Author: mitchellmeals

Potato Salad

When I worked at MCA, we’d occasionally have potlucks. One time, they asked people to sign up for salads, so I thought I’d bring a potato salad like my mom always made (since no one else was going to bring one). At that potluck, one of the owners said it was the best potato salad he’d ever had, and after that potluck, I kind of got volunteered every time to bring the potato salad. Haha, I even had to do an assignment in college where I had to ask former coworkers for feedback on my strengths, and one of my coworkers jokingly ended by mentioning my potato salad.

I’m glad they liked it, but it does take quite a bit of time, and you have to adjust flavors a lot. So I basically only make this once a year in the summer. This recipe is an approximation of the final amounts, but you really do have to test and adjust. I’ll pay closer attention to quantities next time I make it.

If you’re making this gluten free, just make sure that you use a new jar of mayo or one dedicated gluten free, so you don’t get bread crumbs from previous double-dipping from making sandwiches.

Make it a meal with:

Potato Salad

  • Servings: 20?
  • Difficulty: hard
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This recipe isn’t necessarily the hardest, but it takes a lot of time and requires adjusting flavors. Make the night before for best flavors.

Ingredients

  • 5 lb. bag Red Potatoes
  • Mayonnaise (Not miracle whip) (a few big spoonfuls and add more as necessary) (or from a new jar)
  • Sweet Pickle Relish (about 3 or 4 spoonfuls)
  • Hard Boiled Eggs (8 or 9. Make more if you want to decorate the top with egg slices)
  • ~1/2 tsp. Mustard
  • Dried Minced Onion (about 3 heaping Tbsp.)
  • Milk (just a little to give it some moisture)
  • Salt and Pepper to taste (it’ll probably require a fair amount of salt)

Directions

Steam the potatoes (about 15 minutes when cut in half), peel, and cube them into a big bowl. Add remaining ingredients and adjust flavors as needed. For eggs, use an egg slicer to cut them into tiny cubes. For onion, place them in a small bowl with a little milk and let it absorb for 5 minutes before adding to potatoes. Make the salad a little more wet than wanted because it will absorb as it sits. Best if salad is made the night before, then covered and refrigerated. You may need to add more salt and milk the next day. For garnish, you can add egg slices to the top and paprika.


Mashed Potatoes

Jeff is the mashed potato king. Whenever he makes them, they’re so buttery and creamy and amazing. The secret is adding sour cream or cream cheese, in addition to all the regular delicious stuff. If you don’t have sour cream, we generally do two sticks of butter instead of one. The measurements below aren’t precise yet, but we’ll measure more carefully next time we make mashed potatoes. And usually we’re too lazy to peel the potatoes–we just wash the potatoes and then cut them–but frankly it’s nice having the extra texture and fiber from the peels.

Of course this one is naturally gluten free–just make sure that your sour cream hasn’t been contaminated by previously spooning onto flour tortillas or anything else with gluten.

Make it a meal with:

Mashed Potatoes

  • Servings: 8?
  • Difficulty: easy
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The secret ingredient is sour cream.

Ingredients

  • 5 lb. bag Potatoes (peeled or not)
  • About 2 tsp. Salt in water
  • 1/2 c. Butter (or 1 c. Butter if not using any sour cream)
  • About ¼ c. Milk (or canned milk)
  • About 1 c. Sour Cream (optional, but delicious)
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

Peel and cut potatoes into about 1” cubes. Boil in salted water till tender but not mushy (about 15 minutes) OR bring to boil, turn off heat, cover, and let stand 2-3 hours. Drain. Add butter, milk, and sour cream and mash till smooth. For creamiest potatoes, use a hand mixer to mash. Add salt and pepper to taste, and more milk if you want a creamier consistency.

(For gravy, take drippings from pan and combine with about ¼ – ½ c. flour or corn starch and 1 – 2 c. water. Whisk smooth and bring to a boil–add more salt, flour, or water as needed.)


