Papas Can You Hear Me? Day 2 of Leftover Makeovers: Mashed Potato Latkes

Let me just start this off by saying I really hope this doesn't offend anyone of the Jewish faith. If anything, you should be flattered. The reason I'm saying this is because I have a confession. Although I was raised a Hispanic Catholic girl from the south, I have this unnatural obsession with being a Jewish New Yorker. I'm not sure where this obsession came from other than my upbringing where "Funny Girl" was shown alongside "Sesame Street" and "Don't Rain on My Parade" was just another lullaby. Once I grew up it became marathons of "The Nanny" and I was obsessed with the glamorous stereotype.In second grade one of the teachers was a lovely woman named Mrs. Weizmann  During the holidays she taught us all about Hanukkah  the traditions and the food. Three things happened that day. One, I begged my mother to become Jewish so I could have 8 Christmases (yeah, I know that's not quite right now). Two, I went home with my own dreidel and learned the dreidel song. Three, I tasted Potato Latkes for the first time and was hooked.

It's day two of Leftover Makeovers and dinner was one of my family's absolute favorites; breakfast for dinner buffet. The menu consisted of their choice of leftover ham, bacon, eggs, pancakes and Potato Latkes made of leftover mashed potatoes. It was heavenly. So heavenly in fact that I forgot to take a picture and by the time I remembered, they were all eaten up.

This is not my picture but it looks like it could be. That's all that matter's, right? Screw copyrights! I'm a Google rebel.

Mashed Potato Latkes

2 cups mashed potatoes 
1 large egg, beaten lightly 
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour 
3 TBS onion powder  
Salt and pepper 
Vegetable oil, for frying

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. 

In a bowl combine well the potatoes and the egg, stir in the flour thoroughly, and stir in the onion powder salt and pepper, to taste. 

In a large heavy skillet, heat 1/8-inch of the oil over moderately high heat until it is hot but not smoking. Fry heaping tablespoons of the potato mixture, flattening them slightly with the back of the spoon, for 1 minute on each side, or until they are golden brown. Transfer the pancakes as they are cooked to paper towels to drain and if desired, keep them warm on a rack set on a baking sheet in a preheated 250 degree oven. 

Bacon Lover's Dinner

Thursday's dinner was a huge hit with my family. Who doesn't love a bacon themed dinner? This meal dedicated to the salty, crispy, strips of Heaven featured Baked Potato Soup with a BLTE.

I've heard of a BLT, but what's the E, you might ask. The "E" is a fried or poached egg set on top of the sandwich that, once popped, distributes the runny yolk throughout the different layers and adds an added delicious component to an otherwise pretty drab sandwich. When paired with a chunky, bacony, creamy baked potato soup it is absolutely amazing.

                               BLTE                                                        Serves 5

1 lb of bacon, fried crisp with grease drained and reserved

5 rolls of good, hearty bread (I usually use sourdough rolls, but the picture below is a small bolillo roll)

5 eggs

2 large tomatoes or 4 Roma tomatoes, sliced

leafy greens such as romaine lettuce, spinach or arugula

Take the rolls and split them in half. With a brush apply a very small amount to the halves and set them in a hot pan or an indoor grill. Toast on both sides. 

Once all breads are toasted, take the five eggs and fry or poach them individually until the whites are solid and there is no longer any cloudy liquid. 

Place both halves of the rolls on a plate and layer it with your choice of leafy green, a few slices of tomato, a few slices of bacon and one egg on top. Serve open face with the other half of the roll on the side. Repeat 5 times.

                              Baked Potato Soup                       Serves about 10

5 large potatoes
1 quart of chicken stock
1 C half and half
1/4 cup of bacon lardons fried with grease reserved
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbs butter
1 tsp salt

Bake all five potatoes until tender. Cube up four potatoes into about 1/2 inch pieces. Peel the skin off of one potato and set to the side.
 In a large pot add the butter and saute the garlic until soft and aromatic.
Add in the peeled potato and mash as if making mashed potatoes.
Add into the pot the chicken stock and half and half.
Stir in the lardons, cubed potatoes and salt along with about 1 tbs of the reserved bacon grease.
Top with chives, cheese, bacon crisps and/or sour cream.