Extra Crispy Baked French Fries

I meeeean....we all love french fries, right?? But generally frying them is a messy and unhealthy thing we don't wanna mess with at home. That's why baked fries are so awesome--but I feel like they're never quite crispy and flavorful enough...

until now!

The two things that really help crisp these fries up is soaking them in water (this helps get some of the starch out, which gets a crispier result) and making sure to dry them after that. As far as flavor goes that's on you: salt the heck out of 'em. Put some truffle oil and parmesan cheese on them (that's what I diiiid!). Do garlic or a spice blend. Whatever makes your french fry loving heart happy.

Have I told you all my french fry shame? The kind of gross way I used to eat (specifically McDonald's) french fries as a kid? I used to....*deep breath* suck off the salt and then dip them in ketchup. They were soggy and gross and I don't know what was wrong with me....I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. I was a weird kid with weird food habits.

I'm a changed lady, now, and am in fact a bit of a french fry snob. These were definitely the best fries I've ever baked at home and they will be getting made again (so that Michael can actually try them because I maaaay have eaten them all before he got home. Oops!)

Homemade Cheddar Pierogi {with Caramelized Onions}

This is a big one, guys. This is one of those recipes that like...changes your life. Ok...maybe that's dramatic.

...OR IS IT?

No but forrealsies, these are definitely a new favorite. Turns out-making homemade, from scratch, pierogi isn't that hard (I will admit that it dirties a lot of dishes, but it is TOTALLY worth it!)

Now, first of all, if you aren't familiar with pierogi: they're pretty much a pasta that is filled with mashed potatoes (and, in this case, cheddar cheese) and usually served with sauteed or caramelized onions. There's a bunch of variations but, in my opinion, this version is the best.

The pasta shell is tender. The cheddar mashed potato filling is perfectly flavorful and comforting. Sauteeing the pierogi in butter after boiling makes the texture and flavor even better. And serving them with caramelized onions is just perfection. I'm legit. obsessed. Michael is too. He took one bite and gave me a wide-eyed look, "These are amazing!" He was impressed. I was sort of impressed. You'll be impressed. If you need a perfect pierogi recipe-look no further! Or, if you just want a new idea for dinner tomorrow-also look no further! You need homemade cheddar pierogi in your life!

Potato Scones

Yes yes....Kayle sees a new potato recipe and feels the need to make it. Don't give me as hard of a time as Michael does about it, mmkay? Cuz really...don't we all love potatoes? And my love means I share potato recipes with all of you soooo...I think it's a win win for all of us.

Now...I had never heard of potato scones before. Google tells me they're Scottish...which makes sense (I've been watching a lot of Outlander and I've read the books so obviously I'm an expert on Scots lol). I'm not Scottish at all (to my knowledge...although those ancestry commercials for DNA testing make me consistently curious as to what my results would be) but I am Irish. And St. Patrick's Day is coming up. And you know...potatoes are like a big deal for Ireland (which is like pretty similar to Scotland really...they both speak Gaelic and are in similar areas and yeah...) So I think these potato scones are perfect for the occasion, really.

They're a comfort food I didn't even know existed. They're made from mashed potatoes and normal scone/biscuity-y ingredients and then...they're fried in a skillet (I prefer cast iron for this sort of job. Makes me feel very pioneer-y.) And you serve them with butter. And they're darned delicious. Crisp and fried on the outside, and shining with melted butter, and then they're chewy and potato-y on the inside. I loved them.

DO YOU SEE THE GLISTENING BUTTER AND THE FRIED GOODNESS??!

Need I say more?

Phyllo Potato Pastries

Truth be told everyone...I've been having a hard time getting back into the swing of things in the kitchen and with the blog post-holidays. Does anybody else feel somewhat adrift? ...No? Just me?

Ok that's cool. I'll do better y'all, pinky promise!

Now...this is a pretty classic Kayle recipe--there's potatoes...and there's carbs. But it's fun and different and kinda classy (I think) because flaky and delicious phyllo dough is wrapped around shredded and seasoned potatoes and onions and it's all baked to tasty perfection.

I think these are great especially as an entertaining food--because the recipe makes a lot, and there's something about phyllo dough that just screams "I'M FOR GUESTS!" to me *shrug*. Unfortunately we were not having any company when I made these so it was up to Michael and I to eat them all. And if any eaters were ever up to the task...it was us. 

