Picky Palate » Appetizers/Sides

Almond Artichoke Summer Couscous

Jenny — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 07:00:24 +0000

Let’s take a break from the crazy cookies shall we? I have a major crush on couscous salads, especially in the summer. It’s so great to have them in the refrigerator for nibbling on during the day.

I love that couscous cooks in 5 minutes which means, this entire salad is done within about 20 minutes. Grab your fork and enjoy some summer couscous. Now, to be completely honest, this is a recipe the kids may not be head over heels for, but hey, Mom needs some good food for just her from time to time right? Lol!

Enjoy friends!

Here’s what you’ll need: Some arugula, Italian dressing, slivered almonds, artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes and couscous.

I just purchased a can of artichoke hearts, but you can use the marinated ones too.

Give your artichoke hearts a chop then add them to your cooled, cooked couscous.

Toss in your slivered almonds.

Almonds=Love

Some sun dried tomatoes.

A little kosher salt.

Add some freshly ground black pepper.

Fresh Parmesan Cheese

Just a touch of your favorite Italian Dressing. I used Newman’s Own this time.

I love adding a handful of arugula to the salad. Peppery, fresh…and so pretty.

Be prepared for a simple, light, and perfectly delicious summer couscous salad.

Almond Artichoke Summer Couscous

10 ounce box Near East Couscous

15 ounce can artichoke hearts, chopped

1 cup slivered almonds

1 cup sun dried tomatoes

1 cup fresh shredded or grated Parmesan Cheese

1/4 cup Italian dressing of choice

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

A handful of Arugula leaves

1. Cook couscous according to package directions. Toss to fluff and chill until cooled.

2. Add rest of ingredients, stirring to combine. Serve or chill until ready to serve.

Makes 8 servings

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Summer Salad Round Up

Jenny — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 07:00:22 +0000

Well it’s safe to say that summer has been kicked off with a bang around here. Our family from AZ has been visiting all week long and we’ve been hitting the beach…. often. These pictures of my boys make me smile, they are really living it up in the sunshine Have I said how much I enjoy Instagram on the iPhone?! You must get it if you have an iPhone, such fun pictures.

To celebrate summer, I have highlighted some of my favorite summer salads, some older as you will be able to tell from the photos (however still delicious) and some newer. At any rate, they are perfect for any summer table to cool you off.

Enjoy!!

Feta Mandarin Asian Quinoa Salad

1 Cup uncooked quinoa

1/4 Cup “Feast from the East” Sesame Dressing from Costco (this is such a great dressing)

1/4 Cup green onions, chopped (the green parts)

1/2 Cup crumbled feta cheese

1/2 Cup red bell pepper, chopped

1/4 Cup fresh chopped cilantro leaves

1. Prepare quinoa according to package directions. Transfer to a large bowl. Mix in dressing, onions, feta, peppers and cilantro. Cover and chill until serving.

8-10 servings

Chicken Peanut Thai Noodles

1 lb whole wheat thin spaghetti noodles
2 Tablespoons sesame oil
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 (1 inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled
1/2 Cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 Cup soy sauce
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 Cup hot water
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 Cup finely chopped white onion
1/2 Cup finely chopped red or orange bell pepper
1 Cup cooked, shredded chicken breast
1/4 Cup finely chopped cilantro leaves (missing in picture, it’s much better with cilantro)
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 Cup dry roasted peanuts, chopped (optional)
2 Tablespoons sesame seeds (optional)

1. Cook noodles according to package. Drain, rinse with cold water, place in large pasta bowl and toss with sesame oil. Set aside.

2. Place garlic and ginger in food processor until well chopped. Add peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar and red pepper flakes. Pulse until well combined and slowly add hot water. Set aside.

3. Place olive oil in hot skillet over medium heat. Saute onion and bell pepper for 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in chicken breast, cilantro and salt. Stir until heated through.

