One of my friends told of how her grandsons were over for a meal and they commented on how she had everything so fancy! She wondered what the fancy part was and they told her, "Well, you have napkins on the table." We laughed.
Maybe this is just a reminder of how hard it is for moms to just get a meal on the table, never mind napkins! In the busyness of coming and going places, I was, and still am, always happy to find a meal that extends into another one. In other words, leftovers are welcome here.
We hosted a baked potato bar this week. Have you ever tried it? It really is a great way to host a meal for a crowd and an easy way to potluck if you decide to go that route.
The next day, I got out containers of leftover potatoes and toppings to try a baked potato soup.
I made a basic white sauce by melting about 3 Tbsp margarine (or butter) then whisking in 3 Tbsp flour and 4 cups milk, stirring until smooth and bubbly. (Do they still teach this in Jr High Home Ec Class?) I added one Knorr chicken bouillon cube. I was out of the better than bouillon in the jar, which I prefer to use when I have it.
Then I added about 1 1/2 chopped up potatoes,
some finely chopped leftover cooked onions,
about 1 1/2 cups (whatever was left) of cooked broccoli and cauliflower
mixed with cheese sauce . . . chopped it up a bit more,
a cup of leftover cooked corn,
a few Tbsp of bacon bits
and soup was done in minutes!
It was surprisingly delicious.
You could add cheese, but it was good without.
It was surprisingly delicious.
You could add cheese, but it was good without.
Another idea to do with baked potatoes is to make potato skins. Simply scoop out some of the inside to make thick skins. You can brush these with olive oil and pre bake them for about 10 minutes to crisp. I should have, but did not do this step.
Top with 1 Tbsp of leftover chili (optional), some cheese and bacon and bake for 15 minutes
or until crispy.
Serve with sour cream and chives.
One more idea for baked potatoes is to chop them up for home made hash browns.
Add salt, pepper, garlic powder and chopped parsley. I can't begin to tell you how often my mom would fry potatoes for dinner and I don't remember ever not liking them. She would add a canned salmon salad or cooked spinach with eggs on the side or a light custard pear soup or . . . maybe nothing. I mainly remember the potatoes and we rarely had fries ...
so it was all good.
As for the leftover chili - we like using it in soft corn tacos with shredded lettuce, cheese
and tomatoes. This is different way to enjoy chili and makes a small amount go far.
8 comments:
We were nine kids in our family and my Mom baked and cooked everything from scratch. She is known still at 93 as the best bun-baker. When we once tried to get a sense from her of how many dozen buns she baked per week, she said, "Who had time to count?!" And napkins...what are those?? :)She's still not into fancies! - Marg N
You really made the most of those great leftovers, Anneliese. Everything looks delicious...
I love anything "potato" and your meals look so delicious!!! Great use of left-overs.
Great ideas! I've made hashbrowns from baked potatoes before...they are good! Thanks for the potato soup recipe. I'm gonna try that...I love potato soup! I like leftovers, too. When our daughter married and our nest became empty, people asked if I was going to start trying to cook smaller portions. Nope...I like cooking once and eating twice or more!! :-)
Potatoes are great! I saw a documentary of the Irish potato famine. One can actually thrive on a diet of just potatoes if one eats the skins too. Not sure I would be happy with spuds baked or boiled 3 times a day but I wouldn't mind having potatoes in some form or another every day.
The other day I had left over mashed potatoes. I added an egg and a bit of flour and onions, then put the mix into my waffle iron that had been brushed with olive oil. It was really tasty when it baked to crisp.
Don't forget making potato bread too!
You make your leftovers look amazing! I'd gladly join you for a feast of leftovers.
I for one would consider it a real joy to sit at your table and eat leftovers that looked this delicious! I like how you think. Thanks for the great ideas!
Potatoes are tasty and cheap. We usually have them every day - not surprising since it's the main crop here on the island. That being said we try to eat organic. The sprays aren't good for people or the land. I enjoy the baked, boiled, fried, made into fish cakes and in soup. We love to put chili on top of a baked potato - yummy! But we've never tired a baked potato bar. I'll have to keep it in mind for our next family get-together. Thanks Anneliese!
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