They're quite delicious and I'm definitely keeping them in mind next time I need something to bring to a party!

Roasted Garlic Potato Soup

Admittedly...this winter has been pretty mild so far. Like...no complaints here. BUT...I still want soup sometimes! And when I'm presented with a potato soup with roasted garlic and onions...well...I'm certainly not going to say no.

What's your favorite Christmas movie?? It's a tie for me: Muppet Family Christmas and Muppet Christmas Carol (yes...they're both muppet movies...do not judge me. Also...the runner up is How Elmo Saved Christmas. True story). Whatever your fave holiday flick...wouldn't it be wonderous to curl up by a fire, with the Christmas lights on, and watch your favorite holiday movie while eating spoonful after spoonful of this rich, creamy, soup?

I think so too. You need to carbo-load to help with all that present wrapping you have to do.

This soup is seriously thick and smooth and has that mellow, sweet roasted garlic flavor and the comforting taste of potatoes. And...I HIGHLY recommend topping stirring in some cheese. Seriously...it makes all the difference. It turns a good soup into a GREAT soup. 

Crispy Potatoes

Michael's mom makes ridiculous amounts of food. Like...always. Anytime we're eating there she makes, like, 8 things at once. It is insanity. Delicious insanity but...still. One of the more common meals we end up eating over there is breakfast/brunch (or 2nd breakfast or elevensies...they enjoy LoTR). And my fave thing that makes an appearance during these "breakfasts" are her potatoes. They're super crispy and sort of spicy (to me anyway, which means to normal people they're probably not very spicy at all) and I've seen her make them and I'd witnessed how simple and quick they are to make!

So I was like...duh...let's do this.

All you need to do is stand in the kitchen and watch your adorable, 4'10" future-mother-in-law quickly chop up some potatoes and...oh...wait...you don't have your very own Mama Maria?

My bad. We'll discuss the method where you make these yourself and you don't just keep your fiance's mom company in the kitchen while she whips them up with enviable speed (whilst also having like 10 other things cooking at the same time...seriously...I do not know how she does it. She sets an impossible standard. But I digress.)

Something pretty awesome about this method of cooking potatoes (aside from how easy it is) is that it's completely up to you how you want them to taste. Season according to your personal preferences! Michael's mom uses paprika and salt and pepper--maybe you want rosemary! Or truffle salt! Or maybe chili powder--it's entirely up to you. And then you can serve them aside eggs or crepes or with steak. And they're crisp on the outside and soft on the inside and so rustic looking and they taste like maybe a cowboy made them for you...like...in a good way.

Because, in my case, it's usually a sweet little Italian woman making them for me.

Or me. Or YOU?! :D*

*See you at brunch!

Baked Parmesan Hash Brown Cups

Crispy hash browns are the beeeest.

Amirite?

But messy fried hash browns are no bueno for our kitchens and our waistlines. This recipe is the solution!

You guys also know how much I love Parmesan cheese, yes? It's like my favorite cheese. So when I was that this recipe not only makes crispy hash browns baked in a muffin tin but that there's Parm up in there? I was SOLD. And I will tell you that they 100% live up to the hype!

First of all-yes. These are super duper crispy. And yes-they taste amaaaazing.

But they're also little portable cups! So I feel like they're perfect for kids or entertaining and because they're cups they have sort of this fun little area on the top where you could place a cooked egg or a dollop of sour cream with chives or whatever! Make it fancy! Or don't. You can be like me and just dip them in ketchup while sitting on the couch and watching The Originals on TV. Really, you're gonna have a good morning either way.

Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes

It's official. I'm a cliche'. (As if the fact that roses are my favorite flower, I'm obsessed with wedding planning, and just about everything else about me wasn't enough.) I just realized that I am actually going through a quarter-life crisis. And I'm 25. So....yeah.

Since leaving NY and deciding to leave behind any possibility of becoming a rich and famous actor...I'm sort of confused. In a perfect world I would just continue acting and blogging and doing promo work, like now. But then I think about having children and how I want to be able to give them a good life (and I want to put 4 kids through Catholic school) and I know I probably won't make enough for that (and Michael's never going to make big money). But-on top of the fact that I don't want a full-on 9-5 etc. job, I don't like the idea of-when I have kids-needing to leave them to go back to work after a month or 2. I want to be able to, mostly, stay home with them. So...I don't know. I'm all conflicted about it. The idea of being a wedding planner has been tossed around. I guess we'll just see.

