Chef John's Italian Braised Beef and Potatoes

This has become a favorite in our house. The original recipe is here. We've modified it just a bit for our taste so that's why I'm saving it here.

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• olive oil
• 3 pounds beef 
• 1 large shallot, minced
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1/2 cup white wine, or one 187 ml bottle
• 2 cups beef broth or chicken broth (we use the whole package)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
• 3-4 carrots, cut into 1 inch chunks

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. Mix salt, and black pepper together in a small bowl, and generously season both sides of beef.
3. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over high heat; add beef to the pot and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on both sides. Remove beef to a plate; set aside.
4. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and celery to the pot with a large pinch of seasoning. Cook, stirring, until onions begin to turn translucent, 3 to 5 minutes.
5. Stir in tomato paste, garlic, and dried herbs, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in wine, and cook for a few minutes until most of the wine has disappeared.
6. Add broth and bay leaf, and turn heat to high to bring the pot back to a simmer. Add beef back in along with any liquid from the holding bowl.
7. Roast, covered, in the preheated oven until meat is almost fork tender, but not falling off the bone, about 2 hours.
8. After 2 hours check the meat. If it's close add your potatoes and carrots. Add more stock if needed (or water).
9. Cover; roast at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) until meat and potatoes are very tender, about 1 hour more.
10. Serve in a bowl with cooking liquids spooned over. 

Scalloped Potato and Pork Chop Casserole

6 med size potatoes, pared & sliced

½ tsp. salt

1/8 tsp pepper

3 Tablsp. Flour

1 large onion, sliced

3 Tablsp butter

1 can cream of celery soup

½ cup milk

6 large loin pork chops

Crease a casserole dish & put in half of sliced potatoes, sprinkling with half of seasoning & flour over the potato slices. Dot with butter. Add remaining potatoes, seasoning, flour and onion. Dilute cream of celery soup with milk & pour over potatoes. Place pork chops on top of potatoes & season to taste. Bake in 350 degree oven for 2 hours. Serves 6.

Oven Roasted Potatoes

1 Envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix

4 medium all purpose potatoes, cut into large chunks

1/3 cup Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In 13x9 baking pan, combine all ingredients.

Bake uncovered, stirring occasionally for 40 minutes or until potatoes are tender & brown.

Red, White, and Blue Potatoes

4 Medium to large red-skinned potatoes, thinly sliced

1 small Vidalia onion, sliced

4-6 mushrooms, sliced

½  teasp salt

½  teasp. Pepper

2 tablsps butter

¼ cup bleu cheese

Place potatoes, onions & mushrooms on a sheet of aluminum foil. Sprinkle with salt & pepper & dot with butter. Crumble cheese on top. Fold packet to seal & cook either on a medium grill or in a 375-degree oven for 45 minutes or until potatoes are soft.

Creamy Twice Baked Potatoes

4 Medium baking potatoes

2 tablsp. Butter, softened

1 tablsp. Milk

¼ teasp salt

1 pkg. (3 oz.) cream cheese, cubed

2 tablsp. Sour cream

Paprika

Pierce potatoes & bake at 375° for 1 hour or until tender. Cool. Cut a thin slice off the top of each potato. Scoop out the pulp & place in a mixing bowl. Add butter, milk, & salt. Beat until fluffy. Beat in cream cheese & sour cream. Spoon into potato shells. Sprinkle with paprika. Place on a baking sheet. Bake, uncovered at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until heated through and tops are golden brown.

Potatoes

8 Cups mashed potatoes

½ cup finely chopped onions

2 tsp salt

1 3 oz pkg. cream cheese

1 well beaten egg

Mix well. Put in a greased loaf pan, 9x13. If you wish, cover with ½ can Campbell’s Cheddar Cheese Soup. Cover & bake ½ hour & 1 hour if cold.

Ham & Potato Casserole

2 pounds of hashbrowns, thawed and uncooked

1/4 cup melted butter

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup of grated cheddar cheese

2 cups of sour cream

Ham (leftover from a ham dinner is best, but you can cut up a ham steak)

Topping:

1 1/2 cups crushed corn flakes

1/4 cup melted butter

Combine ingredients and mix thoroughly. Top with topping. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.

Recipe from Leanne Paxton

Potato Gnocchi

2 large baking potatoes (like russet)
Dash of nutmeg
Salt
1/2 cup flour
2 egg yolks
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Bake the potatoes.  When cool enough to touch, remove the flesh and put through a potato ricer.  Take three gently packed cups of riced potatoes and dump onto a counter top.  Form a rectangle.  Sprinkle nutmeg, salt and flour over the top of the potatoes.  Add egg yolks and fold it all together.  Knead by hand to form a dough.  Cut the dough into quarters.  With each quarter, roll into a long tube, about 1 inch thick.  Cut into 1 inch sections and form little pillows with each piece.

Cook in boiling water.  Gnocchi is done when it floats to the surface.  Add to a sauce of your choice (like an Alfredo or a mushroom sauce, recipes to come).  Enjoy!