Yesterday I made Salisbury Steak With A Kick and Crisscross Potatoes for supper. I hadn't planned on making anything for St. Patrick's Day, but I figured potatoes and the Irish are kind of connected with the Potato Famine of 1800 and they're gold potatoes.

This recipe came from my 1968 Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book and unlike the others, I followed this recipe exactly. Well, I used Yukon Gold potatoes for their naturally buttery flavor. The recipe said to use baking potatoes.

4 Yukon Gold Potatoes

Rinse and scrub the potatoes and cut them in half lengthwise. Yukon Gold potatoes aren't completely round so you'll want to cut them in half so that the halves will lay inside up.

After cutting the potatoes in half, use your knife to cut diagonal lines about 1/8" down into the potatoes.


Then cut lines in the opposite diagonal direction giving you a crisscross pattern. You can also cut vertical lines across and then horizontal lines giving you a look of squares. Put the potato halves in a baking pan.


4 tablespoons Butter
Salt and Pepper

Melt butter in the microwave and brush on top of the potatoes. One of my kitchen utensils that didn't walk off, it was thrown away and hasn't been replaced yet, is a basting brush.  Since I didn't have one, I just used a spoon to spread the butter on top of each potato half.


Salt and pepper the potatoes. I used my salt and pepper shakers to do this.


Then simply put them in a 350 degree oven for 35 minutes. Take them out of the oven and sprinkle a little paprika on top of the potatoes and put them back in the oven for 10 more minutes. If you use russet or baking potatoes, you may need to let them bake for about an hour total.


How's that for a little gold for St. Patrick's Day?


Don't forget I need suggestions for planning my menu for next week. Two main dishes (casseroles included!) and one dessert. Leave a comment with your suggestions and the link to the recipe if there is one.