What's for Dinner?

What's for Dinner

I don't cook very much. Mostly, it's a matter of logistics - Rob gets home before I do, so he's the one starting dinner most nights. And when I do cook, I can't make a lot of the things I used to, because no one will eat them. I mean, I'm married to a man who actually likes mashed potatoes made from flakes better than the ones made from real potatoes, for Pete's sake.

So, I'll cook vicariously for you, the unsuspecting internet traveller.

Oh, and be forewarned - I sometimes use preprepared food when I cook. Get over it. If you're looking for recipes using only fresh hand-ground spices and vegetables picked from your own garden, you're looking in the wrong place.

On Today's Menu - Lazy Potato Kugel

Just to clarify, it's not the potatoes that are lazy. It's me. The real recipe for this calls for doing all sorts of things separately that I do all together. Because - you guessed it - I'm lazy. It's still yummy, so kick back and make some kugel!

You will need:
Enough potatoes to feed everyone. I like russet.
Yellow bell pepper
Red bell pepper
Orange bell pepper
Onion (Do I really have to say it? Get a 1015)
Butter. Lots and lots of butter.
Garlic
Milk
Sour cream
Parmesan cheese. Not the kind in a canister.
A good knife
A pot
A large frying pan
A really big bowl
A big spoon
An oven proof dish

Preheat the oven to 375. Peel and chop the taters. Put 'em in a pot of water and boil 'em. While they're boiling, dice the bell peppers and onion. That means chop 'em into little bits. I usually only use about half of each pepper, but it all depends on how much you're making. You can't really go wrong with a little oo much or a little too little.

Melt a lot of butter in the frying pan. I buy butter in huge blocks so I'm not sure exactly how much, but I wouldn't use less than a stick. Add the bell peppers and onions and stir it all around until everything looks a little soft. Throw in a couple of cloves of garlic (mash it first).

By now, your potatoes should be done. Turn off the heat under the frying pan. Drain the potatoes, add some milk, and mash. Add a large glop or two of sour cream and mash some more. Don't worry if they seem a bit soupy.

Dump the mashed potatoes and the contents of the frying pan into a large bowl. Stir with the big spoon. Add some salt and pepper. Grate a ton of parmesan cheese into it. Stir some more. When your arm gets tired, stop stirring and dump it into the oven-proof dish. Bake uncovered about 20 minutes, until the top starts to brown.

Leftovers - the What's for Dinner Archives