Loaded Baked Potato Egg Rolls

September 2, 2015September 4, 2015 Dax Phillips Leave a comment

I came up with a genius idea the other day, well at least to me I thought it was genius. There were a couple of things that steered me this to making this awesome batch of egg rolls; one being I was totally in the mood for egg rolls, and the other is that I had a package of Nueske’s bacon calling my name as I was looking at some potatoes I needed to use up on the counter. It’s funny how that works, but it’s also funny how flipping amazing these were. As my wife and kids were running errands this past weekend, I decided to make a batch of these and see if there were any takers when they returned. Let’s just say there were takers, and I had wished I had made double the egg rolls.

Let’s get started.

Ingredients:

Your favorite egg roll wrappers
2 whole russet potatoes, cubed and cooked until fork tender, drained
6 slices of your favorite bacon, cooked, and chopped
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup of chives, finely diced
Sour cream, optional
3 cups of canola oil
1 egg, beaten with 1 tbsp water

These made 6 egg rolls, so increase everything if you are needing more. I highly recommend more.

Start by having everything prepared. When you are ready to build your egg rolls, heat your oil in a sauce pan, large enough to fit a few egg rolls, to medium heat. You will want the oil to come up to around 350 degrees. During this time, make the egg rolls.

I used two sheets of egg roll wrappers per egg roll. Why, I have no idea, but they worked out. I think I had a fear that the potatoes were still a bit wet after I drained them and I thought they may tear or open in the oil. Regardless, feel it out and use 1 or 2 should you desire.

How to make loaded baked potato egg rolls

If you are not familiar with how to roll an egg roll, refer to the following instructions. Take about a quarter cup of the potatoes, and lay them along the middle. Top with a bit of cheese and bacon crumbles, fold over the sides, and continue to roll. When you have a bit of the point left, brush on some of the egg wash, and finish to seal. If you are using a second wrapper, lay the egg roll on top, and fold, and seal. Repeat with the remaining egg rolls.

Once the oil is ready, carefully add a few egg rolls at a time, and cook, turning carefully until the wrappers are a nice, golden brown. Remove and place them on a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with the remaining egg rolls.

These are ready to eat as is, but I took mine and placed them on a fajita skillet, covered with a bit more cheese, and bacon, and placed them in the oven until the cheese was melted.

Drizzle with sour cream and chives, and get to it. I’ll be honest, I took down two of these, and when my wife and kids came home, not only were they excited by the idea (they love egg rolls), they tore into them like it was nobody’s business. My kid even requested to warm one up the following morning for breakfast. So if you love loaded potato skins, you are going to loved these loaded baked potato egg rolls! Hope you enjoy.

Loaded Baked Potato Egg Rolls

Author: Dax Phillips

Recipe type: Appetizers

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 45 mins

Serves: 6

Ingredients

Your favorite egg roll wrappers
2 whole russet potatoes, cubed and cooked until fork tender, drained
6 slices of your favorite bacon, cooked, and chopped
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup of chives, finely diced
Sour cream, optional
3 cups of canola oil
1 egg, beaten with 1 tbsp water

Instructions

These made 6 egg rolls, so increase everything if you are needing more. I highly recommend more.
Start by having everything prepared. When you are ready to build your egg rolls, heat your oil in a sauce pan, large enough to fit a few egg rolls, to medium heat. You will want the oil to come up to around 350 degrees. During this time, make the egg rolls.
I used two sheets of egg roll wrappers per egg roll. Why, I have no idea, but they worked out. I think I had a fear that the potatoes were still a bit wet after I drained them and I thought they may tear or open in the oil. Regardless, feel it out and use 1 or 2 should you desire.
If you are not familiar with how to roll an egg roll, refer to the following instructions. Take about a quarter cup of the potatoes, and lay them along the middle. Top with a bit of cheese and bacon crumbles, fold over the sides, and continue to roll. When you have a bit of the point left, brush on some of the egg wash, and finish to seal. If you are using a second wrapper, lay the egg roll on top, and fold, and seal. Repeat with the remaining egg rolls.
Once the oil is ready, carefully add a few egg rolls at a time, and cook, turning carefully until the wrappers are a nice, golden brown. Remove and place them on a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with the remaining egg rolls.
These are ready to eat as is, but I took mine and placed them on a fajita skillet, covered with a bit more cheese, and bacon, and placed them in the oven until the cheese was melted.

