No pantry is complete without potatoes!!! We always have potatoes in ours. They’re such a basic staple!
They can be mashed, fried,
baked or when combined with other ingredients, they become a “side” dish!.
But do we know which kind to use for which recipe?
Did you ever wonder why your mashed potatoes didn’t turn out as fluffy as you thought they should be? Did you ever consider that perhaps you were using the wrong type of potatoes? I did some serious research and learned a little about “Potatoes 101”!
There are different kinds out there that fall into the following
basic types:
1st variety is the: “floury” (the most popular), “known as “Russet”, “Idaho” and “Yukon Gold” ( Yukon Gold also falls in the “all-purpose” category) These have a fluffy texture because of the high starch and little water content, which makes it good for mashed potatoes. But also good for French fries.
2nd variety is the “waxy”, which has the highest water content.Red Potatoes, also called “new” potatoes fall in this category. They are “round reds” and “round whites”. They are good for
the popular Red Potato Salad, but not good for mashed potatoes because they won’t absorb the butter and cream or fluff
up!
This delicious featured casserole has all the makings of a cheese-burger…hamburger, onions and cheese! You might add a salad, rolls
and dessert and you have a meal good enough for company!!! So here is our
Tater Tot Casserole
1 lb. lean hamburger (80/20 preferred)
1 medium size Vidalia onion, chopped
1 (10.5-oz.) can Cream of Celery
soup, undiluted
½ cup sour cream
1, 32-oz. bag frozen Tater Tots (do not thaw)
6 slices lean bacon, fried crisp and crumbled, divided
2
cups shredded medium Cheddar cheese, divided
Thinly sliced fresh green onions, about ¼ to 1/3 cup
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium size non-stick skillet, crumble the hamburger and chopped onions, stirring constantly with wooden spoon, until brown.Drain the fat and return mixture to the pan. Stir in the undiluted soup and sour cream, mixing well.
In a lightly greased 9x13 baking
dish place half of the Tater Tots in a single layer. Spoon and spread the meat/onion mixture evenly over the potatoes.
Sprinkle half of
the crumbled bacon and 1 cup of the shredded cheese over the bacon. Put the rest of the Tater Tots on top of the cheese/bacon layer.
Sprinkle the rest of the crumbled bacon and the other cup of shredded cheese on top. Sprinkle a generous amount of the green onion
slices on top. (for garnish) Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until top is nice and brown.
Serve immediately. Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Note: The
casserole in the photo is half of the recipe in an 8-inch Pyrex baking dish.
Always dry your potatoes thoroughly after boiling so they will soak up the butter and cream and mash fluffy.
Don’t store your potatoes with onions. It will cause them to sprout.
Also don’t store them in plastic bags…they can’t “breathe”!
Check out my recipe for Red Potato Salad in index, June 2018
For more popular uses of potatoes, check out these dishes in our recipe index:
Baked Potato Soup………. Jan. 2014
Garlic Mashed
Potatoes….March 2013
German Potato Salad….....June 2011
Scalloped Potatoes………Oct. 2010
Twice Baked Potatoes…..Oct. 2010 & March 2013
Old Fashioned Southern Potato Salad….July 2010