Ranchers Potatoes

 25 years ago I met a young ranch wife in Abilene at the Western Heritage Classic. She had written an article in Western Horseman that really spoke to me. She was carrying her small daughter and her young son was shadowing her as she moved among the booths at the trade show. We bonded over a love for this lifestyle, family, reading, and our children's education. We instantly became pen pals and LONG letters flew between us for years. She held my hand through the early stages of our homeschool adventures and became a treasured mentor and friend. We exchanged ideas, books, daily routines, ranch life adventures, child rearing tales, homeschooling concepts, Scripture, and recipes. We speculated over how to stretch pennies on cowboy wages. We brainstormed theories and concepts - discussed learning and teaching styles and shared stories of sweet things our husbands did and said and about the times they were grumpy. We shared, consulted, and encouraged each other. She pushed me to think outside of the box. 20 page type-written letters every week were the norm, and when the electricity was out we handwrote them. I fairly danced out of the post office when the mail included a fat, brown envelope from the Panhandle.

All that to say, I'm grateful for those days. She now lives and ranches in Arizona and has worked hard to realize her dream of becoming a writer. She paints beautiful, authentic pictures with words when her pen meets paper. I'll link to her website here: Amy I wish I had kept all of those letters (I literally had a banker's box full) because she was a talented and gifted writer long before she was ever published. 

So, today I'm sharing one of our favorite recipes from those letters. Thank you, Amy -I think of you every time I make them!

Ranchers Potatoes

6 potatoes, scrubbed

1/2 C water

1 can, chopped green chilies (I use fresh, roasted green chilies because we love it in everything!)

5 bacon strips, cooked and diced (Someone is going to ask so I'll add a note here: I don't care for the bacon bits in the grocery store. Convenient? Yes, but bacon is just better when it's cooked on the stove or in the oven, but I won't judge you if you use them. 😉)

8 oz sour cream

3/4 C Ranch Dressing

1 1/2 C grated Cheddar Cheese (I like to grate my own cheese for more flavor, but I have used the pre-grated cheese in the past.)

Pepper

*Scrub and cube potatoes and place in casserole dish. Add 1/2 C water, cover with paper towel (if using the microwave) and cook until almost done. Combine all other ingredients and add to potatoes, stirring well. Bake in oven at 350° for 30 minutes.

Note: You can either partially cook these in the microwave or in the oven. Enjoy!