Cream of Potato and Chicken Soup

4 chicken thighs
2 quarts water
8 medium potatoes, peeled and diced into
2 tsp minced garlic
1 large onion, diced
1 tsp salt or more to taste
1 1/2 c. half & half
1 1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. mashed potato flakes
3 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Boil the chicken, onion and garlic in the water and salt for ~2 hours.  After the chicken's boiled, remove it and let the pieces cool.  While cooling, put the chopped potatoes, spices, in the broth and cook on medium for 10 minutes.

While the potatoes cook, heat the half & half in the microwave until hot.  In a separate bowl, mix together the mashed potato flakes and flour.  Mix in the half & half, gradually adding in soup broth and stirring until the mashed potatoes are loose and soupy.  They should be slightly lumpy. 

Remove chicken meat from the bones, chop up the meat, discard bones and cartilage.  Add meat to soup.  Stir the mashed potatoes into the soup, add the cheese and the milk.  Adjust salt levels to taste.

German Ham and Cabbage Casserole

4 c. coarsely chopped ham, or available meat
16 ounce dry macaroni, or 2 lbs potatoes
1/2 head cabbage, chopped well
1 1/2 c. sauerkraut
6 tbsp butter
3/4 c. flour
5 c. milk
1 c. dry white wine or sherry (NOT cooking sherry)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. caraway seeds
3 1/2 c. shredded cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9x13 inch casserole or other similar sized dish.

NOODLE VERSION:
2a. Cook noodles according to package directions in salted water. Strain out water and dress with a small amount of oil to keep noodles from sticking together.

POTATO VERSION:
2b. Peel potatoes.  If they're large, chop them in half or quarters to have pieces the size of a large chicken egg.  Boil the potatoes not quite fork tender.  Remove from water and cut into 1/4 inch slices.

3. while the potatoes/noodles are cooking, chop the cabbage.  The cabbage should be partially cooked before mixing into the casserole.  Use a large pot, fill with 2 quarts of water and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, add all the cabbage and parboil for 3 minutes.  Drain immediately and set aside.

4. I used a spiral-cut ham for this and just coarsely chopped up 4 cups worth of meat.  There was still plenty left for other things!

5. Make the roux: in a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat until foam subsides. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in milk, salt, pepper and caraway seeds. Stir frequently until the sauce thickens, about 5 to 10 minutes.  Stir in sherry and move to next step.

6. Mix the meat, cabbage, sauerkraut and sauce in with the noodles/potatoes. Pour mixture into the casserole dish. Stir in the shredded cheese.

7. Bake for 40 minutes or until the cheese is melted and casserole is heated through.

German Fried Potatoes and Sausage

3 pounds russet potatoes, washed and quartered
6 ounces sliced smoked bacon
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons German mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 medium red onion, 1/2-inch dice (about 1 cup)
4 large bratwursts or similarly sized sausages, cooked, and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 cup sliced fresh chives

Put the quartered potatoes into a pot of water over high heat.  Once boiling, boil for ~5 minutes strain out the water.  The par-boiled potatoes should be placed into the freezer for 45 min to an hour to freeze them. 

Make the vinaigrette next.
Fry the bacon in a frying pan.  Drain off 1/4 c. of bacon grease.  Blend the mustard and 3 tbsp of vinegar, then whisk in the grease to emulsify.  The result should look somewhat like thousand island dressing.  Season with salt and pepper.

Remove potatoes from freezer and cut into 1/2 inch cubes.

Pour oil and any remaining bacon grease into a large dutch oven and begin frying the onions.  Once the onions are beginning to soften, add the potatoes and season liberally with salt and pepper.  Saute the potatoes 4 to 6 min, until they are cooked through, stirring frequently.  Turn heat to med-high and continue cooking 6 to 8 min. more, until the potatoes are lightly browned and crispy.  Add the chopped sausages and bacon, and toss well with the mustard sauce.

Garnish with chives.

Bret's Vegetable Bake

5 medium to large potatoes, cubed
2 carrots, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1 medium or half of a large sweet potato, cubed
1 zucchini , chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
1 can of diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp sage
olive oil
lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Pour enough oil into an oblong 9x12 pan to cover the bottom.  Put all ingredients into the pan and stir until blended.
Bake for 1 hour.  Serve with sour cream.

Greek Potato Salad With Yogurt and Mustard Dressing

http://www.food.com/recipe/potato-salad-with-yogurt-and-mustard-dressing-130835

Ingredients:

Servings:

  4   4

4-6

Units: US | Metric

• 1 lb waxy potato , peeled, cooked and cubed
• 1 chopped red onion
• 1/2 cucumber , washed, not peeled, cut into small cubes (remove the seeds if there are many)
• 1 finely chopped celery rib
• 1/2 bell pepper , any color, chopped
• 10 olives , halved (green or black)
• 2 hard-boiled eggs , chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped mint
• 1 cup thick Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon capers , roughly chopped
• 2 minced anchovy fillets (or salt if you do not like ansjovies)
• pepper
• 1 large garlic clove , crushed
• 2 tomatoes , cut in wedges

Directions:

1. 1
   Mix together in a large bowl: potatoes, onion, cucumber, celery, bell pepper, olives, eggs, parsley and mint.
2. 2
   Mix the yogurt with the mustard, cayenne, capers, anchovies (or salt), pepper and garlic, taste and adjust the seasoning to your taste.
3. 3
   Gently mix the dressing with the salad, transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with the tomatoes (and more olives if you like).