Cheesy broccoli potato soup with Green Giant

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When I have a party, I love to hand people little cups of hot, creamy soup as they walk in the door. It gives them something warm to hold onto, gets their appetites going without filling them up, and puts a little something in their bellies to cushion the wine and cocktails to come.

When Green Giant asked me to create a recipe using Green Giant frozen vegetables for our Google Plus Hangout on easy holiday entertaining, I knew this Cheesy Broccoli Potato Soup was the perfect thing.

I always keep frozen vegetables on hand - they're great for last-minute soups, hot dips, or side dishes should unexpected visitors show up for dinner. (And yes, that does happen fairly often in our house.)

I made this Cheesy Broccoli Potato Soup with Green Giant Broccoli & Cheese Sauce Steamers, but you could also use their Cauliflower & Cheese Sauce Steamers, or plain frozen broccoli or cauliflower. You can serve it in small glasses or coffee cups at a party, or just put it in bowls as a first course for a dinner party.

For more easy holiday entertaining tips from Green Giant (and me!), watch our video Hangout.

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Cheesy broccoli potato soup

by Erika Kerekes December-18-2013

A simple, creamy vegetable soup that's perfect for holiday entertaining. Frozen Green Giant Broccoli & Cheese Sauce makes this soup a snap to prepare.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped
• 1 clove fresh garlic, minced
• 1 12-ounce bag Green Giant Broccoli & Cheese Sauce Steamers
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 1 small potato, diced (about 1/2 cup - peel if desired, but it's not necessary)
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• For garnish: shredded cheese, crushed tortilla chips, crumbled crackers, popcorn, or plain yogurt

Instructions

In a medium-sized saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute about 2 minutes, until the onion is starting to soften. Add the garlic and saute another 30 seconds.Add the frozen broccoli (with cheese sauce), chicken stock, and potato to the pot. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat, and simmer uncovered about 20 minutes, or until the potato is very tender. Use a handheld stick blender to puree the soup in the pot (or transfer the soup carefully to a countertop blender). Serve hot garnished with the shredded cheese, tortilla chips, crackers, popcorn, or yogurt.

Details

Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 25 mins Total time: 30 mins Yield: 6 servings as a first course, or 12 "shooters"

Idaho® potato mini lasagnas with kale and pesto

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Have you ever tried making lasagna using paper-thin slices of potato instead of pasta? It's a genius remake of traditional Italian lasagna. The potatoes have the same chewy starchiness you get with pasta noodles. Add meat for the carnivores or take it vegetarian as I've done here with kale and pesto sauce.

You can make this recipe as one big lasagna, but I prefer making mini lasagnas in a muffin tin instead. Portion control - it's a good thing.

Note: This recipe was originally published on the Idaho® Potato Commission website. Go look at their amazing collection of potato recipes - I guarantee you will be inspired.

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Idaho® potato mini lasagnas with kale and pesto

by Erika Kerekes December-15-2013

Individual mini lasagnas using thinly sliced potatoes instead of pasta. Kale and pesto make these single-serving lasagnas a delicious gluten-free vegetarian entree.

Ingredients

• 1 bunch curly or Tuscan kale
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 pound Idaho® Russet potatoes, scrubbed (do not peel)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup) ricotta cheese (whole or part-skim)
• 1/2 cup prepared basil pesto sauce
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan or Romano cheese

Instructions

Wash the kale well and strip the leaves from the stems (discard the stems). Chop the leaves finely. It’s okay if some water clings to the kale leaves.Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and kale and saute about 5 minutes, until the kale is wilted. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.Slice the potatoes paper-thin. (It’s easiest to do this with a mandoline, v-slicer or food processor.) Toss the potato slices with the salt and let sit about 5 minutes.In a small bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, pesto sauce and egg together.Preheat the oven to 350° F.Assemble the mini lasagnas: Spray each cup of the muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray, or brush it with olive oil. Build the lasagnas in layers in each muffin cup, starting with a layer of potato slices, then adding a small dollop of the ricotta-pesto mixture, a teaspoon of cooked kale, a sprinkle of shredded mozzarella cheese, and a sprinkle of grated parmesan or Romano cheese. Continue building the mini lasagnas in this manner, finishing each one with a layer of potato slices and a sprinkle of mozzarella and parmesan.Bake the mini lasagnas about 40 minutes, until the potatoes are tender, the cheese is golden brown and the lasagnas are cooked through. Remove from the oven and let sit 5 minutes before attempting to remove from the pan. Use a small offset spatula or blunt knife to unmold the mini lasagnas and transfer to serving plates. Serve immediately.

