Greetings, Mystic Meows!

Well, the holidays are upon us once again and meowsers are gearing up for quite a unique type of celebration this year considering all that’s going on in the world and not being able to have the gatherings we’re all traditionally accustomed to. That doesn’t mean that we all have to stop embracing those traditions that make this time of year memorable. Cooking is and always will be at the center and the very heart of what brings family and friends together. There are always those signature dishes that make those occasions all the more special. From savory to sweet, food will always help us create memories that capture moments in time. The picture above is from a Christmas edition article from a local magazine out of Visalia, Ca. featuring the side dish mentioned in the title of this here blog. I had the pleasure of re creating it for the restaurant where I was the Chef de Cuisine at the time, and I still get requests for the recipe.

Thanksgiving has it’s stand out dishes that helps make that holiday what it is. Stuffing, Pumpkin Pie, Cranberry Sauce, Turkey! But Christmas has a more varied list of culinary traditions depending on your background. I feel like there’s way more wiggle room to be a bit more buffet style if you will, about it. For some it’s Tamales, for others it’s Italian, or Chinese food. In my family, it literally ran the gamut since everyone and their mother would come out of the woodworks to dine at my grandmother’s table. She and my Aunt Felisa did not disappoint! From Roast Beef to Roast Pork, even Roast Goose ( roasting was a big thing, apparently 😛) to Leg of Lamb, what stood out even more were all of the glorious side dishes that accompanied these delicious meats.

One of those yummy sides, was Parsley Potatoes. It was a dish that only made its grand appearance around the holidays in my fam. Either Christmas or New Years Eve. It’s a fairly simple and easy dish to prepare, but also has a certain elegance to it that I can’t quite explain. Once it’s presented, there’s always an eye opening reaction. The good old, “ooohhh” or “what’s THAT?”. I’m sure there are dozens of versions of it, but this particular recipe is creamy as it has both milk and cream as it’s base sauce, making this a perfect addition to the holiday table setting. Kind of gives that Mac n Cheese comfort food vibe with it’s delectable golden brown surface and those soft, billowy potatoes being hugged by that herbaceous and sinful cream. So without further adieu, here’s the recipe for these awesome as all get out potatoes!

Creamy Parsley Potatoes – Serves about 8

Ingredients :

8 to 10 medium sized Idaho, Russet, or your favorite potatoes of choice

4 cups of milk

2 cups of heavy cream

2 cloves of chopped garlic

1/2 c. Fresh chopped parsley

Butter

1/2 c. Grated Romano Cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Peel and cut the potatoes into wedges

2. In a large pot, add the milk, heavy cream, garlic, and salt and pepper, seasoning to taste, but being mindful not to add too much salt since we’re adding cheese later. Add in your potatoes and on medium low heat, bring everything to a boil and cook until the potatoes are just about fork tender. About 10 minutes or so.

3. Once cooked, remove the potatoes from the cream and set them aside. Add about 1 T. of butter, the parsley, and Romano Cheese to the sauce and gently stir on low heat until the cheese is melted and your have a relatively smooth and velvety sauce. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Add more milk, cream or water if the sauce is too thick. If too thin, no worries. We’re about to bake these papas anyways…

4. In a non stick baking dish, add the potatoes and pour the sauce evenly over them and bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes or until nice and golden brown. Serve while hot and enjoy!

And there you have it! Simple as that. I hope you give this recipe a try and have fun with it! Add in a bit of cayenne for some kick, some bacon to make it smokey, It’s up to you! I hope this Holiday Season treats you and yours as well as can be. All my best wishes to you meows! I’ll be coming back atcha soon with more recipe shenanigans! Until we eat again… Happy Holidays and Happy Cooking!

Cheers, hugs, and meows!

xo Nikki 🖤✨🔮😻