Garlic Dill Spiced Pickles

August 31, 2015August 31, 2015 Dax Phillips Leave a comment

Let’s face it, it’s pickle season. Everywhere I turn it seems as though a jar of pickles are out, whether for snacking on, or as a side companion to a grilled burger, or better yet a bloody mary. For the last few weeks I have been making quick pickles, and I typically snack on one when I get home from work. The thing I love about making these quick pickles is that you can really make them however you want, and this past batch was really one inspired by a quick trip to my local farmer’s market. Kirby pickles were everywhere, and they caught my attention. I picked up a batch, along with some banana peppers, dill, and garlic, and hence where this pickle recipe came from.

Let’s get started.

Ingredients:

6-8 kirby pickles, sliced in half, lengthwise
1 whole banana pepper, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
1 cup of fresh dill, roughly chopped
3 cups of vinegar
2 cups of sugar
1 cup of water
1 tsp salt

Start by adding the vinegar, sugar, salt, and water to a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then remove from the stove, and let the pickling liquid cool. As it cools, toss in the dill, garlic, and banana peppers.

To a large mason jar, add in the halved kirby pickles. pour in all of the pickling mixture to cover the pickles, and cover with the lid.

Let these sit for a couple of days to let all of the flavors meld, then dig into them as you would any other pickle. These things are great. You get a bit of the dill, the garlic, and a subtle heat from the peppers. A perfect use farmers market ingredients, and a super simple recipe to boot. Hope you enjoy!

Garlic Dill Spiced Pickles

Author: Dax Phillips

Recipe type: Pickles

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 20 mins

Serves: 6

Ingredients

6-8 kirby pickles, sliced in half, lengthwise
1 whole banana pepper, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
1 cup of fresh dill, roughly chopped
3 cups of vinegar
2 cups of sugar
1 cup of water
1 tsp salt

Instructions

Start by adding the vinegar, sugar, salt, and water to a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then remove from the stove, and let the pickling liquid cool. As it cools, toss in the dill, garlic, and banana peppers.
To a large mason jar, add in the halved kirby pickles. pour in all of the pickling mixture to cover the pickles, and cover with the lid.
Let these sit for a couple of days to let all of the flavors meld, then dig into them as you would any other pickle.

Korean Style Zucchini

August 28, 2015August 28, 2015 Dax Phillips Leave a comment

Gochujang has become my new best friend. If you are not familiar with gochujan, it is essentially a Korean condiment that is a bit spicy, lightly fermented, and one that just has this sweet and savory taste that it just gets highly addicting. Gochujang is commonly used in Korean recipes such as bibimbap and soups, and the thing I love about it is that it has just the right amount of spice that is perfectly balanced by this sweetness. Don’t judge me, but I always lick the spoon when I am using this condiment.

With that said, you have probably known for the last few weeks that I am continuing to harvest zucchini from our garden. This is when the idea sparked to make chicken lettuce wraps for the kids, and as the Koreans are known for having banchan (small dishes that accompany a meal), I figured making these Korean style zucchini. I fell in love with this, and I think you might as well.

Let’s get started.

Ingredients:

1 small to medium sized zucchini, cut into 1 inch coins, then quartered
2 tbsp gochujang paste
1 tbsp water
1/2 tbsp Japanese Sushi Seasoning, often called Furikake (optional)

Simple, right? The only small challenge may be finding the gochujang paste, but you can probably find this in your Asian grocery store, or in the ‘ethnic’ aisle in your grocery store.

Start by heating a medium skillet on medium heat. Toss in the zucchini, as well as the gochujang. Give a good stir, and gently mash in the gochujang. Add the water to assist in making a thinner sauce. Continue cooking until the zucchini is heated through, and the sauce coats the zucchini. Toss in the furikake if you desire. This adds that additional distinct flavor that you would find in a standard sushi roll.

Serve as a side to any dish. The end result is the perfect crunch of the zucchini, and then the awesome punch from the gochujang. Trust me, this Korean condiment will have you thinking endlessly of what it can be used on, and this was only one of those ideas. Hope you enjoy!

Korean Style Zucchini

Author: Dax Phillips

Recipe type: Sides

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 5 mins

Total time: 10 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 small to medium sized zucchini, cut into 1 inch coins, then quartered
2 tbsp gochujang paste
1 tbsp water
½ tbsp Japanese Sushi Seasoning, often called Furikake (optional)

Instructions

Start by heating a medium skillet on medium heat. Toss in the zucchini, as well as the gochujang. Give a good stir, and gently mash in the gochujang. Add the water to assist in making a thinner sauce. Continue cooking until the zucchini is heated through, and the sauce coats the zucchini. Toss in the furikake if you desire. This adds that additional distinct flavor that you would find in a standard sushi roll.
Serve as a side to any dish.