Ok-sorry about unloading that all on you guys! Overall I'm super happy and content with life, sometimes the 'ole quarter life crisis fears like to just seep in. And then we need a little comfort food. And, as anyone who witness me eat over the holidays can tell you, potatoes pretty much always lift my spirits.

Especially when there are soft, slightly sweet, somewhat caramelized onions are thrown into the mix.

The onions-while technically they are still considered caramelized (I googled it!) they're like sauteed caramelized onions. So they cook in butter for a while-but not a super long time. Which...since I'm impatient...works out perfectly for me. AND you don't add any sugar which is good because I get enough sugar in my diet. 

And they're freakin' delicious in rich, creamy, mashed potatoes. And then you shovel a bunch into your mouth. And we all are happy.

Yes.

Melting Roasted Potatoes

Look....I'm gonna tell you right now....this week's recipes are not not supposed to be potential recipes for Thanksgiving....

...if you are aware of the way double negatives work...then you know....the recipes in fact are kinda supposed to be potential things for you to make for Thanksgiving. Full transparency on this blog, people.

I really really really adore potatoes. They're my side dish of choice. So OF COURSE I fully support various kinds of potato sides for the big fat day we call Thanksgiving! And....every day really. And when I find a new potato recipe it gets made pretty darn quick. Like...within the week, generally. Such is the case with these. Especially because of the name...like...potatoes...that melt? What?

I'm gonna end the suspense: they don't really melt.

They just sort of melt in your mouth because they are sooo tender!

You just roast some sliced potatoes until they're pretty much falling apart (but crisp on the outside)--and they cook for a little bit with a yummy broth/garlic-y sauce which you serve over them. Somehow they're both rustic and sophisticated....how...how you do that, potatoes?

Hoo...can I just like...talk to you for a sec? Yeah? Awesome. 

Currently I need to put some new glasses that I received away (they're from our registry-Michael's mom adorably couldn't wait to buy from it so that's my birthday gift :P)--which means I need to rearrange the cabinets a bit. I also need to address some of the Save the Dates and try not to stress about the fact that I'm still waiting on address lists from Michael's families. I also need to do some price comparison shopping for new tires for my car because I have practically no traction and snow is coming and I'm halfway (ok....more than halfway) convinced that driving in the snow will result in my untimely death. Plus I need to keep up with this blog and make food to eat and keep the house together and...ya know...life.

This is unrelated to potatoes except for the fact that they're delicious and comfort food and pretty easy to make. So...yeah. I should probably make myself some, yeah? You should too.

Individual Baked Mashed Potatoes

Sometimes you need to brainstorm a recipe that you can share on your blog.

Sometimes you have leftover Gruyere cheese and chives that'll die as soon as a frost decides to hit.

Sometimes you're a potato addict.

This recipe is a result of these times.

Life is a smidge crazy around my household currently. Michael has a huge workload to deal with in his new job as a caseworker plus school plus things I ask him to do around the house plus wedding stuff plus a need/obligation to see family and friends.

I suppose it'd be more accurate to say Michael's life is crazy. But...ya know...I'm kinda busy-ish too.

Anyway...

Maybe you're busy too. Maybe you just want some comfort food. Maybe you want flavorful and cheesy potatoes. Maybe you only want a single serving so you can control yourself. Or maybe you already have self-control without having to impose it upon yourself and maybe you're having a dinner party (or...hmmm....Thanksgiving isn't too far awayyyy). Maybe you're having a dinner party and you want a side dish you can make ahead of the time and just put it in the oven when you're ready. Maybe these individual mashed potatoes are as much of a lifesaver for you as they were for me?

Yeah. I thought so.

Mashed Potato Pizza

Sometimes inspiration hits you like a sledgehammer.

One day I was just on facebook, like I do, and I saw a girl I knew from high school posted a promo from a restaurant about how their "Mashed Potato Pizza is Back!" and I was just like "WHAAAAA??!"

And I knew I must make it.

What does a pizza consist of? Crust, sauce, cheese, toppings.
What does this pizza consist of? Crust, mashed potato, cheese, topping.

