Category Archives: Side Dishes

September 11, 2010 · 10:06 pm

Chicken with Red Thai Peanut Sauce and Cucumber Salad

One more grilling recipe while the weather is still warm!

Asian flavors make a frequent appearance at our dinner table. Thai is one of my personal favorites. It can be made as spicy or mild as you like by adjusting the curry paste or red peppers. This chicken can either be prepared on the grill, or inside in a skillet.

I used the last of the Thai basil from my garden in this, but it is also good with chopped cilantro.

When I cook it inside, I pound the chicken flat first, so that it will cook more quickly. On the grill, I leave the chicken pieces unpounded. The sauce is made from coconut milk, peanut butter and red curry paste, plus a few other standard Asian ingredients (ginger, garlic, soy sauce). The sauce goes together quickly with the use of a regular blender (although, after a cooking demo today, I am feeling some serious Vitamix envy!)

This Thai cucumber salad was a nice accompaniment to the chicken. It is light, just a little sweet, and a little spicy. Made with my favorite little pickling cucumbers.

RECIPES:

Chicken with Red Thai Peanut Sauce

1 can unsweetened coconut milk
1/3 cup peanut butter
2 tsp peeled and grated fresh ginger
4 cloves garlic
¼ cup soy sauce
2 Tbs rice vinegar
1 Tbs brown sugar or 1 packet Stevia
2 tsp red Thai curry paste
1 tsp chicken bouillon

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
about 2 Tbs peanut oil
3-4 Tbs finely chopped Thai basil or cilantro

In a blender combine first 9 ingredients. Blend until combined.

Put each chicken breast inside plastic bag or between plastic wrap and pound to even 1/2 inch thickness. (*NOTE: Pounding the chicken will make it cook quickly on the stovetop. Alternately, you could grill the unpounded chicken breasts on an outdoor grill)

Heat 2T oil in a large skillet. Season chicken with salt and black pepper, then add chicken to pan and sauté until chicken is cooked through. If you need to cook your chicken in batches, then keep chicken warm (on a plate under foil) while cooking additional chicken.

Add sauce to pan. Scrape off browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Turn off heat and mix in chopped Thai basil or cilantro. Serve immediately over warmed chicken breasts, with additional chopped Thai basil or cilantro for garnish, if desired.

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Thai Cucumber Salad

4-6 small pickling cucumbers, sliced
1/2 of a small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup rice vinegar, unsweetened
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (or use additional 1/4 cup rice vinegar)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs sesame oil
1 pkt. Stevia (or 1 Tbs sugar)
1 tsp kosher or sea salt
1/4 tsp dried crushed red pepper flakes

Mix sliced cucumbers, onion and cilantro in a bowl. Stir together remaining ingredients. Pour over cucumbers.

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September 9, 2010 · 9:04 pm

Grilling with Chipotles

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As summer winds down, I find myself grilling even more. Trying to squeeze out every last drop of fresh summer goodness, before giving way to the rib-sticking comfort foods of fall and winter.

Grilled flank steak is one of our favorites. I love that I can prepare several at a time: preparing the marinade in the morning and putting one marinated flank steak in the fridge for dinner, and a couple more in the freezer for meals another night.

This flank steak has a wonderful smoky,  slightly spicy flavor. Which went perfectly with this Chipotle Lime Quinoa and White Bean Salad. Quinoa (KEEN-wa), is a gluten-free grain that has a similar texture to couscous, but with a slightly nutty flavor (which makes sense since it is actually the seed portion of a grain).

RECIPES:

Grilled Chipotle Flank Steak
—————-(adapted from The Perfect Pantry)

2 chipotle peppers in adobo
1 Tbs adobo sauce (from chipotle pepper can)
2 cloves garlic,  chopped
1/4 cup orange juice
Juice of 1 lime
2 Tbs honey
1 Tbs red wine vinegar
1  tsp oregano
1/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 flank steak (about 2 lb)

Combine everything except the steak in a blender, and process until peppers are chopped. Place flank steak in a Ziploc bag or glass baking dish, and add the marinade.  Refrigerate for 4-6 hours or overnight (or freeze in the Ziploc bag until another day).

