German Fried Potatoes

I never met a potato I didn't like. They can be cooked so many ways, but my family likes this simple potato dish which can be served on the side of steak, chicken or fish. My personal favorite is to eat this for breakfast or lunch with a poached egg on top. If you are looking for a simple side recipe which is pure comfort food, this is it. My son used to play on a soccer team that had a season kickoff picnic every year. One of the dads would make a German potato salad that was out of this world. It was very rich and cooked with lots of bacon fat. It also was dressed with loads of parsley and a little vinegar. I looked forward to that potato salad every year. After having that delicious potato dish, I scoured the internet for other ways to make German potatoes. Some had vinegar and some had onions. They all had bacon so I decided to make a simple lighter version which included a little crumbled bacon, a touch of butter and olive oil. My husband and son are not big fans of onions, so I omitted them, but I added onion and garlic powder for extra flavor. I also added some green onions to the finished product because I especially like onions and they add color to the dish. They are easy to pick out for any family members that don't eat onions, or they can be added to individual portions of this potato dish. Many versions of German fried potatoes use leftover boiled potatoes in the recipe. I usually don't have any on hand so I have an easy solution. Potatoes can be put in the microwave for 5 to 7 minutes to soften them. This is so much easier than boiling them first. I also like this method because the potatoes are easier to cut when partially cooked. I like my potatoes with the skins still on but they can be peeled, for those that want the skins removed. If you try making these potatoes, they will be a hit on your table. Your family will be addicted to them and will ask for them again and again.   Print Save German Fried Potatoes Recipe Embed Ingredients 3 large Baking Potatoes 1 tablespoon Salted Butter 2 tablespoons Olive Oil 1/2 teaspoon Salt 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper 1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder 5 slices Cooked Bacon, crumbled 1/2 tablespoon Dried Parsley 1 Green Onion, chopped Directions Place potatoes in a large microwavable bowl. Punch holes in the potatoes with a fork. Cover with paper towels and microwave on high for 5 to 7 minutes or until potatoes soften. Let cool for a few minutes. Slice into thin bite size pieces. Heat butter and olive oil in a large frying pan on medium high heat. Add potatoes to the pan and sprinkle with salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. Cook potatoes for about seven minutes or until they start to brown. Add crumbled bacon and parsley to the pan. Reduce heat to medium. Turn potatoes with spatula and cook for another 10 minutes or until potatoes are soft but crispy. Sprinkle with green onion before serving.   Recommended Le Creuset Skillet Lodge Cast Iron Skillet Dreamfarm Chopula Wusthof Santoku Knife - 5 inch via Food Fanatic http://ift.tt/2nqvRLv Food Fanatic

No Bake Peanut Butter Snickers Cheesecake

We've just wrapped up Spring Break around here, or as I call it, our yearly "Summer Vacation Panic Appetizer." I love my children desperately and fully. I'd take a bullet for them. I've carefully scraped the mustard and onion off of burgers with the precision of a brain surgeon. I've rushed to catch vomit with my BARE HANDS. I even gave up a fully functional bladder -- just so they could exist on this earth. These things I have done willingly, if not joyfully (minus the vomit thing because WHO EVEN). My kiddos are my rare, precious gems. And they drive me crazy. What do a four-year-old and a twelve-year-old have to fight about all day long? Well, as it would turn out, everything. Breathing too much, not sharing Doritos or Skittles or apple slices or popcorn, talking too loud, talking too quiet, being a human being, choosing the wrong Netflix movie, existing on this earth, wearing socks, not wearing socks, looking at each other. Bless this home and all who live here. It is at this point every year that I begin to wonder how I will survive the summer. I begin to contemplate the idea of jacking them up on Pixy Sticks and Mountain Dew and then letting them loose on a trampoline all afternoon until they crash and collapse in an exhausted heap. I've seen the Pixy Sticks/Mountain Dew combo on Toddlers and Tiaras, so surely it is a safe and proven method. I daydream about giving them the run of the house, quietly slipping off to Starbucks to sit amongst hipsters tapping away on their laptops, breathing in the coffee-scented silence. Except the part where my phone would ring eleventy times because of course they'd know I was gone because for the love, they even follow me to the bathroom. So, here's the plan. Make desserts. Hide desserts. Wait until the end of a long summer day with bored kiddos. Put said kiddos to bed. Eat all the desserts alone. Starting with this Peanut Butter Snickers Cheesecake.  Print Save No Bake Peanut Butter Snickers Cheesecake Recipe Embed Ingredients For the Crust: 3 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs, finely ground 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar 12 tablespoons Salted Butter, melted For the Filling: 1/2 cup Creamy Peanut Butter 1 cup Caramel Sauce 10 Fun-Size Snickers Bars, peanut butter flavored, finely chopped 1 1/2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract 1 cup Powdered Sugar 8 ounces Cream Cheese, softened 7 ounce can Sweetened Condensed Milk Directions For the Crust: In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter until combined. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Place in the refrigerator to chill for one hour. For the Filling: In a small bowl, mix together peanut butter and caramel sauce until smooth. Set aside. Place a metal mixing bowl and your mixer whisk attachment in the freezer for about five minutes. Remove from freezer and pour whipping cream and powdered sugar in cold bowl. Using your electric mixer, beat with the cold whisk attachment on high speed until a stiff whipped cream is formed. Scrape the whipped cream into a bowl and place in the refrigerator. Place cream cheese in the same mixer bowl and beat on medium speed with the whisk attachment until smooth. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the sweetened condensed milk. Beat on medium until blended and smooth. Remove whipped cream from the refrigerator and fold into the cream cheese mixture until smooth and combined. Gently fold in chopped Snickers bars. Spread half of the cheesecake filling into prepared pan. Drizzle with caramel/peanut butter mixture. Top with remaining filling and spread to smooth. Refrigerate pie for several hours or overnight until firm and set. Top with additional chopped candy and caramel sauce before serving. Recommended Cuisinart Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls 9" Springform Pan Cuisinart Stand Mixer Le Creuset Revolution Spatula via Food Fanatic http://ift.tt/2o9bByb Food Fanatic