4. Add sauce and chicken mixture to noodles. Toss to coat and garnish with peanuts and sesame seeds if desired.

6 servings

Whole Grain Garlic Roasted Bruschetta

1 loaf whole grain baguette
4 large Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
8 large fresh basil leaves, stacked, rolled then thinly sliced
3 cloves roasted garlic, smashed (Place bulb of garlic in lightly wrapped tin foil, bake in oven at 375 degrees F for 50-60 minutes, peel and ready to use)
2 pinches coarse salt
¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1-2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Slice baguette in ½ inch slices and place on baking sheet or tin foil. Brush lightly with good extra virgin olive oil. Bake for 5-6 minutes until lightly toasted.

2. Place tomatoes, basil leaves, garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil into a large bowl and mix well, making sure garlic is well incorporated.

3. Place heaping Tablespoonfuls of tomato mixture over each toasted baguette slice and serve!

Lemon Dressing Drizzled Chickpea and Sweet Pepper Arugula Salad

2 15 0z cans garbanzo beans, drained

1 Cup chopped roasted red pepper, drained

1/4 Cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 fresh lemon squeezed

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

1 bag of fresh arugula

1. Place garbanzo beans and peppers into a mixing bowl. Place olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper into a bowl and whisk to combine. Toss over garbanzo beans and toss to coat. Spoon over a bed of fresh arugula leaves and toss. Serve room temperature or chilled.

4 servings

BBQ Chicken Salad with Cilantro Ranch Dressing

3 Cups thinly sliced Green Leaf Lettuce

1/4 Cup corn

1/4 Cup black beans

8 grape tomatoes, halved

1 cooked grilled chicken breast

1/4 Cup favorite BBQ Sauce

1/4 Cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 Cup prepared ranch dressing

1 heaping Tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro leaves

1. Place lettuce into a salad bowl. Layer with corn, black beans and tomatoes. Dice cooked chicken breast and mix with BBQ sauce. Top over salad and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

2. Place ranch dressing and cilantro leaves into a small bowl to combine. Drizzle over salad and serve.

**This recipe is for 1 large serving, double accordingly**

Mediterranean Couscous Salad

1 box Near East couscous, cooked according to package

3/4 Cup red bell pepper, diced

1/2 Cup yellow bell pepper, diced

4 oz container crumbled Feta Cheese

3/4 Cup Kalamata Olives, sliced

1 Tablespoon fresh minced garlic

1/4 Cup extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Pinch of salt and fresh black pepper

1/2 Cup fresh parsley, chopped

1. Place cooked couscous into a large bowl. Let cool (put in the fridge to speed up the process). Add the bell peppers, feta cheese, olives and garlic to the couscous. Mix to combine.

2. In a separate bowl whisk the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper until well combined. Pour over couscous and mix to combine. Stir in fresh parsley and serve! Refrigerate leftovers.

4 servings

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Had a blast at Balboa Island last week

Hope everyone has a great rest of your week and weekend!

Be sure to stop by tomorrow for a Big and I mean BIG giveaway!

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Chicken and Avocado Quinoa Summer Salad

Jenny — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 07:00:42 +0000

One of the best part about summer is enjoying cool summer salads. Don’t think I am crazy now, this one is really good and is so great to have in the refrigerator to snack on throughout the day.

I love quinoa and it’s great in this recipe but you can substitute couscous if you’d like. This salad is dressed in a light lemon dressing that is perfect on about any salad. I use it all of the time. I have added peppers, broccoli, chicken and avocado, but the sky’s the limit, use whatever vegetables or meat you have in the refrigerator.

Hope you enjoy!

Here’s my line-up of ingredients: broccoli florets (no you don’t use the entire bag you see , cooked chicken, quinoa, parmesan cheese, sweet peppers, avocado, lemon juice (I usually have fresh lemons and prefer them, but when you are out, the bottled stuff works too), and olive oil.

Start with some nice broccoli florets.

Add your sweet peppers and cooked chicken.

Add a touch of Parmesan cheese.

Add your cooled cooked quinoa.

Dice up a ripe avocado.

