Dad's Breakfast Potatoes

As you may or may not know, I'm a lover of breakfast.

I confess, grudgingly, that I tend to lean toward the sweets such as muffins, pancakes, waffles, quick breads, and such. BUT, I do love a hearty savory meal full of eggs, and toast, and potatoes.

Growing up with parents from Oklahoma, where the biscuits and gravy ran deep, we had many a meal of eggs, potatoes, toast or biscuits, and sausage (or bacon)!  Some of my memories of breakfast surround the family time spent together in the kitchen and at the table sharing this wonderful meal.

Today I want to talk about my dad.  Although he wasn't the cook in the family, that was my mom's forte, my dad was no slouch in the kitchen.  He knew he way around a skillet that's for sure!  Some of the dishes I still make today come from my dad, and his cooking 101 lessons he would give me growing up.

Breakfast Potatoes is one of my favorite things he's taught me.  He had this unique way of cutting the potatoes so they looked like half moons.  I always that that was so cool when I was young and loved the shape of them.  They felt special. Little did I know then that it was just small potatoes cut in half and then sliced.  Small enough to make half moon shapes! Oh well, I'll stick with my fantasy thoughts of dad's half moon slices.  I like the sentimental memories it brings.

These potatoes are quite simple to make, and have to be the best breakfast potatoes around!  You can serve them for breakfast lunch or dinner cause they go with everything. Everything is done in a nice cast iron skillet.  Nothing special, just good ingredients, a little patience, and a dish worth savoring!

I hope you enjoy my Dad's Breakfast Potatoes as much as I do.




Dad's Breakfast Potatoes


serves 4

3 Tablespoons canola oil
1 small onion, diced
1 lb. red potatoes, cut into 1" pieces - skins left on
salt & pepper
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp parsley

In a large cast iron skillet over medium low add canola oil to heat.  Add the diced onion and potatoes and cook covered for 20-25 minutes, or until tender on the inside but crispy on the outside, stirring occasionally.  

Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Add the paprika and parsley, stirring to coat. Serve.  

Apple Crostata

Boy, do I have a dessert that is going to make you cheat on your diet!  I know, I know, most of us have a resolution that involves eating healthy, me included, but you will want to stray from the healthy bites for just a moment.

For New Year's Eve I made an Apple Crostata from the Ina Garten's cookbook "Barefoot Contessa Parties! and I noticed that I forgot to post it so that you can see for yourself how outstanding this dessert is.  It's heaven!

A crostata is a rustic pie.  It only has a bottom crust.  How easy is that?  Can't you just smell the scent of baked apples with gooey cinnamon?  Oh, it just fills your house with warm homey smells that remind me of my mom's baking.  I just love quick desserts that are easy to make.  This variation of a down home classic is a winner!

What drew me to this recipe was the method.  This is more of a "french crumble" apple pie.  Ina takes all the spices, flour, sugar, and butter and makes a crumb out of it, then just spreads it over the top of the apples.  So being completely different than most apple tarts, and pies, it was calling my name.   

Wow! Was this apple crostata good!  You just have to forgo the dieting and make this right now...I tell you it is worth cheating for.

Now, I did make a few adjustments from Ina's original recipe. Mainly the apples I used, which were Granny Smith.  I also left out the allspice (don't care too much for it) and I added just a touch of boiled apple cider.  This is completely optional, and it just provides you with a little more apple flavor, but you certainly don't have to have it.  Just so you know, you can purchase it here.

Take some time out to enjoy this scrumptious treat.  You can diet next week!



Apple Crostata (Serves 6)

slightly adapted from Barefoot Contessa Parties! by Ina Garten,


1 pre-made pie crust
1 1/2 pounds Macintosh, Macoun, or Empire apples (3 large) (I used Granny Smith)
1/4 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 Tablespoon boiled cider
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup granulated or superfine sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Flour a rolling pin and roll the pastry into an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Transfer it to a baking sheet.

For the filling, peel, core, and cut the apples into eighths. Cut each wedge into 3 chunks. Toss the chunks with the orange zest and boiled cider. Cover the tart dough with the apple chunks leaving a 1 1/2-inch border.

Combine the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and allspice in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Pour into a bowl and rub it with your fingers until it starts holding together. Sprinkle evenly on the apples. Gently fold the border over the apples to enclose the dough, pleating it to make a circle.

Bake the crostata for 20 to 25 minutes, until the crust is golden and the apples are tender. Allow to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.


source: Copyright 2001, Barefoot Contessa Parties! by Ina Garten

Winter Comfort Food: Chicken Noodle Casserole

Winter nights call for comfort food.

And comfort food reminds me of my mom's homemade egg noodles.  We had them every holiday and they really say "comfort".  Even better than this dish was her addition of leftover turkey to the noodles for an all in one comfort food meal.  It was sort of like a chicken pot pie filling without the veggies...noodles, turkey, and a thick chicken broth.  I can just see it, and my mouth is watering!

So I was digging through my mom's recipe box the other day and came across a scribbled recipe on an old card titled "Chicken Noodle Casserole".  I not sure where this came from but I definitely know why she kept it so long.  It's a reminder of our leftover turkey and noodles! A chicken version, and without all the work of making homemade egg noodles.

The memories came flooding back as I read the recipe and I knew this was next on my list of dishes to make.  It's simple to put together using leftover shredded chicken, or you can get a rotisserie chicken to help you out.  Then just buy a wide egg noodle that you like, to compliment the dish.  The rest are creamy ingredients such as sour cream, milk, cheese, butter.  Add a little aromatics and spices and you have one yummy casserole. (Need I say more?)

So I made this and I wasn't disappointed one bit!  It was everything I thought it would be.  Creamy, tasty, hot and comforting.  The noodles combined with the chicken and all the creaminess is a combo you can't beat.  It brought me back, and now we can have that comforting feeling anytime we want!

This is a dish the whole family will love.  Enjoy this on a cold winter night!

Chicken Noodle Casserole

serves 6

2 cups wide egg noodles, uncooked

2 Tbls oil
1 small onion, sliced
1 tsp powdered garlic
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 Tbls flour
1 cup milk
3 cups grated cheddar cheese, divided
salt & pepper
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a saucepan cook noodles according to package directions. 

Meanwhile, In a medium sauce pan add oil and heat over medium heat.  Add onion and saute until softened.  Add garlic and red pepper flakes.  Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir to cook the flour slightly.  Add milk and 2 cups of cheese.  Stir until cheese is melted.  Season with salt & pepper.

Drain your noodles and place them in a bowl.  Add the chicken, sour cream to the noodles noodles.  Add the cheese mixture and stir to combine.  Pour into a 9x13 (sprayed with cooking spray) casserole dish.  Top with 1 cup of cheese. Bake 30 minutes.  Serve.