Heat grill. Remove steak from marinade. Brush grill lightly with oil. Grill steak for 7-8  minutes per side for medium rare (adjust time based on thickness of meat and heat of grill). Let meat rest for 5-10 minutes. Slice across the grain.

Serve with Chipotle Lime Quinoa and White Bean Salad OR use it as a base for fajitas with grilled onions and peppers in tortillas.

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Chipotle Lime Quinoa and White Bean Salad
—————–(adapted from Picky Palate)

1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups fresh corn, cut from the cob (or 1 can corn)
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
2-3 green onions, chopped (about ¼ cup)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 limes, juiced (about 6-8 Tbs)
Zest of one lime
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1-2 chipotle peppers, finely chopped
1-2 teaspoons adobo sauce (from can of chipotle peppers)

Cook quinoa according to package directions. Cool.

In a large bowl, combine cooled quinoa, beans, corn, red pepper, green onions and cilantro.

In a small bowl, stir together the lime juice and zest, olive oil, salt, garlic powder, chipotle peppers and adobo sauce. Stir into quinoa mixture. Cover and chill until serving.

8-10 servings

Note: This can also be made with cooked brown rice or couscous instead of quinoa.

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June 12, 2010 · 10:11 am

Chicken in a Mustard Cream Sauce and a Quinoa Pilaf

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This meal makes a quick but flavorful last-minute dinner.

Sauté a few chicken breasts (I like them pounded thin for faster, more even cooking), mix 4 ingredients for a tangy herb-infused cream sauce and serve with some fresh vegetables and/or this quick pilaf.

This pilaf uses the grain quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) which has a wonderful chewy, nutty flavor. It can often be substituted in rice dishes. It cooks quickly, about 15 minutes, and is full of nutritious fiber, protein and amino acids. As it is technically not a grain, but a seed, it is also gluten-free. We spent a few weeks eating gluten free as we were doing some food elimination allergy testing, and quinoa was one of my favorite new ingredients. We are back to eating wheat/gluten, but quinoa is here to stay!

RECIPES:

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Chicken with Mustard Cream Sauce
———————-adapted from Framed

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt, pepper and garlic powder
1/4 cup white wine, or chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
2-3 Tbs Dijon mustard
1 Tbs chopped fresh thyme or oregano (or 1 tsp dried)

Place chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap. Pound chicken breasts until thin. (If the chicken breasts are especially large, cut breasts in half crosswise-through entire breast-before pounding)  In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken. Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Sauté until cooked through and nicely browned, 10 to 12 minutes, turning once. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder again after turning. Transfer to a plate; keep warm.

Pour wine into hot skillet; cook, stirring, until almost completely reduced, about 2-3 minutes. Whisk in cream, mustard, and thyme. Cook, whisking, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.

Return chicken (and any accumulated chicken juices) to skillet. Heat through. Right before serving, pour a little cream sauce on plate. Place chicken on top, and drizzle remaining sauce over chicken.

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Quinoa Pilaf

2 Tbs butter
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 cup quinoa, rinsed in a fine mesh strainer
2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp Italian seasoning ( 1 Tbs chopped fresh herbs)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup chopped vegetables (asparagus, peas, carrots
——–mushrooms, broccoli, peppers, green onions, etc)

Heat butter in a saucepan. Add onion and garlic (and mushrooms or peppers, if using). Sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add rinsed quinoa, broth and seasonings.  Bring to a boil. Add longer-cooking vegetables, like carrots or broccoli. Reduce heat, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, adding shorter-cooking vegetables, like asparagus, peas or green onions, 3-4 minutes before end of cooking time. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

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March 31, 2010 · 10:22 am

Pesto Stuffed Flank Steak with Garlic Roasted Broccoli

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If you are not going with the traditional baked ham for Easter, this makes a great alternative. We had this for Brian’s birthday a couple of weeks ago, and it was a big hit!

It is easy to prepare, and only uses two ingredients: a flank steak and prepared pesto. I used this Basil Pesto that has been hanging out in my freezer since the end of last summer. Still tastes great! You could use any prepared pesto; next time I would like to try a sun-dried tomato pesto in this.