Whisk together your dressing ingredients, pour over salad and gently stir to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

How pretty is that? It’s equally as refreshing and delicious. Enjoy!

Chicken and Avocado Quinoa Summer Salad

2 cups uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained

2 cups broccoli florets

2 cups cooked, cubed chicken breast

1/2 cup diced yellow or red sweet peppers or bell peppers

1/4 cup fresh parmesan cheese

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 avocado, diced

1. Cook quinoa according to package directions. Transfer to a large bowl, stirring every 5 minutes to break up. Let cool for 15 minutes.

2. Place broccoli, chicken, peppers, and parmesan cheese into a large bowl. Add quinoa and stir to combine.

3. To prepare dressing, place olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper into a medium bowl, whisking to combine. Pour over quinoa, stirring then gently stir in cubed avocado.

4. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Makes 8 servings

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BBQ Chicken Polenta Pizza Cakes

Jenny — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 07:00:57 +0000

Ahhh, finger foods, one of life’s little pleasures. I have a weird thing for grilled polenta, it really is so good if you haven’t tried it before. I decided to top my polenta cakes with some BBQ chicken, fresh mozzarella cheese and a touch of cilantro. These little appetizers are perfect for any party or even lunch.

Go find a tube of cooked polenta at your grocery store, it’s usually by the pasta sauces and pasta. Use any left over chicken with BBQ sauce (Click HERE for my recipe for homemade BBQ shredded chicken) for the topping or your grocery store usually has a refrigerated prepared BBQ shredded chicken.

Hope you enjoy!!

Simple line up of ingredients, Left: BBQ chicken, fresh mozzarella, polenta and cilantro

Here’s the polenta, I sliced it into 1/2 inch slices to get ready for the grill pan.

About 2 cups of cooked, shredded BBQ chicken. I used a package from Trader Joe’s, however HERE is a simple homemade BBQ Sauce recipe of mine if you wanna go homemade

Some fresh mozzarella cheese.

I drizzled in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and placed the sliced polenta right into the ol’ grill pan.

After about 4 to 5 minutes, give em’ a flip.

Top with a spoonful of BBQ chicken.

Top with a 1/2 slice mozzarella cheese.

Place under your oven’s broiler for 3 to 4 minutes, until cheese melts….then enjoy!

BBQ Chicken Polenta Pizza Cakes

1 pound/tube of polenta

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 cups cooked/shredded BBQ chicken

12 1-inch slices fresh mozzarella

12 individual cilantro leaves

1. Preheat oven’s broiler with rack places 5 to 6 inches below heat.

2. Slice polenta into 1/2 inch slices. Place oil into a grill pan over medium heat. Place polenta slices into hot grill pan and grill for 4 to 5 minutes, until slightly browned. Flip and top with a spoonful of BBQ chicken then a slice of mozzarella cheese. Grill for 4 minutes then place under broiler until cheese is melted. Top with a cilantro leaf and serve.

12 servings

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Homemade Cajun French Fries

Jenny — Thu, 26 May 2011 07:00:48 +0000

What better to go with my Baby Cajun Burgers than some Homemade Cajun Fries. I developed a simple and completely irresistible recipe that you can whip up this afternoon if you’d like.

Grab yourself a couple of nice potatoes and get going, these are too good to pass up

Here are the spices I use for my Cajun seasoning recipe.

Here you have them. Give them a nice mix.

Time to break out the potatoes.

Cut off all ends creating a rectangle. Cut potatoes into strip as photographed. Place potatoes into a bowl of sugar water and soak for 30 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to dry for 5 minutes.

Heat oil to 350 degrees F.

Carefully drop potatoes into hot oil, and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, transfer to paper towel lined plate.

Shortly before serving, fry a second time and transfer to paper towel lined plate.

Right after 2nd fry, sprinkle with pinches of Cajun seasonings.

Homemade Cajun French Fries

Canola Oil, enough to fill pot with 3 inches of oil

Cajun Seasoning

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon dried Oregano

2 large russet potatoes

Sugar water

2 cups cold water

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1. Heat oil in Dutch oven or large pot until temperature reaches 350 degrees F.

