Twice-Baked Creamy Chive Potatoes

My son Sam is a big fan of my Aunt Dottie's twice baked potatoes. The last time she made then, Sam ate 3! Somehow, she gets her filling to be like velvet. When Sam requested these as a side dish recently, I went to work.

Unfortunately for me, I couldn't catch my aunt on the phone or by text. After reviewing lots of online recipes, it seems the trick is the right combination of butter, milk, cream cheese and sour cream mixed into the cooked potatoes.

And since I was experimenting, I made some of the potatoes with chives to suit my own tastes, leaving some plain for my kids.

Sam declared these "pretty good" but Aunt Dottie still wears the cooking crown in his eyes.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Twice-Baked Creamy Chive Potatoes

6 medium to large baking potatoes, like Idaho or Russet
1 or 2 tablespoons of olive oil
Kosher or table salt
2/3 cup of milk
3/4 cup of butter at room temperature, cut into chunks
1 8 ounce block of cream cheese, cut into chunks
3/4 cup of sour cream
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: 2 tablespoons snipped chives (or other fresh herb), plus more for topping

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Scrub potatoes and dry well. Prick all over with a knife. Lightly coat with olive oil, then rub with salt. Bake for about 1 hour, or until potatoes are soft. An alternative method is to cook potatoes in microwave first, until soft. Then transfer to oven for about 20 minutes until the skin crisps up.

When cooked, remove from oven and let cool until you are able to handle the potatoes but they are still warm.

Lower oven temperature to 400 degrees.

Carefully slice each potato in half. Using a spoon, scoop out the pulp and place into a large mixing bowl. Be sure to leave a thin layer of potato inside each potato skin for 5 of the potatoes, so that they make little boats. For the 6th potato, you just want the cooked potato pulp and you can discard the skin.

Combine milk, butter, cream cheese and sour cream and garlic powder with potato pulp. Use a potatoes masher or electric mixer to combine until creamy. If potatoes are too starchy or stiff, add more sour cream or cream cheese (your choice) until you get the consistency you want.

Add salt, pepper and chives or other fresh herb and stir to combine.

Arrange potato boats on a baking sheet and scoop filling into a mound in each potato skin. Sprinkle with additional snipped chives.

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes in a 400 degree oven, until the top of potato filling is slightly browned. Remove from oven, arrange on a pretty platter and serve.

Shepherd's Pie II (The Remix)

Several people (including Mo. Hey, Mo!) have told me that Shepherd's Pie II is their favorite recipe here on HDHH. This is the perfect simple, make-ahead meal to get through the insanity that is September. And true confession: I usually don't make my own mashed potatoes. As I mentioned in my original post, I hate making mashed potatoes. So I buy the pre-made ones. No shame here, people. Sometimes I need to make my life easier, ya feel me?

It was high time I took some new, better pics of Shepherd's Pie II, but you know what I discovered? It's dang hard to take a good pic of Shepherd's Pie! So I gave it my best shot. Better than the originals.

Shepherd's Pie II (The Remix)

Adapted from Real Simple
Serves: 8

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 cup peeled and sliced carrots
Salt and pepper
1.5 pounds ground beef (I used ground sirloin.)
1/4 cup tomato paste
1.5 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1.5 cups frozen peas
1 cup corn kernels (optional, but delicious)
5 cups mashed potatoes*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 10" oven-safe skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium high. Add onion and carrots. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 6 minutes, until vegetables are beginning to soften. Transfer to a separate bowl.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the skillet. Add the beef and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring often to break up the beef, about 8 minutes, until meat is no longer pink. Drain the grease from the skillet. Stir in tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce. Sprinkle in flour and cook, stirring, for one minute to cook off the raw taste of the flour.

Stir in broth, scraping the bottom of the pan to incorporate the flavor bits that have accumulated there into the sauce. Add peas, corn, and cooked onions and carrots. Bring to a simmer, then turn off the heat.

Spoon mashed potatoes on top of the meat and vegetable mixture in your skillet. Bake 40-45 minutes, until filling is bubbling and potatoes are lightly browned. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

* If you're a better person than me and decide to mash your own potatoes, Real Simple suggests the following:
3 pounds potatoes (I like to use Yukon Gold when I do mash my own.)
Salt and pepper
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons butter

Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and add 1 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-18 minutes, until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife. Drain and return potatoes to the warm pot. Add milk, butter, and salt and pepper to taste. Mash potatoes.