The only tricky part of this recipe is butterflying the flank steak, and even that is not too tough. A large knife really helps. To butterfly the steak, cut almost all the way through the thickness of the flank steak, keeping the steak intact on one side.

021910 011-1 To reduce mess, place your flank steak on a foil lined baking sheet and open it up flat. Spread with the pesto.

Optional step: Sear steak in a hot skillet on all sides. I did not do this and it turned out fine.

Roll up the flank steak and secure with kitchen string or toothpicks.

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Spread top of steak with some of the pesto drippings (some are sure to have leaked out). Sprinkle with salt and fresh ground pepper.

Roast at 425°F for 30-40 minutes, or until thermometer reaches 130-140°F (for medium rare). If you sear the steak first, it will need slightly less time.

Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

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I served this with some sautéed mushrooms and this Garlic Roasted Broccoli. Roasting vegetables with garlic is definitely our favorite way to eat veges around here. See the recipe below for some alternate roasted vege ideas.

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RECIPES:

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Pesto Stuffed Flank Steak

1 flank steak
1 cup prepared Basil Pesto
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Butterfly flank steak: Cut almost all the way through the thickness of the flank steak, keeping the steak intact on one side. On a foil lined baking sheet, open up butterflied steak and lay flat. Spread with pesto.

Roll up flank steak. Secure with kitchen string or toothpicks.

Optional step: Sear steak in a hot skillet on all sides.

Spread top of steak with some of the pesto drippings (some are sure to have leaked out). Sprinkle with salt and fresh ground pepper.

Roast at 425°F for 30-40 minutes, or until thermometer reaches 130-140°F (for medium rare). If you sear the steak first, it will need slightly less time.

Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

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Garlic Roasted Broccoli

1 pound fresh broccoli
3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
5-6 large cloves fresh garlic
salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Cut broccoli into bite-sized pieces. Smash garlic slightly with edge of knife or cut each large garlic clove into 3-4 slices. Put cut broccoli, garlic, and olive oil into large Ziploc bag and let marinate 30-60 minutes. (This is optional, but marinating will make the broccoli more garlicky.)

Preheat oven to 425°F. Place mixture on a foil-lined baking sheet and season with fresh ground black pepper and salt. Roast until vegetables are slightly softened and edges are starting to brown slightly, about 10-15 minutes. Serve hot.

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Alternate Preparations:

Roasted Broccoli with Sesame Seeds:
Follow recipe above, adding 1 Tbs soy sauce, 1 Tbs toasted sesame seeds, and 1 tsp sesame oil to marinade (use less garlic, if desired).

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Other Roasted Vegetables:
Try this cooking method with: asparagus, brussel sprouts (cut in half), green beans, carrots, cauliflower. Adjust cooking time based on thickness of vegetable.

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This post was entered into the “Grow Your Own” roundup, created by Andrea’s Recipes and hosted this month by House of Annie.

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March 27, 2010 · 4:29 pm

Teriyaki Salmon and Green Beans with Bacon & Pine Nuts

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Two of my favorite items from Costco are the large Alaskan (or Copper River later in the summer) salmon fillets and the packages of thin French green beans. This meal combines both for a quick to prepare, healthy and flavorful dinner.

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These large fillets will feed about 4 people. Start by lining a baking dish with non-stick foil (or spray regular foil with non-stick spray). Place salmon fillet in the baking dish, skin side down. Sprinkle salmon with lime juice (lemon would be fine, as well).

DSC02657-1 Notice how the acid in the lime juice starts cooking
the salmon before you even put it in the oven.

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Top salmon with this soy based marinade and sprinkle with fresh chives or green onions. The marinade includes soy sauce, olive and sesame oils, balsamic vinegar, honey, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes. (Save half of the marinade to serve with the salmon)

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Bake at 425°F for about 15-20 minutes, or until salmon flakes with a fork. Once cooked, the salmon will easily slide off of the skin with a little help from a spatula. Cooking it with the skin helps to keep it nice and moist.

Serve salmon with additional sauce on the side (bring reserved marinade to a boil in a small saucepan before serving).