Details

Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 40 mins Total time: 1 hour Yield: 12 mini lasagnas

Potato latke burger sliders for Hanukkah

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Move over, ramen burger. It's Hanukkah, and we're making potato latkes.

Let me introduce you to Potato Latke Burger Sliders.

Take one of those crispy, salty, delicious potato latkes (pan-fried shredded potato pancakes, the traditional Hanukkah dish). Top it with a big meatball or a small hamburger. Add a healthy dollop of your favorite applesauce. Lay a second potato latke on top.

And that's how we make the Potato Latke Burger Slider. Ramen burger, we'll eat you some other time.

Happy Hanukkah to those of you celebrating - may your week be full of light and latkes!

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Potato Latke Burger Sliders for Hanukkah

by Erika Kerekes November-27-2013

Move over, ramen burger. It's Hanukkah and we're surrounding our mini-burgers with crispy, salty potato latkes. The fried potato pancakes make an excellent wrapper for your favorite burger or meatball. A fun dish for any Hanukkah dinner.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1 large Russet potato, peeled
• 1/2 medium-sized yellow onion
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour or potato starch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup grapeseed or canola oil, for frying
• applesauce, for serving (my favorite applesauce recipe)

Instructions

Make the sliders: Divide the ground beef into four small portions and shape into burgers. Pan-fry in a hot, heavy skillet until done. Put the sliders on a plate, cover with foil, and set aside.Make the potato latkes: Grate the potato and onion into a large bowl. (Many people eschew the food processor here, but I go back and forth between the food processor and a hand grater depending on my mood.) Gather the mixture into a ball in the bowl and put a few layers of paper towel on top of it. Squeeze and massage the potato mixture through the towel. When the towel is wet, discard it and use another. When the potato mixture is no longer giving off a lot of water, you have squeezed enough.Add the egg, flour, salt, and pepper to the potato mixture and blend thoroughly with a spoon.Heat the oil in another large, heavy skillet until shimmering. Add the potato mixture, using a very scant 1/4 cup for each latke. Press down the latke mixture in the pan so each latke is round (more or less) and thin. Fry on each side until golden brown, then drain on a sheet pan lined with paper towels or topped with a rack. This mixture should make 8 latkes total.Assemble the sliders just before serving: Place a latke on a plate, then top with a burger. Add a dollop of applesauce and lay another latke on top. Serve immediately (this is very important - the bottom latke will get soggy after just a few minutes.)

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 30 mins Total time: 45 mins Yield: 4 sliders

Pumpkin Dutchess Potatoes: A twist on traditional mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving

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Looking for a new twist on your traditional mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving dinner? Try these Pumpkin Dutchess potatoes. They come out of the oven all crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside, with a smoky overtone from the smoked paprika. And the beautiful orange color is pure autumn.

They look very fancy, but trust me - they're easy. Even for dopes like me who can't get the hang of the piping bag. Notice the variation in the swirls above. And then notice that even the imperfect ones look pretty darn good.

A side benefit: automatic portion control. Unless you're like me and you eat a half-dozen with your fingers before they make it to the serving platter. Then...not so much.

P.S. Yes, Mommy, I am planning to make these for our Thanksgiving dinner.

I developed this recipe for the Idaho® Potato Commission. Need other potato ideas? They've got a million and a half fantastic recipes. Click here to see their massive collection of potato recipes.

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Pumpkin Dutchess Potatoes

by Erika Kerekes November-13-2013

Beautiful swirls of mashed potato mixed with pumpkin puree, then bathed in butter and baked in the oven until crisp along the edges. A beautiful addition to your table for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any elegant dinner.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds Idaho® Russet potatoes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
• 6 Tablespoons butter, melted, divided
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 egg
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• freshly ground pepper
• Equipment: potato ricer, piping bag with large star tip, pastry brush

