2010 February — Cooking During Stolen Moments

Loaded Baked Potato Salad

February 23, 2010 By Kate 8 Comments

On Saturday morning, my husband decided we were having hot dogs for dinner. It had been a long time since we ate hot dogs, because we usually save those for summertime. So I was all for it.

As dinner time rolled around, I wanted to make us a nice side dish. So I thought a potato salad would be perfect. But I didn’t want just any potato salad. I wanted something a little different. Since we’re all such fans of the loaded baked potato flavor, I decided a Loaded Baked Potato Salad would be perfect.

Loaded Baked Potato Salad

1 lb. potatoes, diced
1 T. olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
3/4 c. sour cream
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. Ranch dressing
1 T. vinegar
1 c. shredded cheese
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/4 c. sliced green onions
Additional salt and pepper, to taste

1. Toss the diced potatoes with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Spread on a baking sheet or in a casserole dish and bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes, until tender. Stir a few times while cooking.

2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together sour cream, mayonnaise, Ranch dressing and vinegar. Add the potatoes and toss to coat. Refrigerate until serving, at least 30 minutes.

3. Just before serving, stir in cheese, bacon, green onions and salt and pepper to taste.

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Mexican Minestrone

February 22, 2010 By Kate 2 Comments

The other night, we experienced a very rare occurrence in our house. We had leftover taco meat! And a real amount of it too, not just a few spoonfuls. That almost never happens around here.

As I was packing away the leftovers, I decided that I’d use the meat to make a soup. I instantly thought of my friend Amy’s recipe for taco soup.

When the time rolled around for me to make the soup, I decided to just wing it since I didn’t have all of the right ingredients in Amy’s recipe. And as I watched the pot simmer, I decided to toss in a few handfuls of elbow macaroni. When I dished out the bowls for our dinner, I noticed how much the soup resembled a minestrone, albeit a Mexican version.

I thought that was perfect. And judging by how quickly the family gobbled up their bowls, they felt that way too. The spiciness was just right and all the flavors and textures worked together to create a very soul-satisfying soup.

Since I realize not everyone is as fortunate as I was to have extra taco meat laying around, I’ll give the recipe as it would be made from the beginning. But by all means, if you have leftover taco meat on hand, use that in place of the ground beef and seasonings.

Mexican Minestrone

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 1/2 T. chili powder
1 T. cumin
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. salt
1/8 t. cayenne pepper, optional
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes (do NOT drain)
4 c. beef stock
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 c. elbow macaroni
Optional garnish: shredded cheese and/or sour cream

1. In a stock pot, brown ground beef with onion, pepper and seasonings. Drain. Stir in tomatoes, beef stock and black beans. Cover and simmer for about 10-15 minutes, just to let the flavors develop. (You can simmer this all day at this point, if you want.)

2. About 30 minutes per serving, remove cover from pot. Bring soup to a boil and stir in macaroni. Return soup to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until noodles are tender, about 20 minutes.

This post is being linked to:

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed With Grace
Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam
$5 Dinner Challenge at $5 Dinners

And don’t forget to enter KRAFT’s Single Best Town contest. Tell the world about your awesome hometown for a chance to win a huge, star-studded concert in your town.

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Homemade Spicy Tortilla Chips

February 21, 2010 By Kate 4 Comments

Here’s a super quick and easy recipe for those of you who have requested more snack recipes. These chips make a great snack by themselves, with dip of some kind or as a base for a bean salsa or nachos. They’re also the perfect accompaniment to lots of different soups.

We really like the spice in these chips. They taste almost reminiscent of a Dorito, without all that cheesy mess on your fingers. (But it’s SO good, isn’t it?) However, if your family is not a fan of spicy, you could top them with just salt or cinnamon and sugar for a sweet treat.

Homemade Spicy Tortilla Chips

4 – 6 tortillas (store-bought or homemade)
2 T. butter, melted
1/4 t. each – chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt
1/8 t. cayenne pepper

1. Cut each tortilla into equally-sized wedges. (6 or 8 wedges per tortilla will give you the best size.) Spread in a single layer on 2 cookie sheets and brush with melted butter.