Show Your Love For The Potato

Since we can't just have sweets in the 'betty crocker vs. rachel ray' category and we are also on an Irish theme this week, we should touch base on an important part of Ireland's history. The Irish Potato Famine, as most out-of-country folk call it, was a period of mass starvation between the years of 1845 and 1851. The proximate cause of famine was a potato disease commonly known as potato blight. Although blight ravaged potato crops throughout Europe during the 1840s, the impact and human cost in Ireland – where one-third of the population was entirely dependent on the potato for food – was exacerbated by a host of political, social and economic factors which remain the subject of historical debate. Its hard to believe that we, as Americans, could ever have a shortage of potatoes when every town has a restaurant/food chain that goes through bags and bags of frozen potatoes each day. So as a bit of respect for those who lost their lives, and the ones that suffered those six years without a delicious potato, ABMS is giving you some recipes for four great potato dishes from the AllRecipes.com database...

Baked Potato Skinsby Taste Of Home

Ingredients
    4 large baking potatoes, baked
    3 tablespoons vegetable oil
    1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
    1/4 teaspoon paprika
    1/8 teaspoon pepper
    8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
    1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
    1/2 cup sour cream
    4 green onions, sliced

Directions    Cut potatoes in half lengthwise; scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/4-in. shell (save pulp for another use). Place potatoes skins on a greased baking sheet. Combine oil, Parmesan cheese, salt, garlic powder, paprika and pepper; brush over both sides of skins. Bake at 475 degrees F for 7 minutes; turn. Bake until crisp, about 7 minutes more. Sprinkle bacon and cheddar cheese inside skins. Bake 2 minutes longer or until the cheese is melted. Top with sour cream and onions. Serve immediately.

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Roasted Potatoes with Rosemary

by Crisco® Pure Olive Oil

Ingredients

• Crisco® No-Stick Olive Oil Spray
• 3 tablespoons Crisco® Pure Olive Oil or Crisco® Light Tasting Olive Oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 pounds potatoes, cut in half or fourths (red skin, Yukon Gold, fingerling)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Coat 15x10-inch baking sheet with no-stick spray.
2. Stir together oil, rosemary, garlic powder, salt and pepper in large bowl. Add potatoes. Toss well until coated. Spread evenly in prepared pan.
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, stirring occasionally until potatoes are fork-tender and golden brown.

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Cheesy Potatoes
by MEAMIGOS 

Ingredients

    4 large potatoes, peeled and sliced
    1 small onion, finely chopped
    1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
    1 teaspoon margarine
    salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1.     Layer the potatoes, onion, cheese, salt and pepper into a microwave safe casserole dish. Once finished layering, place 1 teaspoon of margarine on the top of the uppermost layer. Cover and cook in the microwave oven on HIGH for 10 minutes.
2.     Remove the dish from the microwave and stir before cooking for another 10 minutes or until done. Stir well and serve.

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And finally a taste of Potato Bread...
Cheesy Potato Bread

Ingredients
    2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
    2 tablespoons sugar
    1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F to 115 degrees F)
    1 cup half-and-half cream
    5 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted, divided
    1 tablespoon salt
    1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
    2 cups finely shredded peeled potatoes
    1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions
    In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in warm water; let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add cream, 3 tablespoons butter, salt, cayenne pepper and 2-1/2 cups flour; beat on medium for 2 minutes. Stir in potatoes and enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes. (Dough will feel slightly sticky.) Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled, about 1 hour. Punch the dough down. Pat into a 1/2-in.-thick rectangle. Sprinkle cheese evenly over dough. Fold dough over the cheese and knead into dough. Shape into two round loaves; place in greased 9-in. round baking pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Cut an X on top of each loaf; brush with remaining butter. Bake at 400 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to cool on wire racks.

 What are some of your favorite potato recipes?