Instructions

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil, then spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 425° F.Wash and peel the Idaho® Russet potatoes, then cut into 2-inch chunks. Place the potato chunks into a medium-sized pot and cover with water by 1 inch. Add 1 teaspoon salt to the water.Bring the pot to a boil, turn down the heat, and simmer 20-25 minutes, or until the potato chunks are tender when pierced with a small knife or the tines of a fork. Drain the cooked potatoes in a colander, then return them to the hot pot. Shake gently for a minute or two; you will see steam rising as the potatoes dry out.While the potatoes are cooking, into a large bowl add the pumpkin puree, 4 tablespoons of the melted butter, heavy cream, egg, egg yolks, and smoked paprika. Whisk thoroughly, until the mixture is slightly puffy and aerated.For the lightest texture, use a potato ricer. Hold the ricer over the bowl of pumpkin mixture and press the cooked potatoes into the bowl. This eliminates all lumps, making it easier to pipe the swirls onto the baking sheet. (Alternatively, mash the potatoes thoroughly in the pot with a potato masher, then add the mashed potatoes to the pumpkin mixture.) Blend thoroughly with a large spoon until the mixture is uniform. Add the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.Spoon the potato-pumpkin mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe swirls of the potato-pumpkin mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. You can place them fairly close together, as they will not spread during baking. You should get about two dozen swirls.Using a pastry brush, gently dab the potato-pumpkin swirls with the remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter. Be careful not to flatten the piped ridges too much.Bake the potato-pumpkin swirls about 25 minutes, until they are hot and the ridges are starting to crisp. Serve immediately, allowing two swirls per person.

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 45 mins Total time: 1 hour Yield: 12 servings

Herbed Idaho® mashed potatoes

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Are you thinking about Thanksgiving already? I am.

Our family Thanksgiving moves around, but it's at my house this year. There are some dishes that make a regular appearance on the menu no matter who's hosting: braised red cabbage, my mother-in-law's spinach and mushroom stuffing, green bean casserole, roast turkey.

But I'm a bit of a renegade: I cut my turkey into parts and roast it like chicken. And (don't faint) I don't always make mashed potatoes. I didn't grow up with mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving, so sometimes I just...forget.

Are we still friends?

I hope so. Because I want to tell you about the very easy, very beautiful, very delicious herbed Idaho® mashed potatoes I'm making this year. Creamy, buttery mashed potatoes mixed with a ton of minced fresh herbs. Simple, aromatic, and very green.

I developed this recipe for the Idaho® Potato Commission, which is always looking for creative new twists on mashed potatoes. Thanksgiving dinner can be rich and heavy, but the grassy scent and taste of the mixed herbs in these mashed potatoes cuts right through the richness. I like Idaho Russet potatoes - their dry, fluffy interior soaks up the butter and half-and-half perfectly.

Do you serve mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving? Traditional or twisted? Let's share some mashed potato ideas in the comments below....

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Herbed Idaho® mashed potatoes

by Erika Kerekes October-15-2013

Creamy, buttery mashed potatoes mixed with a ton of minced fresh herbs. A perfect side dish for Thanksgiving dinner. Recipe developed for the Idaho® Potato Commission.

Ingredients

• 3 pounds Idaho® Russet potatoes
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for serving
• 4 bunches fresh soft green herbs, e.g. parsley, basil, tarragon, chives, dill
• Freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

Wash and peel the Idaho® Russet potatoes, then cut into 2-inch chunks. Place the potato chunks into a medium-sized pot and cover with water by 1 inch. Add 1 teaspoon salt to the water.Bring the pot to a boil, turn down the heat, and simmer 20-25 minutes, or until the potato chunks are tender when pierced with a small knife or the tines of a fork. Drain the cooked potatoes in a colander, then return them to the hot pot. Shake gently for a minute or two; you will see steam rising as the potatoes dry out.While the potatoes are cooking, wash the fresh herbs and dry them thoroughly in a salad spinner or by wrapping them in paper towels and shaking. Chop the herbs finely, discarding any woody stems. You can chop the herbs by hand with a large knife or in a food processor. You may end up with more than 1 cup of chopped herbs, depending on the size of your bunches; save the rest for another use.When the potatoes are almost done, put the half-and-half and 1 stick butter in a glass bowl or Pyrex measuring cup. Microwave on high power about 1 minute, until the butter is melted and the half-and-half is warm.Add the half-and-half mixture to the pot with the potatoes and mash the cooked potatoes with a potato masher until smooth. Add 1 cup of fresh chopped herbs and stir with a large spoon until incorporated. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve immediately, adding more butter on top if desired.

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 25 mins Total time: 40 mins Yield: 8 servings

Average Betty makes Idaho mashed potato pops

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My friend and fellow food blogger Average Betty features my Idaho mashed potato pops in her most recent video recipe. I love her variations: She makes a Jalapeno Popper Pop with pepper jack cheese and bacon, and a Garlic Parmesan Pop with garlic powder and grated parmesan cheese.

