Mashed Potato Cakes with Ham, Cheese, and Scallions

Potato cakes are entries common in older cookbooks. I've had my eye on one from the 1930s for some time now and adapted it for this recipe. Hint: Do not wait until you have "leftover" mashed potatoes or, like me, you'll never make them. Mash some potatoes just for this recipe. Really, how difficult is that? And, to be truthful, they will turn out better because they are not loaded with butter and milk so you won't have to add more flour.

But enough small talk. Let's talk taste. Well, let's just say I've been making these for the past three days! The savory blend of creamy potato with ham, cheese and green onion is classic. And rich--especially topped with a dollop of sour cream. With a simple bowl of soup, they are a meal by themselves. With a fried or poached egg or two, it's a breakfast made in heaven. And I could see these as a great appetizer, for sure. They are also great comfort food for someone not feeling well. They are warm, filling, and go down easy.

Lately, I'm obsessed with things that are round . . . . potato cakes
and poached eggs . . . not just for breakfast!

For my first batch, I already had all the ingredients on hand, including leftover ham. You could readily use a thick slice or two of deli ham, such as Boar's Head Tavern Ham. Just about any cheese will work. Since I had them on hand, I've used a combo of Fontinella, White Cheddar and a bit of Mozzarella. When I have it, I will use Gruyere. I'm sure Swiss would be great, too--even a smoked Gouda. Just choose a cheese that will melt well.

These are easy to prepare the day before serving and I actually suggest covering and refrigerating the "dough" to let the flavors mix. I prefer to lightly coat them with Panko breadcrumbs which gives just the right amount of crunch to contrast with the soft cake itself or just lightly dusted with flour. If using a cast-iron skillet, watch them closely so they don't scorch. I made large ones for my first batch but found smaller ones much better.

• 1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and cut for boiling (1 lb. is about 1 cup mashed)
• 1 cup mashed potatoes
• 1/2 cup ground ham
• 1/2 cup grated cheese (White cheddar, Swiss, Gruyere, etc.)
• 2 tablespoons chopped scallions, mostly white and light green parts
• 4 tablespoons White Lily self-rising flour*
• 1 egg yolk
• Salt
• Pepper
• Freshly-grated nutmeg
• Tabasco
• Oil/butter for frying

Boil potatoes and then mash using a pastry blender. You should end up with about one cup of mashed potatoes. Season with salt, pepper, several grates of nutmeg and a few shakes of Tabasco. Allow to cool.

Cut ham into small squares and place in mini food processor. Chop/pulse until nicely ground. Grate cheese using large holes on box grater. Chop scallions. Set aside.

Note the nice grind of ham. You don't want "lumpy."

Add egg yolk to potato mixture and stir in. Sprinkle in flour one tablespoon at a time and work in with pastry blender. Dough will be soft. Now mix in the ham, cheese, and scallions. If possible, refrigerate for an hour or two.

Scoop dough into a 1/4 measuring cup and using your hands form into a 2-1/2 inch patty. They should be at least 1/2-inch thick. Sprinkle lightly with Panko bread crumbs or flour.

Heat oil or oil/butter in a pan and lightly fry until golden brown. Flip. Brown other side. 

Drain a bit on paper towel. Sprinkle with several grinds of fresh salt. Plate. Place a few nibs of butter on each along with a dollop of sour cream.

Makes about 6-8 cakes.

*White Lily Flour is readily available here in the South. It is a very soft, powder-like flour. If you don't have access to it, you may use cake flour. If using regular flour, I suggest decreasing amount to 3 tablespoons. I'm not sure that 'self-rising' flour really makes a difference.

Cottage Cheese and Sour Cream Pancakes (Norwegian Pancakes)

A cross between a crepe and a pancake. Delicious!

I received this recipe decades ago from a church-lady in the Indiana town where I first taught school. I loved them then. I love them now. They are a cinch to prepare. Basically, there are only two vessels to clean! Better yet, the batter will keep for a day or two in the refrigerator.

Somewhere, I have the original hand-written card. The recipe title is "Norwegian Pancakes." After some research, I have not found anything similar. In point of fact, a Norwegian pancake mostly resembles a crepe which is then spread with jam and rolled. These are not of those ilk, but they are impressively delicious. Because of the dairy, they are high in protein. If you are on a ketogenic  diet, you could easily use an alternative flour.

These are not as large or as puffy as a regular pancake, so only pour enough batter to make a 3-or-4-inch circle. The inside will be wonderfully creamy. I serve these with warm maple syrup and, in the summer, along with fresh fruit.

These make about two dozen small pancakes. They are insanely easy to prepare the night before. Just keep the batter, covered, in the blender. In the morning, give it a whirl or two to redistribute. Makes for an amazing uncomplicated breakfast. The complication is up to you:  Bacon? Sausage? Fried eggs? You decide how you want to start your day.

Lacking a blender, a bowl and wisk will do. When I received this recipe, food processors were not around, LOL.

