sweasel.com

How to host a traditional Burns Night supper.

Weasy –
for truly inspiring instant taters try adding –
whatever version of Philadelphia Cream cheese you have – 1 package
Some Sour cream, well, a lot, really
A full stick of butter

We’ve had people tell us, “these aren’t instant potatoes” after that treatment.

“Much to his mum and dad’s dismay
Horace ate himself one day
He didn’t stop to say his grace
He just set down and et his face
Good gosh his mom and dad declared
If that lad’s et, he should be shared…

…(more not remembered, but Horace consumes himself until he’s just a stomach and it finishes up with)

Nevertheless since it was his
they ate it,
that’s what haggis is. “

“Lamb, Beef, Oats, Stock, Onion, Salt, Pepper, Spices” are the ingredients listed for the linked haggis. Somehow I feel that this list is missing some details.

I like instant potatoes, too. One of my favorite comfort food meals is mashed potatoes with a well-done (charred) hamburger patty dumped in the middle of the potatoes, covered in brown gravy—which I make from a package mix. With lots of fresh ground black pepper.

Haggis contains sheep’s heart, lungs and liver in a sheep’s stomach. I’ve had it only once. It was delicious.

:Shudder: I am not a fan of blood sausages, haggis or pig’s trotters…the texture is off-putting.

One of my go-to comfort foods is instant mash and frozen green peas…microwave the peas in a bowl with splash of chicken stock, a large lashing of butter and plenty of black pepper…pour the peas into a well in the mash and top with grated Parmigiano. Good eatin’

I like the instant mashed potatoes, too, but not as much as I like the mashed potatoes I make myself. The reason is the instant are too much like whipped and have no real texture, and when I mash ’em myself I stop a bit short of totally mashed so you find the occasional little potato bit about the size of half a lentil.

OF COURSE I add a generous amount of butter (and then a little more), a dollop or two of sour cream, a little salt, and a lot of fresh milled Lampong black pepper. (I’m picky about pepper.)

It just occurred to me that I could save myself a whole lot of work by just microwaving one small potato, rice it, and then mix it in with instant. I expect I’d probably get the exact same effect as doing it all from scratch. I’m a-gonna try that!

@Uncle Al – hah! Great idea. We’re camping this weekend and I’m Cookie – Imma try your idea!

@Deborah HH – sounds like our slow cooker Salisbury steak recipe!

I have to spend today cooking, freezing, and vacuum sealing into boilable meals (Danged MREs) for the main meats, etc, while fresh veggie sides are generally done sautéed on the spot and I’ve been trying to figure out what to feed these clowns.

Y’all have inspired me, Uncle Al’s instants and Deborah’s burgers (Salisbury style) shall be Friday’s lunch!

It occurs to me that those of us of a certain age actually enjoyed frozen TV dinners, and I have to lol when I remember that at our house they were considered a “treat”. Mothers are a cunning lot are they not?

@Uncle Al…I stopped ricing my potatoes, I drain and let them dry covered in the warm pan then mash them…we like them a little lumpy-ish too…especially reds with chives.