Five easy peasy potato recipes to try over the weekend

Everyone loves a good potato dish, whether it’s baked, mashed or fried. Even those of you who are carb-conscious and try to follow through with your low-carb diets find yourself succumbing to your cravings for a helping of creamy mashed potatoes or a plate of freshly baked or fried fries.

Potatoes are a super simple ingredient but can be transformed into various delicious and flavourful versions and dishes.

We have put together five tasty and easy dishes made from potatoes which you and the family will be sure to love.

Loaded potatoes

Ingredients

• 4 large potatoes
• 1/4 cup of butter
• 1/4 cup of sour cream
• 1/4 cup of freshly chopped chives
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced, white and green parts divided
• 3/4 cup of shredded Cheddar
• 6 slices crispy bacon, crumbled
• kosher salt
• fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Prick potatoes all over with a fork or sharp knife and wrap tightly in foil. Bake until soft, about 1 hour.
2. Unwrap potatoes and cut lengthwise slits in the top of each. Carefully scoop out flesh from center of each potato into a medium bowl, then add butter, sour cream, chives, green onion whites, half the cheddar, and half the bacon. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Spoon filling back into each potato, mounding it on top. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and return to oven until melted, about 5 minutes. Top with scallion greens and remaining bacon.

This recipe was found on delish.com

Creamy potato soup

Ingredients

• 6 pieces of bacon, diced
• 4 tablespoon of unsalted butter
• 2 large leeks, white and light green parts thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ cup of all-purpose flour
• 1kg of potatoes, peeled and diced
• 4 cups of chicken stock
• 1 cup of milk
• 1 cup of heavy cream
• 2 teaspoon of kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon of pepper
• ½ cup of grated sharp white cheddar cheese
• green onions for topping

Instructions

1. In a medium sized pot cook bacon over medium heat until crispy, about 8 minutes. Remove bacon from the pan using a slotted spoon (reserve bacon drippings) onto a paper towel lined plate, set aside.
2. In the same pan melt the butter in the reserved bacon drippings. Stir in leeks and garlic and cook until leeks are softened, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle flour over leek mixture and stir until incorporated, about 1 minute.
3. Add in potatoes along with chicken stock, milk and heavy cream. Bring to a boil over high heat then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and allow to cook for 10 minutes until potatoes are very soft.
4. Add half of the soup to a blender and blend until smooth (alternatively use an immersion blender to blend half of the soup in the pot). Return soup to the pot along with bacon, salt, pepper and cheddar cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted.
5. Serve warm topped with green onions, freshly ground pepper and a little extra cheese.

This recipe was found on themodernproper.com

Worlds best potato salad

Ingredients

• 6 medium potatoes
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup of celery, chopped
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 6 hard-cooked eggs, diced
• 2 eggs, beaten½ cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon of cornstarch
• salt to taste
• ½ cup of vinegar
• 1 can of evaporated milk
• 1 teaspoon of prepared yellow mustard
• ¼ cup of butter
• 1 cup of mayonnaise

ALSO READ: Three recipes where you can use frozen ingredients

Instructions

1. Place the potatoes into a large pot, and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 20 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork. Drain. Cool, peel and dice. Transfer to a large bowl, and toss with the onion, celery, 1 teaspoon of salt, and hard-cooked eggs.
2. While the potatoes are cooking, whisk together 2 eggs, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan. Stir in the vinegar, milk, and mustard. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in the butter. Refrigerate until cool, then stir in the mayonnaise.
3. Stir the dressing into the bowl of potato salad gently until evenly coated. Chill several hours or overnight before serving for best flavor.

This recipe was found on allrecipes.com

Creamy potato bake

Ingredients

• 1.25 kg of potatoes
• 2/3 cup of milk
• 3/4 cup of heavy cream
• 1/3 cup of mayonnaise , preferably whole egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of fresh thyme leaves, plus more for garnish
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 teaspoon of salt
• black pepper
• 2 cups of shredded cheese
• 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F (all types).
2. Peel and cut the potatoes into 1 3/4 cm / 2/3″ cubes. Place in a large bowl.
3. Add all remaining ingredients except mozzarella. Mix.
4. Pour into a 3 litre / quart baking dish (mine is 22cm / 9″ square x 6 cm / 2.3″ high).
5. Cover with foil. Bake 60 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
6. Remove foil, sprinkle over mozzarella cheese. Bake for 25 minutes or until cheese is golden.
7. Rest for 5 – 10 minutes before serving, garnished with extra theme leaves if desired.

This recipe was found on recipetineats.com

Fried mashed potato balls

Ingredients

• 3 cup of leftover mashed potatoes
• 3 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 2/3 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons of thinly sliced chives
• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 egg, beaten
• 1 1/3 cups of bread crumbs
• Vegetable oil, for fringes

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine mashed potatoes with cooked bacon, cheddar, chives, and garlic powder, and season with salt and pepper. Stir until all ingredients are incorporated.
2. Place eggs and bread crumbs in separate shallow bowls. Use a small cookie scoop to scoop 1” to 2” balls of mashed potato mixture. Roll into a ball in your hands, then dredge first in egg and then in panko. Repeat until all mashed potatoes are used.
3. Heat 3” of oil in a large cast iron skillet until candy thermometer reads 375°. Fry potato balls in batches until golden on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on a paper towel lined plate and season immediately with more salt.

This recipe was found on delish.com