Crustless Ham and Potato Tart

Served with a salad,  green vegetable or egss this versatile dish is delicious for breakfast or dinner.  Left over cornbeef, baked ham a variety of cheeses or a simple trip to the deli counter makes this an family favorite.
I double the recipe and make it in a 13x9 pan there still isn't any leftovers, grins

Crustless Ham and Potato Tart

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method

--------  ------------  --------------------------------

   3      large        red potatoes

   2      medium        onions

     1/4  pound         virginia ham

     1/2  pound         Swiss cheese, sliced or shredded

     3 tbs           butter -- melted

Butter a deep 10" pie plate.   

Do not peel potatoes.   

Slice potatoes and onions very thin.   

Arrange one-third of the potatoes, overlapping in the bottom of the pan.   

Sprinkle with pepper.  

Layer with half of the onion, half of the ham and half of the cheese.

Repeat the layers of potato, onion, ham and cheese.  Finish with potato. 

Arrange so slices overlap nicely.   

Sprinkle with pepper.

Pour the butter over the potatoes, cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes at 425 degrees.  

Uncover and continue baking for another 25 minutes or until potatoes are tender and the top is brown.

Mashed Potatoes slooowwcooker Oh yea!!!

Never going back

no boil overs
put ingredients in 

no babysitting
 walk away enjoy life

 

 

 

chop them large if you have 4 hours to cook them

If I had pretty red potatoes I wouldn't have peeled

I had ugly a bit aged potatoes peeling was a must

 

 

in a hurry jump start by putting your ingredient filled slowcooker in the microwave 10 minutes

 chopped mine real small with the jumpstart the potatoes were cooked in one hour

 

 

Pork Chops and Apples in the oven
potatoes in the slowcooker

I'm enjoying a martini with friends while dinner cooks

  

add more milk, butter  if potatoes are dry

no 2 potatoes are alike

totally in love

remember depending on the type of potato  cooking times will vary, allow extra time you can always keep them on warm while the rest of the meal cooks

Great with my Pork Chops and Apples

Slowcooker Mashed Potatoes
5 servings

Ingredients
6 med size potatoes, cubed, peeling is optional 
1 cup water
 ½ stick of butter
4 oz of cream cheese
½ tsp onion powder
1 clove garlic, crushed
 ¼ - 1/2 cup milk depending on how dry the potatoes are

 Salt and pepper to taste
 

Directions
Butter a 4-quart slowcooker, toss the potatoes, water garlic in then cover and cook on high until the potatoes are tender, about 4 hours. The potatoes might have browned lightly in spots but that is okay.
No need to drain another bonus, add the cream cheese, 1/4 cup  milk , onion powder, to the potatoes. Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes until they are mostly smooth. If the potatoes need to be thinned out, stir in the remaining 1/2 cup warm milk. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Garnish with chives.

add crumbled cooked bacon, 1/2 cup shredded cheese,
2 tbs scallions or chives for a bake stuffed version

sour cream can be used in place of cream cheese

Cauliflower really does mash

 

Mashed Cauliflower surprisingly works very well!!

 

 

Now I love cauliflower so my opinion is a bit jaded

but Rene he has never been a cauliflower fan

Rene Loves mashed potatoes 

fish has to be served with mashed potatoes, really

 

So in our kick to get back to summer size mashed potatoes are not on the menu

Mashed Cauliflower has been posted all over social media

Now's my chance to try it

 

 

1 pretty head of cauliflower will make about 2-3 cups mashed

 

the smaller the flowerets the quicker it will steam

 

I like to steam my cauliflower with chicken stock
I've tried putting the stock in the pan then the cauliflower and that bitter edge stands out

the stock poured over the cauliflower then steamed makes the cauliflower sweet

 

 

 



My favorite Emulsion Blender

I would have fluffed up the mashed cauliflower but my emulsion blender is in Maine I'm not

 

every kitchen should have an emulsion blender, food chopper with whip.  It doesn't take much space, it's easy to clean.  I use mine for soups, whip cream, chopping garlic, peppers, carrots.
 

 

After steaming do not drain - just mash the liquid with the cauliflower

mine is hand mashed with a fork, still great

If you want fluffier use an emulsion blender, hand mixer or food processor

 

 

Rene loved the Mashed Cauliflower

I will continue to make it on occasion

cauliflower is not a cheap version of potatoes

 

 

Mashed Cauliflower

1/2 cup chicken broth
1 large head cauliflower
1 tbl cream cheese
3 tablespoons chives, snipped, about 12 blades

 Trim away greens and stems from the base of cauliflower. Cut flowerets off core with a sharp paring knife. Set flowerets into saucepan.  Pour broth over cauliflower giving the cauliflower a light coat helps take the bitterness away.  Cover pot, bring liquid to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium low steam cauliflower, covered, until very soft 15-20 minutes.  Do not drain, mash the cauliflower, add  cream cheese and a splash of milk if it is dry. Season with salt & pepper.

 Stir in chives and transfer cauliflower to as serving dish.

 Variations:

A handful grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano ,1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg or
 

½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
½ tbs fresh rosemary
crumbled bacon
If you don't want dairy don't use cream cheese add a little stock or earth balance buttery spread

Size Does Matter

It seems silly to post about size but my idea of large and yours is not always the same and if they're not the same the recipe won't yield the same results which could turn it into a huge floppola!

 

 I learned the hard way without even thinking I chopped a large onion

 it's what the recipe called for it right.....wrong!!

 

If you chop 2 of the small onions instead of 2 of the large onions huge difference in measurements.  That large onion is about two cups of onion the small 1 cup know make a recipe that calls for two large onions is that 2 cups of onion or four cups yep made that mistake !!!!!!!

2 of the large potatoes made enough mashed potatoes for 5 people where as the red  took 5 potatoes to make 5 servings of mashed and the red were fairly large for a red potato.

Same with sweet potatoes oh yea screwed up a recipe big time that called for 3 sweet potatoes I had sweet potatoes everywhere just over powering the rest of the stew.

Every cook has there own idea of what large and small are.  I promise to do my best to always have measurable amount in my recipes so you don't have to guess my large.