We had the Suter Burgess family over for dinner. They've had us to their house many times and I was happy to plan a party. I was going to do a taco and burrito bar, but Ethan really wanted a baked potato bar. I love the Colorado Broccoli Salad that they sell at Safeway, so I searched for a similar recipe. I was going to do a few other items such as Gouda with Rigatoni and Root Beer Cupcakes, but time did not allow for them. We had a lovely time. The food was simple, but nice.
Here's notes on preparation and the recipe:
Baked Potatoes
Clean Russet Potatoes and stab them with a fork in several places. (This allows the steam to escape)then bake them in a 350 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours. This produces baked potatoes with a slightly crispy crust outside. Another method is to clean and fork them, then coat the potatoes with olive oil and a bit of sea salt, wrapping them in foil. The foil method results in a different, softer potato texture after cooking. I transferred them to a large crock pot that was turned to medium.
Baked Potato Toppings:
Butter
Sour Cream
Bacon, crumbled (2-3 pieces per person)
Ham Cubes (cut from a ham steak)
Cheddar Cheese
Salsa (no one used this topping)
Broccoli Salad
2 heads Fresh Broccoli (cut the head into small pieces, discard bottoms or save for some other use)
1/2 pound Bacon, cooked and cut into small pieces)
1 -1 1/2 cup Grapes (sliced in half)
1 cup Almond Slivers (Cashews would be very lovely. Sunflower seeds work, too.
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1/4 cup Sugar
2 TBL Red Wine Vinegar
Combine the Broccoli, Bacon, Grapes and Almonds in a large bowl.
In another bowl, mix the Mayonnaise, Sour Cream, Sugar and Red Wine Vinegar. Mix well, then mix with the broccoli mix. Make at least one hour ahead of time so the flavors can blend. Many people like a 1/2 cup of chopped raw red onions added in. I left them out.
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