Farmer's Market Vegetable Saute

Each week I pick up a basket overflowing with fresh vegetables from a stand at our farmer's market.  The veggies taste so much fresher than what I usually buy at the grocery store that we often eat them raw.

When I cook them, I like to keep it simple, to allow the flavor of the veggies to shine through.

A simple saute is a pretty way to accomplish this. This dish is a perfect side to grilled meats. Make it a main dish with a sprinkle of cheese and a crusty loaf of bread.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Farmer's Market Vegetable Saute
Inspired by the Garden Spot Vegetable Farm in Princeville, IL

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, halved and then thinly sliced (you can substitute 1 or 2 shallots or 2-3 leeks)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 to 4 ears of corn, kernels removed
1 pound green beans, ends removed and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 or 3 small red peppers, thinly sliced
5 or 6 small red potatoes
3 tablespoons fresh herbs (such as cilantro or Italian parsley)
Salt and pepper to taste

Microwave potatoes until soft, about 5 or 6 minutes. Let cool, then cut into quarters.

Using a sharp knife, cut corn kernels from the cob, set aside. See my easy trick for completing this task here.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and stir until onion starts to become translucent. Lower heat to medium-low and continue to cook until onion caramelizes and turns golden brown. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.

Add corn, green beans and peppers and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables just begin to soften. Add potatoes and 2 tablespoons herbs and salt and pepper. Cook another 2 or 3 minutes.

Remove from heat. Place vegetables in serving bowl and sprinkle with remaining herbs and salt and pepper to taste.

Packet Potatoes

It's finally starting to feel like summer here in Illinois: hot and humid. That means the last thing I want to do for dinner is turn on the oven. Thank goodness for my grill.

These potatoes come out tender and mellow with just a little bit of crispness around the edges. The combination of garlic and rosemary is a savory favorite of mine and milk adds sweetness that tastes so good with the onions.

This is an ideal side for a main dish like grilled chicken or London broil. The leftovers hold up well and can be turned into breakfast after a quick toss in a skillet with some chopped red or green bell peppers to freshen them up. Serve alongside some fried or scrambled eggs.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Packet Potatoes
Inspired by Guy Fieri

3 pounds potatoes (Yukon or Russet or Idaho), thinly sliced into rounds
1 small to medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
3/4 cup milk (2% or whole)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried or fresh rosemary leaves, crushed or chopped

Heat grill to medium.

Mix all ingredients in large bowl.

Take a 20-inch sheet of aluminum foil and fold it in half. Place half of the potato mixture on foil and fold up edges about a 1/2 inch. Repeat for the remaining potatoes.

Top with another piece of foil and crimp around all edges, wrapping bottom foil up.

Place foil packets on heated grill and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.

Wearing oven mitts, use a large flat spatula to remove foil packets from grill and place on a cookie sheet. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Remove top piece of foil and serve — straight from the packet or after you transfer potatoes to a serving dish for a nicer presentation.

Orange Scented Sweet Potatoes with Pecans

I realize that it is March. That I should be posting recipes about lamb and peas and whatever-all-else is seasonally appropriate right now. But you know what? Sweet potatoes were on sale, so that's what we're eating, folks.

Plus it's a whopping 27 degrees as I type this. Spring? I think it's still sweet potato season around here.

This is another throwback recipe. The crunch of pecans elevates these spuds from becoming a boring side dish. And adding a touch of orange zest makes them taste fresh and (dare I say it?) appropriate for Spring.

Orange Scented Sweet Potatoes with Pecans
Originally posted in February 2011

1 large sweet potato
1 teaspoon butter
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
Pinch ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons chopped toasted pecans

Poke a few holes in the skin of the sweet potato, then microwave on high power for 8-10 minutes, until it's tender when pierced with a knife. (Flip over halfway through cooking to make sure it cooks evenly.) Allow sweet potato to rest until it's cool enough to handle. Remove peel and mash flesh with a fork. Stir in butter, zest, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Top with pecans.

Parmesan Crash Potatoes

I'm usually ambivalent when it comes to potatoes. But these potatoes...good gravy. They will steal the show. The fluffy interior is offset by an exterior made crisp by a stint in a hot oven. An avalanche of Parmesan cheese adds a delicious buttery richness. They pair perfectly with Slow Roated Beef, but I was just as happy nibbling bites straight off the baking sheet. Many, many bites.

Also, feel free to make extra because these spuds reheat beautifully. Heat leftovers at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes. The potatoes will be a bit crispier than the first time around, but still unbelievably delicious.