Mello Jell-O

The idea of this is fun–hot pudding that you melt Jell-O powder into. Then add cold water and chill. It’s getting harder to find cook-and-serve puddings, though. I’ve made it with a large box of cook and serve lemon pudding because I couldn’t find a small one, and it still turned out great (almost imperceptibly different). Instant pudding might work okay, but we tried it once with cheesecake instant pudding and raspberry Jell-O, and it didn’t set up. It was just a sweet soup, basically. Blech.

But in college, my roommate and I experimented with different flavors for fun, all of which turned out pretty well. We did vanilla pudding with strawberry Jell-O (tasted like strawberry wafer cookies), lemon pudding with raspberry Jell-O (tasted like raspberry lemonade), and chocolate pudding with raspberry Jell-O (tastes like chocolate raspberry, obviously). But the original is lemon pudding with orange Jell-O, and it’s amazing.

And good news, it’s naturally gluten free!

Mello Jell-O

  • Servings: 12
  • Difficulty: easy
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A sweet, orange side for special occasions.

Ingredients

  • 1 small box cook and serve Lemon Pudding (large box is ok too)
  • 2 Egg Yolks
  • ½ c. Sugar
  • 1 large box Orange Jell-O
  • 3 c. cold Water
  • 1 container Cool Whip
  • 1 can Mandarin oranges

Directions

Prepare lemon pudding as directed on box (with yolks and sugar). In hot pudding, stir orange Jell-O powder. Stir in cold water. Refrigerate at least 3 hours or until set. Top with Cool Whip and oranges.


Green Beans & Bacon

We have this every year at Thanksgiving. The house is already full of delicious smells of turkey and hot rolls, then you add the beauty of bacon, and it’s glorious.

There are two ways you can make these beans. The first way is to do everything in the microwave–just put everything in a microwave-safe container with a lid and microwave for 20 minutes. The bacon does turn out floppy this way. We always used to use fresh green beans and then use the microwave method, either frying the bacon beforehand and then microwaving with beans or just putting the bacon in uncooked.

But lately we’ve been doing the stovetop method with frozen green beans. If you’re running low on time or want crispy bacon, you can cook the bacon in a pan on the stove until crispy, then add everything else and heat through. Either way is delicious. It can tend to be greasy, though.

And good news, this one is naturally gluten free.

Make it a meal with:

Green Beans & Bacon

  • Servings: 8?
  • Difficulty: easy
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Haha, a deliciously unhealthy take on a healthy vegetable.

Ingredients

  • 6 c. fresh Green Beans (about) or 2 pkgs. frozen Green Beans
  • ¼ c. Water
  • 1 pkg. Bacon
  • 1 Onion, chopped
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

For microwave method, wash and trim full-length fresh green beans and place in microwave dish with lid, pouring water in bottom. Cut bacon with scissors and fry on the stove, then pour bacon and onion over beans in microwave-safe dish (or cut up uncooked bacon and place on top of beans with onions); but don’t mix because of water in bottom. Microwave about 20 minutes or until done.

For stovetop method, cut up bacon and fry on the stovetop, drain a little grease, then add onion and green beans to pan (omit water), and cook until it reaches the desired tenderness. You may want to put on a lid and let it steam for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.


Fried Rice

This is a good side for an Asian dish, or it can even be a main dish with chicken added and served with egg rolls on the side. I have found that it’s better when you add chicken flavoring, like broth or Members Mark Chicken Base.

If you’re making it gluten free, make sure to use gluten free soy sauce or tamari.

Make it a meal with:

  • Added chicken
  • Orange Chicken, Sweet and Sour Chicken, or Lo Mein
  • Egg Rolls

Fried Rice

  • Servings: 6?
  • Difficulty: easy
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To make it a main dish, just add a few chicken breasts, cubed and cooked.