Click the video above to watch her make these easy and completely delicious Idaho potato snacks. Isn't she adorable?

Euro Greens creamy green soup {dairy-free}

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It pays to have friends in high places.

A few weeks ago I ended up with a half-dozen bags of assorted greens from Cut 'n Clean Greens, a local southern California company that grows all kinds of greens and packages them in ready-to-eat-or-cook bags and plastic containers. My friend Dorothy of Shockingly Delicious has been working for them for a while now. When we planned the "Kale-a-palooza" event for our Food Bloggers Los Angeles group, Dorothy brought the Cut 'n Clean folks and trucked along a whole mess o' greens to give out to the group.

I particularly liked their bagged Euro Greens mix, which contains Swiss chard, mustard greens, turnip greens, and kale. I turned it into a deliciously creamy green soup.

Nothing could be easier than this creamy soup. You start with onions and garlic. When they've sweated with a little olive oil, you add the bag of greens, one potato, and chicken broth. Cook, blend, done. Maybe finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Why the potato? It gives the soup a little body and a creamy mouth feel, even without cream.

Throw in a few croutons, a handful of popcorn, or some Goldfish crackers, and even the kids won't complain. Not that mine ever complain about soup. Well, hardly ever.

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Euro Greens creamy green soup

by Erika Kerekes February-13-2013

This soup uses one bag of Cut 'n Clean Greens' Euro Greens mix. It's creamy but contains no cream!

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 12-ounce bag Cut 'n Clean Greens Euro Greens mix
• 1 small potato, unpeeled, diced (any variety)
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 fresh lemon, juice only
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes.Add the greens, potato and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer the soup about 20 minutes, until the greens and potato are very tender. Blend the soup until smooth using a hand-held immersion blender or a countertop blender. Return the soup to the pot (if using a countertop blender). Add the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Details

Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 25 mins Yield: 6-8 servings

Cheesy hash brown muffins with bacon

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Have you ever woken up in the morning with a powerful urge to make one very specific thing for breakfast?

That's how I ended up making these hash brown muffins.

I woke up last weekend and all I could think about were crispy hash browns mixed with eggs, gooey melted cheese and crisp bits of smoky bacon.

Why? No idea.

Most of the recipes I found for hash brown muffins call for frozen hash browns, which, as my friend Don Odiorne at the Idaho Potato Commission informed me, are par-cooked and therefore drier than grated fresh potatoes. I only had fresh potatoes in the house. Don advised me to grate them and then squeeze the moisture out by wringing them in a clean towel.

Sound advice, I'm sure. Which I ignored. Because it was Sunday morning and I was just plain lazy. Guess what? Didn't matter. They turned out just right.

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Hash brown muffins with bacon

by Erika Kerekes January-14-2013

Crispy shredded potatoes, gooey melted cheese and crispy bits of bacon, all bound together with beaten eggs - that's my idea of a good breakfast.

Ingredients

• 2 large large Russet potatoes, skin on, scrubbed and grated
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese, grated, divided (substitute mozzarella, Monterey jack, or pepper jack)
• 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• freshly ground pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.In a large bowl, mix the potatoes, eggs, 1 cup of the cheese, bacon and green onions. Add salt and a healthy dose of ground pepper.Divide the potato mixture evenly among the 12 muffins cups. Bake 25 minutes, then remove the pan from the oven and divide the remaining 1/2 cup cheese over the tops of the muffins. Return the pan to the oven and bake another 10 minutes.Cool the hash brown muffins in the pan 5 minutes. To unmold, use an offset spatula or butter knife to loosen each muffin and gently lift it out of the pan.Serve hot or warm. Can be reheated in the oven or microwave (although the muffins will get a little soggy in the microwave - don't overdo it).

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 35 mins Total time: 50 mins Yield: 12 muffins

Erika's colcannon - mashed potatoes with kale, cabbage and carrots

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A steaming bowl of mashed potatoes with cream and butter is divine.

A steaming bowl of mashed potatoes with cream, butter, cabbage, kale and carrots is sublime.

This is my riff on colcannon, the national dish of Ireland, in which shredded sauteed cabbage is added to buttery mashed potatoes. I wanted a little more vegetable to balance out my potatoes, so I added thinly sliced kale and shredded carrots. (That's my New Year's resolution - to put in more vegetables whenever possible.)

