Want to know my secret for keeping the food bill under control? Cook with the basics!
One of the most nutritious and economical foods is the potato. Varieties include baking potatoes, boiling potatoes, sweet potatoes, red potatoes and all-purpose potatoes, to name just a few. Depending on the time of year, #10-15 of spuds can cost $1.50-3.00. That’s cheap! It’s full of fiber and vitamin C and is extremely versatile.
Feeding 11 hungry mouths most of the time, we use about #20 of potatoes a week. I use them most everyday in a variety of ways. The great thing about potatoes is that they don’t require a lot of fuss to get the family running to the dinner table!
My goal is to “Just Get ‘em Fed” and with potatoes, I can do just that!
Here are a few fantastic ideas to get you started at taking advantage of this great food buy:
Baked potatoes – This seems pretty obvious, but don’t limit baked potatoes as a side dish. Baked potatoes make a great meal all by themselves. I like to make a simple potato bar with cheeses, sour cream, bacon bits, the works and just let the kids enjoy making them. Overall, it’s a pretty filling meal and once again, cheap. You can even put these in the crockpot wrapped in foil! How easy is that?
Mashed potatoes – Another favorite among my kiddos and I make it according to what I have in the frig that needs used up.
Sometimes, I just smash them with butter, salt and pepper to taste. Other times, I’ll add some cheddar cheese, sour cream, etc. I don’t like to feel restricted to a recipe, I prefer to make use of what I have on hand. Most weeks, I’ll make mashed potatoes at least once, about #10 worth! Whatever is leftover, if any, can be used for Potato Pancakes by adding an egg (or two, depending on volume of potatoes) and frying them. You could add some onion and chives to kick up the flavor a bit, but basic salt and pepper should be sufficient for most.
Fried potatoes – Another favorite with the Tribe! I just use canola oil in a big skillet (make sure it’s hot before adding potatoes), chop up the potatoes, maybe add a little chopped onion, salt and pepper, and fry them until they are crispy. We eat this as a side to our breakfast casserole or burgers. Lots of variety here, you could add some peppers and make it taste a little different. Use your imagination.
Crockpot partners – Green beans with red potatoes is one of our favorite meals, served with cornbread. You can use chicken broth or vegetable broth. When in season, fresh green beans are a cheap but nutritious food!
Oven Fries – These are sure to be a hit with your fam and once again, this recipe lends itself to major flexibility! (Recipe from “Simply in Season”)
Scrub 4 medium potatoes and cut into thin sticks or wedges and place in a large container with a tight lid. Pour 2 tablespoons of oil over potatoes, cover and shake well to coat all fries with oil. Then sprinkle 1/2 tsp. of salt and mix. Spread fries in a single layer on baking hseets, bake at 425 until golden brown and fork tender, about 30-45 minutes, stirring and flipping fries every 5-10 minutes.
Greek-style: Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of dried oregano, 1/4 tsp. pepper and 2 cloves of garlic (minced).
Super spicy: Add 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, 1 tbsp. minced garlic, 1 tsp. paprika, 1 tsp. garlic powder, 1/2 tablespoon ground red pepper (optional) and 1/4 tablespoon of habanero pepper flakes.
Rosemary Garlic fries: Add 3 cloves minced garlic with 1 tsp. dried crushed rosemary. This is especially good with sweet potatoes.
Potato Bake – Here’s another super easy way to enjoy potatoes! (from “Simply in Season”)
Easy Potato Bake
4 large potatoes, unpeeled and thinly sliced
Place in a greased 2-quart baking dish
1/4 cup onion, chopped
2 tbsp. butter or oil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/8 tsp. pepper
In a saucepan, heat together until butter is melted. Drizzle over potatoes. Cover and bake at 425 degrees until tender, about 45 minutes.
Add 1 cup of cheddar cheese, shredded, on top and take 15 minutes longer. Yummo!
On the Grill – This is an area in which I am still learning, but foil and potatoes can be great buds in the summer time on your grill! Add other seasonal favorites like onion and peppers to personalize your potatoes the way you like them.
Soups - Soups are a major staple around here in the winter, how about some Potato Soup? Just about any soup does and/or can incorporate potatoes.
Sweet Potatoes - We love sweet potatoes! Have them for lunch or a yummy side dish for dinner. I just bought some this week for 28 cents a pound, that’s just crazy ridiculous. If your kids don’t like them, scrape out the insides, mash them with cinnamon and butter. It tastes kind of like pumpkin pie!
What do YOU love to do with potatoes? I would love to hear about it!