Ingredients

  • 4 c. cold cooked Rice (or prepared Minute Rice- 2 c. Rice, 2 c. Water)
  • Vegetable Oil
  • 2-4 Eggs
  • 1 Onion, chopped
  • Ham Slices, cut in small squares
  • A few shakes Soy Sauce (or gluten free soy sauce/tamari)
  • 1 Tbsp. Members Mark Chicken Base
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • Green Onion, sliced to top (optional)

Directions

Most recipes say fried rice is best with cold cooked rice. In frying pan, heat oil and scramble eggs, then set aside in a bowl. Heat a few tablespoons of oil in the pan, cook onion, then add rice and ham. Add soy sauce, chicken base, salt, and pepper to taste. You can even add some frozen corn or peas if desired. Garnish with green onion as desired.


Funeral Potatoes

A popular dish in the Mountain West is funeral potatoes, often served as a kind service to a mourning family (with ham) at a loved one’s funeral. Even though it’s associated with funerals, I look forward to enjoying these potatoes every time we have ham. Traditionally, it’s topped with bread or corn flake crumbs. But I’m not a fan of the crumbs–so I generally top with lots of cheese, which I am a fan of, haha. This is adapted from a cookbook, but with more cheese and no crumbs.

If you’re making it gluten free, you buy gluten free cream of chicken soup (which can be hard to find in stock, so plan ahead) or make your own version of it (I haven’t found a great option yet, though). Also be careful that your sour cream hasn’t been contaminated from touching flour tortillas in the past or something else with gluten.

Make it a meal with:

  • Ham or Salmon
  • Green Salad or Green Beans
  • Rolls

Funeral Potatoes

  • Servings: 8?
  • Difficulty: easy
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The perfect cheesy accompaniment to a ham dinner.

Ingredients

  • 32 oz. bag frozen Hash Browns
  • 2 (10 ¾ oz.) cans Cream of Chicken Soup (or gluten free cream of chicken soup)
  • 2 c. Sour Cream
  • 1 c. shredded Cheddar Cheese (plus extra cheese to top)
  • ½ c. Butter, melted
  • 1/3 c. Onion, chopped

Directions

In a large bowl, combine soup, sour cream, 1 c. cheese, butter, and onions. Gently blend hash browns into mixture until well mixed. Turn out into a greased 9×13 pan. Top with a generous layer of cheddar cheese. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or cheese is lightly brown.


Garlic Spaghetti

We often had garlic spaghetti served with chicken parmesan, and I almost enjoyed the side dish spaghetti more than the main dish, haha.

If you’re making it gluten free, of course make sure to use gluten free spaghetti.

Make it a meal with:

Garlic Spaghetti

  • Servings: 6?
  • Difficulty: easy
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A wonderful accompaniment to Italian main courses.

Ingredients

  • ½ c. Butter
  • 2 tsp. Garlic, minced (or ½ tsp. Garlic Powder)
  • 1 lb. Cooked Spaghetti (or gluten free spaghetti)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

While the spaghetti is draining in the colander, melt butter in spaghetti pot and let garlic cook with it. Add rest of ingredients and mix well.


Broccoli Apple Bacon Salad

Even if you’re not a fan of raw broccoli, the bacon and onion add a wonderful flavor to this fresh salad. It’s a great departure from plain iceberg salad in a bag. We don’t make it much anymore, but it’s still delicious.

And luckily Brianna’s Poppy Seed Dressing is gluten free, so this whole salad is naturally gluten free.

Make it a meal with:

Broccoli Apple Bacon Salad

  • Servings: 6?
  • Difficulty: easy
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A great bacony departure from regular iceberg salad.

Ingredients

  • 1 bag fresh Broccoli
  • 8 Bacon Strips, cooked and chopped
  • 1 Apple
  • ½ Onion
  • ½ c. Pecans
  • ¼ c. Craisins (optional)
  • ½ bottle Kroger or Brianna’s Poppy Seed Dressing

Directions

Cook and chop bacon. Then combine all ingredients and toss.


Bavarian Potato Salad

I know people hear “German potato salad” and they think of a weird hot salad. But at least on my mission in Southern Germany and Austria, I had a LOT of potato salad and never had it served hot. Mostly it was beautiful golden potatoes, delightfully oniony, and in a vinegary broth.

