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).
How have your food experiments gone lately?
A Dash of Domestic 
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.
I am right now, starting to make your oatmeal bread, but have realised that the oats are not actually quick cook, but “quicker cook” 🙂 and I don´t have butter so will have to use oil. We´ll see what happens…..
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!