11.18.2010

Nana's Potatoes


I'm offering you an apology in advance...this recipe is downright dangerous. Fattening as all get out and all carbs. OMG! But it's worth every bite. And aren't we supposed to splurge over holidays? It's expected, yes?

So here it is in all its glory: my mother-in-law's holiday potatoes. Better than mashed. Better than scalloped. Just better period.

You can either hand grate (takes a strong arm) or use your food processor's grating attachment. Remember, my MIL made these back in the days when there were no processors. You only need three ingredients...all bad. Potatoes, whipping cream and butter. Yes, I said butter; but just a dotting. It's a long slow bake in the oven with a stir once in a while. But when it somes out....dreams are made of potatoes like this.


Forgive me, please. Only once a year do I dare make this.....

Nana's Holiday Potatoes





 Ingredients:
6 baking potatoes
butter
salt and pepper
2 or 3 cups heavy whipping cream

Method:

Peel and grate the potatoes. Place them in a LARGE buttered casserole. You will find everything overflowing half way through if it's not big enough. Look at the photo below, it spilled over and the raw potatoes only filled about half way up. Besides, you need room to give this a big complete stir every so often. Be sure to put a piece of tin foil under the casserole.




Dot with butter and season with salt and pepper. Stir. Pour in heavy whipping cream stirring until it seeps down through the casserole- you should see a slight layer of cream on the top. Bake in a 300 oven for 2 hours. Check frequently, stirring thoroughly and adding more cream to keep it moist. Serves 8-10.

61 comments:

  1. How could I resist NANA's potatoes?:)Thank you for a time tested recipe~

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  2. What's wrong with butter? I always have REAL butter in the 'fridge... Can't wait to try this!

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  3. 3 cups of whipping cream...Your nana is my hero!!!!

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  4. Darling Barbara, I had to blink twice when I saw that cream amount... you are a very wicked woman with a very wicked Nana on your family tree... love love love... I'm getting extra cream for this one!

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  5. OMG, a potato lover's dream! a great recipe.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  6. Simple and delicious! Beautiful and comforting!

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  7. Simply sinful! I had to check it out when you called it Nana's Potatoes...I just knew they had to be good!

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  8. Holidays should be about pure indulgence. Eat things drowned in butter and cream, then go and work it all off at the gym! These look fabulous and perfect for the cold, winter days. Happy holidays!

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  9. Look amazing Barbara I love these potatoes,I will try sooooon! x gloria

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  10. Bad! But so good. All that lovely cream and a dot or two of butter. What a sinful accompaniment to the lo-cal turkey. Or, just leave the turkey off the menu.

    Best,
    Bonnie

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  11. Yes, we are supposed to splurge! I'm eating everything I want over the next six weeks (smile). Oh, and I would eat these. Yummerz!

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  12. Wowsers!! Those are pure decadent wonderment! Delicious. :-) They remind me of some my adopted grandma made for us. They're heavenly! :-)

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  13. My heart just melted! How insanely delicious!

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  14. These are illegal in some places...Fortunately not in Texas!!! Can't wait to spring these on friends and family!

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  15. These sounds decadently delicious and what is Thanksgiving for if not indulgence! Kudos to Nana :)

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  16. Nana's potatoes are just dreamy...I can just imagine how delectable these must be. :)

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  17. These look amazingly good. I could eat way too many of these!

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  18. Sounds wonderful to me!! :) Always like to try something different for the Holidays..putting these at the top of the list!

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  19. Nana's make things with love! Great recipe!

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  20. Have never heard of Nana's potatoes before. Love the goey texture. Thanks for the recipe, Barbara. Have a nice day.
    Cheers, Kristy

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  21. Oh Barbara....from time to time, we do have to commit these "crimes"...this is what makes life worth living!!!
    Count me in for these potatoes...could you introduce to some California wine that goes with this dish?
    Ah yes...as I always say.."if I have to go to "jail", it has to be for something "big" !!!! ;D
    Un beso,
    Cristina

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  22. Oooh! So few ingredients for such a perfect, perfect result!

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  23. I love these tried and true family recipes because they are exactly what they claim to be delicious.

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  24. If you were to change the cream for full fat milk and add in some cheese then you'd have my Mum's cheese and potato pie. We would eat this as a meal in itself on cold winter days when money was tight - brings back lovely memories...thank you.

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  25. We all know I can't resist a good potato dish.

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  26. Worth every calorie Barbara. Who could resist?
    Sam

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  27. Hi Barbara,
    Yummy!! Such a delish comfort food. This year we leave for Florida Christmas night after the boys open all Santa's gifts ,so I need to be in a bathing suit on the beach for a week...This recipe isn't going to help!!! LOL! Hey I would rather eat this, I can always put on a cute Tory Burch tunic over my swimsuit...
    Love this recipe
    xx
    Bunny

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  28. I laugh in the face of danger. These sound addictive. In such a delicious way.

