Butternut Squash and Kale Hash

This was the meal that brought me out of my blog sabbatical because I just had to share! One of the fun things about cooking is after you do it long enough, you start to just know how certain tastes are going to meld and blend together. I love how you know you can combine the savory of Worcestershire, tang of champagne vinegar, sweet of agave and the piquant of dijon mustard to create an incredibly tasty glaze, and know that it will all work together. When you can look around your pantry or fridge, then just start mixing, that is when magic happens. And friends, that is the most fun part to reach in your kitchen adventures! 

This meal was inspired by a pinterest post for a sweet potato and kale hash, it was a breakfast dish with a fried egg on top. I have nothing against sweet potatoes, but I do have a love a-ffair with butternut squash so I decided to swap one orange veggie for another, just the way I like it. Mr. Max has been on a big kale kick ever since we did a cooking class in January with a crispy kale dish. I wanted to be able to take his new favorite veggie with my favorite veggie, then add some other stuff and make it a meal. Sounds pretty technical, huh?

I was shooting from the hip with this dish but wrote it down as I went a long so I could remember and hopefully get around to posting.... ta-da! I actually did this time. Nutritional fact breakdown can be found here, calculated at SparkRecipes.com.

Grocery List:
Yields 4 servings

• 10 large Kale leaves, de-stemmed and chopped into large chunks (we operate by, the darker the better! Grab some dino kale to try it out)
• 1.5 - 2 cups Butternut squash, cubed
• 3 tbsp. olive oil, divided
• 1 shallot, minced (about 2 tbsp. worth)
• 3 cloves garlic, minded
• 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp. rosemary
• 1/4 tsp. cumin
• 1/4 tsp. chili powder
• 2 tbsp. shredded Parmigiano Reggiano (approximately)

Start by pre-heating your oven to 450 degrees to roast your butternut squash cubes. Toss with 1 tbsp. of olive oil to coat then sprinkle with the red pepper flakes and rosemary.  Set on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil (easy clean up process and assists in the crisping), then pop in the oven to roast for 20 minutes. We want these babies to have some brown on them, some color.

When you have about 10 minutes left on the timer for the roasting squash, take 1 tbsp of olive oil and begin to saute your shallots in a large saute pan over medium heat. Once frangrant, add the garlic and saute for about 3 minutes.

Add the kale and the final tbsp of olive oil, tossing in the pan to coat, which will help it cook and crisp. Let it sit for about 2 minutes on medium heat, then move it around the pan again. Right about now, the squash should be ready to take out of the oven. Add it to the pan and combine the two, adding the cumin and chili powder. Turn up the heat to about medium-high (6 or 7 on the dial) and let that kale crisp a little more in all the flavors.

Finally, you will add two large pinches of Parmigiano Reggiano. Give it a stir, fold it together, do what feels right.

Dish it out and serve for a deliciously nutritious, easy weeknight meal!

Served with petite Pork Tenderloin Medallions in a Cider-Dijon glaze

Directions:

Slice a pork tenderloin into 1 inch discs. In a small skillet, mist with cooking oil and set 4-5 slices, not touching one another, on the hot surface. Cover with a lid and let cook for 2-3 minutes on medium-high heat, then flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Both sides should have a nice brown marks, medium heat should register to 145 degrees.

As the medallions cook, time to whip up an easy glaze. I combined some of my favorite tastes mentioned in the opening paragraph: 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard, 1.5 tbsp. Worcestershire, 1 cup apple cider, 1 tbsp. champagne vinegar, 1 tbsp. agave nectar, 1 tsp. shallots, 1 tsp. rosemary. Place all of this in a sauce pan over medium heat, when it begins to simmer, bring the heat down to low to allow it to thicken, about 10 minutes total. To serve, spoon over top pork medallions. 

Nutritional fact breakdown for pork and sauce can be found here, calculated at SparkRecipes.com.  

One serving yields four small or three large medallions and 1 tbsp. of sauce. 

