Alright, let’s talk ’bout them smothered potatoes. You know, the kind that just melts in your mouth and makes your belly feel all warm and happy? Yeah, those.
First off, you gotta get yourself some taters. I like them red ones, but you can use whatever you got. Just make sure they ain’t got no green spots or nothin’ nasty on ’em. Wash ’em good, scrub ’em hard. Get all that dirt off. We ain’t eatin’ no dirt here, no sir.
Then, you gotta boil ’em. Put ’em in a pot, cover ’em with water, and throw in a pinch of salt. Not too much, mind you, just enough to give ’em some flavor. Boil ’em till they soft, you know, like when you can stick a fork in ’em easy. That takes about, I dunno, fifteen, twenty minutes maybe? Just keep checkin’ on ’em. You don’t want ’em too hard, and you sure don’t want ’em mushy.
Once they cooked, drain the water out. Be careful now, that water’s hot! Don’t go burnin’ yourself. Then, we get to the good part.
Now, some folks like to fry ’em up a bit first, get ’em all crispy on the outside. That’s good too, but I like ’em soft all the way through. So, I skip that fryin’ part.
Next, we gotta make the sauce. That’s what makes ’em “smothered,” you see? For the sauce, you need some onions. Chop ’em up, not too fine, not too big. Just right. Then, get yourself a big ol’ pan, put in some butter, or oil, or whatever you got. Melt it down, then throw in them onions. Cook ’em till they soft and see-through, you know, like them windows in the fancy houses.
Then, you can add in whatever else you like. Some folks put in garlic, some put in peppers. Me, I like to keep it simple. Just onions and some broth. Chicken broth is good, beef broth is good too. Pour it in the pan with the onions, let it simmer a bit. You want that sauce to get nice and thick.
Now, here’s where the magic happens. You take them boiled taters, and you put ’em in that pan with the sauce. Let ’em simmer in there, soakin’ up all that flavor. You can stir ’em around a bit, make sure they all get coated in the sauce.
- Key ingredients you’ll be needin’:
- Taters, of course! Red ones are my fav.
- Onions, gotta have onions.
- Some kinda broth, chicken or beef, your pick.
- Butter or oil, whatever you cook with.
- Salt, pepper, and any other spices you fancy.
How long you let ’em simmer? Well, that depends. I like to let ’em simmer for a good twenty, thirty minutes, sometimes even longer. The longer they simmer, the more flavorful they get. But you gotta watch ’em, make sure they don’t stick to the bottom of the pan. And you want that sauce to get nice and thick, you know, not all watery. It should be stickin’ to the taters real good.
And that’s pretty much it. Smothered potatoes. Easy peasy. You can serve ’em up as a side dish, or you can eat ’em all by themselves. They go good with just about anything. Meatloaf, fried chicken, pork chops, you name it. Or, you know, just a big ol’ bowl of ’em all on their own. That’s my favorite way to eat ’em.
Now, some folks like to add cheese to their smothered potatoes. And that’s alright, I guess. But me, I like ’em just the way they are. Simple, but good. Comfort food, that’s what it is. The kind of food that makes you feel all warm and cozy inside.
So, there you have it. My recipe for smothered potatoes. It ain’t fancy, but it’s good. And it’s easy. Even a young’un could make it. So go on, give it a try. You won’t be disappointed.
Total time to make these taters? Oh, I dunno, maybe forty minutes, maybe an hour. It depends on how fast you chop them onions and how long you let ’em simmer. But trust me, it’s worth the wait. And it makes enough for six folks, or maybe just three if they’re real hungry like my grandbabies.
And remember, the best smothered potatoes are made with love. So put your heart into it, and they’ll turn out just fine.
Tags: [smothered potatoes, potatoes, easy recipe, comfort food, side dish, onion, broth, cooking, simple recipe, southern dish]