Brad's Sausage & Chicken Jambalaya

When I first met Brad seven years ago, I was thrilled to find out that he enjoyed cooking. A match made in heaven, no? We had been dating for about two weeks when he first cooked for me -- a fabulous dinner of lasagna from scratch. I didn't know any other 24 year old guys who not only cooked their own pasta sauce from scratch, yet alone an entire lasagna. He even cooked the lasagna noodles in garlic and olive oil infused water. I tell you what, I was smitten. I mean, I liked him already, but when I walked into his apartment that day, with the Barenaked Ladies playing on the stereo, and Brad finishing up his sauce, sleeves pushed up on his long-sleeved gray t-shirt, splattered here and there with sauce...yeah, that's the definitive moment when I looked at him and thought "Holy shit. I love this guy." And I still do. ; )

Lasagna's not the only thing he cooks, though. He's an impressive force in the kitchen, never using recipes, just winging it as he goes, adjusting ingredients and seasoning until everything is just right. I wish I could cook with such abandon, but I am, as I've said before, much more of a by-the-book girl. We used to cook dinner together most nights, but kind of fell off that habit when he worked nights for the better part of our first year in Japan, and then -- when he wasn't deployed to Afghanistan -- had a job that often didn't get him home from work in time to pitch in. I think it's something we need to start again, though. I miss cooking together.

This dinner tonight is one of his specialties. He was born and raised in southeast Louisiana, so jambalaya is near and dear. This is another one of the regional dishes I'd never tried before I met him (along with grits, crawfish, red beans and rice, muffalettas, catfish, salty cornbread, sweet tea, and the like), but it quickly became a favorite, and I love when he makes it! Tonight his mom and little brother came over for dinner, so he tackled the entree and I handled French bread and brownies (scroll down for those blog entries).

I've done my best to transcribe his process into a written recipe, and I think this is pretty close. I don't have actual amounts for the cajun seasoning and Tabasco sauce, so you'll just have to taste and tweak as you go, but this is pretty hard to mess up.







Oh, baby!








Brad's Sausage & Chicken Jambalaya

Smoked sausage or andouille sausage link, about 8"
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 cloves garlic, separated
1 to 2 green bell peppers
1 onion
2 to 3 fresh jalapeno peppers
2 Tbsp olive oil
cajun seasoning
oregano, basil, thyme, crushed red pepper, 2 bay leaves
Tabasco sauce
2 cups rice, uncooked
1 can beer
chicken stock, enough to make 4 cups of liquid when combined with beer


Prepare all ingredients before you start cooking, as follows: slice sausage in half lengthwise, then slice into ½-inch pieces; cut chicken into chunks; dice bell pepper and onion; finely dice jalapenos; mince garlic. Set aside.

Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Add chicken, sausage and 1 clove of garlic; add liberal amounts of cajun seasoning, spices and Tabasco. Cook and stir until cooked through and fairly blackened. The majority of the spices for this dish are added at this point in the recipe, so be sure to check and adjust seasoning as necessary. Remove meat from skillet with a slotted spoon, and set aside, leaving all pan juices and drippings in the skillet.

Add bell pepper, onion, jalapeno and remaining cloves of garlic to the hot skillet, cooking and stirring to get the yummy blackened bits off the bottom of the pan. Cook vegetables until softened and lightly browned. Add dry rice and stir for several minutes to brown. Add chicken stock and beer, stirring well to combine thoroughly.

Cover and simmer 20 to 25 minutes, or until rice is cooked through. Serve with crusty French bread and a green salad.

Macaroni & Cheese

This is a great, basic macaroni & cheese recipe.  It starts with a white sauce base, with cheese melted in, tossed with macaroni.  There's so much you can do to doctor this up, like switching up the cheese and adding bacon and onions to make my Bacon & Gouda Macaroni & Cheese, or adding other things like broccoli, ham or whatever sounds good to you.  But this is a great place to start if you've never made mac & cheese from scratch before.

If you've interested in trying a different type of mac & cheese, you can also give my Baked Macaroni & Cheese a shot. Instead of a white sauce, its sauce is made from a mixture of eggs, milk, sour cream and cheese poured over cooked macaroni, then baked to set it up. All of these recipes are great, it just depends on what you're in the mood for!

Macaroni & Cheese

1 lb macaroni noodles
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp four
3 cups milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded jack cheese
2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a casserole dish with cooking spray.

Cook the macaroni according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

While macaroni is cooking, prepare sauce. In a large pot, melt butter over low heat. Add the
flour and stir until golden and bubbling. Slowly whisk in the milk, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. When the mixture boils and thickens, remove from heat. Add 1/2 cup of the cheddar cheese, all of the jack cheese, and the salt. Stir until the cheese is melted.

Add the cooked macaroni to the cheese sauce, stirring to coat completely, then pour into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly on top.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the macaroni is bubbling and the cheese on top is golden brown.

Vegetarian Pot Pie

When I made this, I used the seitan pot pie recipe from the Veganomicon cookbook, but made a bunch of adjustments to it (eliminating the setian, for starters).  I prepared mine with both a top and a bottom crust, but you can just use a top crust if you want to save time.  Also, I prepared my crust dough in a food processor, because it's so much easier than mixing it by hand.  If you don't have a food processor, you can do this the old fashioned way by combining your dry ingredients, blending in the shortening with a pastry cutter, fork or 2 knives, and then adding the water to until it forms a ball.