Tastefully yours, 

Tortilla Soup (Lightened Up)

With the barbecue pot roast and this soup, it has been a week for comfort food! Both Mr. Max and I have felt a little puny with fall allergies on top of being generally run down from a very hectic September. Experiencing a bit of real fall weather, we decided to make a big batch of our favorite soup for the week. Giada's Tortilla Soup has been our go-to the past few years, it is so easy to make and truly delicious, but this time I decided to change it up a bit.

I wanted to turn up the heat a bit to help clear some serious sniffles so cayenne pepper was included, I added black beans for additional protein, and used a low-sodium vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. 

Nutritional facts can be found here, calculated through SparkRecipes.com; one serving of soup is 3 WW points. 

Grocery List:
Recipe yields 7-8 servings

• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 12 oz. can of roasted tomatoes, diced
• 1 tbsp. canola oil
• 1 cup onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 poblano pepper, minced
• 1 tsp. cayenne
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 12 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 1 avocado, cubed
• Cheese for garnish

To start, combine the vegetable broth, diced tomatoes and peppers in a pot on medium-high heat. Add the cayenne, chili powder and oregano.

 

Take an immersion blender, or dump contents of pot into a blender, and blend the diced tomatoes and peppers until smooth and creamy. In a different pot, begin to saute the onions in canola oil over medium heat. Add more cayenne pepper and cumin. After cooking for about 10 minutes, add the garlic until fragrant.

 

Pour the soup mix into the pot with the onions, then add the black beans, shredded chicken and cilantro. Let simmer for about 30 minutes to allow the flavors to conjure, or until you are ready to serve.

 

Add the avocado to each individual bowl, garnish cheese and additional cilantro then ladel and enjoy!

Tastefully yours,

Barbecue Pot Roast

 

This is a recipe that I can't wait to share! When you have something that you just loved to make and eat, it's really fun to run and tell everyone about it in hopes that they can then enjoy it like you did. Mr. Max and I have simply not been very creative with meals lately. We've had a lot of repeats or easy meals like salads, or simple fish and chicken breasts with roasted veggies. Blame that partially on a whirlwind event schedule and needing the ease, and maybe partially on trying to eat very basic because of the wedding that is approaching.

I can't say that I've been a dieting bride necessarily. I know how to eat well and I know what's good and what is not so good for me. I've just become a little more diligent on those what's good with more veggies and protein, and really strict on the consumption of the not so good like unneeded sugars, excess carbs or salty foods.

Well.... all that is fine and great but sometimes you just need some comfort food! Feeling slightly under the weather and having just one of those weeks, I decided that a pot roast seemed appropriate because it gave me a perfect reason to make a cauliflower and potato puree - mmm potatoes! Pinspired by the fabulous Plain Chicken blog, I used this for reference but made my own version based on what I had in the fridge.

Nutritional facts can be found here, and they were surprisingly not as bad as I thought; this is 8 WW points per serving.

Grocery List:
Recipe yields six servings

• 2 lb rump roast, trimmed (rump is leaner than chuck roast)
• Garlic salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• 1 cup chili sauce
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp. BBQ sauce (I used our favorite, Austin's Own, Medium Heat)
• 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp. Sriracha
• 2 cups carrots
• 1 cup celery (optional)
• 1/2 cup water (optional)

To start, sprinkle your roast with the garlic salt and pepper, then place in the crock pot. Surround with the celery, then the carrots. I thought I got most of what Plain Chicken used but come to find, I did not. I didn't have a Coke, and didn't want to use one, so I subbed the taste of apple cider vinegar for a little bit of tang and to help compensate for the missing liquid. I decided to start with just 1/4 cup so that it didn't over power and could somewhat keep sugars low, and that amount was perfect. In a bowl, mix the chili sauce, apple cider vinegar, BBQ sauce, Worcestershire and sriracha together until blended. At this point, I looked at it and thought I needed to "water" it up more so that is when I added the water.

 

Once mixed, pour the sauce over the contents in the crock pot, put the top on and walk away. If you are cooking for over 6 hours, cook on low-medium heat. If you are cooking for under 6 hours, cook on high heat.

When you come back, test the roast to see if it falls apart at the touch and move the contents around to get everything a little saucy.

When the roast is ready, scoop the meat and veggies into a bowl, top with some extra sauce and serve! 