Plus the bowl looks better with the kale and carrots. Cooked cabbage and mashed potatoes are roughly the same color - beige. The dark ribbons of kale and bright shredded carrots make for a much prettier dish, don't you think?

I ate this colcannon happily as a meal for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but feel free to serve yours as a side with roast chicken or salmon.

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Erika's colcannon - mashed potatoes with cabbage, kale and carrots

by Erika Kerekes January-7-2013

This is my riff on colcannon, the traditional Irish mixture of mashed potatoes and cooked cabbage. Kale and carrots add flavor, color and extra nutrients.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds russet potatoes, unpeeled
• 6 Tablespoons butter, plus more for serving
• 1/2 green cabbage, thinly shredded
• 1 bunch kale (Tuscan or curly), thinly shredded
• 2 large carrots, peeled and grated
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Place the potatoes, whole and unpeeled, in a large pot. Cover the potatoes with cold water by a few inches and set the pot over high heat. When the water boils, turn the flame down, cover the pot, and simmer the potatoes until they are tender (a paring knife should go cleanly through to the center of the potatoes). The time will depend on how big the potatoes are, but start checking them after 30 minutes. Drain the cooked potatoes and let them cool until you can handle them. While the potatoes are cooking, melt the butter in another large pot over medium-high heat. Add the cabbage, kale and carrots. Cook until the vegetables are tender but not mushy, 10-15 minutes. Heat the cream and milk in a measuring cup in the microwave until warm.Slip the skins off the potatoes and put the potato flesh back in the pot. (Discard the skins.) Add the cream mixture and mash the potatoes with a hand-held potato masher. When they are fairly smooth, add the cabbage mixture and continue mashing to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste (you will need a good amount of salt). Serve immediately with an additional pat of butter on top.

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 45 mins Total time: 1 hour Yield: 6-8 servings

Idaho mashed potato pops

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Okay, friends. This recipe is about to change your life. Sit down.

It's called the Idaho Mashed Potato Pop.

Give the Hanukkah latkes a rest one night and try these fried potato balls of deliciousness.

So how's it done? You make mashed potatoes. You add your choice of mix-ins. You roll the mashed potatoes into little balls and coat them with panko bread crumbs or, for a gluten-free option, dehydrated potato flakes.

And then you fry them and put them on sticks.

It's like a lollipop. Made out of creamy, cheesy, crispy mashed potatoes.

I made three varieties (above, from left): Bacon Mashed Potato Pops, with Gruyere cheese, caramelized onions and bacon; Greek Mashed Potato Pops, with chopped spinach, feta cheese and dill; and Southwestern Mashed Potato Pops, with red bell peppers, green onions and pepperjack cheese.

Of course, these are just my ideas - you can take these mashed potato pops in any flavor direction you want.

You can serve them on toothpicks or actual lollipop sticks. Can you imagine these at your next cocktail party? Yes, you can.

This is one of the Hanukkah recipes I created for the Idaho Potato Commission. But it's not just for Hanukkah. Idaho Mashed Potato Pops are an everyday food. (At least, my family wishes they were an everyday food. You have never seen such happy boys as on the days I was testing this recipe.)

Are you thinking about flavor combinations for your own Idaho Mashed Potato Pops? What would you put in yours? Leave a comment and let's brainstorm!

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Idaho mashed potato pops

by Erika Kerekes December-8-2012

Mashed potatoes combined with your favorite mix-ins, lightly breaded and fried, and served on a stick. The Idaho Mashed Potato Pop may just change your life forever.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• For Greek Mashed Potato Pops:
• 1/2 cup defrosted frozen chopped spinach, squeezed dry
• 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/4 teaspoon dried dill weed
• For Southwestern Mashed Potato Pops:
• 2 Tablespoons chopped red bell pepper
• 1 green onion, chopped (white and green parts)
• 1/2 cup pepperjack cheese, grated
• a few drops Tabasco or other hot sauce
• For Bacon Mashed Potato Pops:
• 1/2 cup sauteed onions
• 1/2 cup Gruyere cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup bacon, cooked and chopped (about 2 slices)
• 1 egg
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs or dehydrated potato flakes
• grapeseed or canola oil, for frying
• toothpicks or lollipop sticks