Parmesan Crash Potatoes
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman and Picky Cook
Serves: 4

8 small red potatoes or small Yukon gold potatoes
3-4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I won't judge if you use more.)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Meanwhile place whole potatoes in a pot of salted water. Bring to a boil and allow potatoes to cook until they're fork-tender, about 15 minutes.

Drizzle a generous amount of olive oil (about 2 tablespoons) on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Place cooked potatoes on the baking sheet. Using a potato masher, gently but firmly press down one or two times to smash each potato. Brush 1-2 tablespoons olive oil over the crushed potatoes. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Bake for 20 minutes, until potatoes are golden and crunchy around the edges. Evenly sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top of potatoes and bake for an additional 2-3 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Cheesy Hash Brown Potatoes

The husband and I were planning some meals over the holidays, and he had a grand plan, "Why don't we make some of the classics?" He suggested.

My mind is always moving on to the next thing, and I forget about those crazy-good things that I've already made. It's high time that I remind myself just how delicious a few of my favorites really are. So over the next few months, I'm going to sprinkle in a few of the classics with the new stuff. I'll take new pictures and bring these recipes up front and center where they belong.

I started with my Mom's Cheesy Hash Brown Potatoes.

This is ultimate comfort food. If you turn up your nose at cream of chicken soup from a can, stop now. But I'm telling you, these Cheesy Hash Brown Potatoes are the stuff dreams are made of. Savory, salty, delicious dreams.

My original post for this recipe was January 11, 2011—almost exactly three years ago. Back then I was bemoaning the frigid 16 degree temperatures we'd been experiencing.

Well, Past Self, this week you survived temperatures of -15...with a wind chill of -40. Positive 16 degrees? Heck, that's balmy.

Hope you enjoy this blast from the past as much as I did!

Mom's Cheesy Hash Brown Potatoes
Originally posted January 11, 2011

Serves: 8

1 can cream of chicken soup
16 ounces sour cream
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper
32 ounce bag of frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed (Mom uses the cubed hash browns.)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 stick butter, melted
2 cups Grape Nuts Flakes cereal*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together soup, sour cream, onion powder, and garlic powder. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in potatoes and cheese. Pour mixture into the baking dish. 

In a separate bowl, stir together butter and Grape Nuts Flakes. Spread on top of the potatoes. 

Bake the cheesy potatoes for one hour. (If you check partway through the cook time and the topping is getting too brown, cover with foil and continue baking.)

*Make sure you get Grape Nuts FLAKES and not regular Grape Nuts. I don't know why Mom started using Grape Nuts Flakes, but they have a subtle malty sweetness that makes her cheesy potatoes ridiculously good.  

Herb Roasted Potatoes

I was going to tell you that I don't like potatoes, but then I really sat down and thought about the humble spud. Baked potatoes are fantastic, french fries rock my face off, and I salivate like Pavlov's dog when I think about mashing them with a stick of butter and some cream.

And I really like Herb Roasted Potatoes, obviously, or I wouldn't be sharing them with you. Surrounded by the aroma of rosemary and thyme, they are soft and fluffy inside, while maintaining a crisp exterior. There's really something magical that happens when you roast a potato.

I guess I should let it be known: I do like potatoes.

Herb Roasted Potatoes

14 or so small red potatoes (about 2 pounds), cut into 1/2" pieces
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
3 sprigs fresh thyme
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place potatoes, rosemary, and thyme on a very large, rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Toss everything together so the potatoes are evenly coated.

Bake for about 30 minutes, stirring halfway through, until potatoes are golden brown and crisp.

Super Simple Roast Potatoes

You probably saw these potatoes lurking in the background of my photo of Herb-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Zucchini. As the name implies, they are super simple, but super tasty. The outsides of the potatoes are crispy, but the insides are fluffy. It's the best that potatoes have to offer.

Sometimes I have a bone to pick with roasted potatoes because they take a long time to cook. Well, I should have thought of this earlier, but if you cut the potatoes into small pieces, they cook more quickly. Duh, Erin. So, I chopped these spuds into little 1/2" cubes for speedy roasting.

Give these a whirl next time you have potatoes on the menu. I think you'll enjoy them as much as we did.

Super Simple Roast Potatoes
Serves: 2

1 large baking potato, diced into 1/2" cubes
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean-up. Place diced potatoes on the parchment, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Use your hands to toss everything together so the potatoes are evenly covered with oil and seasoning. Roast for 20-25 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the potatoes are golden brown and tender.

