A sheet pan meal of fish, shrimp and smoked sausage with broccoli and potatoes.

Sheet Pan Seafood Dinner

A few years back, sheet pan dinners were all the rage.

I never quite got into them to be honest, mainly because with a mix of proteins and different varieties of vegetables, cooking stages are often involved in order to cook everything evenly and not overcook others.

A roux-based stew made using a quick cooking ground beef instead of a roast, and a shortcut of frozen vegetables. Pictured here with my Old-Fashioned Lard Biscuits.

Hamburger Stew

If you happened to see my previous post for Old-Fashioned Lard Biscuits, you probably saw a bowl of this Hamburger Stew there, so I figured I'd slide this one in before Spring is upon us, although it's fast approaching!

Nevermind that the forecast says we'll be in the high 30s when it does roll in! 

Not that seasons mean a thing to those of us in the South when it comes to food. We don't really have much of a Winter season down here to begin with, but yes, even in the heat of Summer you'll find us making a gumbo, or even a soup or a stew... if that's what we want!

Chicken thighs, seasoned and seared, then slow simmered in a rich, dark roux with the trinity, potatoes and boiled eggs.

Cajun Chicken Stew with Potatoes and Egg

A chicken stew made with the trinity and a roux is pretty common in Cajun country, whether it's with or without the addition of potatoes or boiled eggs.

Adding either of those to a stew or gumbo was common, potatoes to make a stew fill more bellies and boiled eggs to extend the protein because, at least at one time, eggs were a pretty inexpensive source of protein that would substitute for a lack of meat.

Economics aside, it's still a tradition in many families!

Boneless pork chops, nicely seasoned, skillet seared and baked atop sliced potatoes with a cream sauce.

Pork Chops and Scalloped Potatoes

I can't tell you how many times that I hear "my pork chops always turn out dry" whenever I share a pork chop recipe on social media.

Pork chops are so much leaner today than they used to be and that means they cook much faster and well, folks aren't necessarily used to that! The result? People tend to overcook them, rendering them dry and tasteless!

Cooking that long is no longer necessary with today's leaner pork.

Peeled russet potatoes, cut into chunks and gently boiled in water until tender and reduced, thickened with a slurry.

Creamed Potatoes with Thickening

Potatoes are a staple across the country I suppose, but like rice, they sure are a pretty big part of life in the South.

Not only do they act as a side dish, they can also serve as an inexpensive and filling main dish for those times when the money has fallen short of the month. In fact, this meal topped with whatever leftovers were in the house, or whatever was on hand from the pantry, actually comes from the Depression Era.

A very basic and simple soup, starts with a stewed smoked pork hock and made with chicken stock, potatoes, turnips, carrots, onion, cabbage and tomatoes.

Dolly's Stone Soup

There are many stories of the origins of the folk tale of Stone Soup, and it seems to cross many cultures as well, but essentially it centers around the tale of a hungry traveler who arrives in a village where the residents don't seem to want to share their food.

The traveler goes to a stream, fills a pot with water and drops a stone into the water - promising the stone will result in a very special soup.

Russet potatoes, peeled and cut up, smothered with onion, smoked sausage and Rotel tomatoes and cooked in a rice cooker.

Rice Cooker Smothered Potatoes

Rice cookers may be a bit old school, but believe it or not, they're still a thing down here and for the most part, it's an appliance that is completely uncomplicated.

One simple "start" button is usually all there is to them!

You press it, it cooks your rice, kicks over to warm when your rice is done, and it actually holds the rice for a long time. As far as timing goes, it's really going to depend on your cooker, so holding on to that product manual is key to timing for the rest of your dinner.

Russet potatoes, scrubbed, peeled and sliced, tossed in cooking oil and fried.

Soft Fried Potatoes

There are versions of these kinds of fried potatoes all across the country, but most definitely in the South - and, as usual, everybody prepares them differently.

There are two versions that I make the most.

• Southern-style, smothered fried potatoes with onion, made with cubed peeled russet potatoes, that are first steamed, then pan-fried in bacon drippings to crisp and turned, resulting in a tender inside, but with crispy outer edges.
  
  
• Unpeeled red skin potatoes, fried up in a cast iron skillet with sweet or yellow onion and bell pepper and nicely seasoned for a take on Potatoes O'Brien. Great for any meal and versatile - add bacon, ham, sausage, fresh herbs and even mushrooms if you like!

My Ultimate Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes, made with the ease of a slow cooker, using peeled russet potatoes cooked in chicken broth, then beat with butter, heavy cream or whole milk and cream cheese. Pictured here with trinity seasoned green peas, chicken fried chicken and milk gravy.

Slow Cooker Ultimate Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes

I love mashed potatoes anytime, not just holidays!

While we may tone it down a bit when we make them on the regular, admittedly, holidays are when we usually break out the fancy potatoes. You know the ones. Cream cheese. Whole milk with heavy cream. Plenty of butter!

Those of y'all who have been around any length of time already know I'm not huge on the slow cooker, mostly because I am not a very good advance planner and generally speaking, slow cookers require that! I have some slow cooker recipes here and there because I know it's one more tool to make mealtime happen.

With green beans available year round, this green bean vegetable salad with potatoes makes for a great side dish any time of the year.

Green Bean and Potato Salad

Green beans and potatoes go together like hand and glove, and we sure do love that hot dish served in the south.

But... have you ever considered combining this classic southern mix up with a vinaigrette and serving it cold? It's actually a great combination as a cold vegetable salad, though it's also good slightly warm or at room temperature too!

