This week in FAIL and backwards dinner
Have you ever tried a new recipe and had it go…well just not quite right?
Yeah, me too. I’ve been working on a potato casserole recipe. I’ve been experimenting with the Philly cooking cream. I think it is a great base for making sauces.It’s creamy and easy to melt cheese into.
Anyhoooo….back to my potato drama.
I used my mandoline…interesting side note on mandoline vs mandolin…one is a sharp slicing force of nature and the other one is a musical instrument. They apparently get confused with each other, at least spelling wise. I know I’d never try to slice potatoes with a mandolin, and I shudder to think of the bloody mess strumming a mandoline would cause. So, mandoline (with an e) was used to slice 3 pounds of potatoes. I layered the potatoes with ham and a cheese and spice mixture, covered the top with more cheese and covered it with foil. Sounds promising right? Yep…it should have been.
I think the potatoes were not sliced thin enough, mandolines are tricky things.
I baked my mixture for 60 min at 350 deg.
I checked the potatoes, still firm…I upped the heat a bit, I begged, I pleaded…I gave the potatoes my best puss in boots face
No dice. Crisp potatoes.
I got sorta mad at them, I nuked them in the microwave. They remained unimpressed.
The potatoes were flavorful, but not soft. So, we had backwards dinner. Backwards dinner is a dinner where dessert is served before the main course. My mom would be so proud, seriously she would. My mom is a big fan of dessert first.
We had dessert while I nuked the potato casserole. I did not have a back up dinner, so we ate the crisp potatoes.
The flavor was good, the texture was a fail. The potatoes are back in the oven, we’ll see how long it takes for them to get soft.
Once I get the recipe right I will share it with you.
Please enjoy the pictures of my FAIL work in progress, a picture of our dessert; Banana pudding and a sliced tomato (from my garden).
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How have your food experiments gone lately?
That banana pudding looks the best. I so would have made a dinner on just that. You are required to bring some the next get together we have. I love potatoes too, but I never get them to cooperate either.
Thanks LeslieAnn, I’ll try to remember to bring you some banana pudding.
I shudder whenever I think of mandolines, and the bloody mess they have caused.
I am sorry your potatoes were not being cooperative – but at least you had a good excuse to eat dessert first! I have a fantastic recipe for au gratin that I really want to make now. I can’t wait to check yours out when you post it.
Thank you my dear! I’m trying to make something creamier than au gratin potatoes. My daughter is anti-au gratin. I’ll let you know when I’m ready to share.
Hmmmm. Needs butter! Lotsa butter! And add the creamy stuff toward the end unless you’re crock pottin it….hmmmmm
Ha…NEEDS MORE BUTTER!!! Love it!
It might, but I added 1 stick. I’m thinking the potatoes were too thick. I’ll put on some heavy gloves and try to slice them thinner next time.
Love this post, and never knew about the mandolin(e) thing. The potatoes looked and sounded delcious though.
and I don´t have butter so will have to use oil. We´ll see what happens…..
I am right now, starting to make your oatmeal bread, but have realised that the oats are not actually quick cook, but “quicker cook”
I bet the bread will be forgiving. I can’t wait to hear how it went.
Thank you for the spelling note, I always giggle at that error, imagining the either bloody or unsliced mess that would ensue. Have you tried cooking the potatoes first? I usually boil or steam the sliced potatoes to almost-cooked before going all casserole on them.
That said, sometimes things plain ol’ don’t work. But that’s the fun of cooking!
I will try steaming them first next time I work on this recipe. I think that thinner slices and steaming might be the trick.
I’m glad you enjoyed the mandolin(e) information. I thought it was funny, but I never know how it comes across to a reader.
Katherine recently made blueberry soup. It was supposed to be a pie. She was so upset. I felt bad and ate about all of it. I think our guests were amused and they liked it too. When we lived in San Diego and I messed up dinner, the recourse was Mexican food down the street. I miss those days.
We usually have a back-up plan, but this week has been hectic (and it’s only Wednesday). You’re a good husband. My husband would have eaten the blueberry soup too. It’s what good husbands do.
the banana pudding was good
Thank you sweetheart.
i loved the banana pudding it was awesome
Yes, you ate it all!