Cheesy Corn Casserole

August 26, 2015 Dax Phillips Leave a comment

Summer is almost over <sigh>, but with that said, there has been some really, and I mean really good corn this year. We have tried a variety, but there is one batch that my coworker brought in from Fondy’s Farmers Market that was probably hands down the best corn I’ve had in quite some time. The texture was spot on and the sweetness just blew our mind, plus they were some of the larger types of corn I have seen in some time now. With that said, my coworker brought in two large paper bags of corn, loaded to the top and said take what you want. I probably took about 12 or so ears of corn, and this recipe was inspired not only by the corn, but a conversation my colleague and I had about a cheesy corn casserole. His idea sounded so good I was going to go out on a limb and try coming up with my own version.

Let’s get started.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp all purpose flour
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 cups of milk
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups of cheddar cheese, shredded
4 ears of corn, kernels removed
1 lb thick cut ham, cubed
2 whole banana peppers, seeds removed, chopped
1 head of garlic, roasted, mashed
1/2 tbsp garlic salt
1 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
1 tomato, diced
1 cup of seasoned bread crumbs

Start by heading a medium sized pot on medium heat. Add in the butter and let it melt until it comes to a bubble. Next, toss in the flour, and stir with a wooden spoon so that all of the butter soaks up the flour. Continue to stir for a couple of minutes to cook out the flour. Don’t let it get too dark, just a light golden, if any color at all. Now add in the milk and continue to stir. Keep stirring until the sauce thickens. This is your standard bechamel sauce. Once the sauce thickens, add in the cream cheese and cheddar cheese, as well as the garlic salt. Lower the heat, and stir until all the cheese is melted, and you have a smooth consistency.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

To a large mixing bowl, add in the corn, the cubed ham, black pepper, banana peppers, roasted garlic, and tomato. Mix to combine everything. Next, pour in the cheese sauce, and continue to stir until everything is nice and coated.

Add the mixture to your casserole dish, top with the bread crumbs. Place into the oven and cook for about 30 minutes, uncovered. The top should be nice and golden brown, and the casserole itself should be a bit bubbly. Carefully remove, and get ready to dig in.

The end result is nothing short of fantastic. You get the sweetness and the pop from the corn, the cheese blend (don’t get me started on how good that is), and the savoriness from the ham. Did I mention the garlic? Good Lord this stuff is great and is perfect for your backyard gathering, plus this one feeds a small army. Comfort all around, even in the summer. Hope you enjoy and hoping everyone has a great rest of your summer!

Cheesy Corn Casserole

Author: Dax Phillips

Recipe type: Casserole

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 50 mins

Serves: 10

Ingredients

2 tbsp all purpose flour
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 cups of milk
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups of cheddar cheese, shredded
4 ears of corn, kernels removed
1 lb thick cut ham, cubed
2 whole banana peppers, seeds removed, chopped
1 head of garlic, roasted, mashed
½ tbsp garlic salt
1½ tsp cracked black pepper
1 tomato, diced
1 cup of seasoned bread crumbs

Instructions

Start by heading a medium sized pot on medium heat. Add in the butter and let it melt until it comes to a bubble. Next, toss in the flour, and stir with a wooden spoon so that all of the butter soaks up the flour. Continue to stir for a couple of minutes to cook out the flour. Don’t let it get too dark, just a light golden, if any color at all. Now add in the milk and continue to stir. Keep stirring until the sauce thickens. This is your standard bechamel sauce. Once the sauce thickens, add in the cream cheese and cheddar cheese, as well as the garlic salt. Lower the heat, and stir until all the cheese is melted, and you have a smooth consistency.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
To a large mixing bowl, add in the corn, the cubed ham, black pepper, banana peppers, roasted garlic, and tomato. Mix to combine everything. Next, pour in the cheese sauce, and continue to stir until everything is nice and coated.
Add the mixture to your casserole dish, top with the bread crumbs. Place into the oven and cook for about 30 minutes, uncovered. The top should be nice and golden brown, and the casserole itself should be a bit bubbly. Carefully remove, and get ready to dig in.

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