Stuffed Baked Potato with "The WORKS"

Please enjoy this recipe as a part of my make ahead series.

8 large Potatoes

1 cup Bacon Bits

3 cloves Garlic, chopped

2 sticks of Butter

1 cup Sour Cream

2 cups Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash

1 teaspoon Pepper

2 teaspoons Salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  

Bake Potatoes for 1 hour or until soft in center.

Meanwhile saute garlic for one minute and set aside.

Cook bacon until crisp. Crumble and set aside.

Slice baked potatoes in half with serrated knife.  

Scoop pulp into large bowl and set shells aside.

Add bacon, garlic, butter, sour cream and seasonings.  

Mash with a hand held potato masher.

Stir in 1 cup cheese.

Scoop potatoes back into 15 shells (one will be sacrificed for the additional pulp)

Top with remaining cheese and some fresh green onions.

Freeze at this point, flat on a cookie sheet until solid.  Place in plastic bag for longer term storage.

Bake fresh or thawed potatoes for 450 degrees for 15 minutes.

This recipe was originally from Cooking Light Cookbook 1999 addition. A friend of mine forwarded to me the Pioneer Woman's version.  It was very similar but on its own tasted fabulous.  This recipe is a compilation of both recipes.

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Freezer Cooking, Dinner Starters, Make Ahead List

Have you seen my post here? My style is more like making my own convenience foods and dinner starters, not making ahead full dinners.  I still love to give that home made feel each night but don't want  cooking to consume my evening.  My make ahead list is ever growing as I continue to  replace my processed foods and canned goods with my own.  Eliminating processed and canned foods leaves you with what I believe is Whole Foods.  What has provided us as nourishment though the earth.
Why would I do all this?  I was seriously ill and a part of what helped my cure was eliminating processed foods entirely.  It was actually doctor prescribed.  At first I only did it for the time I was being treated.  But my mother strongly URGED me to keep it up.  There must be SOME reason you were told to do that she would say.  What harm could it be to continue she says.  I was always the child that listened to my mother.  Her words sunk in. If it helped me, it will help my children be healthy was well right?  That was all the motivation I needed.  I'm still working on it.  I have not mastered it yet, but i will.


Rice a Roni Dry Mix
Jiffy Corn Bread Dry Mix
Cream Soup Dry Mix
Hamburger Rolls Dry Mix
Pre-Cooked Rice
Pre-Cooked Beans (red, black and white)
Refried Beans
Escalloped Apples
Mashed Potatoes
Stuffing
Bolognese Meat Sauce
Tomato Sauce (same as bolognese without meat)
Meatloaf
Hamburgers
Meatballs
Ground Beef Base
Soup Starter (cup each of diced onions, carrots and celery)
Stock (chicken and beef)
Gnocchi
Twice Based Potatoes

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Cream Condensed Soup Powder Mix

Please enjoy this recipe as a part of my make ahead series.

2 cubs Nonfat Dry Milk Powder

1/4 cup Corn Starch

1/2 Potato Flakes

2 Tablespoons dried minced onions

1/4 cup Bouillon Powder

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon thyme

Using airtight container combine all ingredients listed.  Shake well.

When using mix combine 1/3 cup of mix with 1 1/4 cup hot water.  Stir until thickened.

To make condensed soup for cooking use 1 cup water.

• Add chopped sauteed mushrooms for cream of mushroom soup.
• Add Sauteed celery for cream of celery soup.
• Add a hand full of chicken bits for cream of chicken soup.

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Refried Beans

Please enjoy this recipe as a part of my make ahead series.

1 pound Pinto Beans (2 cups)

3 or 4 cups Water

1/2 cup Bacon Drippings (I save mine when I cooke bacon)

1 large Onion

5 cloves Garlic

1 Tablespoon Chili Powder

2 teaspoons Cumin

2 teaspoons Salt

1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper powder

1/2 teaspoon Oregano

Soak beans overnight with enough water to cover by 1 or 2 inches.

Next morning, rinse beans and place back into pot with enough water to cover by 1 or 2 inches.

Simmer uncovered on low for 1-1/2 to 2 hours until beans are tender on stove top.

Use potato masher or stick blender to mash up beans.

Place bacon fat in a dutch oven over medium heat.  Cook onions until translucent.  

Add garlic and seasonings.  Cook for about a minute until fragrant.

Add beans and cooking liquid.  

Cook stirring until thick paste forms adding any water as necessary.

or

Starting from stop one, place beans, onions and garlic in crock pot and cook 8 to 10 hours on low.  

Remove enough water to just allow beans to be submerged.

Use potato masher or stick blender to mash up beans.

Place in jars or bags and freeze.

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My project for today

Today I am going to start to make all the various dried beans (black, pinto, kidney, cannelloni) for my meals for the week and freeze a bunch for later use.

I also want to give Pupusas a try. I was reading about it here. Followed her along to her inspiration here. Then I thought ahh, the scrapple lady. I like a lady who can make scrapple (laugh). Although the taste of her scrapple recipe was not true to my Philly tastes, it was so close to home it was pure comfort. Add all this to the fact that I have a whole bunch of cheap pork, two giant bags of the special flour needed to make these and that I had beans and rice on the agenda anyway and voila.

I'm going to have to start taking more pics though like my friend Alison. I can see how the pictures makes things much more appealing.

I'll also start some make ahead mashed potatoes and brown rice for the freezer.

Yesterday I sliced up some sale split chicken breasts into 5 dinners and used the bones and skin to make 5 2-cup servings of chicken stock.

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