Happy Tuesday, Friends. I’m sharing a family recipe today. If you read yesterday’s post, you saw that Aaron and I headed to a Friendsgiving party this past weekend. Everyone was in charge of bringing one of their favorite side dishes. And, while my mom and dad have had some incredible Thanksgiving home runs over the years (my dad’s homemade stuffing, I’m talking about you), I needed something that would be quick to make.
You know that I’m all about creating dishes that are simple, but still taste good. I don’t think that we need to spend a ton of time in the kitchen when we should be connecting with our people during the holidays. And who wants to do a ton of dishes because a recipes calls for 5 different pots and pans? Certainly not me. So, how do Moosie’s potatoes come in?
Well, my Aunt Claudia’s nickname was Moosie – a nickname she had from high school. Claudia was a diabetic, and she sadly passed away several years ago. Claudia was sort of the matriarch for my dad’s side of the family. His parents (my grandparents) passed away when he and his brothers were relatively young. So, when my uncle married Aunt Claudia, she really took over that role. She came from a huge family, and I have many memories growing up of some of her signature dishes she would make for holidays and birthdays.
So, it was only appropriate that her sisters put together a cookbook of some of her recipes over the years to honor her life and legacy. Each woman in the family received one, and it’s something that I cherish to this day. When I knew I needed to come up with a side dish, I knew that Moosie’s Potatoes would be a hit. So, here we are! Let’s get to the recipe.
Ingredients for Moosie’s Potatoes
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 8 medium potatoes
- 2 cups of sour cream
- 3 cups of shredded cheddar
- 1 can of condensed cream of chicken
- Green onions (about a cup – diced)
- Garlic powder
- salt and pepper
- French fried onions, cornflakes or ritz crackers to top (whatever you wish)
Moosie’s Potatoes: Here’s what you’ll do
- Heat your oven to 350 degrees.
- First, you’ll clean and chop your potatoes. I cut them into relatively small pieces so that way they cook quickly and evenly.
- Cook your potatoes on the stove. I fill a pan with water that covers my diced potatoes, add a bit of salt and bring to a boil. Once the water comes to a boil, you can reduce the heat to simmer and let simmer for about 5 minutes until you can pierce your potatoes with a fork.
- While your potatoes are cooking, I mix together my wet ingredients. In a small bowl, mix your sour cream, condensed milk and two cups of shredded cheese. Add in your diced green onions.
- Once your potatoes are done cooking, drain, and lightly add salt and pepper and dash of garlic powder.
- Mix your wet ingredients in with the potatoes and stick them in a casserole pan. I’m using one of my favorite wedding gifts as my casserole dish.
- Pop into a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. During the last five minutes of cooking, sprinkle with the remaining one cup of cheese and your topping of choice.
So good! These potatoes probably take about 45 minutes from start to finish, and the clean up is relatively easy. Now, let me chat briefly about that casserole pan. It’s Wilton Armetale, and it’s one of my favorite wedding gifts to give. Not only do they look like gorgeous pieces to complement a tablescape, you can chill them, pop them in the oven, and even put them on the grill. They are incredibly versatile – and the price point is good!
I’d love to know if you make Moosie’s potatoes for your Thanksgiving or Christmas. I know that every time I make them, I am reminded of some really good memories of my Aunt Moosie. And, while my family and I wish that she were still here, her legacy lives on through her recipes!