 Served with cauliflower-potato mash

Kate's Easy Cauliflower-Potato Mash

Boil 1 large Yukon gold potato, cut in on inch cubes 

and 2 cups of cauliflower florets.

When soft, drain and add 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt,

with 1 tsp. garlic powder and 1 tsp. butter.

Use electric beaters to mash until smooth and creamy

Serves 3-4

Tastefully yours,

Barbecue Kolaches

This is an easy recipe to whip up for brunch, tailgates or a potluck need. In April, I was making kolaches one morning and as I stared at the little smokie, I thought to myself: self, you love dousing these and cooking them in BBQ sauce, and you love them rolled up as kolaches. Why couldn't they be both? I decided they should be, but then filed that thought away for another day.

That day came in August when I decided to try it out for a fun girl's potluck brunch hosted by sweet Sara. The result was a very delicious combination that was gobbled up, and if it was gal-approved, I was certain the boys would love it too.

As football season began, my friend Elizabeth and I planned our spread for the first upcoming home football games on the SMU Boulevard. This is our 5th season on the Boulevard together and for all that time, our boys have been talking about someday when they have a tent spot. Their someday came this year when the group was able to finally get a coveted lot in a prime location on the Boulevard. This meant fabulous food spreads would be made, decor would need to be set and a TV with satellite to keep the boys distracted from realizing their tent was becoming a picture out of Southern Living.

Elizabeth and I brought a number of things and this was one of my contributions to the first game day spread. I hope one that you can enjoy them for your next tailgate! They are a little messy to make but sometimes in the kitchen, you just have to get your hands dirty.

Grocery List:
Recipe yields 32 kolaches

• 1 package of your favorite Little Smokie brand sausages (I got Hillshire Farms)
• 1.5 cups BBQ Sauce (I use Austin's Own with a little heat to it)
• 2 packages Pillsbury Reduced Fat Crescent Rolls 
• Cheddar or Colby Jack cheese

To start, pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees and set out two cookie sheets, greased with non-stick spray. Place the little smokie's into a pot, then smother in the BBQ sauce. Cook them like this on low heat for about an hour. Note: the time frame is really up to you, I like to think that the flavor penetrates the longer it is cooked.

As your sausages sizzle in sauce, roll out the crescent dough and cut each individual triangle in half to create two mini triangles. If my memory and math serves me correctly, you get 8 regular crescent rolls per package, so with this method, you should get 16 per package.

Now the first time I did this, I used finely shredded cheese, which I preferred. This time, I thought we had shredded cheese but we did not, so I cut slivers of the colby-jack cheese instead. This works but if you can do shredded cheese, I would recommend that because it melts better.

Top the dough and cheese slice with a bbq-drenched little smokie and start to roll from widest end to skinny end. This is where the BBQ sauce may cause a little bit of a mess, but that's okay!

Place your rolled bbq kolache on a greased cookie sheet and when ready, pop it in the oven for 15 minutes, or until bread is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling.

Remove and enjoy your little bites of barbecuey, cheesey, sausagey heaven!

Tastefully yours,

Southwest BBQ Quinoa Bowl

I'll take a little walk down memory lane here for the sake of recipe introduction: as I've mentioned before, it was when we started dating that Mr. Max and I learned just how much we enjoyed cooking both together and in general. Instead of going out to dinner, we would go to the grocery store without a plan and wander the aisles until we came up with something to make.

Flash forward to now.

This past weekend did not yield time to meal plan, so we took off for the grocery store in our more spontaneous vintage fashion. All I knew was that I wanted to use up the quinoa in the pantry and had a plan to revise my Mexi-Texi salad sometime in the near future. We passed by the tantalizing BBQ counter that always smells incredible every time we pass by. They had some BBQ sauce on the counter so we sauntered over to taste test it and that did us in right there! At that moment, the clouds parted and the plan for dinner was formulated. It went a little something like this...

Okay, at the risk of sounding annoying and/or mushy, I had swoon moment #11,876: mid-way through food prep my sous chef informs me that this is his favorite part of the day: when we laugh, talk and make a meal together. I die. (insert high pitched squeal and girly wiggle dance) 6 more months until I'm Mrs. Max!

