by Cheryl Brand

Created on: January 01, 2011   Last Updated: January 04, 2011

Potatoes are an age old staple.  Potatoes are versatile and very easy to master the many ways of cooking them.  They are great in all the seasons of the year as a main dish or as an accompanying dish.

Boiled potatoes are one of the favorite ways to cook them.  Place potatoes in a large saucepan with enough water to cover them.  Heat on medium high until the water boils.  Cook for twenty minutes at boiling.  Make sure that the water does not go below the potatoes and turn occasionally.  When they have boiled for twenty minutes poke a fork in them for doneness.  When they are fully cooked drain and serve.  To mash them, take a masher and push all the potatoes through until smooth and there are no lumps.  Put in two pats of butter and two to four tablespoons of milk depending on the amount of potatoes that you have and continue to mash.  Keep warm until serving time.

Scalloped potatoes are a favorite.  Peel and slice thinly potatoes and place in a buttered dish.  Pour milk about enough to cover the potatoes that are spread evenly in the dish and  top with 2 - 4 tablespoons of butter and stir the butter into the milk.  Add salt and pepper to taste and cook in 350 oven until hot and bubbly.  Use  the fork test for doneness.  This is great with baked ham.

Baked potatoes in their jackets and a very easy meal to make with potatoes.  Buy the large baking potato and wash well.  Prick the potato with a fork on both sides and dry the skins with a paper towel.  Heat oven to 375 degrees and wrap the potatoes individually with a square piece of foil to cover the entire potato.  Place directly on the rack of the oven or put on a cookie sheet.  Cook for approximately an hour and test for doneness with a fork.  When done, place on a plate and roll back the foil around the potato.  Finish with a pat of butter and a spoonful of sour cream.  Put a sprinkle of chives on top.  To make twice baked potatoes with cheese:  scoop out the potato pulp into a glass bowl and mix with butter and salt and pepper and a little milk.  Mash the potato mixture.  Put the mixture back into the cooked skin that is hollowed out and make fork marks across the top.  Reheat in a 375 oven for approximately 5 minutes or until hot.  Serve and enjoy.  Variations on this would be to add grated cheese into the mixture, or cook some mushrooms in a pan with a pat of butter and saute and serve on the top of the baked potato.

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