My Nanna's Twice-Baked Potatoes, Simply Satisfying!

One night, I was on the phone with my Nanna complaining about my boyfriend's eating habits. Here's the thing; I love mashed potatoes and gravy, but my boyfriend prefers baked potatoes. My Nanna suggested a compromise. "Why not make twice baked potatoes? They're just as soft as mashed potatoes but still baked on the outside!"

My Nanna is a genius. She's also the best chef in the world so of course she had a recipe. It was simple, tasty, and was sure to please the most discerning of potato lovers! Right off the top off her head, she told me . . .

 You will need:

• 2-4 large Idaho potatoes
• 1-2 cups shredded cheese (your choice!)
• Butter
• Paprika
• Seasoning Salt

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Wash and dry your potatoes. Use a tooth pick or a fork to poke several holes in them. Don't forget that part because potatoes can explode. That's a fact, look it up, brosef. Wrap each potato individually in foil then place in the oven. Bake for about 1 hour.

Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise. Use a butter knife to cut a criss cross pattern in the potatoes. Do not cut through the potato skin or the whole thing will just fall apart. Place a few small pads of butter, about 1/3 of a TBSP thick (just look on the label to see how much a TBSP of butter is, they usually mark for us) on the potatoes. Sprinkle on a little seasoning salt and some paprika, like so.

Place the seasoned potatoes back in the oven on an aluminum covered tray. Bake for 1 more hour. Remove them from the oven and sprinkle on your cheese of choice. Place back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is golden.

Hopefully, yours Twice Baked Potatoes come out a little cheesier than mine did. Mmm, but they were still so good! These cheesy spuds make a great side for a steak or they can be a meal of they're own!

Hm, you know all this talk about Twice Baked Potatoes reminds me of a recipe I came across a few years ago. They may not be Nanna-fide, but they are most certainly bona fide in flavor!

Stay tuned to more Super College Chef and more Super Easy Recipes for College Students! Sorry, I think I've been watching The Hub too much. So many cartoons.

Love,

Liz

Hot Crackers: WARNING, Highly Addictive Snack

During the holidays I took a trip down to Jasper, TX on the border of Louisiana to visit my boyfriend's family. I love these people! We have homemade waffles and sausages for dinner whenever we come in to town.

Mema, the matriarch of the family, is a collector and keeper of some of the most scrumptious, down-home country recipes I've ever had the privilege to taste! One of her most famous creations is a snack so spicy, so tangy and crunchy you can't resist. Hot Crackers are my new favorite snack. I'm completely addicted!

Get'cher fixin's:

• 1 box of Saltine crackers
• 1 package of Hidden Valley Ranch dry seasoning
• 1 1/4 cup of canola oil (no exceptions!)
• 4-5 TBSP crushed red pepper
• 1 big Ziplock bag

Dump out all the crackers into the Ziplock bag. In a small mixing bowl, combine the dry ranch seasoning, crushed red pepper, and canola oil with a whisk. Drizzle the mixture over the crackers as evenly as you can. For this next step, make sure the bag is closed tight.

Now get to shakin'! Toss that bag over and over in your hands to distribute the seasoning on the crackers. Don't shake too hard or you'll end up with a bunch of broken Hot Crackers. Keep shifting the crackers around in the spicy-tangy mixture every 20 minutes or so for about the next 4 hours.




Hot Crackers are great with chili, a sandwich, or on their own! It takes less than 5 days to finish off the whole bag in my house. Oops! Somebody's a piggy (it's me!).

Love,

Liz

Beefy Potatoes Au Gratin: THE MOVIE

Created by the incomparable Allison McWilliams, this a companion piece to the new Beefy Potatoes Au Gratin recipe. Enjoy this new edition to the Super College Chef Video Library! You can also click here to see a larger version.

Love, Liz

Beefy Potatoes Au Gratin, My Favorite!

This was one of the very first recipes I posted on Super College Chef oh-so many years ago and it is time for an overhaul. Beefy Potatoes Au Gratin is the easy, cheesy dish that's perfect for a meat-and-potatoes kind of gal like me. I love this meal so much, I honestly make it a couple times a month. The best part about this dish is that it takes minutes to prepare!


You will need:

• 1 lb. ground sirloin
• 1 box of Potatoes Au Gratin
• 1 cup shredded Taco Mix cheese
• milk
• butter
• water

Preheat the oven to 400.

While you brown the ground sirloin in a skillet, take a look at the direction on your box of Potatoes Au Gratin. Every brand differs, but most boxed Potatoes Au Gratin require varying amounts of water, butter, and milk. Follow the stove top directions almost until you find your potatoes simmering in a cheesy sauce.

Drain the grease from the ground sirloin, then pour it into an 8x8 in. casserole dish. Use 1/2 cup of shredded cheese to cover the meat. Carefully pour the cheesy potato concoction over the cheese and meat. Spread the potatoes evenly over the top. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the potatoes.

Cover the dish with aluminum foil and pop it in the oven for 30 minutes. Then, remove the aluminum covering and place it back in the oven for another 10 minutes. Finally, it's done! Almost, not yet, eager beaver. Let it set for 10 minutes to let the cheesy sauce solidify and so you don't burn your little tongue.

The great thing about thing recipe is that it's so versatile! You can substitute ground turkey, Scalloped Potatoes, Mozzarella cheese for an entirely new flavor. Don't get me started on toppings; salsa, sour cream, hot sauce, BBQ sauce, chutney, really anything goes with meat and potatoes!

I truly hope you love this dish as much as I do. Keep eating, my friends!

Love,

Liz

P.S. Photos provided by our own lovely and talented Allison McWilliams!