Cooking With Coupons: Potato Recipes

Cooking With Coupons:

Spud Savings

Potato, Po‒ TAW‒to ‒ anyway you say it, they're a pantry favorite! According to www.healthypotato.com “each year, there are more than 1 million acres of potatoes planted – that's like filling the whole state of Rhode Island with potato plants. It's the leading vegetable crop in the U.S. with a total production of 41.3 billion pounds.” This tuberous veggie is clearly prolific and conjointly inexpensive. It's easy to stretch a meal and your budget by adding potatoes to a dish. As one of the few “vegetables” I'll eat, my family eats potatoes regularly.  Here are a few of my favorite potato recipes:

Perfect Potatoes: (I have never eaten a creamier potato than when I learned this trick!)

In a large pot, cover uniform, medium-sized potatoes with cold water and add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat until fork tender, 20 to 30 minutes.

Drain the potatoes in a heat-proof colander and then return them, in the colander, immediately to the empty pan. Cover potatoes and colander with a dry kitchen towel. Let cool for 20 minutes and serve as a side dish with butter and sour cream or peel and dice for creamy potato salad.

Potato Smashers ‒ (Adapted from Kraft Food & Family)

8 small potatoes

1/2 cup water

4 slices crumbled bacon    

4 tablespoons Italian salad dressing

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Follow “Perfect Potatoes” recipe above or place potatoes and water in 2-quart microwaveable dish. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Let stand 5 minutes.

Drain potatoes. Press each potato with bottom of small bowl or saucer to flatten to 1/2-inch thickness.

Heat dressing in skillet on medium heat. Add potatoes; cook 4 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown. Turn potatoes over and sprinkle with cheese and bacon. Cover skillet with lid. Cook an additional 2 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Seasoned Baked Potatoes ‒ Thanks Mom E!

2 tablespoons Schilling Salt 'n Spice Seasoning

2 tablespoons Schilling Salad Supreme Seasoning

1 tablespoon season salt

1 tablespoon sugar

Vegetable oil

Mix dry spices in a sealable plastic bag. Lightly rub potatoes with oil and add potatoes to the bag one at a time ‒ shake bag to season. Bake at 350 on metal baking sheet for 1 hour or until tender.

How to Peel a Potato ‒ Dawn Wells/ Gilligan's “Maryanne”

How To Peel a Potato YouTube Link

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Score an uncooked potato all the way around the center in a full circle with a sharp knife. Add potato to boiling water and let boil for 15 minutes. Remove from water and drop into ice water for about 10 seconds. Gently pull potato skin from either side of the scored mark. Amazingly the skin will easily pull away!

No matter how you slice 'em, dice 'em, chip 'em or chop 'em, potatoes are always a great addition to the dinner table, and at a price that anyone can afford.