Hash Brown Mash Browns - A Simple Family Tradition

I love cooking with leftovers of anything and so does my husband as well.

He loves to experiment in the kitchen with leftovers and he says that all leftovers can become a masterpiece with some butter and soy sauce :)

He once took some leftover Sunday Meatballs and Rice and removed as much sauce as he could from the meatballs, chopped them up and fried them with some leftover rice, butter and soy sauce to create a sort of asian meatball fried rice dish. It actually wasn't bad, it was really good!

Today we will be making a simple dish with leftover mashed potatoes.

Hash Brown, Mash Browns is my family tradition for leftovers of mashed potatoes. My mother-in-law introduced me to this simple leftover ritual.

My kids always look forward to breakfast when they know I am making mashed potatoes for dinner.

 I have done a lot with leftover mashed potatoes, I think my favorite was taking some leftover mashed potatoes, leftover meatballs and wrapped them in egg roll wrappers and deep fried them, yum!

But for a fast breakfast, what we like to do is just fry a couple spoonfuls of mashed potatoes in butter until a bit of crust forms on the bottom then flip.

Keep frying on high heat until mashed potatoes get a golden hue and there are little golden bits of crust throughout, about 5-7 minutes.

Pair this with a soft fried egg and some buttered toast and you have a quick and delicious breakfast to start your day.

 

Easy Low Country Smothered Pork Chops

When I saw this recipe on the Food Network by Paula Deen, I was hooked!

For me it looked like an easy meal, and for me it is.

I love meals that I can just simmer on the stove for a while, so I can get other things done like answer e-mails, catch a tv show, pay a few bills online or start the side dishes. This dish allows me to do just that. The gravy that the chops make is so delicious and it is total comfort food.

4 center-cut pork chops

Salt and ground black pepper 

1 tablespoons butter 

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup all-purpose flour for dredging 

1 green bell pepper, cut into strips 

1 yellow bell pepper, cut into strips

1 yellow onion, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced 

2 cups chicken broth 

3 dashes Worcestershire sauce

I begin by seasoning the chops with salt, pepper, then dredge the chops in flour and shake off the excess. Add the olive oil and the butter in a skillet over medium heat so the butter melts. Add the pork chops to pan and brown well, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add the bell peppers and onions, to the skillet and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about half a minute longer. Push the vegetables to one side of the skillet. Add the pork chops to skillet and place vegetables on top of chops. Pour the broth in and sprinkle in the Worcestershire sauce. Cover skillet with foil or top, and turn the heat down to simmer for 45 minutes or until chops are tender and delicious!

Pair this with a side of mashed potatoes and a veggie and you've got yourself a wonderful family meal.

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Fall is truly my favorite time of year. The weather changes, the air becomes more crisp, the seasonal colors become warm and inviting with browns, oranges and golden yellows. And it is my favorite time of year because I get to break out my big sweaters and warm cable knit throw blanket. 

One food that is a staple in the fall is mashed potatoes. When I make dinner on a fall day I look forward to a meal that includes mashed potatoes. I love making them, I love eating them, I love making hash brown, mash browns with the leftovers. ( More on that later)

These mash potatoes came out so light and creamy; and I think it has to do with this potato ricer that I got from Williams-Sonoma. This thing is AWESOME! Just pass some boiled potatoes through it, and stir. The trick that I found is, not to fill the ricer, because it will be to hard to push through. Just put a couple of spoonfuls at a time. The texture will be so creamy and NO lumps!

My nephew used to say that he loved my CRUNCHY mashed potatoes.

Well Joey check these out!

I make mine with chicken broth instead of milk (most of the time) because of milk intolerance from my husband, but you could definitely swap for milk or cream and it will make them even more creamy.

4 pounds russet potatoes

About 1/2 cup chicken broth 

1/2 cup butter

Salt

Pepper

Start by peeling and cutting potatoes into sixths. Place in pot of water that is covering potatoes by and inch or so. And let 'em boil for about 30 minutes or until tender when poked with a fork. I may even let mine go for a bit longer, as I like mine really fork tender. Drain in colander in sink, and enjoy the steam bath.

When drained, get a few spoonfuls and place into ricer that is above a small pot, and squeeze handle to push potatoes through. One you have pushed all of them through ricer (or mashed with a masher) simply add butter and broth or milk, a generous seasoning of salt, a pinch of black pepper and stir.

Hash brown-mash browns coming soon!