There are many different ways to prepare potatoes. The most common way is one of two ways: baked or mashed. However, there is a way most popular around holiday or celebratory events.
When learning how to cook, teachers, parents, and cookbooks teach that cooking at specific temperatures is very important. Meats, specifically chicken, are the ones that most people know about.
Many who are starting out cooking don’t know that cooking potatoes to a correct temperature and thoroughly is also vital.
The best way to detect if a potato is cooked completely is if the potato is slightly softened on the outside, but a knife or fork can move smoothly to the middle. The goal is to have no toughness or crunch in the middle.
Rachel Link wrote for Healthline about the health risks of eating uncooked potatoes.
“Stomach discomfort, gas and bloating are a few of the most common side effects associated with the consumption of prebiotics and resistant starch,” Link said.
Raw potatoes contain a large amount of solanine, which can cause headaches, and nausea.
A recipe to spice up the menu is homemade scalloped potatoes.
This recipe requires potatoes, shredded cheddar cheese, milk, butter, flour, salt, pepper, garlic (fresh or powder), and onion powder. It will also call for a desired meat, for this recipe example, german sausage dogs were used. The meat can also be substituted with chicken, or steak.This recipe will yield for four to five people.
In a bowl, peel five medium sized potatoes, and cut them into one fourth to one half centimeter slices. Rinse these slices and then pat lightly with paper towels, a thin towel, or cheesecloth.
Take the uncooked german sausage dogs and cut them into one half centimeter pieces.
In a smaller bowl combine half a cup of flour, one tablespoon of onion powder, one tablespoon of garlic powder or a clove of chopped garlic. Coat potatoes lightly with the dry mixture.
Grease a baking dish with nonstick spray, or coat in a light layer of butter. Once the pan is greased, spiral the potato slices to cover the bottom of the dish.
Take a small portion of the german sausage dogs and place sporadically on top of the potatoes. Add a layer of shredded cheese to cover the previous layer.
Repeat these steps until all the potatoes have been added to the baking dish. Top every other layer with one fourth of a cup of milk and a light coat of salt and pepper.
Finish with a final layer of shredded cheese. At this time you can add extra of the previous seasonings or breadcrumbs for additional crunch.
Cover the dish with a lid, or tin foil and cook on 425 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes, until potatoes are cooked all the way through. Place in the oven for an additional five minutes for a golden crisp of cheese on top. Best served after 15 minutes to cool.
This recipe is great for big family events or a weekday dinner. It can also be made in a crockpot with all the ingredients cooked on high for four hours or low for seven to eight hours or until potatoes and meat are cooked.