Smashed Potatoes

I was looking for a new way to make potatoes, and I found it on The Pioneer Woman blog. Amazing recipes on there! Mine didn't turn out as good looking as hers, but they sure were yummy!

Prep time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
-8 red potatoes
-3 tbsp olive oil
-Kosher salt (to taste)
-Black pepper (to taste)
-Rosemary (or other herbs of choice)

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Bring water to a boil. Add in potatoes and cook them until they are fork tender (about 35-40 minutes, depending on the size. Bigger potatoes = longer to cook)

3. Drizzle olive oil on the pan. Don't be shy...the more there is, the less the potatoes will stick!

4. Place potatoes on the cookie sheet, spaced apart well.

5. Take a potato masher and press gently down on each potato. Rotate the masher and press again. (you may need to break up bigger pieces gently with a fork. I definitely had to!)

6. Brush the tops of each potato with olive oil.

7. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and chopped rosemary (or other herbs) over the top of each potato.

8. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Mama Krohn's World Famous Cheesy Ranch Potatoes

I'm sorry I haven't been here in forever. Starting a new job and getting sick will kill any attempt to do anything. So, to make up for my absence, I am going to share one of my faves, my mom's cheesy ranch potatoes.

And a word of caution, if you double this recipe, you will have tons and tons of potatoes left over. And they are that good that you might be tempted to double it the next time you make it.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
-8 large red potatoes
-1 cup of ranch salad dressing
-1 cup of sour cream
-1 cup of cheddar cheese, divided
-1/4 cup of crumbled, cooked bacon (bacon bits work well here)
-1 tsp of salt (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Cut potatoes into quarters. Place in a large saucepan and cover with water. Cook until tender (about 8-10 min). Drain.

3. Meanwhile, combine salad dressing, sour cream, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese and bacon in a large bowl; mix well.

4. Add cooked potatoes to salad dressing mixture; mix well.

5. Spoon mixture into a greased baking dish. Top with remaining cheese.

6. Bake until bubbly- about 20 min.