• 1 cup small-curd cottage cheese
• 1 cup sour cream
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup sifted, all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Put the cottage cheese and sour cream in a blender. Blitz into a smooth paste. Add eggs, one at a time, and whirl until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients until well blended.

Bake on a hot, medium-greased griddle, electric pan, or cast-iron skillet until bubbles break on surface. Flip. Continue to cook just until golden brown.

Crusty Chicken Tenders Parmesan and Fines Herbes

These are especially good served cold the next day.

Okay. This recipe actually begins with pledge and a promise. Raise your right hand and repeat after me: "I promise never ever to use store-bought breadcrumbs. They are bad. They are nasty. They are sawdust. I will always make fresh breadcrumbs. So help me God!"

See, wasn't that easy? I think dried commercial breadcrumbs are a relic of the 1950s or something when chunks of SPAM was an ingredient preserved in JELL-O. I'm sure they all have their uses, (and I do like JELL-O), but fresh breadcrumbs are so superior to the dried there is just no question in my mind at all. And they just don't work in this recipe. I tried.

To make fresh breadcrumbs simply add
torn up bread to mini-prep and pulse.
Store unused crumbs in freezer for later use.

After experimenting with store-bought breadcrumbs (they overpowered the taste of the cheese and herbs with their "powdery saw dust), then tried all fresh breadcrumbs (took too long to brown and crisp up in the oven, but they sopped up the butter and juices really well) to Panko breadcrumbs (too crisp and too much crunch.)

Finally, I used half fresh and half Panko. Perfect! The fresh crumbs absorbed the butter without fighting for the cheese/herb flavor, and the Panko crumbs gave just the right amount of crunch.

I do not recommend the thin-sliced chicken breasts one now finds in the markets. They bake in about ten minutes, not enough time for the bread-crumb mixture to brown resulting in a tough, overdone chicken. You want a chicken filet about 1/2-3/4 inch thick. I've gotten thick ones and merely sliced through them lengthwise. Large chicken tenders work very well, too, and it's what I used for the illustrations of this recipe. If you have children, they will prefer the tenders. Allow these to cool a bit before serving. Refrigerated leftovers are great served cold.

Look for large, meaty tenders. Rinse and pat dry on paper towel.


Baked Chicken Parmesan with Fines Herbes

• 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 6 tablespoons Kraft Parmesan & Romano Grated Cheese
• 1 heaping tablespoon fines herbes 
•    click here to go to recipe: Kitchen Bounty: Fines Herbes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3 chicken breasts or about 10 large chicken tenders
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted

Lightly spray a baking dish large enough to accommodate either the breasts or the tenders. OR (and this is the way I now do it) line a cookie sheet with foil. Preheat oven to 400 F degrees,

Combine the dry ingredients on a plate of sheet of waxed paper. Have the melted butter ready in a small bowl. 

Dip chicken in butter and then roll in crumbs coating liberally. Place in prepared baking dish. (May be made ahead and refrigerated until ready to use.)

Try not to crowd the chicken. Place in oven and bake for about 20 minutes, uncovered and without turning over, until golden.

Cheesy, salty, herby. I love 'em!

Allow to cool 10-15 minutes. Because of the rich nature of this dish, serve with plain rice and a vegetable. 

Notes: I had no problem using the Kraft cheese. You may, of course, use fresh and grate your own. But good Parmesan and Romano is extremely expensive. This recipe is easily doubled.

Sweet and Hot Garlic Pickles

Do you have a pickle lover in the family? There's always at least one. This recipe may just convert the whole tribe with its sweet-but-spicy-garlic-dill essence. And the garlic....oh, I think the garlic slices are the best part! The most difficult step of this whole process is having to wait several days for the flavors to mature. After a week or two, they go from great . . . to incredible . . . to  addictive. Put a bowl of these green babies on a picnic table in the summer and watch them disappear! Look no further for a half-time snack than these little jewels. Wives will be hounding you for the recipe. 

• 1, 16 ounce jar sliced dill pickles (I use Heinz Hamburger Dill Chips)
• White, granulated sugar
• Peeled and sliced garlic, at least four large cloves
• Tabasco sauce or similar hot sauce

Process:

Drain the pickles but do not rinse. Either using the same, rinsed-out jar, or canning jars, begin layering. First place a layer of pickles, then some sliced garlic, then a layer of sugar. Now sprinkle with several shots of Tabasco sauce. Continue layering until you've used up all the pickles. Screw on the lid and place upside down in the refrigerator. Every once-in-a-while, turn the jar. It will begin to make its own juices from the sugar. BUT they won't be at their peak for at least 3-5 days. 

I place the pickles in two pint jelly jars. To each layer, I sprinkle about 2 teaspoons sugar, 4 slices of garlic, 3-5 drops of Tabasco sauce. When done, I sprinkle the top with one tablespoon of sugar. Remember, you can always make them hotter, but you can't take away the hot you've already created. After several hours, shake and taste for "heat."

These are great served alongside chili.

Any size jar of sliced pickles will do.
Adjust garlic, sugar and Tabasco to taste.