Harvest Scalloped Potatoes

Are you in charge of bringing the potatoes to Thanksgiving dinner? Are you responsible for making the entire dinner? Either way, why not try the most delicious scalloped potatoes you and your Thanksgiving dinner guests have ever had?

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My very favorite spice store, Penzey’s, displays free recipes throughout their spice shelves that I collect as I browse. This is my all-time-favorite free recipe. As you read the recipe, you’ll soon realize why it is so delicious. Uh…hello: half & half and heavy cream?! Be still my beating heart. Literally. Hmmm….maybe that’s not the best cliché to use here.

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Anyway…looking for comfort food? Look no more.

Scalloped Harvest Potatoes

2 lbs baking potatoes (russet)
2 T butter, divided
2 c half & half
2 c heavy cream
1 tsp Chicken soup base
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp rubbed sage
1/3 c Parmegiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
½ tsp salt
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish with half tsp butter. In large pot, heat half & half, heavy cream, Chicken Soup Base, garlic powder, onion powder, and sage over medium heat. Warm until the soup base is completely dissolved. Cut potatoes into thin slices – no more than ¼ “ thick. I am the lucky owner of a mandoline, so the slicing part is actually fun! Layer 1/3 potatoes in bottom of pan, sprinkle with half the cheese, salt and pepper. Repeat. Top with last third of potatoes. Pour cream mixture over potatoes until it just reaches the top of the pan. Dot with remaining butter. Bake for 60 minutes or until potatoes can easily be pierced with a fork and crust begins to form. Serves 8-10.

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Now THAT, of course, is the original recipe. It is divine even without the changes I make. However, here are some additional notes from yours truly:

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1. The recipe should read: 2 lbs of potatoes OR enough potato slices to make three single layers in a 9x13 pan. The amount of potatoes really depends on how thin or thick you make the slices. So I like to have at least 4 medium-to-large sized potatoes on hand and whatever I have left over can become breakfast potatoes or something else.

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2. I always go a little heavier on the Soup Base…like a heaping tablespoon.

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3. I always go heavier on the sage, too…like ½ to 1 teaspoon. I want to taste it!

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4. Extra cheese is a must for me. You’re already using half-n-half AND cream…it’s not like you’re trying to cut fat. I like to sprinkle a light layer of cheese over each layer, so it really ends up being more like 1/3 cup of parmesan PER layer (so about 1 cup total).

BBQ Bacon-Chicken Bites

Counting calories? Vegetarian? Don't read further. You probably didn't make it past the title. But, if you're NOT counting calories--or at least not during parties you host or parties you attend, and if you're NOT afraid of a little chicken and pork dancing a jig in your mouth, then this recipe is for you!

You are well aware of how much I like Penzey's spices. This recipe hails from the Penzey's catalog. In addition to holding the ordering information for all of Penzey's products, the catalog also publishes little gems of recipes...and the following recipe is a gem! The product being highlighted in this recipe is Penzey's BBQ 3000. It is a dry spice combination--it smells like a dry rub you would use before grilling meat. For those of you who don't have access to a Penzey's store and are too lazy to get online and order up some of Penzey's wonderfulness, here is the list of ingredients on the back of the BBQ 3000 jar: salt, paprika, black pepper, nutmeg, mustard, allspice, citric acid, garlic powder, ginger, sage, thyme, white pepper, cinnamon, natural smoke flavoring. I am surprised that there is no mention of cayenne pepper, because there is a little "kick" to the flavor profile.

The assembly is the most time-consuming part of this recipe. Otherwise, these little bites are a super simple appetizer BIG on taste!

BBQ BACON-CHICKEN BITES

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 lb. sliced bacon
2 tablespoons BBQ 3000 (or whatever concoction you come up with on your own)
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
Wooden toothpicks

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line a cookie sheet with foil (to catch drippings).
3. Spray a cooling rack with non-stick spray. Place rack on top of cookie sheet.
4. Cut the chicken breast into small cubes (bite-sized...ONE bite...like 1" or so).
5. Combine the BBQ 3000 and brown sugar in a mixing bowl.
6. Cut each bacon slice into thirds. **It's easiest to do this BEFORE separating the pieces.
7. Wrap a bacon slice around each chicken cube and secure with a toothpick.
8. Drop each meat skewer into the spice/sugar mixture and toss gently to coat.
9. Arrange the skewers on the rack and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, until the bacon is crisp and the topping is browned.


MY NOTES:

• When I first started wrapping the bacon, I could tell my chicken bites were too big. You'll know yours are too big if the 1/3 slice bacon doesn't fit all the way around.
• I had more chicken than bacon, so I cooked some of my cubes without the bacon--they were still very delicious.
• This recipe would also be good with some sort of honey-mustard combination to season (instead of the BBQ 3000).

Now find yourself to a party and bring these to share!