Pretty similar.

Pizza is always the perfect dish because you can completely, 100%, make it according to your preference. I used whole wheat thin crust pizza crust, because I like it. You can use whatever suits your fancy-whether that be store-bought or your favorite recipe. You can also use regular, plain old mashed potatoes or jazzed up ones (like garlic mashed potatoes! Or ones with sour cream!)--and you can use fresh mashed potatoes or save on time by using leftover. Top it with your cheese of choice. And then whatever toppings make you happy-which for me are chives/scallions. For you it might be bacon. Who knows!?

Also, if you're extra special and get your hands on some STAR Grilling Cuisine Cooking Oil (with garlic!) it makes a tasty addition when brushed onto the pizza dough before baking. Just saying.

It's fall. Comfort food season. What's more comforting than pizza AND mashed potatoes?!

Homemade Potato Casserole

I love potatoes. I love casseroles. I love making things from scratch. This recipe combines all those things!

I feel like this casserole is that dish that everyone's aunt brings to family functions and everyone loves and gobbles up immediately. It's just like that-but sans all those preservatives. No one will know the difference, except that it tastes like way better (no offense all you aunties out there!)

I don't know if I've really said it but I need to let you all know something: my decision to move to Ohio was like....one of the best decisions I've ever made. Being home has been unbelievably amazing. I love getting to spend time with family, I love the area, I just really really love my life right now. Michael's happy. I'm happy. Everything is wonderful. And that's pretty darn awesome.

My point is that I would totally bring this to something with my family.

Allow me to describe to you what sort of taste journey you would go on if you made this casserole: soft, delicious, potatoes are cooked with onions and garlic and chicken broth for flavor. They also have some sour cream added, for that tangy/baked potato kind of spin. And of course...there is cheese. Always cheese.

Roasted Garlic Parmesan Tater Tots

These may be the best tater tots I've ever had.

Yeah. I just said it.

And you know the best part about these AHMAZING (and oh so addictive) tater tots is? They're not fried. They're not breaded. They're not full of gunk. They're just potatoes, deliciously sweet and smoky roasted garlic, and my fave dairy product: Parmesan cheese. And a dash 'o' salt. Oh yeah.

Do you want to know the 2nd best part?

I got to use my cutie-patootie little baby ramekin. Loooook at it! Cuteness.

Seriously though...I couldn't stop eating these. I'm sort of in love. And of all the tater tots that I've made, these might be the EASIEST and quickest too! Even Michael liked them (he said next time he'd like to try them with only potatoes-but at least he didn't say he'd rather have the frozen kind!-SUCCESS!...sorta...I still wanted the garlic and Parmesan....but I guess I could go basic next time ;P).

You should make these for yourself, for your significant other, for your mother, for your kids, for your brother (I ate mine before my brother could get to them-that kid is a bit of a mooch lol), for EVERYOOONE. They are total winners! Imagine bringing them to a barbecue, or having them as an after school snack,  or snacking on these lovelies whilst watching Netflix on the couch....all are great options.

Cheesy Chive Mashed Potatoes

Can we real talk for a sec?

I feel like I'm drowning. Like I can't keep up with everything going on. I, very seriously, cannot remember ever being this busy in my life. And don't get me wrong-I am having SO much fun! But I feel like I'm constantly behind and failing at stuff around the house. I'm not cleaning so much. And I'm not cooking or baking nearly enough. And the blog is getting hard to keep up with. I feel like I'm running out of recipes to share so I keep trying to come up with other posts and just...it's hard. I really want to keep consistent and keep to our regular posting schedule, but it is getting really difficult to keep up with. I'm thinking/hoping that once summer is over things will let up and I'll have time again, but in the meantime I'm just stressed. Mostly because I feel like I'm failing. Like I'm not taking good enough care of Michael or the house and like I'm supposed to be the girl who is always in the kitchen and lately...not so much. And don't even get me started on the fact that I have yet to see the inside of our fitness room so my plans to lose weight are thus far...not happening. I'm overall super happy, but sometimes I just get overwhelmed by all of this. Ya know?

Thanks for listening :)

Now that I'm done using you all as my personal therapists, we can get back to the reason you all are here: quirky banter and FOOD!

