Millburn-Short Hills Magazine Holiday 2018 | Page 18

flavor A Little Extra Enjoy second and third helpings of these potato dishes WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY KATE MORGAN JACKSON Is there anyone out there who doesn’t love potatoes? While some vegetables can be controversial at the dinner table (yes, you need to try spinach!), we are always united in potato appreciation. And while you can’t go wrong with French fries and good old mashed potatoes with melted butter, it’s always fun to shake up the traditional potato recipes. Smashed Bacon Potatoes SERVES 4-6 Cheeseburger Baked Potatoes SERVES 4 INGREDIENTS 4 baking potatoes (Idaho or Russet) ½ pound ground beef 4 tablespoons butter ½ cup cream or half and half 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese Salt and pepper 1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes 2-3 leaves of lettuce, torn into pieces 1 shallot, peeled and cut into thin slices Dill pickle relish 16 INGREDIENTS 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes (your choice as to whether or not to peel them) 4 slices (or more) thick-cut bacon DIRECTIONS • Scrub potatoes and pierce several times with a fork. Microwave until tender, about 10 minutes. Cool slightly. • While potatoes are baking, brown ground beef in a skillet until cooked through. Drain and set aside. • When potatoes are cool enough to handle but still warm, cut an oval in the top of each one and scoop out the insides, leaving the skins intact. Mash the potato with butter, then stir in the cream. Mix in half the ground beef and half the cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature ½ cup half and half, warmed or at room temperature DIRECTIONS • Cut the potatoes in quarters, put them in a large pot of cool salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until a knife goes into the potatoes easily, about 10-15 minutes. Drain and return to the pot. • While the potatoes are cooking, cut the bacon into 1-inch pieces and cook until crispy. Drain on paper towels. • Stuff the mashed potato mixture back into the potato skins. If you want the remaining cheese melted, sprinkle it over the top of the potatoes and microwave for about a minute. • Add the butter to the drained potatoes and mash with a potato masher, a potato ricer or a food mill. Whatever you do, do not mash them with a food processor. • Garnish the potatoes by tucking lettuce pieces into each one, then topping with remaining ground beef and cheese, tomatoes, shallot and relish... or anything else you like on your potatoes. • Stir in the bacon and taste. It will probably be salty enough with the bacon, but you can add a pinch or two of salt, if you like. HOLIDAY 2018 MILLBURN & SHORT HILLS MAGAZINE • Add the half and half and mash again.