Danger!! - Addictive Twice Baked Potatos Ahead!

Saturday steak night is a given..I have already told you that. The only fluctuation is side dishes. Sweet, baked or roasted potato of some kind.

My husband came home a few weeks ago with a "Fine Cooking" magazine and it had an article about fresh horseradish root. After the article they had a recipe for "twice baked potatoes" which sounded good, with one exception..I don't like horseradish!

I thought I would substitute garlic for the fresh horseradish and try it. It seemed easy and who doesn't like garlic, butter and chives??

The first thing I thought was odd was that it called for the potatoes to be baked without a foil wrapper. I thought this would dry out the potato, but I trusted the cooks. They were 100% right! The meat pulls back just enough from the skin to allow you to scrape the potato out perfectly! I used a sharp edge teaspoon to pull out the potato. Be careful because it can tear if you are too vigorous with your scraping!

4 medium russet potatoes (about 7 oz. each), scrubbed and dried
5 Tbs. unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs. finely grated Pecorino Romano (3/4 oz.)
1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1/4 cup half-and-half, at room temperature
2 Tbs. plus 2 tsp. finely minced garlic
1 Tbs. thinly sliced chives; more for garnish
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F.

Prick the potatoes a few times with a fork. Put the potatoes directly on the oven rack and bake until tender when pierced with a skewer, 50 to 60 minutes.

While the potatoes are still hot, hold each one with a clean dishtowel and cut off about one-quarter lengthwise. With a spoon, scoop the potato flesh out into a medium bowl, leaving enough on the skins that they hold their shape. Add 4 Tbs. of the butter to the potato flesh, and with a potato masher, work the potatoes until lightly mashed but not completely smooth. Stir in 1/2 cup of the pecorino, the sour cream, half-and-half, 2 Tbs. of the horseradish, the chives, 1 tsp. salt, and a few grinds of pepper and mix until combined. Mound the filling into the potatoes. Cut the remaining 1 Tbs. butter into 4 pieces and top each potato with a pat of butter. Transfer to a small rimmed baking sheet or baking dish. (The potatoes may be prepared to this point up to 6 hours ahead; cover and refrigerate. Add 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time.)

In a small bowl, thoroughly mix the remaining 2 Tbs. pecorino and 2 tsp. horseradish with your fingers. Sprinkle over the potatoes. Bake until the potatoes are heated through and the tops are golden-brown, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with chives.

OH MY!! Lasagna

Yes..you might exclaim "Oh My!!" when you taste this. It is so good and best of all, the previous post about gravy is what I use for this.

Now, don't be a chicken when you see what is in it..First time I heard "goat cheese" I begin to think what I could replace it with instead, but I promise you..you will not taste the hair of a goat if you use it..but it does lend a creamy cheese to the mix.

I probably should have taken pictures this weekend when I assembled this..it would make it easier to explain as I had several "FAILS!!" the first time or two I made it. I once forgot a layer of noodles..ugh!

Sauce from "Good Gravy" blog or 28oz of good spaghetti sauce from *cringe* a jar
1/2 pound lasagna noodles
15 ounces ricotta cheese
3 to 4 ounces creamy goat cheese, crumbled
1 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/4 cup for sprinkling
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
1 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced (I buy the pre-sliced and then cut again with a wire)
Fresh Flat Leaf (Italian Parsley)


Fill a large bowl with the hottest tap water. Add the noodles and allow them to sit in the water for 20 minutes. Drain.

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, goat cheese, 1 cup of Parmesan, the egg, 2 tablespoons of parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

Ladle 1/3 of the sauce into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch rectangular baking dish, spreading the sauce over the bottom of the dish. Then add the layers as follows: half the pasta, half the mozzarella laid over the pasta then spread half the ricotta using your fingers to get all the pasta and mozzeralla covered then top with one third of the sauce. Add the rest of the pasta, mozzarella, ricotta, and finally, sauce. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling.

Let it stand for 10 or 15 minutes to set..better yet, make it a day ahead and refrigerate, because it is even better after it sits all night!

Good Gravy..it's Sauce!

There is an entire debate that I was never aware of being raised by a southern mama.

Gravy vs. Sauce when talking about Spaghetti Sauce.

When I was growing up, my mother made Ragu. Giant jar..if we were lucky, she would brown some ground beef and put that in too. Don't blame her..there wasn't many Italians in the backwoods of Northwest Alabama.

When I had my own home, I too went to the Ragu jar for spaghetti..it's good, right? Hahah Little did my taste buds know. There is good stuff that you can make..yourself!

Now, my Italian friend, please don't hate. I am giving an easy instructions. I have not tried the stewing of the tomatoes and crushing in a mill to make my own base. This is an idiots guide...Me being the idiot!

I started making my own "sauce" by watching Food Network and listening to Giada talk about it and I tweaked and tested. I realized I prefer a "gravy" which is red sauce that has been cooked with meat. Sometimes I throw in meatballs, sometimes sausage. Today's receipe is for a sausage based gravy. I like calling it gravy..I feel very Italian saying "sunday gravy" but then I get my friends saying things like *heavy boston accent* "It's sauce..whadda talwking a'baut!!"

So, whatever you prefer to call it..here is my latest tweak on Sunday Red Gravy


2 tablespoons olive oil
1 sweet onion
2 garlic cloves minced
1lb Italian sausage casings removed
28-ounce can crushed tomatoes in tomato puree
6-ounce can tomato paste
2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 c chopped fresh basil leaves (i stack the leaves, roll and cut ribbons or chiffonade)
1 1/2 tspn kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper



Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. careful not to scorch. Add the sausage and cook over medium-low heat, breaking it up with a fork until no longer pink. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, the basil, salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, over medium -low heat, for 15 to 20 minutes, until thickened.
I simmer on low for several hours..I cover but vent the pot so it doesnt get watery