The many ways to make potatoes tasty

Potato dishes are popular all over the world from French fries and hashbrowns to pierogi (Polish dumplings) and shepherd's pie, from latkes (potato pancakes) and lefse (potato flat bread) to scalloped or gratin potatoes.

My favorite version of potatoes is the ham and potato casserole my mom used to make with leftover ham. We didn't usually have any leftover potatoes but there are several recipes that can use whatever kind of potatoes you may have left after a meal.

The easiest way to use baked potatoes is to make potato skins for an appetizer or twice-baked potatoes, both call for toppings of cheese, bacon bits, and onion. While some recipes call for raw potatoes, some cooks make due with leftover cooked potatoes. Just about any potato dish tastes good with sour cream or cheese so the creative cook can make any kind of potato taste good, and using mashed or whipped potatoes in a potato soup is workable.

I am lactose intolerant so I am still trying to figure out how to make a loaded baked potato soup that I can eat. I can eat cheese so loaded baked potato skins are a better option for me. They are good to make when you have extra baked potatoes, and you can use the potato you scoop out of the skins to make a soup or potato pancakes.

Potato pancakes, sometimes called latkes, are popular in Britain and Ireland. There are recipes for Swedish, Polish and Czech pancakes while making latkes for Hanukkah is a Jewish tradition.

When I taught preschool, I liked to do cooking projects with my pre-K students which included making latkes in December. I usually used a boxed mix, but one year I got ambitious. I peeled potatoes and the kids helped grate them so we could make latkes from scratch. The results, served with applesauce, were pretty good. They can also be topped with sour cream and chives.

Here are some good recipes for making potatoes tasty.

Crock Pot-Style Loaded Baked Potato Soup By Debber on www.food.com

Prep Time: 15 min.Total Time: 5 hrs 15 min.Serves: 6-8Yield: 2 cup servings

Ingredients

• 6 large baking potatoes, peeled, cut in 1/2 -inch cubes
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 quart chicken broth
• 3 garlic cloves, minced (or pressed)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup cream or 1 cup half-and-half cream
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 1 cup sour cream (optional)
• 8 slices bacon, fried and crumbled
• Cheese, grated, for sprinkling

1. Combine first seven ingredients in a large crock pot; cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours (potato should be tender).
2. Mash mixture until potatoes are coarsely chopped and soup is slightly thickened.
3. Stir in cream, cheese, and chives.
4. Top with sour cream (if used), sprinkle with bacon and more cheese.

Potato Latkes Courtesy of www.epicurious.com

Yield: Makes 12 to 16 latkesActive Time: 45 minTotal Time: 45 min

Ingredients

• 1 pound potatoes
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil
• Accompaniments: sour cream and applesauce

1. Preheat oven to 250°F.
2. Peel potatoes and coarsely grate by hand, transferring to a large bowl of cold water as grated. Soak potatoes 1 to 2 minutes after last batch is added to water, then drain well in a colander.
3. Spread grated potatoes and onion on a kitchen towel and roll up jelly-roll style. Twist towel tightly to wring out as much liquid as possible. Transfer potato mixture to a bowl and stir in egg and salt.

Heat 1/4 cup oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Working in batches of 4 latkes, spoon 2 tablespoons potato mixture per latke into skillet, spreading into 3-inch rounds with a fork. Reduce heat to moderate and cook until undersides are browned, about 5 minutes. Turn latkes over and cook until undersides are browned, about 5 minutes more. Transfer to paper towels to drain and season with salt. Add more oil to skillet as needed. Keep latkes warm on a wire rack set in a shallow baking pan in oven.

Easy Potato Skins Courtesy of Amy Wisniewski, www.chowhound.com

Difficulty: EasyTotal Time: 1 hr 30 minMakes: 16 skins

Ingredients

• 8 (3-inch-long) russet potatoes (about 2 1/4 pounds), scrubbed and thoroughly dried
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/4 stick), melted
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)
• 5 to 6 slices cooked, crumbled bacon
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees and arrange a rack in the middle.
2. Pierce each potato several times with a fork or sharp knife. Place the potatoes directly on the oven rack and bake until the skins are crisp and a knife easily pierces the potatoes, about 50 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Set the oven to broil.
3. Slice each potato in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh, leaving about 1/4 inch intact; reserve the flesh for another use. Brush the insides of the potatoes with the melted butter and season with salt and pepper. Flip the potatoes over, brush the skin sides with butter, and season with salt and pepper. Evenly space the potato halves skin-side up on a baking sheet and broil until the butter foams and the skins start to crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes (keep a close watch so they don’t burn). Flip the potato halves over and broil until the top edges just start to brown, about 2 to 3 minutes more.
4. Evenly fill each skin with cheese and crumbled bacon. Place in the broiler and broil until the cheese is melted and bubbling, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the broiler and top each with 1 teaspoon of the sour cream and a sprinkling of the chives. Serve immediately.