Easy Homemade Fried Potatoes

I usually try to plan our next week's menus the day before I grocery.  That way, we stick to a budget and a healthier eating plan.  Are we flexible enough to deviate?  Well... when you find a sack of potatoes that you forgot you had purchased (and they're still in excellent shape)... you deviate from your planned side dishes and plan ahead a little.  

So this week, we had chicken breasts for 2 nights and then I had a package of pollack in the freezer for tonight.  I had planned long grain rice for both chicken nights.  As I went into my fabulous new kitchen cabinet that honey restored and refurbished for me (OMG!  I need to do a post on the cabinet!), I noticed a sack of small potatoes.  As I thought to myself, "when did I buy those?".  I also thought, "dang, I better use those before they go bad!".  

So we had rice one night and then I baked potatoes last night.  Thinking ahead, I baked 2 extra potatoes for fried potatoes tonight.  

So here's the simplest way to make yummy fried potatoes for 2: (of course do your potato count and onions based on family size)

Ingredients:

Leftover baked potatoes chopped (you could also quick bake your potatoes in the microwave prior to making these but they are easier to handle cold out of the fridge rather than hot out the microwave)

1/2 large sweet onion chopped

1 tbsp EVOO

Seasonings: 

onion powder

garlic powder

pepper

pink Himalayan sea salt

That's it!

Put your EVOO in your frying pan and heat on medium.  Add your potatoes and onions to warm pan, season, then stir up on the warm EVOO.   

Periodically mix the potatoes around to brown them nicely (about 15 minutes or so)

Enjoy as a side dish for any meal and also as yummy extra with weekend breakfast!

My Top Ten Stocking Stuffers List

I'm such a mom... but I want to be kind of a cool mom too... 

Here's my top ten stocking stuffers list... for grown up kids. And I like saving money (We don't have an extravagant budget for Christmas)

Note:  My daughter is a 21 year old college student and dancer.  My step son is 26 years old, lives in Chicago, and produces musical theatre projects.  My hubby is...well, he qualifies for a special discount.  

additional note:  The Dollar Tree is my favorite place to start!
1. various toiletries (toothpaste, toothbrush, hand lotion, bobby pins, black liquid eyeliner, tissues, ibuprofen, epsom salts, chapped lip treatment, travel size shampoo, hair spray, deodorant, soaps)
2.  earbuds
3.  electronics chargers
4.  Little Debbie Christmas Trees (a favorite around here since I don't buy or make sweets)
5.  a piece of fruit or two (it's the old fashioned in me and the wanting to be healthy in me) 
6.  Emergen C's (let's be ready for flu season)
7.  a small gift card
8.  a Christmas gag gift, like a light up tie and reindeer ears headband
9.  reading glasses (for hubby) sunglasses for the kids
10.  $1 liquor samplers from the liquor store (this is really the favorite)... remember we're all over 21!  

There's my list... What are some of your favorite stocking stuffers for your hubby and grown up children?  I'm sure my family would love some fresh ideas.  

Photo by Tracy Hilbun

our humble tree last year in our apartment and our dearly missed Moose