Easy and Versatile Potato Salad

I used to think potato salad was hard to make and required a recipe, but now I know it's very easy and you can make it however you want and can easily make it for a crowd without having to double or triple a small recipe. My mother-in-law makes a really good potato salad (My husband's favorite, until mine.) and I liked it, but wanted more mayo and seasonings. Once she showed me how to do it, I realized just how easy potato salad is to make and now I no longer follow a recipe. Who needs to! So, this is how I make it. Sorry, it's not specific, but this is the general guidelines and you can find what works for you and make your own signature potato salad. Everyone likes it a little different. (I'll post a picture when I make it next.)

Potato Salad

Potatoes (as many as you like) Once cooked, let sit in fridge until completely cold and then if desired, peel skins off potatoes (This is what I do). I can typically do this with my hands because they come off pretty easy. Chop to desired size.

Eggs (as many as you like - we like a lot!) Put in fridge. When cold, chop eggs up.

Mayonnaise (as much as you need) Some people like a really dry potato salad and others like a lot of mayo. I'm more on the mayo side, but don't overdo it!

Seasonings (whatever you like best and as much as you like) I personally love a lot of the House Seasoning in it. Gives it great flavor. Most potato salads I try, in my opinion don't have enough salt and therefore don't have enough flavor. I also add some dill sometimes, perhaps extra garlic powder or onion powder, and sometimes I like to add dried onion flakes because it gives you the yummy onion taste without being as strong as fresh chopped onions. Make sure if you use the dried onions, you let your potato salad sit a while so the onions get softer. My typical recipe just uses House Seasoning to taste though.

If desired, you can add chopped celery, or chopped bacon, or whatever you like in your potato salad. I just do mine with eggs, potatoes, mayo, and seasonings and love it best that way!

Mix all ingredients in a bowl (do eggs last, otherwise they'll turn to a paste- been there, done that) Once you've got desired taste and consistency, add eggs. Season more or add more mayo if necessary. Sit in fridge for several hours to get cold and have flavors mix. Enjoy!

Cooking Directions:

Potatoes - Microwave without poking holes in them for 9 minutes or until potatoes are tender all the way through when pierced with a fork. The easiest and tastiest way to microwave potatoes is to get them wet and wrap completely in a slightly damp kitchen towel. This steams the potatoes and they don't dry out like they do when you poke holes in them with a fork. (This makes a great baked potato for dinner!) You can also boil them in the skins until they are done.)

Eggs - The easiest and most fool-proof way I've found to hard boil eggs is to get a large enough pot to put your eggs in a single layer on the bottom. Then, fill it with COLD water and cover eggs with 1 inch of water above them. Put on burner on high and wait until a full rolling boil. (This is where I always went wrong because as soon as it would start to boil, I would take it off the burner. You must wait until it's a boil that is very hard and bubbling and not stopping.) Then, as soon as it's a full rolling boil, take off burner and cover with lid. After 18 minutes, pour out hot water and run cool water over eggs. This will make a dry, but not too dry yolk, like you would get at a restaurant on a salad. It might take a few times to get it just right, so don't give up. I make egg salad sandwiches all the time with this. It's also a great way to use up eggs that didn't get cooked enough in the middle. No one will ever know!

Sweet Potato Casserole - Great for the holidays or potlucks!

This casserole is so yummy and in my opinion, way better than the usual casserole topped with marshmallows at Thanksgiving. This is so good, you just might want to have it for dessert instead!

Sweet Potato Casserole

6 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes (approximately 3 large potatoes)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, softened

Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup butter, softened (do not melt)
1 cup finely chopped pecans

1) Combine sweet potatoes, sugar, eggs, vanilla, milk, and 1/2 cup butter. Beat with electric mixer until smooth. Spoon into greased 13X9 in. pan.

2) Combine brown sugar, flour, 1/3 cup butter, and pecans. Sprinkle over top. Bake at 350 deg. for 30 min.

Makes 8-10 servings.

Classic Potato Salad

This is great for a barbecue, potluck, or anytime.

Classic Potato Salad

2 lbs. potatoes (5 to 6 medium), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks (This works best to boil potatoes in their jackets so it doesn't get mushy.)
1 cup mayonnaise (Hellmann's is best)
2 Tbsp. vinegar (Can use less, it tends to be strong.)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 cup thinly sliced celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

1)In 4-quart saucepot, cover potatoes with water; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain and cool slightly.

2)In large bowl, combine mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, sugar and pepper. Add potatoes, celery, onion and eggs and toss gently. Serve chilled or at room temperature. (Tastes best chilled on the second day in my opinion.)

