Potato Patties

Oh... I just love the smell of fried food in the morning. These are great to make early, then throw in the fridge and serve cold with ketchup. Everyone has their own version, but my Grandpa used to make these for me... since he was a Saint and the best cook I've ever known, I haven't really changed the recipe.

Ingredients:


2oz. Original Idahoan mashed potatoes
4oz. Garlic Idahoan mashed potatoes
8oz. cream cheese, softened in microwave
2 eggs
3 cups water
1/2 cup Italian style bread crumbs
vegetable oil

Instructions:


In a medium pot, bring water to boil, add in mashed potatoes, cream cheese, and eggs. Reduce heat, stir constantly for a few minutes. Allow mashed potatoes to cool completely. Pour breadcrumbs onto small plate; when potatoes are cool, scoop tablespoon sized portions into you palm and form a rough ball shape. Roll ball in breadcrumbs until lightly coated; form into 1/2 inch (approximately) patty. Fry in vegetable oil until golden brown, flip to other side, fry until golden brown. Lay patties on paper towel lined plate to soak up excess grease.

Some people like these hot, but I think they are SO much better cold... and ketchup is a must.

Salsa

I love chips and salsa & that's all I have to say about that.

Ingredients:

1 14.5oz Mexican style stewed tomatoes

1 6oz can tomato paste

1 tsp chipotle chile powder

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp cumin

1 heaping tbsp minced garlic

2oz red habanero hot sauce

1 medium onion

1 large bell pepper (I had leftover halves of a bell pepper trinity so I used those), chopped

8 tomatillos

10 jalapenos

1 medium onion

1/4 cup cilantro

2 tbsp lime juice

Instructions:

In a medium pot, combine stewed tomatoes, tomatillos (whole, outer skin removed), bell pepper, garlic, spices, and tomato paste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook until tomatillos turn slightly golden. Pour in blender and set on grate, low speed. Blend until there are no large chunks of tomatillo or stewed tomato. 

Mince jalapenos (stems removed) and cilantro (roughly 1/2 the bunch) in a food processor, finely chop onion, and add all remaining ingredients to tomato mixture. Best if refrigerated for a few hours.

Bacon Wrapped Green Beans

Bacon wrapped green beans.... *drool* oh yes, everything is better with bacon, and if there is a way to take something healthy and turn it into a sinful concoction of artery clogging goodness, I will find it. I've been making these for years, and I honestly cannot count how many people I've had to give this recipe to. They're great for an appetizer at a party or a side dish for ANY meal. Really. Bacon goes with everything. Today happens to be the AFC Championship game, (GO PATS!!) so I made bacon wrapped green beans, salsa, and a roast is in the crockpot....

Bacon Wrapped Green Beans

Ingredients:

4 cans WHOLE green beans

16oz bacon (I always use black label regular bacon)

1 pkg. Italian dressing seasoning

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350

Open cans of green beans and drain, pour out onto plate. Slice bacon in half. on another plate, take one piece of the halved bacon and run finger over it to smooth it out. Bundle about 6-8 green beans onto bacon and wrap; place on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining green beans and bacon. Sprinkle Italian dressing seasoning over green beans. Bake on middle rack for 25-30 minutes. 

Spicy Guacamole

Even people that don't like guacamole like my guacamole... true story.

Spicy Guacamole

You Will Need:
Gallon sized ziplock bag (large ziplock will do)
food processor (or chopper)

Ingredients:
6 small avocados (ripe, soft)
4 jalapenos
4 roma tomatoes
1/2 small bunch of cilantro
4tbs lime juice (or more to taste)
1 small white onion
1 small green bell pepper
1 pkg guacamole seasoning

Instructions:

Slice avocados lengthwise & remove pit & skin. Place in ziplock bag with guacamole seasoning and knead until desired consistency. I like my guacamole a little bit chunky, so I just make sure the big pieces are smashed.

Cut corner off of bag and squeeze into medium sized bowl.

In your food processor or chopper, mince jalapenos with cilantro, add to avocados. finely chop onion & bell pepper. Roughly chop tomatoes & add all to avocados, mix. Mix in lime juice.

serve cold!

Sausage White Queso

I would like to start off by saying that this IS NOT restaurant white queso. It's way better than any restaurant ever thought about making; plus, if I wanted restaurant queso, I would go to a restaurant. This recipe was a random thought of mine... as I was CRAVING queso, but beyond tired of the velveeta/rotel boringness. What I did not expect was for this to turn out to be THE BEST white queso dip I have ever had. That's right. I'll say it. It's the absolute best white queso I have ever had... and I made it... and I'm nice enough to share. So without further ado...

Sausage White Queso

Ingredients:
4 jalapeno peppers
2 poblano peppers
2oz El Yucateco Chile Habanero Sauce (Mexican ingredient section at Walmart)
16oz (one roll) Jimmy Dean hot sausage
1/2 package kraft/philadelphia pepper jack cheese
8oz cream cheese (not pictured)
1 box queso blanco velveeta
1 small onion (sweet yellow)
8oz sour cream

Instructions:
Cut tops off of poblano peppers and remove seeds. Slice into thin strips, then chop (chunky pieces are best) & slice jalapenos into thin rounds (or whichever way you like best). If you like your food to have a bite, leave the seeds, I did of course. Chop onion & put ingredients in a 5qt crock pot. If you have crock pot liners, I suggest using one. Brown sausage in & add to peppers/onion. Cube velveeta & cream cheese and mix in with sausage, etc. Mix in pepper jack cheese and sour cream. Pour habanero sauce on top, it will mix in when you stir periodically later to keep the cheese from burning. This hot sauce is my favorite, so I may be guilty of adding more.... like double. If you like some fire to your food then add away! Cook on high for 2 hours then keep warm.

Hopefully you'll have more luck than I did with your dip actually making it out of the crock pot to serve. Josh and I literally stood in the kitchen eating this & had to pry ourselves away. It's PHENOMENAL, but don't just take my word for it... live, love & cook!