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About kmorris
we are big potatoe fans here because they are a cheap fill up…fried, hashbrowns, fries, wedges, sweet potatoes, fingerlings, mashed, scalloped, in a stew or roast, we like them all!
Hi Hntersmom!
Thanks for your input! Potatoes are such a good value for the dollar!
We love potatoes. Another dish my family really likes is a basic dish…lightly boil potato slices, drain and layer in casserole dish. Top with a basic white sauce with seasonings of your choice or cheese sauce depending on what you want, add a little ham or bacon (probably could do ground beef, but I haven’t tried it), sprinkle with bread or cracker crumbs and bake until bubbly.
(These also do well with dried potato slices that I keep in food storage.)
Shara,
Sounds yummy! I’ll share this with other readers on the “Notes” page of Facebook, thanks for sharing!
Roasted Potatoes! Cut the potatoes (leave the skin on) and throw in a baking pan. Liberally coat with olive oil and a packet or two of onion soup mix. Bake at 350 for about an hour, stirring once in a while. Very, very, very good.
Paula,
Thank you for your recipe! It’ll go on the “Notes” section of Facebook!
We love potatoes here. I use them alot.
Stephanie,
That’s great and good for you! Thanks for your comment!
Great post. We planted lots of red and white potatoes in the garden this year. Your post has given me lots of ideas on how to use them.
Blessings
Diane
Diane,
Thanks for the comment! There’s nothing like homegrown potatoes!
Yummy! Potatoes are a great side or main dish. Thanks for the recipes. I can’t wait until my potatoes are ready to harvest.
Hi Dollwoodfarms,
I love potatoes b/c they are just so cheap, all the time! Great way to feed a family!
Thanks for commenting!
Now I am hungry!! I love Potatoes!
Hi Carolyn,
I love them too, must be my Welsh/Irish genes!
Thanks for this great reminder. ALDI has 5 lb potatoes for .99 right now and even thought that isn’t as great as your price its good here! I’ll be stocking up today when I shop.
I just went and read your Get Em Fed e-book and I want to thank you so much. I have four children who I feel like they are eating me out of house and home and sometimes it is easy to get upset about not being able to or knowing how to feed them perfectly nutritious meals all the time. Your book encouraged me to do the best I could with what I have and to keep on learning more all the time. Thanks!
Wendy,
You are very welcome for the ebook! You’re doing a great job!
We eat potatoes every day. One fave is Breakfast Potatoes…cook cubed potatoes in butter in skillet; for a lunch main dish or dinner side-dish add bacon pieces and cheese and chopped chives—YUMMY!!! Also love hashbrown casserole (Paula Dean’s recipe in her 2nd cookbook is the best) and basic cheese potatoes–boil potatoes; make cheese sauce from butter, flour, equal parts milk and potato water and cheese; pour sauce over drained potatoes.
Also, where do you buy potatoes? Even on sale, here in FL, the cheapest I find is $5 for 10 lbs. Still cheap for a good veggie but not as good as your price!
We grow lots of potatoes and I preserve them by drying and freezing as hashbrowns. Works Great!!!
Brenda,
Your recipes sound awesome, thanks for the ideas! Potato prices go up and down and although I buy them weekly for the most part, I really stock up and make entrees when they are cheap.
I’m working on growing our own potatoes and sweet potatoes this year, we’ll see how I do!
Kelly now I know why we have so much in common….we both have a deep devotion to potatoes and I dream of having goats one day! No seriously I love the potato in ways that almost seem like it must be a deep part of my heritage and I am partly Irish so who knows…..I love potatoes as latkes, mashed, fried, shredded, baked, and boiled…just to name a few….how come my kids don’t love a boiled potato is beyond me! What a great post I will definitely be diving in and I will try your Easy Potato Bake too! Thanks for linking up to “The Ole’ Saturday Homesteading Trading Post!”
KarenLynn, yeah, it might be an Irish thing. I could eat potatoes every day I think! Take care!
My family loves potatoes also. One of our favorite ways to eat them is made into potato tacos.
Cut a baked potato open, top with taco meat, sour cream, cheese, and whatever else anyone wants to add. Delish!!
Aimee, ooohhhh that sounds good!
I made an easy potato/onion casserole last night. I had to have seconds.
Just cube up 2 potatoes per person, 1 large onion, some olive oil, salt and steak seasoning, and bake in a covered dish for 45-55 minutes at 375 and voila!
Thanks for all of your wonderful ideas!
Mashed wins hands down around here with hashbrowns in a close second. I pinned this post so I don’t loose all the great ideas.