Today’s Recipe: Old-Fashioned Potato Nest

POTATO NEST
PREP TIME: 50 MINUTES
COOK TIME: 35 MINUTES
MAKES: 6 SERVING

15   small red potatoes (about 1¾ lbs), halved
3    T butter
½   cup whole milk
2    T olive oil
3    garlic cloves, peeled, and minced
4    celery stalks
2    chicken breasts, seasoned to taste, cooked and diced (about 3 cups)
¼   cup walnuts, blanched and peeled (for directions on blanching, see Old-Fashioned Stuffed Dates recipe)
4    radishes, thinly sliced
⅓    cup parsley leaves

1. Place potatoes in a medium saucepan and fill with enough water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil until the potatoes are tender (about 25 minutes).
2. Drain the potatoes and put them into a large bowl. Add butter and slowly pour in milk while mixing with a hand mixer.
3. Pour mashed potatoes onto a large plate or platter. To form a nest, hollow out the center with a rubber spatula, and then build up the sides using wet hands.
4. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and celery and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until celery is tender-crisp. Add chicken and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes or until heated through. Remove from heat.
5. Carefully spoon chicken and celery into the center of the potato nest. Garnish with walnuts, radishes, and parsley leaves. Serve with Creamy Chicken Gravy (below).

Gather ingredients.

Place 15 halved, small red potatoes (about 1¾ lbs) in a medium saucepan, and fill with enough water to cover the potatoes.

Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil until the potatoes are tender (about 25 minutes). Drain the potatoes and put them into a large bowl.

Add 3 T butter.

Slowly pour in ½ cup of milk while mixing with a hand mixer.
(Pardon our version of a hand mixer.)

Pour mashed potatoes onto a large plate or platter.

To form a nest, hollow out the center with a rubber spatula.

Then build up the sides using wet hands.

Pour 2 T of olive oil into a large skillet and heat over medium heat.

Add 3 peeled and minced garlic cloves.

Add 4 sliced celery stalks.

Cook garlic and celery for 3-5 minutes, or until celery is tender-crisp.

Add 2 cooked and diced chicken breasts (about 3 cups).

Cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, or until everything is heated through.

Carefully spoon chicken and celery into the center of the potato nest.

Scatter ¼ cup blanched and peeled walnuts over the top.
(*For directions on blanching, see Old-Fashioned Stuffed Dates recipe.)

Garnish with 1/3 cup parsley leaves.

Garnish with 4 thinly sliced radishes.

Serve with Creamy Chicken Gravy.

CREAMY CHICKEN GRAVY
PREP TIME: 2 MINUTES
COOK TIME: 10 MINUTES
MAKES: 1½  CUPS

1½  T butter
2     T flour
¾    cup chicken broth
¾    cup milk
salt and pepper to taste

1. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and cook for about 30 seconds.
2. Pour in chicken broth and milk. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened (about 10 minutes).
3. Season with salt and pepper to taste.