This recipe is adapted from one in a Bavarian cookbook that I bought in Germany. Haha, German cookbooks sometimes aren’t very specific, just saying things like “oil” and “some vinegar”, so I tried to figure out a little more specific quantities for an authentic taste. You may end up with a fair amount of liquid in it. We don’t make it very often because my family doesn’t like vinegar, but it’s good if you’re looking for a more authentic recipe.

And this one is naturally gluten free.

Make it a meal with:

Bavarian Potato Salad

  • Servings: 10?
  • Difficulty: medium
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Oniony, vinegary, and full of Bavarian flavors. It does take a bit of time, with cooking, peeling, and cutting potatoes.

Ingredients

  • 3 lb. bag Yukon Gold potatoes
  • 1 c. Vegetable Broth
  • Salt and Pepper to taste (you’ll need quite a bit of salt)
  • ½ c. Vegetable Oil
  • 1 ½ c. White Vinegar
  • 1 small White Onion
  • 2 heaping Tbsp. chopped fresh Parsley

Directions

Steam potatoes (about 15-20 min.), then peel and slice, cutting slices in quarters. Warm the vegetable broth, then add salt, pepper, oil, vinegar, onion, and parsley. Pour over potatoes. Mix well and let it absorb for at least half an hour. Adjust flavors as needed.


Bottled Fruit

I have fond memories of using the cherry pitter to punch out the pits from dozens of cherries, and the house filled with the smell of bubbling tomatoes in the fall. The smell of cooking tomatoes is still one of my favorite smells in the world and reminds me delightfully of childhood. And the first time I ever bottled anything on my own (pears from the tree in Provo), I felt like a real accomplished pioneer, haha. Just make sure to save your bottles and buy new lids every year because the lids can only be used once.

*Make sure to look up cook times for your specific altitude and canner, in order to cook properly and prevent botulism. The times I provide are for my specific canner and altitude.

And of course these are all naturally gluten free.

Bottled Fruit

  • Servings: 1qt
  • Difficulty: medium
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For food safety, please check your canner’s specific cook times.

Ingredients

For each 1 qt. bottle, you’ll need:

  • Fruit of Choice
  • ½ c. Sugar
  • 1 Vitamin C Tablet (500 mg)
  • ½ c. Boiling Water
  • (More Boiling Water to fill)

Fruit Cocktail:

  • 18 c. Pears (about 20 pears)
  • 24 c. Peaches (about 30 peaches)
  • 8-10 c. Green Grapes
  • 12 c. Pineapple Tidbits (one large can)
  • 7 stemless Maraschino Cherries cut in half (per bottle)

Directions

Make syrup in bottom of bottles by combining sugar, tablet, and ½ c. boiling water. Swirl till sugar is dissolved. Add fruit. Add extra boiling water till ½” from top of bottle. Slide knife down the side to make sure any bubbles come to top. Wipe top of bottle. Put on lid and cap, and tighten. Steam can according to table of instructions with steam canner (can also look up online).

Fruit Cocktail

Mix all but cherries in a large bowl. Fill in layers and place cherries on top. Makes several quarts.

Tomato Sauce

Remove leaves and cores, then liquefy tomatoes in blender. Pour into large pot and boil until volume reduces to half. Then fill bottles to ½” below top and seal as usual.

Steamer instructions: Put 6 c. water in bottom of pan, put on grill/grate and turn on high. Place bottles on grate, making sure bottles don’t touch. Cover with dome lid. Wait for steam to come out of hole in steady stream of 8”. Start timing at this point. If it gets too strong, turn down. (At my altitude, pears=30 min., cherries=20 min.) When time is done, turn off and tip lid with steam going toward back and pull off quickly so as not to hit your face with steam. Remove bottles with bottle lifter to towel-covered surface and allow to sit overnight. Check for seal by tapping top. If not sealed, put in fridge and use right away. Most lids will pop as you lift dome off or soon after, even up to an hour later. (For pint bottles, use half recipe and check chart for time.)