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  29. Fattening as all get out has never scared me! I love this dish Barbara. Sounds like a perfect holiday endulgence and thanks for sharing a special family recipe.

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  30. oh my gosh, YUMMMY! so perfect for this time of year!

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  31. Yes indeed, these are the potatoes dreams are made of! I love family recipes like this...they really make the holidays!

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  32. Oh man these look amazing! Absolutely perfect for the holidays. Is it sad that I would probably fill my plate with these potatoes and nothing else...haha.

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  33. These sound completely irresistible! I try to avoid potatoes most of the year, but when fall arrives, I'm ready for potatoes. I have to try this.

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  34. I don't care! I will slurp and inhale every last bit.

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  35. If lovin' these are wrong, then I don't wanna be right . . .

    oh. my. goddie. i am a potato snob and these, oh these babies can come to mama!! you're MIL was GENIUS!!

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  36. Hi Barbara,

    This recipe sounds delicious and as you say to have it as a treat.
    I make a potato gratin like this and so long as you don't have it too often it is fine.

    Happy weekend
    Hugs
    Carolyn

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  37. I don't see what is wrong, you have the major food groups in a dish, potatoes, butter and heavy cream... just add some cheese and you would have a full meal!

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  38. Bring on those potatoes, I'm not scared. Actually I made a potato bake the other night that had spuds, cream, butter AND bacon! I tried not to think about it too much as I ate ;P

    Have a great weekend.

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  39. How wonderfully decadent :-). Take me to your leader, Barbara. I'll follow you anywhere. Have a great day. Blessings...Mary

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  40. Barbara, I'm just jumping in to answer the questions you posed. It was a combination of texture and flavor. The cookies were sweet enough but they lacked flavor and needed more of something to really work. If I do them again, I'll add some orange peel or use almond extract.

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  41. Oh yum! These look divine!!!

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  42. with potatoes you can everything you want !!Cheers de Paris
    Pierre

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  43. If you are going to splurge - this is definitely the way to go!!

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  44. How decadent. Looking forward to your Kitchen Reveal on the 1st, Thanks for participating.

    XO, Penny

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  45. simply put, this is the definition of decadence. my mouth's watering just thinking about it. :)

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  46. Get me mah whipping cream. I'm making Nana's potatoes!

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  47. No apology needed... I am basking in the comfort glow that this recipe is radiating.

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  48. Oh yes, u can tell this is going to be fatty goodness daaaaahling! Indeed, this is one to make a girl's skin glow :D
    *kisses* HH

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  49. I recall being at my grandmother's table, too. In the Spring, the first lettuce leaves that reared their head were tenderly rinsed and served with onion and heavy cream and vinegar with a little sugar and s and p. Heaven. Absolutely divine. In the Summer, the sweet baby peas were bathed in cream and that was always an amazingly delicious side at that first "new pea" dinner. In the fall, it was the berries. The Saskatoons and the raspberries, freshly picked and drowned in that heavy farm fresh cream... and yes, in the winter, the potatoes. Usually scalloped... layered between onions laden with cream. Those were the days. Grated potatoes immersed in cream slowly for two hours and stirred often. Hmmm. Sounds deadly. Do you stop stirring at the end to let the casserole solidify and brown the top?
    Would grated onions be good in this? I can never resist this kind of dish.
    :)
    Valerie

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  50. Holy snakes! You have to grate these by hand to justify eating them afterwards! Amazing.

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  51. Oh, snap those potatoes do sound heavenly!
    ~ingrid

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  52. I LOVE those potatoes. I must have them!!! You are speaking yo my carb lovin heart girl!

    Blessings-
    Amanda

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  53. I am such a potato and butter addict. I'd love to stick my fork into those babies.

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  54. I'm sold! My son will want these more than once a year.
    Mimi

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  55. Barbara, that looks sinfully delicious and worth every single calorie! :D

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  56. These potatoes look naughty and delicious.

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  57. Holy cow. Those potatoes do look awesome. You're right: holidays are for splurging and this sounds like a great splurge.

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  58. Hi Barbara-Your nana's potatoes sound AMAZING! I love the addition of whipped cream! I bet they are so creamy and tasty. Happy Thanksgiving:)(I'm happy you stopped by my blog:)
    Lora

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  59. Simple, decadent and delicious! Definitely a dish to splurge on for the holidays!

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  60. this nana's potatoes are really beautiful!

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