Angi's Best Ever Smashed Potatoes!

Angi's Best Ever Dirty Smashed Potatoes

(This recipe is not exactly healthy, but it is the best smashed potatoes you will ever eat!)

6-12 baby red potatoes, skins on, quarter potatoes (amount depends on how many people you are serving). Make sure you leave the skins on. The majority of nutrients in a potato are actually in the skin, just wash them first to remove any residual dirt. When you boil or smash potatoes and leave the skin on, this is called dirty mashed potatoes.

4 Tbs. butter (NOT margarine, no butter substitute, use butter or don't bother!)

1/4 C. Milk or heavy whipping cream

1/2 container of Marscapone cheese (you can also substitute with goat cheese and often I will play with the recipe and also add fresh grated Parmesan, cheddar, etc...)

Salt and pepper

Boil potatoes in water, add a pinch of salt to the water while boiling. One potatoes are soft (check with a fork, when you poke with a fork and they fall apart, they're done), drain in a colander. Use the pot you boiled potatoes in (it should still be warm) and add the butter to start the melting process. Dump potatoes back in the pot and stir gently. Then add milk and cheese and mash with a potato masher. Salt and pepper to taste.

Another variation is to also mince 2-3 cloves of fresh garlic and add to potatoes with the cheese.

Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie

This is a quick, easy way to make your own chicken pot pie! By making it yourself, you can better control the amount of sodium and preservatives in your dinner!

1 box pastry sheets (in the freezer section, next to phyllo dough, 1 box should have 2 sheets; you will need 2 sheets)

1 large bag frozen vegetables (I buy peas, corn, carrots, green beans and lima beans)

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized cubes (cut up while raw)

3 chicken bullion cubes

2 Cups water

1/2 Cup milk

4-8 Tbsp Wondra Flour (sold on the baking aisle, in blue cylinder- also makes a great dry batter for frying!)

Salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Take a round casserole dish, coat with butter or cooking spray. Unfold one sheet of pastry dough. Roll gently with a rolling pin to smooth out creases and slightly increase the size of the sheet. Lay in the casserole dish and make sure the pastry is lying against the bottom of the dish, press gently into the sides. Please note that the corners will come up higher than the rest of the dough and probably overlay the edges, Tear off the hanging edges and set aside. Put in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the bottom and sides no longer look wet.

While the bottom layer of the pot pie is baking, heat a pan on the stove over medium heat. Add a Tbs or so of oil. Once hot, add chicken pieces and season to taste. Fry until chicken pieces are cooked, then set aside in a large bowl. Add bag of vegetables to chicken mixture.

Put water and chicken bullion cubes in a small pot over medium heat. Dissolve bullion in the water. Once bullion dissolved, whisk milk and 4 Tbs of Wondra Flour together. Pour slowly into bullion water on stove. Whisk until mixture starts to thicken. If needed, add more Wondra Flour to the gravy, keeping in mind that once the vegetables start to cook, they will release water and thin out your gravy mixture when in the oven. Once thick enough, pour over the chicken and veggies and stir. Then pour into the prebaked pastry sheet. Cover with the raw pastry sheet, folding the long edges over the top. Bake in the oven for 30-45 minutes, until the center of the crust is golden brown.

If your gravy ends up soupy, just serve in a bowl instead of a plate! And if you've seasoned it right, it'll still taste excellent!