Your home is nothing less than heaven; when you care for it, the house rewards you by providing a safe shelter for many years. It saves you, your family, and your belongings from inclement weather and other external risks. However, neglect and lack of attention to its well-being prove costly for you. You spend lots of money to repair the damage that grew with time and was easy to tackle earlier for a small amount. And when you talk about repairs and damage correction, it involves everything from small to larger objects. Decorative items may not be a part of this, especially those that serve only aesthetic roles.
However, anything like a sink, faucet, fridge, chipped paint, cracked walls, and others require your timely intervention. Suppose the old sink shows signs of mold growth. Or it may have formed cracks. You can explore the farmhouse sink bowl mounting options. Likewise, the leaky faucet in the bathroom is also a problem. If it’s new, you can investigate its installation and do something with fitting. Still, needs to be fixed? You can get a new one. Cracks on the walls may hint at some serious issues with the foundation. While stressful, a timely inspection can secure your home and its integrity. Plus, the time and effort you spend now can be much less than what you would need to do later when it becomes prominent.
Does all this sound concerning? That’s fine! You can divert your attention to food if you are a true connoisseur. Do you like mashed potatoes? Everyone in America loves their potatoes, and why not. The starchy vegetable contains fiber, potassium, vitamins, and minerals. So, if you love them, you can do many things with mashed potatoes to complement your weeknight or holiday dinner nights. Here are some quick recipes to make your kitchen time more manageable.
Egg casserole
Most casserole dishes are worth being on your menu, whether for a small Sunday get-together or a regular after-work weeknight. Imagine the mushy bed of mashed potatoes smelling of cream and garlic. All you need to do is break eggs on the top layer of the mashed potato bed and allow the yolks to achieve desired consistency while baking. You can garnish the ready dish with tangy, peppery arugula to moderate its richness. In about two hours, you can prepare six servings.
Ingredients: russet potatoes, medium leeks, minced garlic, butter, sour cream, shredded Alpine cheese, salt, ground black pepper, eggs, milk, olive oil, lemon juice, and spinach/ arugula.
Potato dip
You seek an easy and tasty dish when you want to snack on something. For those moments, a hot potato dip can be the perfect recipe. You can start preparing if you have some mashed potatoes from the previous night. It’s also an excellent choice for parties. The total time taken to make this recipe is about 55 minutes. But it will give you 3 cups of hot dips. If this makes it less exciting, imagine the flavor that a combination of green onion, bacon, cream cheese, and others can create. Once ready, it can accompany your crudités, tortilla chips, or even crackers like a best friend. You bake this dip in a skillet or a baking dish. All the content will go inside them except the cooked bacon.
Ingredients: mashed potatoes (fresh/ leftover), softened cream cheese, cheddar cheese, sour cream, crispy bacon, thinly sliced green onions, and steak seasoning.
Veggie strata
You can make a gluten-free casserole for breakfast, brunch, or dinner if you have excess wheat or potatoes. Strata dishes usually contain bread cubes immersed in egg custard, veggies, protein, and cheese. Potatoes have to be a russet variety, though. You will need to use them as a base. The cheesy and creamy preparation can attract even the jaded palate. Total prep and cooking time are around two hours for ten servings. So, you can cook it stress-free for anyone in your family or friends.
Ingredients: shredded cheddar cheese, russet potatoes, red/ yellow/ green sweet peppers, sour cream, basil pesto, salt, medium zucchini, yellow summer squash, medium onion, olive oil, nonstick cooking spray, etc.
Chicken pot pie
Do you have leftover turkey or chicken from the dinner yesterday? The dish is akin to chicken dumplings. It’s time to use it with mashed potatoes for a fresh recipe. You can cook delicious comfort food hassle-free with leftover potatoes, chicken stock (canned), and frozen veggies. The entire recipe demands one hour, and the ingredients are easy to assemble.
Ingredients: margarine/ butter, all-purpose flour, seasoned pepper, salt, chicken broth, milk, chicken/turkey, frozen vegetables (peas, green beans, carrots), mashed potatoes, Parmesan cheese, and garlic.
A mash-up of potato and cauliflower
Do you crave low-carb potato dishes? Get the Yukon golds with other potatoes’ enjoyable texture and lusciousness. The only difference is it is a lighter version. You get a perfect traditional, flavorful side dish when combined with cauliflower, olive oil, milk, coconut oil, and a few other things. You can eat it with other vegetable side dishes or protein. You wouldn’t miss your bread. Total prep and cooking time is one hour for five cups of this.
Ingredients: ground black pepper, cauliflower, olive oil, potatoes (Yukon Gold), milk, coconut oil, kosher salt, green onions, and nonstick cooking spray.
Mashed potatoes (lemon and garlic)
Some people can live with their mashed potatoes even in a hurry. If you are like them, this dish is for you. The simple stovetop recipe needs a few additions to satiate your belly and palate. In 40 minutes, you can make 8 cups of this.
Ingredients: ground black pepper, lemon, salt, butter, olive oil, garlic, potatoes (Yukon gold), capers, Italian parsley, and lemon peel shreds.
Cooking becomes fun when your kitchen is also attractive looking. You can spend hours preparing a dish without getting bored and without any company. So, if you love food and want to make your menu more exciting, makeover your old kitchen a little. Change a few things here and there. As the ambiance brightens, you will look forward to your next cooking session with hope and excitement.