2. Place cajun seasonings into small bowl and mix to combine.

3. Cut potatoes into desired thickness. Place water and sugar into a large bowl, mixing until dissolved. Transfer potatoes into water and soak for 30 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to dry, 5 minutes.

4. Carefully drop potatoes into oil and fry until golden, for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Right before serving, fry potatoes a second time for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Immediately sprinkle with pinches of Cajun seasoning. Serve immediately.

Makes 2 to 4 servings

To be entered to win a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker, watch this quick video and click HERE to sign up to win!

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Bowl of Homemade Parmesan Potato Chips….for one :)

Jenny — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 07:00:03 +0000

Ever been in the mood to just make a batch of homemade chips…for just yourself? Well, I did, just last week as a matter of fact. I was looking at the bag of potatoes in my kitchen and it was as if they were just asking me to turn them into salty, golden brown, crispy chips…..so I gave in and said, why not!

You wanna know the coolest part? This fun bowl for me, myself, and I only took about 10 minutes from start to finish. Before I knew it, I was crunching on crispy homemade chips. It was awesome ……then my husband came home from lunch and stole the bowl from me. Little stinker.

Next time you pass by a “spud” in your kitchen, turn that russet into a devilish little snack for yourself. Put them in a pretty little parchment lined bowl and eat em’ like no one is looking, lol! Can you tell that’s what I did?

Enjoy!

Here you have it, Left: salt, a potato, Parmesan (shredded or grated is fine) and canola or vegetable oil.

Use a sharp knife, be very careful and slice your potato very thinly. If you have a mandolin, that is a much better option. I was too lazy to pull mine out of the back of my cupboard.

Fill your pot full with about 2-inches of oil and heat it to 350 degrees F. When the oil has reached temperature, carefully drop your potato slices in. I do this in 2 batches, per one potato.

This metal spyder comes in very handy for this task, however a heat proof slotted spoon will do the trick too. Let these slices cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden brown on both sides.

Time to season. I was in the mood for just salt and Parmesan, but can you just imagine the fun seasonings you can play with?!

Here you have the best bowl of chips ever! Enjoy!

Bowl of Homemade Parmesan Potato Chips…for one

Canola oil, (pot filled with 2 inches of oil)

1 large russet potato

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 to 3 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese

1. Heat oil in medium Dutch oven or other pot over medium heat. Place thermometer in oil and heat to 350 degrees F.

2. Thinly slice potato and in batches, carefully drop slices into hot oil once it’s reaches 350 degrees F. (I did 2 batches for 1 potato). Cook and stir potato slices until golden brown on each side, about 3 to 4 minutes per batch. Remove with a slotted spoon or a metal spyder as I have pictured above to a paper towel lined bowl or plate. Season with a pinch of salt and a pinch or two of Parmesan Cheese. Serve as desired. Best if eaten immediately

Makes 1 serving, double accordingly

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Creamy Bacon and Roasted Red Pepper Broccoli Bake…and RWOP!

Jenny — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 22:10:18 +0000

This is a compensated review by BlogHer and Kraft.

I have followed The Real Women of Philadelphia since their debut last year and now they are back with season 2 with another chance to win $25,000 for your best Philadelphia Cream Cheese recipes! Paula Deen is the perfect host and I just love seeing her smiling face when I pop into see what new recipes have been posted.

I followed season 1 faithfully because my good friend Mandy Heaston of Gourmet Mom on the Go, was a finalist and actually won her category. It was so exciting to watch the live broadcast last year of all the winning recipes. Seeing pictures of her and Paula Deen is such a treat. Mandy’s recipe for Asparagus and Parmesan Cream Pastries looks incredible, and she’s even got a video, take a peek!

To get your creativity going, here’s an incredibly simple yet tasty side dish I’ve created that my entire family goes bonkers for. Broccoli, bacon, roasted red peppers and cream cheese baked to perfection. Hope you enjoy!