Slow Cooker Baked Potato Soup

The husband has a fantastic sense of humor. I get many a chuckle thanks to his well-timed, witty remarks. He's the most hilarious, though, when he's not trying to be funny at all. Case in point, dinner last Friday...

When I told the husband we were having Slow Cooker Baked Potato Soup and Beer Bread for dinner, he was a bit dubious. Mind you, he kept his misgivings to himself, but I could tell by the stink-eye he was trying to suppress. As we sat down at the dinner table, I could see sweet relief pass over his countenance. "This doesn't look like prison food at all!"

Well, now. I realized that Potato Soup and Beer Bread was a relatively carb-centric meal, but I didn't realize it had the connotation of prison food. No wonder he was so worried!

And it got better as we dug in. "This Beer Bread is really good. It's not too crusty, and it has a great crumb." Accurate, but unexpected from my husband. As usual, it made me smile. He's so cute.

If you're wondering what he thought about the Slow Cooker Baked Potato Soup, he shared his opinion on that as well. "This is much better than canned potato soup." Well, there you have it, folks. Give this soup a chance...it's better than the stuff from the can! I chortled a bit, and told him that I was taking that as a compliment. He sealed his fate with his next comment. "Oh, great," he muttered. "I can see the blog post now: 'The husband says it's better than canned potato soup.'"

Sorry, dear. You get what's comin' to you.

Slow Cooker Baked Potato Soup
Serves: 6-8
Adapted from Food.com

For soup:
5 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
2 (14-ounce) cans low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
Salt and pepper, to taste
1-2 (12 ounce) cans evaporated milk, depending on how liquid-y you like your soup

Toppings for serving:
Shredded cheddar cheese
Cooked and crumbled bacon
Sour cream
Chopped fresh chives

Combine potatoes, garlic powder, onion powder, broth, salt, and pepper in a large slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours, until potatoes are tender.

Using a spatula or spoon, mash some of the potatoes to thicken the soup. Stir in evaporated milk until the soup reaches your desired consistency. (I used 1.5 cans of 2% evaporated milk.) Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Let everyone top their own bowls with their favorite baked potato toppings: shredded cheese, bacon, sour cream, and/or chives. 

Shepherd's Pie

I have another confession today: I can't stand making mashed potatoes.

I don't know what it is; mashed potatoes are such an innocent food! Maybe it's the peeling and chopping. And for some reason, it's always tricky for me to tell when the potatoes are cooked through. Plus the whole mashing thing. I like my potatoes kind of lumpy, but that's not popular with mashed potato connoisseurs. So outside Thanksgiving, we don't eat too many potatoes of the mashed variety at my house.

Now that we've established my distaste for mashing potatoes, I have to tell you what I loooove: Shepherd's Pie. You know what Shepherd's Pie requires? Yup, mashing stupid potatoes. Bugger.

A hankering for Shepherd's Pie recently drove me to desperate measures:

Ye gads! I bought mashed potatoes from the refrigerated foods section at the grocery store! My father the Irishman would be ashamed. Don't tell him.

When you make your Shepherd's Pie, feel free to mash your own potatoes. But if you buy potatoes pre-mashed, I won't judge.

Shepherd's Pie
Adapted from Real Simple
Serves: 8

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 cup peeled and sliced carrots
Salt and pepper
1.5 pounds ground beef (I used ground sirloin.)
1/4 cup tomato paste
1.5 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1.5 cups frozen peas
5 cups mashed potatoes*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 10" high-sided, oven-safe skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium high. Add onion and carrots. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 6 minutes, until vegetables are beginning to soften. Transfer to a separate bowl.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the skillet. Add the beef and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring often to break up the beef, about 8 minutes, until meat is no longer pink. Drain the grease from the skillet. Stir in tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce. Sprinkle in flour and cook, stirring, for one minute to cook off the raw taste of the flour.

Stir in broth, scraping the bottom of the pan to incorporate the flavor bits that have accumulated there into the sauce. Add peas and cooked onions and carrots. Bring to a simmer, then turn off the heat.

Spoon mashed potatoes on top of the meat and vegetable mixture in your skillet. Bake 40-45 minutes, until filling is bubbling and potatoes are lightly browned. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

(If you would like to make two smaller Shepherd's Pies like I did, simply transfer the meat and vegetable mixture into two (or three or four or twelve) smaller oven-safe dishes and top with mashed potatoes. Cook until filling is bubbling and warmed through.)

