes are cooking, dice onion and pickles. Put in a large mixing bowl.  Add mayo, mustard, and pickle juice.  Stir well. 

Chop up eggs fine.  Add eggs and black pepper to large bowl and stir gently. 

Step 3:  Add potatoes to large bowl and stir gently until everything is evenly mixed.  It's ok if some potatoes are in small chunks.  The finished product won't be completely smooth. 

Serve either hot or cold.

Makes 3.5 lbs 

7 servings - 1 c. each

* This is my personal recipe for potato salad. I learned to make it from my mother growing up. She never measured anything, she just made what she needed for that meal. I decided to write down some measurements so that I could consistently make it the same every time. This is just the way I make it. 

Shepherd's Pie - Autumn

2¼ lbs lean ground beef

6 cups prepared instant creamed potatoes, or homemade if desired

8 oz. block of sharp cheddar cheese, grated

½ medium onion, diced

½ large bell pepper, diced

2 teaspoons diced garlic (from the jar) or 4-5 med/lrg cloves, minced

salt & pepper to taste

Prepare the instant potatoes (or homemade if you have the time) and set aside.  Be sure to salt, pepper, and butter the potatoes.  

Season the meat with salt and pepper also. Cook the ground chuck with the peppers, garlic and onions in a skillet.  Drain the excess grease off of the meat.  Place the meat in the bottom of a 9x13 Pyrex dish.  Layer the creamed potatoes on top of the meat.  Sprinkle the grated cheese all over the potatoes.  Place in the oven at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or until the entire dish is good and hot.

Notes:  I usually prepare this dish with extra lean ground beef, 1% milk and margarine in the potatoes, and 2% cheese to reduce the fat content of this dish.  It is still really good! You’d never know I used the reduced fat options.