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Green Beans with Bacon and Pine Nuts

This side dish comes together really quickly, especially if you use another of my favorite Costco items: precooked bacon. I coarsely chop the pre-cooked bacon and cook it in a small skillet with the pine nuts until the nuts are lightly toasted.

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Remove bacon and pine nuts from pan. Add 1 Tbs olive oil (if you are not using precooked bacon, you could just use 1 Tbs of bacon drippings from the pan) and the green beans to the skillet. Cook over high heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add 2 Tbs water to the pan, cover, and cook for about 2-3 minutes, or until beans are crisp-tender. These thin French beans cook very quickly and are very tender. Don’t overcook!

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Stir in bacon and pine nuts and serve.

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RECIPE:

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Spicy Teriyaki Salmon

1 large salmon fillet
1 lime, juiced
2 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs balsamic or rice vinegar
1 Tbs honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp minced fresh ginger
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (add more for more heat)
1 Tbs sesame oil
2 Tbs fresh chives or green onions, chopped

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Line a baking dish with non-stick foil (or spray regular foil with non-stick spray). Place salmon fillet in a baking dish, skin side down. Sprinkle salmon with lime juice.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, soy sauce, vinegar, honey, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes and sesame oil. Pour half of sauce over salmon. Set remaining sauce aside. Sprinkle salmon with chives or green onions.

Bake at 425°F for 15-20 minutes, or until cooked through. Fish should flake easily with a fork.

Meanwhile, bring reserved sauce to a boil in a small saucepan. Serve over cooked salmon.

RECIPE:

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Green Beans with Bacon and Pine Nuts

1 lb French green beans (or regular beans, snapped)
6-8 slices bacon, chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts

Cook bacon in a small skillet until almost crisp. Add pine nuts and cook until nuts are lightly toasted. Remove from pan.

Drain bacon drippings, leaving 1 Tbs of drippings in the pan. (If you are using precooked bacon, and there are no drippings, add 1 Tbs olive oil to pan).

Add green beans to the pan and cook over high heat, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes.  Add 2 Tbs water to the skillet, cover, and cook for about 2-3 minutes, or until beans are crisp-tender. Do not overcook.

Stir bacon and nuts back into beans and serve.

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March 6, 2010 · 8:56 am

Roasted Squash with Bacon & Gorgonzola

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Just a quick post this weekend about a delicious way to prepare winter squash. I am coming to the end of my stockpile of winter squash (procured in the fall at an Amish produce auction-thanks Cynthia!). I have loved being able to go into our “root cellar” – read cold garage- and pick out a good squash for dinner.

In this roasted, mashed squash dish, I loved how the mild flavor of a roasted butternut squash was complimented by the stronger taste of gorgonzola. The bacon and green onions make for some great texture.

This dish starts with a roasted butternut squash, but you could use any winter squash variety that mashes well (butternut, acorn, delicata, pumpkin; I probably wouldn’t use a spaghetti squash). For a “How to” on roasting squash, read How To Roast Winter Squash.

Mix your roasted, mashed squash with some crumbled gorgonzola cheese, cooked & crumbled bacon, sliced green onions and a little Parmesan. The cheeses and bacon made the squash plenty salty to me, but I did add just a little fresh ground pepper.

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I cooked mine in these cute shallow individual baking dishes that I never seem to have a use for. I only have two (a 20+ year old wedding gift that usually sits high in my cupboard), but knowing that my kids weren’t going to touch this, I got out my stepstool and hauled them down.

Jan2010 017-2 I divided one butternut squash between the two dishes, and it ended up being more than the two of us could eat as a side dish. It was hearty enough (and very rich) that this amount (with a salad on the side) would have made a perfect main course for two.

Bake in a moderate oven until squash is heated through, cheese has melted and edges just begin to brown.

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Recipe:

Roasted Squash with Bacon & Gorgonzola

1 large butternut squash (or other winter squash variety)
2 Tbs gorgonzola cheese
1 Tbs Parmesan cheese, fresh grated
2 Tbs cooked and crumbled bacon
1 Tbs thinly sliced green onions
fresh ground pepper, to taste

Roast squash (see How to Roast Winter Squash). Mash until smooth (an immersion blended works really well). Stir in remaining ingredients. Spoon into individual baking dishes, or one larger dish (about 8×8” or a 1-qt casserole dish).

