Aunt Helens Potato Filling Recipes

PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH POTATO FILLING

Steps:

• Place the potato cubes into a large pot and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain and allow to steam dry for a minute or two.
• Melt 1/2 cup of butter in a large skillet over medium heat, and cook and stir the onions and celery until they are reduced and browned, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 2 glass baking dishes, each 9x13 inches.
• Place another 1/2 cup of butter into the work bowl of a stand mixer, and add the cooked potatoes. Start the mixer on Low setting. While mixer is running, pour in 1 cup of milk, and add 1 tablespoon of seasoned salt and 4 slices of torn bread. Mix those ingredients briefly into the mixture, and pour in 1/2 cup of milk and 4 more bread slices. Mix that addition, and then mix in 2 more bread slices.
• After the last 2 bread slices have been roughly incorporated, place another 1/2 cup of butter, 1 tablespoon of seasoned salt, all the onions, celery, and butter from the skillet, and 4 more slices of bread into the mixer bowl. Mix to incorporate, and finally mix in 2 to 4 additional torn bread slices. Allow the mixer to run until the dressing is the desired consistency.
• Place half the dressing into each prepared baking dish, and top the dressing with the remaining 1/2 cup of butter, cut into thin slices and scattered over the top. Sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon of seasoned salt evenly over the top of the dishes. Cover the dishes with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the dressing is browned, about 1 hour.

POTATO FILLING

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes.
• Drain and mash.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Lightly grease a 2 quart casserole dish.
• In a large bowl, mix together the potatoes, white bread, onion, celery, salt and pepper.
• Pour into prepared casserole dish and bake for 1 hour.

JULIA CHILD'S AUNT HELEN'S FLUFFY PUMPKIN PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees and place rack in center of oven. Separate eggs and set aside.
• Using a mixer, blender or large bowl, blend pumpkin, the 2 cups of the sugars, 1 teaspoon salt, molasses, bourbon or rum (if using), cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, egg yolks, cream and milk until smooth. Add more milk, a tablespoon at a time, if the mixture is stiff: it should be a soft purée.
• In a clean bowl, whip egg whites until foaming. Whip in a pinch of salt, then gradually whip in remaining 2 tablespoons sugar until shiny white peaks form. Beat 1/4 of the whites thoroughly into pumpkin mixture; gently fold in the rest.
• Immediately ladle filling into the shells, filling to just below the rim of the pan. Place in oven and bake just until rim of crust begins to turn gold, 10 to 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 and bake another 25 to 30 minutes, until a tester inserted into the filling 2 inches from the rim comes out clean. (The center should still be a bit wet; it will cook more as it cools.) If the rim of the crust starts to get too brown, cover it with aluminum foil.
• Immediately turn oven off, leave door ajar (stick in a wooden spoon to hold it open if necessary) and let sit 20 to 30 minutes more as the oven cools; this will prevent the filling from turning watery. Serve warm, or let cool, wrap tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Let pie come to room temperature before serving.

AUNT HELEN'S BEEF STEW

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
• 2. In a large roaster, combine all ingredients except peas. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 250 degrees for 5 hours.
• 3. Before serving, stir in the peas. (The peas are my own addition because I like them -- they were not in Aunt Helen's original recipe. Feel free to omit them if you don't like them.)

NANA'S PA DUTCH POTATO AND BREAD FILLING

Steps:

• Boil potatoes until tender; drain. Place in large bowl and mash with 4 tbsp butter, milk and chicken stock.
• While potatoes are cooking, in a large skillet over med-high heat, melt 3/4 cup butter; add chopped celery, onion, and parsley; sautee until tender -- about 7-10 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium and add the toasted bread cubes. Cook, stirring frequently, for another 4-5 minutes.
• Remove from heat and fold into the mashed potato mixture. Fold in the beaten eggs and stir everything together well.
• Pour into a greased/sprayed 13" x 9" (or larger) pan. Cover and bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until lightly browning on top.
• Serve.

PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH POTATO FILLING

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Boil potatoes in salted water for 1 hour or until they can easily be pierced with a fork. Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon of butter, add onions, and saute until just soft, add bread crumbs and stir over heat until lightly toasted. Melt remaining butter separately, and set aside.
• 2. Transfer potatoes to a large mixing bowl and add torn bread, onions and remaining ingredients. Whip together with a hand mixer on medium speed until mixture is almost smooth. Mixture should be a fluffy, mashed potato consistency, just a little bit more dense and rich. Transfer potato mixture to a glass 8x8" square baking dish. Drizzle remaining 2 Tablespoons butter over filling.
• 3. Bake, uncovered, 30-35 minutes or until filling has formed a light crust. Serve.