Broccoli Salad

This broccoli salad is actually a combination of a few recipes in which I combined elements of them together to make the ultimate broccoli salad. This is great for barbecues, potlucks, or with lunch.

Broccoli Salad

1 large head of broccoli, chopped
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3-4 slices fried bacon, chopped
1 cup raisins, optional (This is a great addition.)

Dressing

2 tbs. apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup mayonnaise

Mix first 5 ingredients together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix final 3 ingredients and pour over broccoli mixture. Stir well.

Refrigerate for 4 hours before serving.



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Corn Casserole

This is the traditional corn casserole that always seems to show up at potlucks and around the holidays. If you've never had it, you've gotta try it! I always keep the ingredients on hand so I can whip it up real fast at a moment's notice. You can also use about 2 cups of frozen corn instead of the canned whole kernel corn for a fresher taste. This recipe couldn't be easier to make.

Corn Casserole

1 can creamed corn
1 can whole kernel corn
1 stick butter, melted
1 8oz. package sour cream
1 pkg. jiffy corn muffin mix

Stir together all ingredients and put in an 8 X 8 dish. Bake at 350 Deg. F. for one hour and top is browned.



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Lentil and Spinach Puffs

These are a very yummy and healthy treat. You could serve them as an appetizer with a dipping sauce for a party or have as a side dish with your meal. They're a great finger food and cheap to make. I like to double this recipe.

Lentil and Spinach Puffs

3/4 cup dried lentils
3 tbs. water
2 tbs. chopped onion

16 oz. frozen spinach thawed, and squeezed dry
3/4 tsp. salt
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp. flour
1/8 tsp. baking powder

peanut or vegetable oil

1) Sort and wash lentils; place in a bowl. Cover with water to 2 inches above lentils. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

2) Drain lentils well. Place lentils, water, and onions in a food processor; process until smooth, scraping down sides occasionally. Combine the pureed lentil mixture and remaining ingredients (excluding oil) and mix well.

3) Heat oil (as much as needed to coat bottom of pan) in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Drop lentil mixture by heaping tablespoons into pan. Flatten slightly with bottom of spatula. Cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned and heated through. Remove from pan. Cover and keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining lentil mixture.



Here's my 2 1/2 year old son Camden helping me stir the mixture. He loves to cook!



This is them cooking in the pan. Make sure you add more oil as necessary and adjust the temperature if needed so they don't burn.



I just had this for my main course for dinner tonight. I liked them that much! I drizzled(or rather slathered them) with my Homemade Russian Dressing and sprinkled them with Lawry's Garlic Salt. Yumm-o!



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Cinnamon-Sugar Glazed Carrots

This was a recipe I just made up because every other glazed carrot recipe I tried was nasty, wasn't sweet enough, or didn't have enough sauce. I love butter on vegetables, and the cinnamon and sugar add a nice sweetness and it has a wonderful-tasting sauce that my family, especially the kids loved. I even dipped my dinner roll in the left-over sauce and it was so yummy! I'll add a picture next time I make it.

Cinnamon-Sugar Glazed Carrots

4 cups chopped carrots (I used baby carrots. You could leave them whole too.)
4 tbs. butter
½ cup brown sugar
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. salt

Bring water in a large pot to a boil. Add carrots, bring back to a boil. Cover and simmer 7-9 minutes or until carrots are to desired tenderness. Drain and set aside. Over medium heat, melt butter, then add brown sugar and stir. Stir continuously and cook until boiling, then add cinnamon and salt. Stir well, remove from heat and mix with cooked carrots. Serve.

You could easily cut the sauce in half if it's too much for you, but it's great for rolls!



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Baked Lentils

This is probably one of our family's favorite recipes and it's very economical to make. It's slightly sweet and so tasty. I think it's really supposed to be a side dish like baked beans, but we use it as a main course all the time. Our favorite way to serve it is burrito-style. We fill a flour tortilla with the baked lentils and microwave some shredded cheddar cheese on top. Then we top it with lettuce, tomato, and then we drizzle it with some homemade french or russian dressing (I'll be posting these recipes as well) that I make. It's soooo delicious and very good for you. Lots of protein and fiber. Our young kids love it as well just topped with the melted cheddar cheese. I often triple the recipe because we go through it so fast.

Baked Lentils

1 cup lentils
2 1/4 cups water
1/2 cup onions, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1 tbs. brown sugar
1 tbs. ketchup
1 tbs. molasses
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 c. vegetable oil

Rinse lentils; drain. Combine lentils, water, onions and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 45 minutes. Add other ingredients; put in casserole dish. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. (Make sure you don't forget to stir it or it will scorch and get dried out.) Serves 4 to 6 people.



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