For nutritional facts, click here; 1 serving is equivalent to 9 WW points.

Grocery List:
Recipe yields 5 servings

• 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded (about 2.5 cups)
• 1 cup quinoa, cooked according to package directions
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/4 cup red onion, diced
• 1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
• 1/2 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 avocado, cubed
• 2 tbsp. lime juice
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp. barbecue sauce, divided (Austin's Own in medium will rock your world!)
• 2-3 tbsp. fresh cilantro, diced for garnish

To begin, cook the quinoa according to the package. If you got it from a canister rather than in a package, you cook 2 cups water to every 1 cup quinoa. Rinse, lightly toast in a pan to intensify the flavor, it will start to smell a bit like popcorn. Add the water and bring to a boil, stirring frequently until water is absorbed and the curlique of the seed has popped.

Shred the chicken into a bowl and add the 1/4 cup of BBQ sauce. Stir well to combine.

 

In a skillet, add the olive oil and heat to medium-high on the burner. Saute the red onion and bell pepper until softened, about 5 minutes. Next add the corn and the black beans, combining with other peppers and onions. Turn the heat to low and let warm until quinoa is fully ready.

 

 

Once the quinoa is cooked, set it in a bowl and stir in the lime juice. Add in the pepper, onion, corn and black bean mixture and stir well. Scoop the southwest quinoa combo into a bowl as a bed, then pile on the BBQ shredded chicken, top with the avocado and sprinkle with the cilantro. Finally, add a drizzle (roughly 1 tbsp) of BBQ sauce over the top of your creation and you are ready to dig in!

 

Tastefully yours,

 

Make a Meal: Spicy Shrimp and Polenta

There are some days that I look forward to just sharing a recipe because we enjoyed it and I want someone else out there to be able to enjoy it too. There are other days that I look forward to the aspect of being able to write about food and life, how they connect with one another. Today is a day I feel like writing, so I will. Ahem...

For a few months toward the end of 2011, I had a little side gig as a contributor to Dallas Observer's City of Ate blog. A friend had sent me an ad they posted about looking for writers with new and different perspectives, so I decided why not. I submit an idea to take restaurant favorites and recreate to try to make them easier, cheaper and healthier than going out to dine at a restaurant. It was a fun bit to have, but one that didn't fit in well with my work schedule. I found I was spending much more money dining out, then buying ingredients for the recreation, and more time dining out, then creating, then potentially creating again, then writing, then editing, then re-writing.... it was much more than I had planned on in order to meet their deadlines and expectations. I realized that my hobby was just that, a hobby, and I would keep it as such on my own time and on my own terms.

However, I've had fun with that premise, it's intrigued me for years, and it is something that has inspired a lot of recipes I've made. When Max Man and I first started dating, he was finishing his masters and was in study mode for finals. We got to know each other by staying in and cooking together, rather than going out to eat a lot. That set the tone for our relationship where we would scour restaurant menus and look for appealing dishes to make at home or wander the grocery stores of Central Market putting together a basket of food, then making it work back at one of our apartments. The next year of our little courtship, he started the CFA exam - only offered once a year, this takes up much of his spare time in the spring months before the June test. During that time, we started coming up with low-key date night alternatives, which if we weren't going to a cooking class, we were studying various cooking school menus, researching recipes and making those at home, learning and trying new things together. It has been an activity that encompasses the beginning of our relationship and a common interest that we bonded on early. We always look forward to the nights we get to cook together - and of course, I'm biased, but I have the best sous chef in my kitchen! He is the left-brain to my right-brain tendencies and it's a great balance for us.

Max Man is typically apart of the Sunday meal planning exercise, though during the spring, with his work busy season and study season for the CFA, he can't help cook very often. We chose our challenge dish for the week and decided to make it on a night that he could get off work early enough to cook it up together.

Tonight's Make a Meal dish is inspired by a plate at a local restaurant favorite, Victor Tango's, where my Lobster Mac and Jack post derived from. We tried it recently at a birthday dinner: chili-garlic shrimp served over creamy polenta - it was to.die.for. I had a few shrimp dishes that I've made before using Sriracha, sweet chili sauce, some garlic and honey so I decided to resort to those for some ingredient choices. I searched for a lighter, lower cal polenta recipe, not wanting to compromise the creamy consistency and this one did the trick! This was just as good as the restaurant and definitely met my three objectives to be healthier (more than likely because I was in control as to what went in it), easier and cheaper than going to Victor Tango's and getting this on any given night.