Visit the Official Site HERE and Visit the BlogHer Round Up Page HERE

Creamy Bacon and Roasted Red Pepper Broccoli Bake

1/2 pound cooked bacon, crumbled

8 cups broccoli florets

1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers from jar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

5 ounces softened Philadelphia cream cheese

1/4 cup heavy cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray an 11×7-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Place bacon, broccoli, and roasted red peppers into prepared baking dish and season with salt, pepper and garlic salt, stirring to combine. Cut cream cheese into small pieces and place evenly over broccoli. Stir gently, pour cream over top and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until broccoli is fork tender.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

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Cheesy Pepperoni Pizza Quick Bread

Jenny — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 07:00:52 +0000

Pizza night is always a happy night in our house and as I was rummaging through the refrigerator a few nights ago I saw a nice bag of pepperoni just begging to be used. Because we make pizza all the time, I was in the mood to mix things up a bit and this fun quick bread was just what I needed to jazz up the pizza we have so often. Now I just need to get my husband off my back about getting “all natural” low- fat pepperonis. Baby steps hon.

I was quite shocked after I cut into this pizza bread to find distinct swirls of marinara and bits of pepperoni within the bread. I love the contrasting colors. Slice and serve with a fresh crisp salad. Enjoy!

Here’s your line-up of ingredients: my mistake, I left out a jar of Italian Seasoning from the above photo

Add all ingredients–except the marinara–into the mixer in no particular order however, I started with the flour.

Then the seasonings and eggs.

Oil and buttermilk.

Time for pepperoni!

Cut each pepperoni into fourths

Time for the cheeses!

Mix, mix, mix!

Pour half of the batter into a bread pan. The one I used measures 9x5x2 3/4-inches.

Top evenly with marinara.

Like so

Add the rest of the batter over the marinara.

Top with more Parmesan!

….and some Italian Seasoning!

Time to bake, 350 degrees F. 45-55 minutes.

How gorgeous is that?!

Let cool for 30 minutes, slice and EAT!

Cheesy Pepperoni Pizza Quick Bread

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

1 cup quartered pepperoni slices, about 32 slices

1/2 cup marinara sauce

1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and spray small bread pan with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Place flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper into the bowl of a stand or electric mixer, mix to combine. Slowly add in eggs, oil, buttermilk, Parmesan, Mozzarella and pepperoni until just combined. Pour half of batter into prepared bread pan that measures 9x5x2 3/4-inches. Top evenly with marinara sauce then pour remaining batter over sauce. Top with Italian seasoning and additional Parmesan cheese. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until toothpick comes clean from center. Let cool for 30 minutes before removing from pan. Slice and serve warm or room temperature.

Makes 8 servings

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Snickerdoodle Popcorn with White Chocolate Drizzle

Jenny — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 07:00:20 +0000

How naughty is this popcorn!? I’ve had this idea brewing for a while and finally decided to make it, yikes it’s dangerous! I love the cinnamon sugar topping on Snickerdoodle Cookies, so I decided to call this popcorn…Snickerdoodle Popcorn. There are no cookies hiding in here, lol!

You’ll get bites of buttery cinnamon and sugar with creamy white chocolate pieces. Yum is all I have to say about that. Do yourself a favor and go pop some of this crazy delish popcorn Enjoy!

Pretty simple line-up here. Add 2-3 tablespoons of heavy cream here Left it out of the photo.

Heat your oil into a large pot then once hot, add one little kernel to test out the heat. Once it pops, you are ready to add the rest of your kernels

Once you’ve added your kernels, hurry and put on the lid!

Like so. Do you guys own Le Creuset Dutch ovens? I could not live without my collection. Love the heavy things! You could certainly use a large pot of your choice as a substitution.

Once you hear the popping slow down, your popcorn is ready! Transfer to a large bowl.

Melt 4 tablespoons of butter….

I have loved working with McCormick Gourmet (See my disclosure at bottom of post) the past few months, their spices have been such a pleasure to create recipes with. Their Roasted Saigon Cinnamon has such intense flavor. Check it out, you’ll love it!