I haven't shared a mashed potato recipe on the blog in a little while and I''m gonna be honest about why:

It's not that I haven't made mashed potatoes. I have-a bunch. I just sort of make them, though, recipe-less.

But, due to the aforementioned stress, I was desperate for recipes for the blog and I have an herb garden that is overflowing. An herb garden which includes chives. You see where I'm going with this.

Obviously I needed to spice up my regular mashed potatoes with some chives! And ya know....cheese. Cuz....cheese.

And, in case you didn't know, you can absolutely use scallions/green onions in place of the chives. I feel like they're generally pretty interchangeable (except I think chives flavor might be a smidge more subtle).

Anyway, this recipe is super simple and really one of my most favoritest things. You'll end up with creamy, super flavorful and delicious mashed potatoes! Serve them with pot roast, chicken, pork....or....ya know...just in a bowl. And call it dinner. 

...not that I do that or anything.

Tyrrells English Chips Review and #GIVEAWAY (CLOSED)

Oh those Brits...they sure know how to make some good chips (or crisps...whatever you wanna call 'em!)

Tyrrell's English Chips just launched in the U.S. this past fall and I am so excited to introduce (or re-introduce if you're lucky enough to have already tasted the yumminess!) you to my new favorite snacks!

Tyrrell's English Chips are hand cooked in small batches on the company's farm in the beautious English countryside, and are made from only two super special potatoes (the Lady Claire and Lady Rosetta) that are sourced from 10 local farms (so the quality of the chip is consistent through the year!) Every flavor is gluten-free, hand-cooked in small batches with all natural ingredients, and most are vegetarian and vegan friendly too! HAPPY SNACKING FOR EVERYONE!

I was lucky enough to be able to try a bag of each Tyrrell's chip varieties and they were each so flavorful and perfect!

• Lightly Sea Salted-I'm a purist, so the most basic, classic, variety was obviously my favorite. Perfectly crisp and with just the right amount of salt, these chips were just about perfect in every way! I finished the bag in about 15 minutes flat!
• Sea Salt & Cider Vinegar-Could these be more British? The chips are great-still a classic and the vinegar is just right, not too overwhelming. Delish.
• Sea Salt & Cracked Black Pepper-Oh hey there black pepper! I see you, I taste you, I'm happy about it :)
• Mature Cheddar & Chives-Mmmm cheese. Mmmm chives. All on one tasty potato chip!
• Worcestershire Sauce & Sundried Tomato-Subtly sweet and tangy and entirely unique.
• Sweet Chili and Red Pepper-I did not personally taste this (as my tolerance for spice is just about 0) but when I put these out at a party all I could hear was how much everyone loved these delightfully spiced chips!
• Beetroot, Parsnip, & Carrot Chips with a Hint of Sea Salt-Veggie chips! These were a giant hit with Michael's aunts, the vegetable flavors were so true and so fresh. Lovely.

You wanna try these chips for yourself? Find Tyrrell's at a store near you! Or enter to win this...

Baked French Fries with Rosemary

I LOVE FRENCH FRIES!!! I love 'em! They're crunchy and salty and you just wanna eat em and eat em up! But um...they're fried. So I know they're not good for me. *sigh* It's a very sad truth.

But hey...psst....guess what? You can make homemade, baked (NOT FRIED!), fries that are crispy and flavorful and PERFECT!

Lately I've also really been loving the combo of rosemary with fries, it's just a really yummy addition (especially if you've got an aioli dipping sauce--or a bearnaise...ooooh that sounds gooood!): I just so happened to have some rosemary olive oil hanging out in my pantry, so I used that for these fries. You totally can use normal oil but OH MAN it was a wonderfully tasty decision to use it!

Actually, now that I think about it, this recipe is crazy versatile. Instead of olive oil you could drizzle these fries with truffle oil. You can season them any way you want! And, of course, you can dip them in a number of sauces (including, of course, ketchup!). You can even put these in a sandwich, I hear that's a thing.

Omgee that just reminded me: there's this restaurant back home where they serve french fries with butter. At first you're all like "whaaaa? CRAZY!" But then...you remember. They're potatoes. And then you take a bite. And it's like "mmmmmm." So...I forgot about that. Now I want to make these fries again and try them with butter. And garlic aioli. And Parmesan cheese. And paprika...

The french fry sky is the limit!