Quick Scalloped Potatoes

If it were up to my husband, we'd have these mashed potatoes with every meal. Unfortunately for him, I like a little more variety than that. So I am always on the hunt for other potato recipes that are simple and have a similar flavor to the mashed potatoes he so loves while being different enough that I'm not getting bored.

Every time my Mom makes ham, she also makes these awesome scalloped potatoes from a Martha Stewart recipe.  I finally asked for it and tried it a few times. My hubby wasn't sold, until I started making some small changes that made them more my style. It worked! He's finally on board with trying some different styles, and has even requested these a few times. Yeah!

The recipe is pretty flexible, you too can tailor it to fit your families tastebuds. We've had it with chicken, steak, and ham, but it would also taste great with pork chops. When slicing the potatoes, try not to go too thin. I use a 1/4" chopping tool; I found the Kitchen Aid Mixer attachment sliced too thin. I have not yet tried my slicing tool on my new Cuisenart food processor.


Quick and Easy Scalloped Potatoes

3-4 potatoes, peeled and sliced (Golden is best, but I used good-ole Russet just fine)
1 c heavy cream
1 Tbs butter
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tbs onion, finely chopped
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/2 tsp pepper (or to taste)
1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese

Pre-heat oven to 375. In an oven-safe coated cast iron pan (I use this Le Creuset pan) melt butter and sauté the onion. When ready, add the minced garlic and stir to combine. Pour in the cream and bring to a boil. Add potatoes, salt and pepper and reduce to a simmer. Simmer with the lid on, stirring occasionally for about 10-15 minutes. The potatoes should be tender, but not mushy.

Remove from heat and sprinkle the cheese on top. Without the lid, place it in the oven and bake until  the top browns and cheese melts, about 10-15 minutes. Remove and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving. Best served immediately.

*Adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe handed onto me from my Mom.

Weekly Menu, May 29

First week of summer has been wonderful! The kids and I have been enjoying all sorts of summer festivities. Picnics, trips to the park, puppet shows, it's been fantastic. And it's only just the beginning. Next week we start swim team and begin the trail of practices and meets. Changes up the menu a little... some of the practices are at dinner time and we'll want warm yumminess when we come home.

Last week it seemed we had some leftover over illness we needed to finish off, so we didn't get to try everything on the menu last week. So...we have some repeats. We'll try again this week. I have a feeling it will go well.

	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner
Sunday	oatmeal	PBJ goldfish puffs cantelope	pizza salad
Monday	waffles eggs	Pizza carrots grapes	hotdogs baked beans potato salad s’mores
Tuesday	bfast burritos	PBN crackers strawberries yogurt	meatloaf mashed potatoes green beans
Wednesday	roll up pancakes	grilled cheese goldfish cantelope	beef quesadillas corn refried beans
Thursday	biscuits & jams eggs	PBJ chips apple slices	crockpot ravioli casserole broccoli
Friday	toast sausage patties	cheese & crackers carrots & dip grapes	sausage penne pasta broccoli garlic bread
mashed bn	biscuits HB eggs	hot dogs chips cantelope	PBJ sandwiches crackers apple slices

This should be a good week. Let's do it!

Weekly Menu, May 22

Wow, another week done. Last week was a total blur. Between end-of-year parties and commencements, and of course last minute mom time enjoyed before summer begins, we got nothing done last week. It felt like one of those weeks where I was lucky to get anything on the table.

I actually discovered something interesting last week. With all the eating out and eating on the run, I felt horrible. Even exercise wasn't enough to fend off the feeling of grease and fat and generally unhealthy foods I was consuming. I was actually missing my home-cooking and portioned meals. The balance that comes with cooking for yourself and having control over what ingredients are used and in what quantities. It has reignited my desire to continue with my weekly menu's and work harder to find ways to avoid eating out (or at least find smarter ways to eat out).

When planning this week, I really wanted to keep it simple as we figure out our balance in our new summer schedule. I created a magnet schedule (I'll have to write a post about that sometime this week), and so far the kids are interested.  As for food, here's what we have going on this week.

	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner
Sunday	waffles eggs	turkey sandwich goldfish apple slices	crispy chicken mashed potatoes green beans
Monday	oatmeal	Pizza carrots watermelon	beef quesadillas corn refried beans
Tuesday	Welsh biscuits sausage links	PBN crackers strawberries yogurt	chicken manicotti broccoli
Wednesday	bfast burrito	grilled cheese goldfish cantelope	steak/fish potatoes carrots
Thursday	pancakes eggs	PBJ chips apple slices	chicken kabobs rice pineapple green peppers
Friday	toast sausage patties	meat & cheese skewers cheez-its grapes	crockpot ravioli casserole broccoli
Saturday	biscuits & jam HB eggs	hot dogs chips cantelope	Mac n Cheese sauted chicken carrots

Hopefully we'll be able to transition smoothly into a comfortable summer schedule. I am really excited about summer. So many fun things to do with the kids, and so much more relaxed; in other words a LOT LESS commuting! Yeah to that!

Weekly Menu, May 15

Last week was a mess, and in many ways a total disaster. I don't know if it's my age, or my last 12 months of efforts to eat healthier, or simply a string of bad food but this week I felt yucky all week! I am starting to think there's value in combining my birthday with Mothers Day and get it all done at once. The days we did cook at home were difficult because I didn't feel good so I wasn't very motivated. New week, new menu, and new inspiration to stay on track.

On the plus side, I got an AWESOME new printer for my birthday! I haven't had easy access to a printer in years, and I don't think I realized how many things I avoided or found tedious ways to accomplish. Now I can print my weekly menu after making it for easy access each day, which hopefully will make for a better success rate.

I also got a dough hook for my new food processor I got for christmas. I didn't realize the value of my dough hook on my old machine. The book for the new machine said the chopping blade would work just as well. So NOT True! It leaves the dough lumpy and inconsistent. I haven't tried the new blade, but I'm super excited to give it a whirl. I think there's three bread recipes in this weeks menu. I will really be putting it to the test.

	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner
Sunday	roll up pancakes sausage eggs	ham sandwiches Cheetos apple slices	steak kabobs rice broccoli
Monday	waffles eggs	PBJ sandwich watermelon chips	chicken teriyaki meatballs rice stir fry veggies
Tuesday	cinnamon toast HB eggs	cheese & meat skewers Cheetos apple slices	ravioli in white sauce broccoli
Wednesday	pancakes sausage patty	PBN crackers goldfish fruit cup	beef quesadillas corn beans
Thursday	biscuit & jam eggs	turkey & cheese roll up watermelon goldfish	hot dogs homemade buns baked beans baby carrots
Friday	bfast burrito	PBJ sandwich goldfish applesauce	pizza salad
Saturday	oatmeal	hot dogs chips watermelon	Mac N Cheese broccoli & carrots

I think I've got some new things in place to make this week work smoothly. It's the last week of school here for the kids, which will either help me or hurt me. We'll see, but I'm optimistic! We can do this!