* If you're a better person than me and decide to mash your own potatoes, Real Simple suggests the following:
3 pounds potatoes (I like to use Yukon Gold when I do mash my own.)
Salt and pepper
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons butter

Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and add 1 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-18 minutes, until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife. Drain and return potatoes to the warm pot. Add milk, butter, and salt and pepper to taste. Mash potatoes.

Haute Dinner

The lovely ladies over at Haute Apple Pie invited me to bring a dish to pass at their Virtual Thanksgiving Potluck. And what's a party if you can't bring a friend? Come on over and join me today at Haute Apple Pie.

Onion Roasted Potatoes

As I mentioned, I spent the weekend with my family in Buffalo. Of course, we spent time in the kitchen cooking some cozy meals to block out the Buffalo snow. (You read that correctly. It was snowing. In April. Sigh.) Being a good Irish man, my dad loves potatoes. So, Mom and I had to incorporate his favorite tuber into our Sunday supper.

Now, I must admit, I'm not the biggest potato fan personally. I do love orange, sugary sweet potatoes. But plain, old Russets? Eh, not so much. There are a few preparations, though, that get me jazzed about all-purpose potatoes.

My mother-in-law introduced me to the simplest way of roasting potatoes. She raised three hungry boys, so she knows her stuff when it comes to fast and delicious! The family secret is this: onion soup mix. You just sprinkle it over chopped potatoes, bake, and, voila! Dinner is served. So if you have a packet of onion soup mix left over from your pot roast, then this spud's for you!

Onion-Roasted Potatoes
Source: My Fabulous Mother-in-Law (I should probably give the ultimate credit to Lipton, because they do list this recipe on the back of the box.)
Serves: 4-6

2 pounds of your favorite potatoes, cut into 1" pieces
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 envelope onion soup mix

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spread potatoes onto a large baking sheet so they're in one layer. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with onion soup mix. Stir so potatoes are evenly coated. Roast in preheated oven for 35-45 minutes, until potatoes are golden brown and tender, stirring halfway through. Serve with ketchup.

Mashed Sweet Potato

I love sweet potatoes.  Fry 'em.  Bake 'em.  Roast 'em.  It's all good, if you ask me.  But when I was making my fast and easy dinner for one, I couldn't pass up my trusty microwave for its convenient and quick cooking.

Even though this mashed sweet potato recipe is super simple, it's still special because of a few extra ingredients that you probably have on hand.  Orange zest adds a floral fragrance and nutmeg gives depth.  Toasted pecans provide crunch to this creamy dish.

Next time you're making dinner for one, two, or twenty, give these mashed sweet potatoes a whirl.   

Mashed Sweet Potato

Serves: 1

1 sweet potato

Salt and pepper

1 teaspoon butter

1/2 teaspoon orange zest

Pinch nutmeg

2 tablespoons chopped toasted pecans

Poke the sweet potato with a knife in several places.  Microwave for 6-8 minutes until softened, flipping the potato over halfway through.  Allow the sweet potato to cool until you can handle it, then remove the peel and place the potato in a small bowl.  Use a fork to mash the sweet potato.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Stir in the butter, orange zest, and nutmeg.  Top with pecans.

Mom's Cheesy Potatoes

I was driving to work the other day, and the temperature was 16.  SIXTEEN.  Since I'm a glutton for punishment, I then had to check the weather online.  With the wind chill, the temperature felt like 2.  TWO!!

This kind of weather requires cozy food.  Enter Mom's Cheesy Potatoes.

I'll admit, this isn't the classiest dish I've made, and it has one or two minimally processed ingredients.  But nothin' beats Mom's Cheesy Potatoes when you need to warm up your middle.

Mom's Cheesy Potatoes
Serves: My brother and one of his friends or 8 other people

1 can cream of chicken soup
16 ounces sour cream
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper
32 ounce bag of frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 stick butter, melted
2 cups Grape Nuts Flakes cereal*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.  In a large bowl, whisk together soup, sour cream, onion powder, and garlic powder.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Stir in potatoes and cheese.  Pour mixture into the baking dish.

In a separate bowl, stir together butter and Grape Nuts Flakes.  Spread on top of the potatoes.

Bake the cheesy potatoes for one hour.  If the topping is getting too brown, cover with foil and continue baking.

*Make sure you get Grape Nuts FLAKES and not regular Grape Nuts.  Using cereal on top might sound odd, but it's reeeeeaaallly good.  My mom would substitute Wheaties, my dad's favorite breakfast cereal, in a pinch, though.