Best Aunt Helens Potato Filling Recipes

PA DUTCH POTATO FILLING

Steps:

• 1. Peel and cut the potatoes into quarter pieces and place in a medium size kettle. Cover the potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes or until soft.
• 2. In a separate pan place the chopped celery and onion with ½ cup butter and saute until the mixture starts to become soft (5 minutes on medium-high heat).
• 3. Chop the bread into small cubes and place into celery and onion mixture with two tablespoons of butter. Saute until the bread gets covered with the butter mixture (about 3 minutes).
• 4. Drain the water out of the potatoes. Mash the potatoes and add 4 tablespoons of butter. Mix milk and egg together and add to the potato mixture. Add celery mixture, parsley and flour. Add pepper and salt to taste, and mix well.
• 5. Put the potatoes into a well-greased casserole dish. Place the remaining butter on top of the potatoes. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes, or until the top of the casserole is brown.
• 6. At times gram would put crumbled smoked bacon in to change it up a bit.

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.

PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH POTATO AND BREAD FILLING

Steps:

• Boil potatoes in salted water. Saute onion and celery in oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Boil the giblets and neck in salted water to make stock.
• Moisten bread with milk. Smash the potatoes in a large bowl. (I use a small roasting pan, and then I roast the filling right in it.) Add all other ingredients including all spices and oil from saute. When adding the eggs, add a little of the hot mixture to the eggs first and beat well, so as to not scramble them when they go into the whole mix.
• Mix thoroughly. If it needs more moisture, add the stock, a little at a time. Taste to make sure enough spices are added. Add more salt and pepper and poultry seasoning, if needed.
• Bake at 350 degrees in a greased casserole dish or roasting pan until very hot and browned, usually one hour. Dot the top with pats of butter before putting into oven. I know some people chop the giblets and add to the filling, but I don't.

PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH POTATO FILLING RECIPE

Steps:

• Cut bread slices into small cubes and let sit out to dry overnight. Or toast them in the oven until lightly browned.
• Peel, cut, and boil potatoes in water until soft. Drain the water and mash with a mixer until smooth.
• In a saucepan, melt the butter and continue cooking until lightly browned. (It will be caramel in color and have a wonderful nutty aroma.)
• Finely chop the onion and celery (I use my Ninja chopper). Add them to the browned butter and cook for 10 - 15 minutes.
• Add the beaten eggs, milk, and seasonings to the slightly cooled butter mixture.
• Add the egg/butter mixture to the mashed potatoes. Mix well. Then stir in the bread cubes.
• Grease a casserole dish with butter and fill it with the potato filling. You can bake this immediately or cool and refrigerate for the next day.
• Bake, covered, at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover, and continue baking for another 10 minutes.
• Drizzle with additional brown butter, or serve with gravy.

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.

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.)

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 POTATO FILLING

Steps:

• Peel, cut, boil and mash potatoes. Saute celery, onion and bread crumbs in butter. Add to potatoes. Lightly beat eggs and add to potatoes with half of parsley. Add milk - make moist!! Season with plenty of salt and pepper. Sprinkle rest of parsley on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.