Re-use Recipes

Today I'm writing about a way I re-used some of that salsa I made and a way to use up some of that garlic butter I made.

First, the garlic butter. I had about 4 Tablesponns left about 2 weeks ago, so about 5 days after I originally made the garlic butter (don't ask me why it's taken me so long to write this post!). My husband wanted mashed potatoes for dinner, which he doesn't get often because I hate peeling potatoes. So, I compromised and made smashed potatoes--where there is no peeling
required=<3! style="font-weight: bold;">

Smashed Garlic Potatoes for Two
2 medium-large Maine Potatoes (or any kind of potato you like. new potatoes or red potatoes are nice for this recipe)
4 Tbsp Garlic Butter (link to recipe above)
3-6 Tbsp milk (I used skim)
1 tsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
Salt and Pepper to taste

Cut potatoes into quarters and boil until slightly tender (about 10 minutes). Drain in colander. Smash with peels in a bowl by hand (use a potato masher or a fork). Add remaining ingredients (only 1-2 Tablespoons of milk at a time). Mash the way you like them. Serve piping hot!

Hubby's Rating:
Love it! I can't go wrong with mashed potatoes, but like I mentioned...I hate peeling potatoes! If someone has a solution for me that doesn't involve instant, I think we'll try it!

My Take:
Very good! If they were red potatoes, it would have been VERY close to the same potatoes you get in those big chain restaurants! Do those chefs hate peeling potatoes too?


I have lots of salsa on hand at the moment. I had a container in the fridge that needed to be used before we went on vacation, I had 1 chicken breast begging to be used and I had a few veggies here and there. So, I went to a favorite.

Slow Cooker Tex-Mex Chicken (With Rice) (adapted to feed 2 people with minimal left overs)

1 large chicken breast half, skinless, boneless
1 envelope taco seasoning mix
1 Tbsp flour
1 jar salsa (in my case I used about 2 1/2 Cups medium, chunky salsa)
1 Cup frozen corn
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 red bell pepper diced
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 Cup shredded mexican style cheese (optional)
dollop sour cream (optional)

Combine taco seasoning mix and flour. Coat chicken and place in slow cooker (with remaining seasoning mixture). Top with salsa. Cook on high for 4 hours. Turn to low and add peppers, onions and corn. Cook for 2-4 more hours. Serve over white rice with tortilla chips if desired.

Recipe Adapted from Taste of Home Cookbook--Fast Fixes with Mixes.

Hubby's Rating:
I've been making this recipe for several months now and he always likes it! Like it!

My Take:
I've tried this with different salsas, different veggies, etc. I think with this recipe, the key is to keep it simple. You can cut your chicken into bite sized pieces before cooking, you can use a pork roast instead and then shred it, you can make it all vegetarian and use beans. This recipe is very versatile and we love it!