Instructions

Put the potatoes in a large sauce pan and cover with cold water. Bring the pot to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender and easily pierced with a fork, about 15-20 minutes.Drain the potatoes and return them to the hot, empty pot. Add the butter, salt and pepper, and mash the potatoes with a potato masher until mostly smooth. Add desired mix-ins. Let sit until potato mixture is cool enough to handle.In a deep, heavy pot or a deep fryer, heat the oil for deep-frying to 350° F.Scooping out about 1 Tablespoon of the potato mixture at a time, roll the potato mixture into 2-inch balls.Set up a breading station with two shallow bowls and a plate: Beat the egg with 2 teaspoons of water in the first bowl, then put the panko breadcrumbs or dehydrated potato flakes in the second. Roll each ball first in the egg, then in the breadcrumbs or potato flakes; put the coated mashed potato balls on the plate. Repeat until all the mashed potato balls are coated.Drop several of the mashed potato balls at once into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown, about 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and place the mashed potato balls on a rack set over a baking sheet. Repeat until all the mashed potato balls are fried.Stick a lollipop stick or toothpick into each ball. Serve hot, with dipping sauce if desired (see below).Dipping sauce suggestions: for Greek Mashed Potato Pops, Greek yogurt mixed with lemon juice and dried dill; for Southwestern Mashed Potato Pops, ranch dressing; for Bacon Mashed Potato Pops, mayonnaise mixed with Dijon mustard.Time Saving Tip: *4 cups of dehydrated Idaho® potato flakes mixed with 2 cups boiling water can be substituted for the fresh mashed potatoes. Prepare according to package directions, then proceed with recipe as written.

Details

Prep time: 40 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 1 hour Yield: approximately 3 dozen 2-inch pops

Rainbow latkes with Idaho potatoes and pear-applesauce

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"Rainbow" latkes combine potatoes with carrots, parsnips and beets

I know this will be a shock to some of you, but I did not grow up eating potato latkes on Hanukkah.

Why? Because my mother was not, and is not, the world's greatest cook.

Maybe my Grandma Rose made latkes (fried potato pancakes) on Hanukkah. I don't think so, though - I remember most of her food very clearly. No latkes come to mind.

Fortunately, I have more than made up for the lack of latkes in my youth now that I'm a grownup with my own family and my own kitchen. I make latkes every chance I get. And I am quite sure that my children will remember my latkes - which, after all, is the point of holiday food traditions.

This year the Idaho Potato Commission asked me to create four Hanukkah recipes using delicious Idaho potatoes. I decided to mix it up a bit and introduce the potatoes to some other vegetable friends. Potatoes, carrots, golden beets, parsnips, green onions - the combination looks gorgeous and tastes even better.

It's traditional to serve latkes with applesauce and sour cream. I like to add pears to my applesauce, both for the taste and because the pears give the finished sauce a smoother texture. Another attempt to one-up tradition.

Note: If you can't find golden or yellow beets, you can use a red one, but the only color you'll see in your latkes is pink. No rainbow.

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Rainbow latkes with Idaho potatoes

by Erika Kerekes December-6-2012

Potatoes play nicely with carrots, golden beets, parsnips and green onions in this twist on the traditional latke recipe for Hanukkah.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds Idaho potatoes, scrubbed (do not peel)
• 1 large carrot, peeled
• 1 large parsnip, peeled
• 1 medium golden beet, peeled
• 3 green onions, white and green parts, chopped
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• grapeseed or canola oil, for frying
• pear-applesauce and sour cream, for serving

Instructions

Grate the potatoes, carrot, parsnip and golden beet into a large mixing bowl. Add the chopped green onions and stir to combine. Add the egg and stir again. Sprinkle the flour and salt over the grated vegetables and mix well.Preheat the oven to 300° F.In a large, heavy skillet (non-stick or cast iron), heat about 2 Tablespoons of the oil over medium heat. Spoon in about 2 Tablespoons of the potato mixture per pancake, using the back of your spoon to flatten the pancakes out. Cook about 3 minutes or until the pancakes are golden brown on the bottom. Flip them and cook another 3 or 4 minutes, until both sides are golden brown, the edges are crisp, and the pancakes are cooked through.Put the cooked pancakes on a rack set over a baking sheet. Slide the baking sheet into the warm oven to keep the pancakes warm as you cook the rest in batches. Add more oil to the skillet as needed - you don't want to skimp on the oil or the pancakes will not crisp properly.Serve the potato pancakes with pear-applesauce (or plain applesauce) and sour cream.

