It all looks good, but it didn't taste as good as it looked....

Yesterdays cooking marathon produced some really good looking food.  So good that my expectation on the taste level, should be off the charts.  Well, I think I set my taste bud expectations too high.  As I tasted the dishes, I was disappointed in them.  They were good to just OK.  Here's the menu for yesterday:

Bacon Casserole
Fried Potatoes
Chocolate Pecan Pie

My first recipe was the Chocolate Pecan Pie.  I have made many pecan pies (very easy) and even a Kentucky Derby Pie (pecan pie with chocolate chips and bourbon) and thought this recipe from looking at it would be like the Kentucky Derby Pie.  Well the difference with this recipe is that you melt the chocolate chips, butter and evaporated milk and then stir it into the corn syrup and eggs adding last pecans and the vanilla.  Also this recipe called for flour.  Only 2 tbsp but I wondered why? 

When I poured it into the pie shell, I was worried it would overflow but it went to the top and when it baked it didn't spill over.  I took it  out of the oven it smelled really good and looked like a brownie in a pie shell.  In tasting it, that is exactly what it tasted like.  Super super rich brownie in a pie shell with some pecans.  Tom loved it saying that it was best chocolate pie he has had.  It was so rich though, too rich for me.  I couldn't finish my piece it was so rich so Tom finished it.  If you are a chocolateholic, then you might think this pie would be for you.  When Jake got home, we told him to try it and he too cut a small piece and stated it was like a gooey brownie but good.  Me personally, I would of just like a pecan pie.

On to the Bacon Casserole.  Doesn't this sound yummy?  Doesn't it look yummy?  It has been well over a year since I have had real bacon.  We have switched over to Turkey bacon and if you had both, well you know hands down the taste winner of the two is.  This recipe called for 1/2 lb (1/2 package) of bacon, but I cooked an entire package and used it instead.  Couldn't understand how I could have pulled this off with just 8 pieces of bacon. 

This is another recipe where I am pretty sure it was typed incorrectly.  It called for shredded Swiss Cheese and the directions said top with grated cheese.  It also said to use half the bacon and never said what to do with the rest.  So when I got to this line of directions:  "Place remaining slices of cheese on top"  I said "huh? they must mean rest of bacon slices not cheese, so that is what I did."  Put rest of bacon slices on top. 

It also called for two cups of toasted bread crumbs.  I am going to confess, I had to google how to toast bread crumbs.  I was clueless.  For those that would never admit to that fact, you put them in the oven at 350 degrees for 5-10 minutes until browned.  You mix bacon drippings and 1/2 of the bacon crumbled and then place in the bottom of pan.  Then top with tomatoes, seasoning, egg and milk,  cheese and finally more bacon. 

I couldn't wait to try this and it smelled good in the oven.  Once we sat down to eat it, it was just OK.  There was too much bread crumbs or needed more eggs to make it set up like a casserole more.  Tom ate a couple of tomato slices and they got the better of him.  He didn't feel well.  He thinks I am trying to poison him with tomatoes, peppers and onions as he is allergic to them.  He can usually handle them cooked.  But he didn't feel well after eating the two tomato slices. 

Lets talk about the Fried Potatoes. Another confession here.  (I think by the time I'm done with this project blog, you all will be shocked at how little I have done basic cooking.)  I have never made them before.  This recipe also had me going to Google to look up what pared potatoes meant?  Do you know what pared means?  Pared is another word for peeled.  Whew, I knew what peeled meant!  Recipe called for 4 cups of sliced pared potatoes, 1 cup of sliced onions.  You cook them covered for 15 minutes and the last 10 minutes with no lid and in the end you don't stir or turn them, but when cooked flip and serve like an omelet. 

That didn't work! The time didn't work or I didn't have my grease hot enough but bottom line my potatoes weren't done in 25 minutes.  I had to call Tom in to ask him what I did wrong.  He said I had too many potatoes layers to cook.  He also thinks that sliced in the directions really meant to shred since he read that I was supposed to be able to end up with a huge omelet looking potato.  So we had to flip the potatoes and it took way longer to cook them through.  Once cooked, I sprinkled chopped parsley on top. 

In tasting these, they were too greasy for my taste.  Tom liked them but at this point the tomatoes from the casserole where working on him and he picked out the onions afraid to eat them for fear he would feel worse.  If anyone has any other suggestions for cooking fried potatoes, please share.  I am giving myself an "F" on cooking these.

Finally, While I was working on the casserole, Tom came in and helped me with the bacon and also peeled the potatoes and I sliced them with my Pampered Chef mandolin.  That thing rocked, once I figured out how it worked!  Again, Tom came to my rescue and showed me that you have to have the food holder attached to the slicer to release lever to engage the blade.  Very cool safety feature to keep your fingers from getting cut.  A shout out to my man for helping me once again with dinner and also helping me decipher instructions.