Bake at 375F for 20-25 minutes, or until squash is heated through, cheese has melted and edges are golden brown.

Yield: 2 main dish or 4 side dish servings

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January 25, 2010 · 7:59 am

Last Minute Dinners: Salsa Chicken (and a Mexican Coleslaw)

01-20-10 096-1 Looking for something quick, easy and delicious to throw together for a last-minute dinner? This Salsa Chicken has been the answer to many of my “Oh no! It’s 5 o’clock already! What am I going to cook tonight?” dilemmas.

Simply brown some chicken breasts (generously seasoning with garlic powder, cumin and chili powder).

01-20-10 080-1 Mix together a jar of taco sauce or salsa with just a little cocoa powder and cinnamon and pour over your chicken. (since there is a lot of sauce with this dish, I use a mild or medium variety of taco sauce/salsa) Cover and cook about 10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Stir in some chopped cilantro.

Top with cheese – Provolone is my favorite, but I also use Swiss, cheddar or Muenster if I don’t have any provolone.

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Let the cheese melt and serve with rice. We like Vigo brand “Yellow Rice”, a mild saffron flavored Spanish rice.

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And if you are organized enough to plan ahead for this dinner, this Mexican Lime & Cilantro Coleslaw goes really well with it:

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The coleslaw goes together really quickly if you use a prepackaged coleslaw mix. The pre-planning just comes in the grocery shopping part.

RECIPES:

01-20-10 096-1

Salsa Chicken

4-6 chicken breasts, trimmed
1 Tbs oil
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 ½ cups taco sauce or salsa
1 tsp cocoa powder
1/8 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbs (or more) chopped fresh cilantro
4-6 slices Provolone or Swiss cheese

Heat oil in skillet; add chicken. Sprinkle with cumin, chili powder and garlic powder (I don’t usually measure these spices; I just sprinkle them on both sides of the chicken). Cook until chicken is browned on both sides. Combine salsa, cocoa and cinnamon. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook about 10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Stir in cilantro.

Just before serving, top each chicken piece with a slice of cheese. Cover and let cheese just begin to melt. Serve over rice (our favorite is Vigo brand “Yellow Rice”, a Spanish saffron flavored rice).

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01-20-10 045-1

Mexican Lime & Cilantro Coleslaw
 (adapted from Kalyn’s Kitchen)

1 bag coleslaw mix
5 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 T fresh lime juice, (about half of a large lime)
red or green Tabasco sauce to taste (I use 5 “shakes”)
1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper (or to taste)

Combine coleslaw mix, green onions and cilantro.

In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, lime juice, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings. Mix dressing into cabbage mixture.

Serve immediately, or chill for a few hours.

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January 22, 2010 · 12:36 pm

A Little Burst of Winter Sunshine: Orange-Ginger Glazed Carrots

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There is nothing like bright colorful vegetables on a cold dreary winter day to bring a little sunshine in.

With fresh orange juice and grated ginger, these baby carrots are sure to brighten up even the most miserable day.

RECIPE:

Orange-Ginger Glazed Carrots

1 lb baby carrots (or medium carrots, peeled and sliced)
1 Tbs butter
1 orange, juiced (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 tsp fresh grated orange peel
1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger
2 Tbs brown sugar
1/4 tsp coarse kosher salt

Roast or steam carrots until tender. Set aside.

Melt butter in a saucepan. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil; boil 1 minute. Stir in carrots and cook for 2 minutes.

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January 15, 2010 · 10:39 am

Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges with Cilantro Yogurt Dip

Sweet potatoes make a fairly frequent appearance at our dinner table. Baked (then slathered in butter and sprinkled with cinnamon/sugar) is one of our favorite ways. Also chopped and roasted with a mix of other vegetables. As a side note: the one way it does NOT appear on my table is mashed and mixed with tons of sugar and then topped with those little marshmallows. Ick! I know it is a Thanksgiving favorite for many people, just not me.

