Do ahead dishes are a necessity to me these days. I no longer have the stamina to put in a four hour marathon pulling a company meal together. I am all about freezer casseroles, dishes that can be assembled ahead and then baked at a leisurely pace. These sweet and sour potatoes fit the bill. They can be put together, held and baked when you are ready.
I apologize for being absent for the last few weeks. No excuse other than we’ve been busy and cooking hasn’t been a priority. But we have started to get into the swing of approaching summer. The grill has been dusted off, the herb boxes are full and these potatoes would go well with anything you want to cook outside.
I have planted lots of basil, parsley, thyme and tarragon; some of my favorite herbs. I love tarragon chicken, basil panzanella, thyme on braised pork and parsley on everything. I found a fat sage plant with huge leaves and made a chicken saltimbocca which I hope to blog about soon.
You can see the lovely sage leaves near the middle of the above picture.
This recipe was slightly adapted from Pattie at the wonderful blog Ollie-Podridra. It’s a keeper.
BAKED GERMAN POTATO SALAD
1 1/2 Pounds yukon gold baby potatoes
4 strips of bacon
3 scallions, chopped (white and green parts)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup water, divided
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. celery seed
2 1/2 tsp. flour
Fresh parsley for garnish
Cook scrubbed potatoes in saucepan covered with water until just tender. Drain. When easy to handle, slice into chunks and place into a baking dish just large enough to hold them.
Cook bacon in a skillet until crisp. Drain and reserve drippings. Crumble bacon and set aside. Sauté scallions in drippings for a few minutes. Stir in brown sugar, 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup vinegar, salt and celery seed. Simmer uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes.
Combine flour and remaining 1/4 cup water until smooth. Stir into onion mixture. Bring to a boil and cook and stir until thickened. Pour over potatoes. Add bacon. Gently stir to coat.
At this point you can set aside or refrigerate if not cooked on that day.
If refrigerated, bring to room temperature for about 30 minutes. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F. for 20 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with fresh parsley. Yield 4 servings.
That sounds wonderful! I am finally planting my herbs tomorrow. It has taken time to get my raised beds ready. Looking forward to Wednesday!
Looking forward to seeing you Penny.
Looks like great dish Penny and would go well with my planned schnitzel. We recently ate in Helen, GA and the German potato salad was served cold which was a first for me.
I’m sure you can make a mean German Potato Salad Larry. Add more vinegar, pickle juice, bacon and double the sauce. That’s what I would do next time.
Great recipe to have on hand:)
For some reason..sage for the past 2 years has been a perennial here..the only problem is that it takes time getting pretty:(But it’s coming.I can’t believe I even found renunculus popping up? 3? Never has that happened.Enjoy your summer!
I also have a sage plant from last year Monique. I have put it in its own pot and because it is not pretty, it sits in the corner. But like a baby swan it should become pretty.
Looks delicious…looking forward to seeing everyone on the 4th!
Already planning the 4th Darla. Looking forward to seeing everyone. Have a happy Memorial Day weekend.
Life has been busy for me as well, Penny. enjoy your summer at the lake. Your potato salad sounds perfect for summer entertaining.
Thanks Karen. Enjoyed your postcard post.
Although I’ve enjoyed it often, I’ve never made German potato salad. I think it might be time I do! I agree that dishes to be made ahead of time are a hostess’s delight.
Best,
Bonnie
Thanks Bonnie. It helps keep me sane these days.