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 30 mins Total time: 45 mins Yield: 24 5-inch pancakes

Grandma Rose's Idaho® potato blintzes

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My Grandma Rose, may she rest in peace, made the best potato blintzes in the world.

The filling: soft mashed potatoes generously laced with sweet caramelized onions.

The pancakes: thin, but not too thin. Definitely not delicate like French crepes - Grandma Rose's blintz wrappers had some bite to them, some heft, some chew.

She'd wrap up the potato blintzes into little packages and pan-fry them in butter until each side was crisp and golden brown. She'd serve them with sour cream, maybe a dish of applesauce.

We never could get enough.

When the Idaho Potato Commission asked me to come up with some recipes using Idaho potatoes to celebrate Hanukkah, I thought immediately of Grandma Rose's potato blintzes. On Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, we eat fried foods to remind us of the oil that kept the candles burning in the Jewish temple in Jerusalem for a miraculous eight days. Potato latkes (pancakes) get most of the attention, but that's not the only way to celebrate Hanukkah.

Making potato blintzes is a multi-step process, but it's well worth the time. You can start with leftover mashed potatoes (hello, Thanksgiving) or even use Idaho dehydrated potato flakes (a miracle product if ever I saw one). Once you've got the wrappers made and the blintzes assembled, you can store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before frying them off. Just lay them on a parchment- or foil-lined baking sheet in a single layer and cover with plastic wrap - they'll be good as new once you pan-fry them.

My Grandma Rose has been gone 16 years, but one bite of her famous potato blintzes and I can feel her arms around me again. What about you - do you have a family recipe that brings your loved ones back to you?

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Grandma Rose's Idaho® potato blintzes

by Erika Kerekes November-27-2012

My Grandma Rose made the best potato blintzes in the world - crisp buttery pancake on the outside, soft mashed potatoes laced with caramelized onions on the inside. Top them with a dollop of sour cream before serving.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds Idaho® potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
• 8 Tablespoons (1 stick) butter, divided
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (approximate)
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/4 cups water
• applesauce and/or sour cream (for serving)

Instructions

Make the filling: Put the Idaho® potatoes in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring the pot to a boil, turn down the heat, and simmer until the potato chunks are tender and easily pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes and put them back in the hot, empty saucepan to dry for a few minutes.While the potatoes are boiling, heat 4 Tablespoons butter in a large skillet and add the onion. Cook until the onion is golden brown and very soft, about 15 minutes.Mash the potatoes with a potato masher or fork; it's okay if there are some lumps. Add the cooked onions, salt and pepper. Mix well, taste, and adjust seasoning if necessary. Set filling aside.Make the pancakes: Whisk together the flour, egg, water and salt. The batter should have the consistency of heavy cream; if it's too thick, whisk in a little more water.Heat a small (7-inch) nonstick skillet over medium heat. Melt a little knob of butter in the pan and swirl it around so the bottom of the skillet is lightly coated with the melted butter. When the butter stops foaming, ladle in about 2 Tablespoons of the batter, swirling the pan around so the batter coats the bottom of the skillet evenly. Cook the pancake about 45 seconds, until the edges are starting to curl up. Do not flip the pancake - you're cooking it on one side only. Slide the pancake onto a plate, cutting board or cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining batter until all the pancakes are made. Wait to stack the pancakes until they are fully cooled or they will stick together.Assemble the blintzes: Place one pancake on a cutting board with the cooked side up. Dollop about 2 Tablespoons of the potato filling in a rectangular shape in the middle of the pancake. Now form the blintz by folding in two sides of the pancake over the short edges of the rectangular filling, folding up one long edge, and rolling until the other edge is under the filling and the whole package looks like a little burrito. Continue with the rest of the pancakes and filling. Note that the uncooked side of the pancake is on the outside of the blintzes; this is as it should be, since you will be cooking the blintzes again once they are formed.To serve, heat a little more butter in the skillet and place the formed blintzes in the skillet. Fry until golden on both sides and the filling is heated through. Serve immediately with applesauce or sour cream (or both).Time-saving tip: 4 cups Idaho® dehydrated potato flakes plus 2 cups boiling water may be substituted for the cooked and mashed potatoes in the filling. Mix together the potato flakes and the boiling water, then proceed with the recipe as directed. Blintzes can be formed up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated, stored in a single layer and covered tightly with plastic wrap.

Details

Prep time: 1 hour Cook time: 10 mins Total time: 1 hour 10 mins Yield: 12 blintzes (allow 2 per person)