Sweet Potato Tots

If you live near a Sonic and eat there frequently, like I do, then you know they have recently come out with sweet potato tots and they are TO DIE FOR.  When I found out they were only going to have them for a limited time I decided that wouldn't do for me; I needed to have access to these at all times, for the rest of my life.  So I adapted my favorite homemade tot recipe and they were incredible!



Ingredients:  sweet potatoes, flour, seasoned salt (I accidentally took a picture of kosher salt - but I used seasoned salt), pepper and canola oil for frying.

Peel and dice the sweet potatoes.

Cover the diced sweet potatoes with cold, salted water and bring to a boil.  Simmer for 10 or 15 minutes until they are fork tender.

Drain.

Return to the hot pot and mash with a potato masher or fork.

Then add the seasoned salt and pepper to taste and 2-3 tablespoons of flour.

Scoop them into little balls.

And fry them in the canola oil until they are golden brown, crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside.  I must have been drunk when I was doing this because I forgot to get a picture of the finished product!  But you don't need a final picture to see that these are out of this world!!  I also made a little mixture of mayo and sriracha hot sauce for dipping.  Delish!

Link to the printable recipe:

*substitute sweet potatoes for regular potatoes

Tater Tots

Source:  Pioneer Woman

Sun-Dried Tomato Risotto

Mmmmm.  Risotto.  Sun-dried tomatoes.  These are a few of my favorite things.

This is a Pioneer Woman recipe but I made it using a Barefoot Contessa cooking technique that makes any risotto recipe extremely easy and fail proof.  I ate it for lunch.  And an afternoon snack.  And breakfast the next day.  I'm addicted to risotto!

Ingredients:  butter, olive oil, onion (I used a leek just because I had one leftover from another recipe and wanted to use it up), garlic, Arborio rice, sun-dried tomatoes, dry white wine, chicken stock or broth, salt, pepper, parmesean cheese and heavy whipping cream.

Chop up the leek or onion and mince the garlic.

Add the oil to a pot and cook the leek and garlic for a few minutes until soft.

Then add in the rice and all but 1 cup of the stock.  Cover and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, dice the butter, mince the tomatoes and shred the parmesean cheese.

When the rice comes out of the oven it should have absorbed all of the liquid and it will be tender when you bite into it.

Add in the remaining stock, wine, butter and cheese and stir vigorously for a couple of minutes until all of the liquid is absorbed.

Then add in the sun-dried tomatoes and a splash of cream.

Mix it together and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Lunch is served!  If you have some fresh basil on hand you can add a little.  I didn't :(  But it was simple and delicious on it's own!

Link to the printable recipes:

Pioneer Woman Sun-Dried Tomato Risotto

Barefoot Contessa Easy Risotto in the Oven

Spicy, Creamy Baked Mac & Cheese

Macaroni and cheese is hands down my favorite comfort food.  I have several different recipes I like to make.  I even love the cheapo boxed kind.  This recipe is great because you can make it ahead of time and refrigerate it until you're ready to bake it.  And you don't have to make a pan sauce, which makes it ultra convenient!  It's very creamy and very well seasoned.

Ingredients:  elbow pasta, sharp cheddar cheese, Colby cheese, Monterrey pepper jack cheese, flour, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, dry mustard, nutmeg, sour cream, egg, heavy cream, half and half and onion.

Start by cubing all of the cheese except 1/2 of the cheddar, which needs to be shredded and reserved.

Mix the flour and spices in a large bowl.

Then add the rest of the ingredients except the cheese and pasta.  Use a fine cheese grater to grate the onion.  You won't notice it in the dish because it will be super fine but it really brings out the flavors in the other ingredients.

Whisk it all together.

Cook the pasta until it is slightly underdone and add it to a baking dish with the cubed cheese.

Then pour the cream sauce over.

And top with the reserved shredded cheddar cheese.  You can also top it with croutons, bread crumbs or sliced tomatoes.  But I like mine cheesy, creamy and simple :)

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes until melted and bubbly.

Hello lover!

Link to the printable recipe:

Spicy Macaroni and Cheese

Source:  Sunny Anderson

Spanakopita

If you've never had Spanakopita before, it's like deep fried spinach dip, except it's not fried - it's baked - and the filling is made with feta cheese so it's actually lighter than it leads you to believe with its crispy, buttery crust and creamy, delicious inside.  It takes some effort to make, but it is not difficult.  You can also make it in advance and refrigerate or freeze until ready to bake.

Ingredients:  olive oil, onion, scallion, frozen chopped spinach, eggs, parmesean cheese, plain dry bread crumbs, nutmeg, salt, pepper, feta cheese, phyllo dough and butter.

Saute the onions and scallions in the olive oil until soft.

Meanwhile, squeeze as much of the liquid as possible out of the defrosted spinach and add it to a mixing bowl.

Shred the parmesean cheese and dice the feta cheese.

To the bowl with the spinach, add the onions, beaten eggs, grated parmesean cheese, bread crumbs, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

And mix it all together.

Then gently toss in the feta.

On a work surface, lay out one sheet of phyllo dough, brush it with melted butter and sprinkle with bread crumbs.

Continue layering phyllo dough, melted butter and bread crumbs until you have four layers of dough.  Slice it in half lengthwise with a pizza cutter.

Add about 1/3 cup of the spinach filling to the end of one piece of the dough.

Like a flag, fold one corner diagonally over the filling.

Then fold the entire triangle over straight.

And then diagonally again.

And straight again.

And diagonally until you reach the end of the sheet.

Repeat with the rest of the phyllo until you have prepared all of the pastries.  Place them seam side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sea salt.

Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes until they are flaky and golden.

Oh my.  That is just so scrumptious!  Look at those flaky golden layers.  Incredible!

Copy and paste the recipe below into Word for printable version:

Spanakopita

Makes 12 strudels

1/4 c. olive oil
1 c. chopped yellow onion
3 scallions, chopped
2 10 oz. packages frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 tbsp. grated parmesean cheese
plain dry breadcrumbs
1 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 c. small diced feta cheese
3 tbsp. toasted pine nuts
24 sheets frozen phyllo dough, defrosted
1 stick melted butter
sea salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Het the olive oil in a medium saute pan, add the onions, and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat.  Add the scallions, and cook for another 2 minutes until the scallions are wilted but still green.  Meanwhile, gently squeeze most of the water out of the spinach and place it in a large bowl.

When the onion and scallions are done, add them to the spinach.  Mix in the eggs, Parmesean cheese, 3 tbsp. bread crumbs, the nutmeg, salt and pepper.  Gently fold in the feta and pine nuts.

Place one sheet of phyllo dough flat on a work surface with the long end in front of you. Brush the dough lightly with butter and sprinkle it with a tsp. of bread crumbs.  (Use just enough bread crumbs so the layers of phyllo don't stick together.)  Pile 4 layers total on top of each other this way, brushing each with butter and sprinling with bread crumbs.  Cut the sheets of phyllo in half lengthwise.  Place 1/3 c. spincach filling on the shoter end and roll the phyllo up diagonally as if folding a flag.  Then fold the triangle of phyllo over straight and then diagonally again.  Continue folding first diagonally and then straight until you reach the end of the sheet.  The filling should be totally enclosed.  Continue assembling phyllo layers and folding the filling until all of the filling is used.  Place on a sheet pan, seam sides down.  Brush with melted butter, sprinkle with flaked salt, and bake for 30 to 35 mintues, until the phyllo is browned and crisp.  Serve hot.

Source:  Barefoot Contessa