Small red or yellow potatoes, tossed with extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and dried herbs and roasted in the air fryer.

Air Fryer Roasted Potatoes

While I love all kinds of vegetables, my husband, aka "The Cajun," is not a big veggie eater.

He's more of a "starchy" vegetable kind of guy and specifically the classic meat and potatoes man, so potatoes make a regular appearance on the plate in this house, along with rice, because rice is a big deal in the Deep South thanks to our many rice fields.

In fact, according to Think Rice US Grown, each year American rice farmers sustainably grow roughly 20 billion pounds of rice in Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Texas, half of which is used domestically, and the other half exported. That's a lot of rice y'all!

But, we're talking potatoes here.

A bread-based dressing with the classic vegetable seasonings and the addition of mashed potatoes.

Bread and Potato Dressing

Let's see. A bread-based dressing with the classic vegetable seasonings, and the addition of mashed potatoes?

I'm not at all mad at it!

In fact, I cannot believe this isn't already something in the South for heaven's sake.

Russet potatoes, slow cooked with onion, celery and chicken broth and finished with cream, prepared in your slow cooker.

Slow Cooker Potato Soup

Potato soup is a long-held favorite of many of you, from simple and classic, to fully loaded and dressed up, to easy, shortcut versions, most folks just seem to love it.

Featured on this website, are several versions in case you've missed them:

A potato salad made using half smashed and half chunky potatoes and finished with a sour cream and mayonnaise-based dressing.

Sour Cream Smashed Potato Salad

Hope y'all don't mind me sneaking in another potato salad before we roll into Fall in a few days!

Not that it matters much what the calendar says in the Deep South because yesterday it was miserably hot and humid. Not that the weather has ever stopped a craving on me, I sure do look forward to some cooler temperatures and some belly warmin' meals though - hopefully soon!

I wrote this version of potato salad in honor of my mother-in-law, who passed away a few years back. Although it's a bit different from her version, very different from my Mama's and different even from the way my father-in-law, who was also a great cook, made his, she prepared her potato salad mostly mashed, something that was very new to me.

French Potato Salad - Pommes de Terre a L'huile

A cold potato salad, made with red skinned potatoes, tossed with chicken stock and white wine, dressed with a lemon and mustard olive oil vinaigrette and tossed with green onions and herbs.

French Potato Salad

One day, as I shared cookout recipes on my Facebook page, I shared my classic potato salad, a recipe that, while I do prepare other versions on occasion, is my standby recipe and most similar to the way that my Mama made potato salad. A reader commented that I really should try French potato salad sometime.

Of course, I took that as a challenge!

This sheet pan mix of roasted potatoes with loads of vegetables and smoked sausage is an easy meal that's packed with flavor.

Roasted Potatoes with Sausage and Vegetables

You may remember a near viral recipe for a simple sheet pan roasted potatoes with onions and sweet peppers flashing across social media platforms the past year or so.

I'm old enough to remember when people just made these kinds of things with little to no fanfare, but hey, if social media can drum up some interest in cooking, well, anything... I'm happy about it!

Food, after all, isn't just about nourishment, although some would have you think so.

A small batch, quick and delicious soup made with cooked chicken and chicken stock, loads of vegetables, and tiny shell pasta.

Chicken and Vegetable Soup

We've had a nice, though likely temporary, reprieve from the heat and humidity these last couple of days. It's so nice when the oppressive heat goes away even for a bit and we can breathe a little easier, but... it is still September. We have lots of summer still to go around in the Deep South!

Potato salad, made with red and green onions, celery, jalapeno, cilantro and boiled eggs, tossed with a sour cream and avocado dressing.

Sour Cream Avocado Potato Salad

I am a big fan of potato salad, and while I make the more classic, southern-style potato salad most often, I love all different kinds, and I love experimenting too.

Well, except mustard potato salad.

And when I say mustard I mean like heavy mustard based, and not the little dab of mustard that I do like to include in mine. For some reason, that heavy mustard just doesn't appeal to my taste buds at all, though I know some folks absolutely love it.

A quick and easy, small batch chowder, made with the trinity, smoked sausage, beef stock, stewed tomatoes, potatoes and white beans.

Smoked Sausage and White Bean Chowder

I sure love a good soup and even better when it's one of those quick and easy versions, but one that still tastes great!

Soup is pretty easy to make, no doubt about that, and you don't really even need a recipe.

In fact, some of the best soups come out of refrigerator or freezer leftovers thrown together! Trouble is though, trying to recreate the same flavor the next time if you find you really enjoyed that soup! 

Fresh green beans, trimmed and snapped and layered in with salt pork, onion, sliced smoked andouille sausage, plenty of freshly cracked black pepper and pork or chicken base or stock, cooked in the Instant Pot.

Instant Pot Green Beans, Potatoes and Andouille

I absolutely love a pot of slow stewed, fresh green beans, so much so, that I can literally make a meal of a pot, especially when you throw in some ham or andouille sausage! Just give me that and some cornbread, and I am in heaven y'all!

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I use my Instant Pot {affil link}, or one of my other electronic pressure cookers a lot, yes, even in the summer. I was never real attached to a slow cooker much, but I do a lot of cooking in the Instant Pot.

This Instant Pot version of green beans comes in right up there along with the slow stewed version, even though instead of hours slow stewing, they come together in just minutes. I've made them enough times now, varying the way I do them, that I'm finally ready to publish a standalone version.

No worries if you don't have an Instant Pot though - just click here to get to my slow-stewed, stovetop version!