Grandpa’s Smashed Potatoes

Another family favorite.

Jill to Julian says, “Hey don’t eat all of it, save some for everyone else!!!”

5 medium sized russet potatoes
Salt
Garlic powder
Butter
Milk

Peel and dice russet potatoes. Boil in salted water until tender. Drain and place in large mixing bowl. Add salt and granulated garlic to taste. Begin smashing potatoes. Add 2-4 tbs butter. Continue smashing until butter is mixed well. Add milk, start with ½ c of warm milk; continue smashing until smooth. If texture is dry, add more warm milk.

Grandpa Mel’s Baked Tomato Chicken

Even picky eaters and people who have given up meat have been known to eat this. If you haven’t guessed by now, grandpa buys the Costco boxes of canned tomato products. This is integral in his kitchen, basically you can make a meal for an army as long as you have this.

Lilith says, “Yummmmmmm.”

8 chicken thighs
½ Onion
15 oz Tomato Sauce
15 oz Diced Tomatoes
1 tsp Salt
½ tsp granulated garlic
1 tbp balsamic vinegar

Wash and pat the chicken dry. Place in a baking dish, should fit snuggly. Season with salt and garlic. Finely chop onion and sprinkle all over the top. Add the canned tomato sauce. Add the diced tomatoes. To cover. *add balsamic vinegar over the top.
Bake in pre-heated oven at 350 for 1 hour.
Servings 4 to 8
Suggested sides mashed potatoes or steamed rice, veggies, and a salad.

Grandpa Mel’s Potato Salad

This is grandpa’s go-to side dish. He has been asked to provide for weddings, birthdays, funerals, pot-lucks, presentations, holidays (he likes to put homemade templates for for the paprika, pumpkins, he’s also used a Christmas tree, and birthday numbers, a wedding cake topper graced this dish at my engagement party).

Jackie says, This tastes like everything good in the world. And I would eat it all the time if I knew I wouldn’t gain weight.

5 lbs russet potatoes (boil, peel, allow to cool)
6 green onions
5 stalks of celery
6 hard boiled eggs
1 15 oz can pitted black olives
1 c. no juice hamburger dill pickles
salt to taste
garlic powder to taste
2 c (possibly 3) mayonnaise
Paprika
*1 tbp sugar

Boil potatoes with skin on until tender. Add salt to water. (Takes about 45 min to an hour). Allow to cool, skin, and dice into bite size chunks. Place in a large bowl. Dice entire onion. Dice celery into small pieces. Dice eggs. Add olives. Chop dill pickle into fine pieces. Add to potatoes. Salt to taste, garlic powder to taste, * (grandpa usually adds 1 tsp). Add mayonnaise and mix. After mixing, smooth top down sprinkle lightly (TRUST ME!!!!) with paprika. Garnish with olives and extra boiled eggs.

*I don’t actually believe he puts in 1 tablespoon of sugar – it’s more like a cup of sugar. I may be exaggerating a little.

Grandpa Mel’s Guiso

The grandkids love this dish! Chris once asked grandpa to make it for him to take to an Army maneuver. He was the only one with a home cooked meal and all the other soldiers wanted a taste. I’ve personally seen Julian eat an entire panful on his own.

1 lb ground round
½ onion
15 oz can tomato sauce
15 oz can diced tomatoes
salt (to taste)
Garlic (2 cloves minced) or granulated garlic (1/2 tsp)
Frozen vegetables (corn or sweet peas)
2 medium sized russet potatoes
1 tsp balsamic vinegar

Sautee diced onions in olive oil, until soft. Add ground round, cook until no longer pink. Peel & dice potatoes, add to ground round. Cook for about 10 minutes. Add the diced tomato and tomato sauce & balsamic vinegar. Season to taste with salt and garlic. Low to moderate heat and cook for ½ an hour, until potatoes are soft. Add the vegetables.
Servings 4-6 (depends on how hungry you are)*

*I sat down with grampa Mel to get these recipes from him last September, a couple notes, I know for a fact that he has never measured his recipes out, so we’re guessing here – like big time. I also think that when he says 1/2 tsp of granulated garlic, he really means 2 tsp. He’s rather heavy handed on spices and flavorings. I’m just saying, if you think it’s too little, it probably is at the very least double it. If you think it’s too much, it probably is.