Pork and Potatoes – A Classic Combination

On June 28, 2017 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Germany, RecipesLeave a comment

Throughout our time in Europe, we had many different variations of pork and potatoes together. Whether sausages or pork roast, potatoes pair perfectly with any type of pork dish.

We decided to take some leftover ham and combine it with scalloped potatoes and cheese for a quick and easy dinner. It isn’t a fancy dish by any means, but it is delicious and hearty. Perhaps pork and potatoes are combined because they are both inexpensive and easy to cook. We hope you enjoy our version of a ham and potato casserole.

INGREDIENTS

3 to 4 Medium Russet Potatoes
1 cup Diced Cooked Ham
1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
1/4 cup Milk
1/2 cup Shredded Cheese – We used a Monterey Jack Cheddar Blend
Dash of Freshly Grated Nutmeg
1/8 tsp Granulated Garlic
Salt and Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Peel and wash the potatoes. Slice the potatoes using a mandolin or by uniformly slicing them into 1/8 inch scallops. Place the potatoes into a pot with cold salted water and then turn the heat onto medium-high. Once the water comes to a boil, continue boiling for 5 minutes until they are slightly blanched, but not fully cook as they will finish cooking in the casserole. Drain the potatoes. Whisk the milk and flour together with 3/4 of the cheese, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and garlic. Layer the potatoes and ham in a casserole dish adding some of the cheese and milk mixture as you add each layer. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top of the casserole and bake for another 10 minutes until the cheese is golden brown.

Delicious Goose Dinner

On November 16, 2016 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Germany, Recipes4 Comments

We were told the other day that it is goose season here in Germany at the moment. We decided to go ahead and have the goose dinner at our local restaurant and we couldn’t have been more pleased. The goose was succulent and moist and was accompanied by red cabbage with apple and potato dumplings. Needless to say, pictures don’t provide justice to how good this meal truly was. We have cooked goose and duck at home ourselves and it can be a tricky meal to make due to the fattiness of the skin, but this goose was cooked to perfection. We have had some wonderful German meals since our arrival, but perhaps this might have been the best for a traditional German dinner.

Potato Salad – A Summer Favorite

On July 13, 2016 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes8 Comments

As summer turns up the heat, we cool things down by preparing a nice batch of cold potato salad. It is creamy, refreshing, and can be paired with just about any entrée. It is also perfect for summer picnics or any large gathering. We happened to serve it with some halibut that we’d dusted with Old Bay Seasoning and then breaded, but it could have just as easily been served with hot dogs, hamburgers, or anything else. The key to a good potato salad is to not over cook the potatoes, but to get them just to the point that a knife slides easily through them and then immediately cooling them off so that the cooking process stops. If you over cook the potatoes, they will become too soft to mix with the sauce. This is one of our favorite side dishes, so we hope that you enjoy it.

Ingredients

4 Medium Potatoes – cut into half-inch cubes
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 tbsp Brown Mustard
1/2 Stalk of Celery – finely chopped
2 tbsp Onion – finely chopped
2 Hard Boiled Eggs – chopped
1/2 tsp Celery Salt
2 to 3 tbsp Milk
Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

Place the potatoes into cold, salted, water and heat to a boil. Boil at a slow-rolling boil for approximately 20 minutes or until a knife easily penetrates the potatoes. Drain the potatoes, put them back into the hot pan to help get any excess water off of the potatoes, then put the potatoes into a bowl and chill them in the refrigerator until cold. If you are in a time crunch, you can put them in the freezer until they are chilled (not frozen). In another bowl, mix the mayonnaise, mustards, celery, onion, celery salt, milk, salt and pepper, stirring until all of the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Add the egg to the potatoes and gently toss with the mayonnaise mixture until all of the potatoes are fully coated.