…and combine your sugar and cinnamon.

Drizzle the butter baby!

Sprinkle in your cinnamon and sugar.

Like so….mmmm!

Pour onto a baking sheet.

Melt those white chips with a little heavy cream until melted and smooth.

Time to drizzle!

Yes, pick out a few and munch while the chocolate is still fabulously melty.

Transfer to some cute little popcorn boxes like mine that I found at Michaels or I have also seen them at Cost Plus World Market. Little celophane bags work great too.

Mmmm, enjoy!

Snickerdoodle Popcorn with White Chocolate Drizzle

3 Tablespoons canola oil

1/3 cup fresh popcorn kernels

4 tablespoons melted butter

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon McCormick Gourmet Roasted Saigon Cinnamon

3/4 cup white chocolate chips

2-3 tablespoons heavy cream

1. Heat oil in Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. When hot, add 1 popcorn kernel to test if hot enough, once kernel pops add remaining kernels and close pot with lid. Cook until popping stops about 1- 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and drizzle with melted butter. Stir to coat all pieces. Place sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and stir to combine, sprinkle over buttered popcorn, stirring to coat all pieces. Pour onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet.

2. Melt chocolate chips and heavy cream in double boiler until melted and smooth. Drizzle over popcorn and let harden, about 20-30 minutes. Transfer to bags or little popcorn boxes.

Makes 4 servings

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*Disclaimer: I am part of the McCormick Real Gourmet Blogger Program and am being
compensated however the thoughts and recipe are my very own.

Have a great rest of your week and weekend, come back soon!

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Smoky and Cheesy Buttermilk Baked Mashed Potatoes

Jenny — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 07:00:45 +0000

Mashed potatoes might be one of the best foods in the entire world, no? My oldest son would certainly agree. The kid could eat this stuff by the bowlfuls every single day and be the happiest kid alive, lol!

Just wait until you try a bite of these smoky, cheesy mashed potatoes. I used a variety of McCormick’s Gourmet Spices (I am working with McCormick Gourmet, see my disclosure at the end of this post), which kicks this potato recipe up a many notches …..and it is a breeze to whip up for any weeknight dinner. Please take a peek; you will want to try this one Enjoy!

Here’s your line up. Those were massive potatoes, about 3 pounds.

Have I mentioned how much I love my collection of spices? Seriously, my life would not be complete without them. That smoked paprika to the right has made the best recipes, I LOVE it!

Gorgeous

Peel those taters.

Like so

Slice and dice those bad boys.

Place in a large pot of water then bring to a boil until potatoes are fork tender, about 10-15 minutes.

Drain then transfer to bowl of electric or stand mixer.

Add your cream cheese and butter!

Add your gorgeous seasonings.

Buttermilk time

You’ll get a gorgeous light orange mashed potato that smells smoky and fabulous, mmmm!

Transfer to oven safe dishes and top with cheese to melt.

Here’s what you’ll get, pure heaven, enjoy!

Smoky and Cheesy Buttermilk Baked Mashed Potatoes

3 lbs russet potatoes

4 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons cream cheese

1 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet Sicilian Sea Salt

1/2 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet Coarse Grind Black Pepper

1/2 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet Smoked Paprika

1/2 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet Garlic Salt

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese blend

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. and fill large Dutch oven 3/4 full of water.

2. Peel and cube potatoes and place in water filled Dutch oven. Bring to boil then cook for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Drain and transfer to the bowl of a stand or electric mixer. Add butter and cream cheese to potatoes and mix on low to combine. Add seasonings and buttermilk until smooth and creamy.

3. Transfer potatoes to individual oven proof baking dishes or one medium sized baking dish and top with cheddar cheese. Bake for 15 minutes, until cheese is melted. Remove and serve.

Makes 4 servings

*Disclaimer: I am part of the McCormick Real Gourmet Blogger Program and am being
compensated however the thoughts and recipe are my very own.