Championship Potatoes

[Mitrakas]

Those be some flavorful potatoes!! Thanks for post, will have to give these a try too.

[_John_]

Thanks, always up for some good sides, hopefully I'll get to try em this weekend.

[Jerod Broussard]

Thanks man!!!

[BFlynn]

Disclaimer - "MY" recipe is adapted from the potatoes served by the Goody Girl BBQ Team that competes in the Houston Livestock and Rodeo Championship BBQ Cook off. I'm friends with several of the members and they've said they don't mind me posting their recipe, but I ALWAYS site my sources. The same way, when people ask me for my pork should recipe, I point them to this site. I've posted their original recipe, with my tweeks in (parenthesis and italics)

Warning- go ahead and put your cardiologist on speed dial before you make these.

This serving is for 6-8.
Ingredients:
1 package dry form crab boil. I like Zatarain's. (I use 2 of the 4oz Liquid Zatarain's crab boil - but I like things spicy)
3 pounds red potatoes
1 pound thick cut bacon. ( I get 2 lbs of thick cut peppered bacon from the butcher)
1 cup diced red onion.
1/4 pound butter (room temp)
1/4 pound finely shredded Cheddar (or more) (Definitely more 1/2 lb - 1 lb.) (I preffer sharp cheddar)
1 bunch green onion, chopped.
1 tablespoon minced garlic.
Salt and Pepper.
3/4 cup sour cream.
1/2 teaspoon cayeene pepper.
1/2 teaspoon paprika. (I use hungarian hot; smoked sweet paprika also is good)

(I add 8-10 roasted, seeded, chopped hatch green chilies)
(2-3 serano peppers, thinly sliced, seeded or not)

Directions:
Fill a 6 quart pot 2/3 full of water, start boiling and add crab boil mix package (do not open the pouch).
Cut the potatoes in half and slice into 3/8 inch pieces.
Add potatoes to pot, bring water to a boil and cook potatoes until tender.
While the potatoes are cooking, in a fry pan, cook bacon until crispy, remove and drain bacon on a paper towel.

(I cook my bacon in the oven. Get a cookie sheet and line with foil. Place a wire baking rack on top of the cookie sheet. Put back on wire rack and bake at 350 to desired texture. On the chewy-crispy spectrum, I prefer mine at 70% crispy. Save the grease. Put bacon on paper towels to cool and crisp. I cut into pieces between 1/2" and 1" long. Size is up to you)

Add red onion to bacon grease and cook until caramelized. Just before onions are done, add garlic and cook until lightly brown.
In a bowl, place butter, 1/2 the cheese, 1/2 the bacon bits, 1/2 the green onion, the cooked red onions and garlic, cayeene, paprika, salt, pepper, and sour cream (and the green chilies). Mix together.
Strain tender potatoes and add to bowl. Let stand a minute or until cheese starts to melt. With a big spoon, start folding ingredients together gently (try not to break up potatoes to much).

(I transfer mine into a low flat disposable pan-- 11x16 maybe? 9/12? -- anyway- this creates more surface area for the toppings, which is important if you doubled the bacon and the cheese)
Top with remaining cheese, bacon, and green onions.
Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

(I serve the serranos in a small bowl next to the potatoes so people can top theirs as they feel)
(Another variation is to sub blue cheese or garganzola for the cheddar)

Number Of Servings:6 to 8

(Keep a pitch fork handy to defend yourself from hungry guests)

Preparation Time:15 min, Cook time - 1 hour.