Easy Cheesy Please-y New Potato Casserole
This is a thing I whipped up one night when suddenly it was my night to cook. I was asked to cook a meatloaf but what to go with it?? I dug around in the pantry and refrigerator and came up with this based on stuff I found. It tuned out to be a pretty tasty comfort (latin for bad for you) food. (It may be a little less easy if some of the parts and pieces to this are new to you or not already prepared..but what they hay… its good no matter how you get there).
Ingredients:
2 Packages of Honey Gold Microwave Potatoes – 16oz bags (or you could get a couple of pounds of small golden or new potatoes and cook them almost through )
1/2 portion of Voodoo Roux (see that recipe here)
1 cup milk
3 Tbsp dried chives
6 pieces of crispy smoked bacon
1/2-3/4 cup mozzarella cheese
Key Lime Juice and Cayenne Pepper, as needed
1/2 cup Sour Cream (optional)
4 slices of real sharp cheddar cheese
Trader Joe’s Chili Lime Spice
Instructions:
1. Nuke taters in their begs in the microwave of 6 minutes and allow to cool to handle or you can par boil or steam your taters just don’t overcook them. They should be soft but not mushy.
2. Cut taters into halves or thirds to suit a shallow 9 x13 pyrex baking dish
3. Spread tater pieces so they cover the dish
4. Break bacon into pieces and sprinkle over potatoes
5. Sprinkle chives and cheese over potatoes and set aside
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
7. Make Voodoo Roux and once it starts to toast in color, begin whisking in milk until you have a thickish milk gravy. With the addition of the milk to the Roux base, you may need to replenish the Key Lime and Cayenne Pepper, The final gravy should be thick rich with a clear hint of both key lime love and Cayenne heat.
8. Pour Gravy over potato mixture being care to get even coverage over the top and down into all the nooks and crannies.
9. Place 2 slices of Cheddar on their points centered in the gravy. Cut the 3rd piece in half diagonnally and place between point center from edge top and bottom between the other slices. Cut the last slice diagonally into quarters and place in each corner. It seemed an attractive pattern at the time:)
10. Place on center rack in oven and Bake for 25 minutes
11. Garnish with Trader Joes Chili Lime spice and serve to hungry people.