Boy Scout Bacon Potato Skillet

·         8-10 bacon strips
·         3 sprigs fresh thyme
·         2 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes, unpeeled, sliced thin
·         ¾ cup shredded Gruyere cheese, divided use
·         Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
·         1 ½ - 2 cups cooked, crumbled beef, pork or turkey sausage
·         1 sweet yellow onion, thinly sliced
·         4 garlic cloves, minced

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  Using your favorite 10-12 inch cast iron skillet, place bacon strips across skillet, meeting at the center, creating what looks like spokes on a wheel. Let each strip hang down over sides of skillet.  Sprinkle thyme over bacon strips in skillet.  Layer half the potatoes onto bacon and thyme, covering the entire surface, slightly overlapping potatoes.  Sprinkle half of cheese over potatoes; season a bit more thyme, and salt and pepper, to taste.   Top cheese with onions and garlic, then layer with the remaining half of potato slices; top with remaining half of cheese; season top with salt and pepper and a little more thyme.  Fold hanging bacon strips towards the center of the skillet, over the top of ingredients within.  Transfer skillet to stove top and cook over medium high heat, 10 minutes.  Cover skillet with foil and transfer to oven, cooking for 30 minutes.  Remove foil and continue to cook until bacon is crisp and potatoes are fork-tender, approx. 30-40 minutes longer.  Let potatoes rest for 10 minutes, then drain drippings if needed and loosen edges around edge of skillet.  Cut into wedges and serve.  

Now You're Cookin', 

Chef Alli

Choco Peanut Butter Freezer Cookies

My Mom used to make these for us when we were kids.  I prepare these treats in small batches and hide them in the freezer for when I need a chocolate boost, usually about 4:00 p.m. every day when I get my sinking spell, like Barney Fife.   I can't locate my Mom's recipe anywhere to give specific ingredient amounts, so I'm just going to give the steps below for how I typically prepare them - there's really no wrong way to make them!

1.  Place a small sauce pan over low heat.
2.  Add 1/4 cup butterscotch chips and 1/4 cup milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips. ( I never measure but I know these two should be fairly equal in proportion to each other.)
3.  Fling in a spoonful of creamy peanut butter (approx. 2 Tbs., I'd say) and combine all ingredients, stirring occasionally until chips are melted and mixture is smooth.
4.  Add approx. 2 cups Rice Krispies to chocolate mixture and toss to coat.  (If you want your little chocolate blobs to be more luscious, stir in fewer Rice Krispies to the chocolate mixture, and vice versa.  Like I said, I never measure - I'm just adding and stirring by sight.) 
5.  Use your ice cream scoop and place in little bundles onto a cookie sheet.  
6.  Pop into the freezer and try to be patient for a few minutes while they solidify.
7.  Once frozen solid, remove from cookie sheet and place into a freezer bag.  This bag is much easier to hide from your family than that big, shiny cookie sheet - fyi.

Now You're Cookin',
Chef Alli 

Karen’s Beefy Breakfast Skillet

This recipe came from my good friend and teaching partner, Karen Hanson, the dietitian at Hy-Vee Manhattan.  She created this delicious recipe when working for the Kansas Beef Council. 

Beef Sausage

Combine 1 lb. 96% lean ground beef with 2 tsp. chopped fresh sage or ½ tsp. rubbed sage, 1 tsp. granulated garlic, 1 tsp. onion flakes, 3/4 tsp. kosher salt, ½ tsp. red pepper flakes and ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper.  Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat until hot.  Add beef mixture; cook 10-12 minutes, breaking into ¾ inch crumbles and stirring occasionally. (Cooking time is for fresh or thoroughly thawed ground beef; ground beef should always be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.) Makes approx. 2 ½ cups sausage crumbles. 

Breakfast Skillet

In same large skillet, over medium high heat, move cooked beef sausage to perimeter of skillet; add 2 cups thawed shredded hash brown potatoes and 2 chopped scallions to center of hot skillet and cook until hash browns are browned nicely.  Bring sausage into the mix from the edges of your skillet and stir in 8-10 beaten eggs (depending on the capacity of your skillet). Cook eggs to desired doneness, stirring occasionally until cooked throughout.  Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, then top with a bit of shredded sharp cheddar cheese.  Serve garnished with your favorite salsa, if desired. 

Now You’re Cookin’,

Chef Alli