Jalapeño Cheddar Potatoes Recipes

POTATO-CHEDDAR SOUP WITH QUICK-PICKLED JALAPEñOS

Steps:

• Thinly slice the jalapeños, discarding the seeds if you like. Put slices in a bowl and squeeze in enough lime juice to cover them. Add a pinch each of salt and sugar. Let sit at room temperature while you make the soup. (The jalapeños can be prepared up to 5 days ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator; they get softer and more pickle-y as they sit.)
• In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add onion, celery and a large pinch of salt, and sauté until lightly golden and soft, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and chili powder and sauté until fragrant, 1 minute.
• Add potatoes, broth and 2 teaspoons salt, and bring to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are very tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Using an immersion blender or transferring the soup to a regular blender in batches, purée the soup, adding some water as needed to thin it out. (The soup can be as thick or brothy as you like.)
• Return the soup to the pot if you removed it and reduce heat to medium-low. Add cheese and half-and-half, and cook at a very gentle simmer, stirring, until the cheese melts, 1 to 2 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
• Top each bowl with pickled jalapeños, plus a drizzle of their pickling liquid and a pinch of chili powder, along with scallions, cilantro and more Cheddar.

JALAPEñO CHEDDAR POTATOES

Steps:

• Cook potatoes in a saucepan of salted boiling water for 10 minutes, drain.
• Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.
• Fry potatoes in oil until golden, about 5 minutes.
• Add scallions and jalapeno to skillet, sauté 1 minute, then season with salt and pepper.
• Remove skillet from heat.
• Sprinkle cheese over potatoes.
• Residual heat will melt the cheese.

JALAPENO CHEDDAR MASHED POTATOES

Steps:

• Place the potatoes in a large saucepan with kosher salt and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Split jalapenos, remove seeds and white membranes and drop in boiling water with potatoes; blanching about 90 seconds. Remove, cool and mince or peel and mash.
• Cover potatoes and simmer for about 20 minutes, cooking until the potato are done. Drain and rinse pot and potatoes in hot water, then place pot back onto warm stove to dry.
• While the potatoes are cooking, warm the half & half in a second saucepan.
• Mash the hot potatoes, slowly stirring in the warm milk and soft butter as needed. Add about 1/2 tsp of the jalapeno, grated cheese and chives. Taste and adjust with salt, pepper and more jalapeno as desired.