Wisconsin Trails kicks off its 50th anniversary year with the results of the Bring on the Potatoes recipe contest, sponsored by the Wisconsin Potato Growers Auxiliary and Wisconsin Trails. More than 155 entries were narrowed down to five recipes in the soups, salads, and sides and appetizers categories and four in the casseroles category. The dishes were prepared by the Culinary Arts Department of Milwaukee Area Technical College under the direction of John Reiss, award-winning chef and MATC instructor, with potatoes grown by Treffinger Farms in Palmyra and purchased at the West Allis farmers’ market.
GRAND PRIZE & WINNER - Casseroles
Potato Lasagna
Barbara A. Driscoll
West Allis
Barbara’s potato lasagna proves that a recipe doesn’t have to be tried and true to win the blue…ribbon, that is. “I took a breakfast dish I make and started experimenting with different ingredients,” she says. “I’ve only tried this potato version a few times, so I was very surprised that I won.”
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
7 medium Wisconsin baking potatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 pound bulk Italian sausage
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 10-oz. packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
Dash of cayenne pepper
Additional salt and pepper to taste
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In large bowl, combine oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Add potatoes and toss to coat; spread evenly in an ungreased 15" x 10" baking pan. Cover tightly with foil. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until tender. Cool at least 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Meanwhile, in large skillet, brown sausage and onion; drain. Combine spinach, ricotta, crumbs, cayenne, salt and pepper; mix well.
Arrange a third of the potatoes evenly in greased 13" x 9" baking dish. Layer with half the spinach mixture, half the sausage and half the mozzarella. Repeat with a third of the potatoes and the remaining spinach, sausage and mozzarella. Pour broth over all. Top with remaining potatoes; sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake uncovered 30 to 35 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Makes 6-8 servings.
WINNER - Soups
Midwest Meets Southwest Potato Soup
Donna Olsen
Bayside
Donna’s recipe is unique – created just for our contest – and requires little clean-up. “I didn’t want a lot of dirty dishes so I eliminated boiling and draining the potatoes.” Delicious and not labor-intensive? Donna has created the perfect comfort dish.
4 strips thick-cut bacon (such as Nueske’s), diced
1 fresh chorizo sausage, plastic casing removed, crumbled into pieces (do not use smoked or hard sausage)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 thinly sliced leeks (white parts only), cleaned and halved lengthwise (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups whole milk
3 to 4 large russet potatoes, washed, peeled and diced large (1 1/2 inches)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
Minced fresh parsley to garnish (optional)
In 6-quart heavy-gauge pan, brown bacon and chorizo sausage over medium-high heat until bacon is crisp and chorizo is cooked, about 5 minutes. Break up large pieces with a wooden spoon while browning. Reduce heat to medium. Add butter and allow to melt. Add leeks and cook over medium heat until tender, about 3 minutes. Add flour to pan and let cook 2 minutes, stirring. Add broth slowly, stirring to avoid lumps and then add milk. Bring to a simmer and add potatoes, thyme and salt and pepper. Let simmer uncovered over low heat about 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Soup will thicken as it cooks.
Serve in individual bowls garnished, if desired, with parsley and cheese. Makes 4-6 servings.
Note: Soup can be made ahead and reheated before serving.
WINNER - Sides/Appetizers
Greek Potato Cakes
Shelly Fischer
Hermiston (Oregon)
Shelly added her own flair to a cookbook recipe she’s been making for a while. She says the texture, along with the flavor, make these potato cakes a hit.
4 medium red potatoes (unpeeled)
1/2 cup crumbled tomato and basil feta cheese
2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried basil (divided)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2/3 cup Italian-style bread crumbs
1/3 cup flour
1 beaten egg
1 cup milk
2 to 3 cups vegetable oil for frying
Greek yogurt and chopped fresh chives for garnish
Boil potatoes 25 to 30 minutes or until soft but still slightly firm. Drain potatoes, transfer to medium bowl and mash with skin on. There should be some small chunks of potato. Add feta, the 2 tablespoons yogurt, tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon basil, salt, pepper and garlic powder and mix well.
Combine bread crumbs with flour and remaining 1/2 teaspoon basil in a shallow dish. In another shallow dish, combine beaten egg and milk.
Measure about 1/3 cup of the potato mixture into your hands and shape it into a patty about the size of a hamburger. Coat potato mixture with breading, dip in egg and milk, then coat again with breading, being sure to cover the entire surface. Arrange potato cake on a plate and repeat process with remaining potato mixture. Cover and refrigerate potato cakes about 1 hour so they will stick together when fried.
Heat about 1 inch of oil in a deep skillet over medium-low heat. Fry potato cakes 2 to 4 minutes or until golden brown, then drain on a rack or paper towels. Makes 4-6 servings.
WINNER - Salads
Bill’s Potato Salad
Bill Medrek
Muskego
A Polish immigrant, Bill is pleased his German friends think his is the best German potato salad they’ve ever tasted. When he came up with the idea to add bacon for his contest entry, he knew he had a winner. “I couldn’t lose with the Nueske,” he says.
3 pounds potatoes, preferably Yukon Gold or salad potatoes
1/3 cup white wine, such as Riesling or Sauternes
1 tablespoon grape-seed oil
1 pound bacon, preferably Nueske, cut into 1/2-inch strips
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup apple juice or apple cider
1 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Boil potatoes until done. Cool, then peel. Slice in half and then cut into 1/4"-thick slices.
Spread sliced potatoes in 13" x 9" baking dish and pour white wine over potatoes. Let stand while making dressing.
To hot sauté pan, add grape-seed oil and sliced bacon and sauté until golden brown. Strain bacon and set aside. Add diced onion to remaining bacon fat and sauté until soft, about 3 to 5 minutes. Once onion is soft, stir in sugar and flour. Mix vinegar with apple juice, add to pan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, add water and stir. To dressing add three-fourths of the reserved bacon, the marjoram, salt and pepper.
Return sliced potatoes (with wine) to a large pot and pour dressing over them, stir and heat through over low heat, 10 to 15 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper to personal taste.
To serve, place potatoes in a serving dish and top with remaining bacon. Serve hot or cold. Makes 6-8 servings.
The judges – Nancy Stohs, food editor at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; Robert Ash, executive chef at InterContinental Milwaukee’s outlets Kil@wat Restaurant and CLEAR; and Dan Van Rite, executive chef at Milwaukee’s Hinterland Gastropub – ranked each dish on the following criteria: taste, texture, creativity, ease of preparation, clarity of recipe and appearance. The grand-prize winner was chosen at random from the four finalists.
