Sweet Potatoes

I got this recipe from an email list I belong to called "Daily Recipe". I get a recipe in my inbox daily. A lot of times I just delete them, but this one I made tonight and it was yummy. It isn't as sweet as your traditional sweet potato casserole that is made on Thanksgiving. They are twice baked, but instead of putting them back in their skins, I just mixed it all up in a casserole dish because who needs that kind of trouble and no one eats the skin anyway!

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RECIPE: DOUBLE BAKED SWEET POTATOES

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INGREDIENTS:
6 sweet potatoes (medium sized)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 ounces softened cream cheese
1/3 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rub skins with oil
wrap each in aluminum foil. Bake in preheated oven
for 1 hour, or until soft when poked in the center.
In a large bowl combine cream cheese, brown sugar,
butter, vanilla, salt and pepper. Slice each baked
potato in half lengthwise and scoop flesh into the
creamy mixture. Caution they will be very hot so this
works best using a clean towel to hold the potato.
Mix well and fold in walnuts. Spoon mixture evenly
back into each potato skin and bake for about 10-15
minutes more at 350 degrees just to heat through.

Yield: 12 Servings

I also only put walnuts on half the casserole sprinkled on top, because their are a lot of haters. I ate the side with walnuts and it was yummy. :o)

Hearty Bacon Potato Chowder

I have always thought potato soup was just okay, I would eat it, but it wasn't that exciting. I found this recipe a few years ago in a Church cookbook and it is my favorite potato soup recipe so far. It is thicker than soup, chowder, but so good and usually a big hit when I make it.

Hearty Bacon Potato Chowder
8 slices bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
6 medium cubed 1/2 inch new red potatoes (I have actually never used this kind of potato, but would probably be good, I usually just peel regular russett potatoes)
2 medium chopped onions
8 oz ctn sour cream
1 1/4 c milk
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of chicken soup
1 (8 oz) can corn, drained
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp thyme leaves

In 3 quart saucepan, cook bacon over medium heat for 5 minutes, add potatoes and onions. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender (15 to 20 minutes). Add remaining ingredients. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until heated through (10 to 12 minutes).

We had the missionaries over for dinner a week or so ago and it was uncharacteristically freezing here so I took advantage of the cold to make this. I doubled the recipe, and good thing too, there was hardly any leftovers. I served it with cornbread muffins.