Grocery List:
For shrimp - enough for 3 servings. Nutritional facts found here, calculated to 2 WW points, serving size is 5-6 shrimp.

• 3/4 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3 tbsp. low sodium Ponzu (a citrus enhanced soy sauce - great for cooking with fish)
• 2 tbsp. chili sauce
• 1 tsp. mirin
• 2 tbsp. Sriracha
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Scallions, chopped

For polenta - enough for 5 servings. Nutritional facts found here, calculated to 5 WW points, serving size is equal to 1/2 cup.

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Dried thyme and parsley to taste
• 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups fat free skim milk
• 1 cup polenta
• 1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano

The polenta takes about 15 minutes to make, compared to the 10 minutes for the shrimp, so we will start with the polenta. In a large stock pot, heat the butter and olive oil on medium heat to melt the butter. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the thyme and parsley.

 

Pour in the chicken broth and skim milk, bring to a boil.

 

While you are waiting for this to boil, start the shrimp. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the ponzu, chili sauce, mirin, sriracha, and garlic.

 

Add the shrimp to the sauce and mix to fully coat. Heat a skillet to medium-high heat and pour the shrimp in. Cook for about 2 minutes and flip to cook another 2 minutes on the other side. 

As the shrimpies cook, slowly whisk the polenta into the pot, a little at a time to prevent from clumping. Turn the heat down to a medium-low heat and continue to whisk as the polenta thickens.

 

Add the parm and stir until it is melted in.

Ladle one scoop of the polenta into a shallow bowl and top with the spicy shrimp and any additional sauce. Top with chopped scallions and serve!

Tastefully yours,

Quinoa "Mac" and Cheese

It's been a very busy two weeks since the last post. To catch up a little, after celebrating Easter and my parent's 30th Anniversary, the following week was full of spring season events for work. That weekend, Mr. Max lured me to his home state of Wisconsin and asked me to be his Mrs!!! It's been a whirlwind since then and I still have a number of recipes drafted that I haven't been able to get around to - oops.

  

This past Friday, I got to partake in another moment a girl looks forward to, the ability to ask two of my oldest and dearest friends, Amy and Greer, to be my Maids of Honor! These two have been mentioned in several posts, and they are part of our monthly Girls Night In cooking group. We met circa 1988-ish after my family had just joined University Park United Methodist Church. I have very vivid memories of the first time I met both of them and how our friendship grew from there: play dates, family dinners, singing in the church choir together, musicals, mission trips, summer camp, homecoming and prom dress shopping, visiting each other in college and starting our lives post-college in the real world. I feel so blessed to have known these girls and their families for all these years, they are the closest things to sisters to me, and know me better than I know myself sometimes. Greer was coming into town this weekend so I knew it was my chance to get them both together for dinner and the big ask.

As we talked everything wedding, we shared our common love and bond of friendship, food! Greer provided appetizers for us to graze on as we made dinner and caught up, Amy ran point on the quinoa recipe that she found, and I prepared the salmon dish. Due to everything going on, I actually missed the first couple steps in pictures, but still wanted to share because it was so good, applause to Amy for suggesting it! You can add broccoli or spinach to the mix, but we decided to roast our broccoli and eat it as a separate side dish.

Click here to read the nutritional facts calculated at SparkRecipes.com. According to Weight Watchers points, for a 1/2 cup serving, this is 5 points.

Grocery List:
(makes 6 servings)

• 1 1/2 cups quinoa
• 3 cups water
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup non-fat skim milk
• 1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs (optional)
• Creole Seasoning (optional - but so recommended!)

To start, preheat your oven to 425 degrees and grease an 8x8 casserole dish. Rinse the quinoa in a fine-strain colander, then lightly toast in a pot on low heat until it smells a little like popcorn, stirring frequently to prevent from burning. Add the water and bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Lower the heat and allow the quinoa to absorb the water until it is gone and the curlicue in the grain has popped, about 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the eggs and milk, mix well until egg is fully beaten. Fold in the quinoa, garlic and half of the cheese, stir well to combine. 