This recipe we also really enjoy. I like it even more than the baked sweet potatoes. It is a savory presentation, but it comes with dip, and who doesn’t love dip! They end up crispy on the outside, but soft and sweet on the inside.

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Another thing I love: minimal clean-up. I mix the sliced potato wedges in a ziploc bag with olive oil and spices and have Little J toss them around a little (she LOVES mixing/squishing things in ziploc bags). Then pour onto a foil-lined baking sheet, arrange in a single layer, bake and serve. Just one not very messy baking sheet to wipe down.

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Sprinkle with a little coarse sea salt or kosher salt and serve with or without dip. We like to eat them with a cilantro yogurt dip. It makes a nice contrast with the natural sweetness of the potatoes.

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Recipe:

dec09 035-1

Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges with Cilantro Yogurt Dip

4-6 Sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into about 8 wedges each
Olive oil: 1-2 Tbs per potato
1 Tbs dried oregano
1 tsp coarse kosher or sea salt
1/4 tsp each of the following:
garlic powder
black pepper
coriander
ancho chili powder (or cayenne, but use less; ancho peppers are much milder than cayenne)

Mix potatoes, oil and seasonings in a Ziploc bag. Mix well. Spread onto a foil-lined baking sheet. Arrange potato wedges in a single layer. Bake at 375°F for 30-40 minutes, turning once. Sprinkle with additional coarse salt while hot. Serve with Cilantro Yogurt Dip, if desired.

Cilantro Yogurt Dip
1 cup plain yogurt
3 Tbs fresh cilantro, chopped
1 Tbs fresh mint, chopped (optional, but really good!)
1 Tbs fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients together. Chill 1-2 hours in refrigerator to blend flavors. Taste; adjust salt to taste. Serve.

For a thicker dip: start with about 1 1/2 cups yogurt and strain in a cheesecloth-lined colander to remove excess whey from yogurt.

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November 5, 2009 · 8:54 am

Sliced Baked Potatoes with Herbs and Cheese

DSC03246

Just a quick post today for a great potato side dish. These have everything I love in a potato dish: butter, crispy edges, fresh herbs, gooey cheese, did I mention butter and cheese?

The recipe at the end has quantities for 4 large potatoes, but this is a recipe I usually don’t measure for. You can use any kind of potato, peeled or unpeeled. I usually use unpeeled, but these red potatoes  had skins that had seen better days, so off they came.

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Start by cutting the potatoes into slices, but not all the way through. You want the bottom edge of the potato to remain intact. An easy way to do this is to place wooden spoons on either side of the potato as a cutting guide.

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Cut until you hit the handle


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Place your sliced potatoes in a baking dish. Melt butter and pour over the potatoes, using your fingers or a fork to get butter in between potato slices. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt (again trying to get some between the slices).

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I love using fresh herbs with this, but in the winter I will often use dried Italian seasoning. Push a little between the slices. I used fresh oregano and thyme between the slices this time, and then sprinkled fresh chives over it all. The potato slices will open up more as they cook.

Bake at 400°F for 45 minutes, or until cooked through. Once or twice during cooking, spoon melted butter from the bottom of the pan over potatoes. Sprinkle with fresh grated Parmesan cheese and return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes.

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Ooey-gooey-cheesy-crusty-herbed-potato goodness!

RECIPE:

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Sliced Baked Potatoes with Herbs and Cheese

4 large baking potatoes
1/4 cup melted butter (plan on 1 Tbs per potato)
1 tsp coarse sea salt
2-3 Tbs chopped fresh herbs (or 2-3 tsp dried):
try basil, thyme, oregano, chives, or Italian seasoning
1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan (other cheeses would be good as well)

Wash and dry potatoes; peel if desired. Cut into thin slices, but not all the way through the potato (use the handle of a wooden spoon placed alongside the potato to prevent cutting all the way through). Place potatoes in a baking dish. Sprinkle with butter, salt and herbs, getting some between each slice.

Bake at 400°F for 45 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked through. Once or twice during cooking, spoon melted butter from the bottom of the pan over potatoes. Top with cheese and bake an additional 10 minutes.

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