Loaded Mashed Potatoes

Hi! How's everyone? I'am so excited that the weekend is almost here. I can't wait for Feb. to start! I'll tell you why in a couple of days!! So I've had this recipe sitting in my files for awhile but haven't ever gotten around to posting it. My sister in-law has been asking me to post it for awhile now, so.. I thought I would finally oblige, JESS! ;) These baby's are GOOD. If you're going to have loaded mashed potatoes, then your going to go all out. Otherwise, what's the point? I've only made these 2 times, but they came out great each time. Also, you don't have to use the Cabot brand cheese as I'm sure it is not sold everywhere. It is a Vermont based cheese company and it is what I grew up eating. If you love really sharp cheddar cheese, then this stuff is where it's at! When I first moved to Texas almost 5 years ago (wow, that long!) none of the stores had it, and they still don't..except for Wal-Mart. At least that's the only place I've ever found it. I think I heard they sell it at Sam's Club too, but I'm not sure. If you ever find it though, I really suggest giving it a try! Anyway, I see these potatoes becoming something that will probably be around for a longtime to come! In fact, looking at the pictures now and posting the recipe makes me want them! The last time we had them was on Christmas Eve..it's been long enough to make these oh-so-good slightly indulgent potatoes again, right? =)

Ingredients:

12 Medium Russet Potatoes, sliced 1/2 inch thick

3/4 Cup Milk (add more if potatoes are too thick)

8 Oz. Block of Cabot Extra Sharp White Cheddar Cheese, shredded

1/2 Cup Medium-Sharp Yellow Cheddar Cheese, shredded

1/4 Cup Dried Chives

1 Package Bacon, diced

2 Tablespoons Butter

1 Teaspoon Salt

1 Teaspoon Pepper

3 Small Garlic Cloves, minced (optional)

Directions:

In a large pot full of water, drop potatoes in and boil until fork-tender. In the meantime, in a skillet, cook the diced bacon, when it has about 5 minutes remaining, add the minced garlic (optional) and then drain all the bacon grease. Cover skillet and set aside. When the potatoes are done, drain them and then add them back into the large pot. Add milk, and butter. Mash until they are the consistency that you like. Add the bacon, chives, salt, pepper, and half of the white cheddar cheese. Mix until everything is evenly incorporated. Spray a large baking dish with cooking spray, and pour potatoes in and spread them out evenly. Top with remaining white cheddar and yellow cheddar. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until just golden brown.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

Happy Monday! Phew, I totally could NOT think of another name for these..I thought the title was a tad long..my hubby said to call them OPBCCB, and I politely declined ;) Oh well, who cares what, or how long, the name is..these were incredible! I just took a basic chocolate chip cookie recipe and tweaked it a bit, then added peanut butter, oats, and a TON of cinnamon. They sort of reminded me of monster cookies, but not as much add-ins. They were SO good. Definitely a staple go-to recipe for a yummy treat from now on! I think I will always make them in bar form rather than cookie because they just WORK like that..yeah! =) My hubby absolutely loved them, so that's always a good thing! Goodnight everyone!

Ingredients:

2 1/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour

1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1 Teaspoon Salt

2 Sticks Butter, softened

3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar

1 Cup Brown Sugar, packed

1/2 Cup Peanut Butter

1 1/2 Cups Oats

2 Tablespoons Ground Cinnamon

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

2 Eggs

1 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Directions:

In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; mix well. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, peanut butter, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually mix in flour mixture completely. Add chocolate chips and oats and mix well. Spread mixture evenly into a 3-qt oblong baking dish. Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until top turns golden brown. Check the middle with a toothpick to see if it is done, it will be done when the toothpick inserted comes out clean (except for some melted chocolate, of course!)
Isn't this container adorable? I'm sure most of you already know about these. I got mine at Michael's and they have a huge assortment of adorable ones for only $1.00 a piece! Great for gift-giving!

Nutella Drizzled Coconut Macaroons

I hope everyone had a good weekend! We sure did. Time to get back into the hustle & bustle of things tomorrow though! I had some coconut in the fridge leftover from my holiday baking and I really wanted to use it up so I thought macaroons would be good. I love macaroons (and I would totally LOVE to try some parisian macaroons that are so hard to find in the U.S., how good do they look? Anyone know where to find them?) Anyway, I've never made macaroons at home before, so I was really hoping that they'd turn out. They did! I only had 1 problem..since I made these on a whim and didn't "plan" it, I had no almond extract on hand, so I used vanilla and..nu uh, didn't really work. You really need that almond extract flavor. So, next time I'll get it 100% right, and while they were still great, the vanilla flavor just didn't work very well. I'll tell you what DID work well...the NUTELLA! If you have never had nutella, man, you are missing out! It is an amazing chocolate-hazelnut spread that is insanely delicious and TOTALLY dangerous! I mean seriously, you can just eat this delectable goodness right off a spoon. If you've never had nutella, but have had a Ferrero Rocher chocolate (amazing in itself!) , nutella IS the chocolate cream in the middle of the chocolate. They sell it at most grocery stores right next to the peanut butter. It originated in Italy and people there use it like we use peanut butter. I bought a jar the other day with the intent of using it in various baking recipes and thought it would be great drizzled on the macaroons instead of just plain chocolate. It was over-the-top delish of course. Okay, I'm getting tired of talking about nutella..just try it! =)

Ingredients:

5 1/3 Cups Sweetened Coconut

2/3 Cup Granulated Sugar

6 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

4 Egg Whites

1 Teaspoon Almond Extract

1/2 Cup Nutella

Directions:

Mix coconut, sugar, flour, and salt in a large bowl. Mix in egg whites and almond extract until well blended. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool on wire racks. Microwave nutella in a small bowl for 15 seconds and pour into sandwich bad and snip corner and drizzle over cooled macaroons.

P.S. - If you notice the pretty brown ceramic thing lit up in the main pic, it's this super cool thing called a Scentsy. There's a light bulb inside and it heats these little cubes of wax above it. It is super cool and smells amazing. I got it for Christmas from my fabulous sister in-law Jessica (Thanks Jess!!) and I absolutely love it. Check it out!!