 

Pour the quinoa mac and cheese into the casserole dish, then lightly top with the Panko bread crumbs and remaining cheese. Finally, dust the top layer with Creole seasoning and pop in the oven for 20 minutes until bubbling and lightly browned.

 

Remove from oven, dish it out and dig in!

Served with 4 oz. honey-soy glazed salmon and roasted broccoli with garlic

Tastefully yours, 

Lighter Scalloped Potatoes

It's Spring-time y'all! Dad, Mom, Brother - Michael, Brother - Patrick, Yours Truly, Mr. Max

The scalloped look has taken the fashion world by storm the past few months; it's a dainty look with an edge, perfect for the spring! For Easter Sunday and I decided to pair my scalloped hemline Easter dress, with my food contribution for the family Easter dinner - scalloped potatoes.

Really quick though, I have a personal story to share. This Easter was extra special this year, as we were able to give my parents a special gift and lasting memory. They recently celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary so my brothers and I decided to do something to acknowledge that. For months, we worked on a surprise party with the family but the week before, dad got baseball tickets for the Texas Rangers and we couldn't seem to get around this issue without giving away our scheme. Once my dad decides he's going to do something, you can't really come between it - he is next to impossible to plan for or surprise! Mom then announced that we will forgo the traditional Easter brunch with just our immediate family and do a big family dinner instead, with everyone from both sides of the family, potluck style. The brothers and I decided with our parents unknowingly impeding on our surprise, we would just culminate our efforts into their Easter Sunday plans. There wouldn't be the big SURPRISE! factor as they walked in somewhere, but we had a  few special things that would garner the same reaction.

We contacted members of their wedding party, their college friends that knew them as individuals and later as a couple, their friends that knew them as newlyweds and apart of their lives as they grew a family. We asked them to send us a letter that shared memories or advice for the next 30 years and bound them together as a memory book, with photos from their engagement and their wedding day.

Cutting their cake as Mr. and Mrs. on March 27, 1982

I worked with a baker to do a simplified version of their wedding cake for our Easter dessert! She was so amazing, Dallas area people, go to Rachel Barbosa with Sugar Ray's for any cake or cupcake needs, she is fabulous! I highly recommend the chocolate hazelnut with vanilla cream icing.

Last but not least, we matted a picture from their special day, one taken as they were leaving the ceremony and looking out of the limo heading to the reception, just beaming. The whole family signed and we presented it on an easel. It made for such an incredibly special Easter Sunday!

 

My Precious Parents cutting their 30th Anniversary Cake!

Now for the recipe, adapted from the Skinnytaste blog, here's a lighter version of a potluck favorite without the heavy cream and as much butter. Click here for the nutritional facts calculated at SparkRecipes.com. One serving is equal to about 3/4 cup, for a total of 3 WW points.

Grocery List:

• 6 medium-sized Yukon gold potatoes, sliced into thin 1/8 in pieces
• 2 tbsp. light butter, unsalted
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 3 oz. Gruyere cheese, shredded
• 1 cup fat free skim milk
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 2 tsp. thyme
• Chives

Start by pre-heating your oven to 425 degrees and grease a baking dish. I knew we didn't have a lot of time before we had to get to my parents and the potatoes would take nearly an hour to cook in the oven. To speed up the process, I took my potatoes and let them simmer on medium-high heat for about 10 minutes to help soften them up. 

As your potatoes are softening, heat a small sauce pan on medium heat and add the milk, paprika, thyme, bay leaves, garlic and butter. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Discard bay leaves.

If you boiled your potatoes to soften, let drain in a colander and cool a little. Begin to stack a thick layer on the bottom, then top with half of the shredded cheese. 

Top with another thick layer of potatoes, cover with the milk and herb mix.

Top with the rest of the cheese and the chives. 

Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes if you've pre-softened the taters. If you didn't soften them before, cook for 45-50 minutes.

Let cool, then dig in. Enjoy foodie friends!

Tastefully yours,