Vegetarian Pot Pie

Crust
4 cups flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup vegetable shortening
1 to 1 1/2 cups ice cold water

Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder in a large food processor.  Add the shortening, and pulse until it is combined, and the mixture is crumbly.

Drizzle the cold water over the dough while processing, adding as much water as needed until the dough clumps together and forms a ball of firm dough.  Remove the dough, gather it into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, and let it chill in the fridge while you prepare the filling.

Filling
3 Tbsp grapeseed oil (olive oil is fine for a substitute)
1/3 cup flour
1 large onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
4 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 cup frozen peas
salt and pepper

Heat the grapeseed oil in a large skillet.  Add the flour, and whisk for several minutes, until the roux is light brown and bubbly.  Add the onion and cook for 4 minutes.  Add the carrot, celery and potatoes, and cook for 8 minutes, stirring constantly, until the vegetables are softened.

Whisk in the vegetable broth and thyme.  Bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly, until it boils and thickens.  Stir in peas.  Reduce heat to low.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Let the filling set while you prepare the crust.

Assembly
Preheat oven to 375.

Grease a 3-quart baking dish, or a 9 x 11 dish; set aside.
Remove crust dough from the refrigerator, and divide in half.  On a floured surface, roll one half of the dough to fit the prepared baking dish.  Gently ease the pastry into the dish, leaving about an inch of overhang.  Pour the filling into the bottom crust.  Roll out the remaining dough to fit the top of the dish, again leaving about an inch of extra room.  Place the dough on top of the filling, and gently fold the excess dough from the bottom crust over the edge of the top crust.  Flute the edges with your fingers, or press with fork tines to seal.  Cut several slits in the top crust.

Bake at 375 for 40 to 45 minutes.  If you notice the crust is getting too brown, cover with foil for the remainder of the baking time.  

Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.  Dig in!

Pad Thai

¾ lb dried rice noodles (fettucine or linguine width)
¼ c lime juice
3 Tbsp Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce, or soy sauce
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp red curry paste
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 carrot, peeled and cut into thin julienne strips
8-10 scallions, halved lengthwise and cut into 2-inch lengths
1 c mung bean sprouts
¼ c chopped dry roasted peanuts
¼ c cilantro
1 lime, cut into 1/8-inch rounds

Soak noodles in 3 quarts hot water for 30 minutes; drain. In small bowl, combine lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, curry paste and 1 Tbsp water. Pour 1 Tbsp oil into non-stick skillet, and scramble eggs over low heat until barely cooked, then put aside.

In the same skillet (rinsed if necessary) add the remaining 2 Tbsp oil. Over medium heat, add the garlic and ginger. Saute for 30 seconds, then add carrot and scallions. Saute for 1 minute more, stirring frequently. Add the lime juice mixture, then the drained noodles. Cook the noodles, stirring constantly, until they are tender but still chewy, about 1 minute. Add the sprouts and the scrambled eggs, stirring well.

Divide the mixture among plates, sprinkle with peanuts and cilantro, garnish with lime slices and serve.

Note: Serves 4 as a side dish, or 2 as a meal. You can make this a heartier dish by stirring in shrimp, seasoned strips of chicken or pork, or fried tofu.

Potato Pancakes

We had these for dinner tonight, and they were so yummy! The kids especially liked them, and ate 3 big pancakes each, with some homemade cinnamon applesauce that I cooked up earlier this afternoon.

Potato Pancakes

2 eggs
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 medium potatoes, peeled and shredded
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup vegetable oil

In a large bowl, beat together eggs, flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Mix in potatoes and onion.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Use a 1/2 cup measuring cup to scoop the potato mixture into the skillet. Press to flatten. Cook about 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until browned and crisp. Drain on paper towels.

Bacon & Gouda Macaroni & Cheese

This one's for you, Tootie. ; )

16 oz macaroni
1/2 lb bacon, snipped into pieces
1 medium red onion, diced
2 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp butter
2 cups milk
2 cups (8 oz) Gouda cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 2-qt baking dish with cooking spray.

Cook macaroni in boiling water, per package directions. Drain and set aside.

While the pasta is cooking, cook the bacon pieces in a large skillet over medium heat. When they are crispy, remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Pour off all but 1 Tbsp of the bacon drippings, then return pan to heat and add onions. Cook and stir until the onions are soft and translucent. Remove from pan and set aside with bacon bits.

Return pan to heat, and add butter. When butter is melted, whisk in flour, stirring until it bubbles. Gradually add milk, whisking constantly. Continue stirring constantly until the mixture boils and thickens. Reduce heat to a simmer, and add shredded cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted. Stir in bacon bits and onion. Gently stir in cooked, drained macaroni, mixing thoroughly. Pour macaroni mixture into prepared baking dish.

Bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden and bubbly.

Roast Beef

2 lbs Beef Chuck Roast
2 garlic cloves thinly sliced
salt and pepper
cayenne pepper
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 small onion, diced
1 small carrot, diced
1 cup beef stock
1 cup chicken stock
water, if necessary
2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
Tabasco Sauce
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt & pepper to taste

Cut small slits all over the top of the roast, every few inches. Press the sliced garlic into the slits.

Season the roast on all sides with plenty of salt and pepper, and season to taste with a little cayenne pepper.

Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed Dutch Oven over high heat. When it looks like the oil is about to smoke, carefully add the roast cut side down. Brown very well on all sides, without burning it. Remove the roast and set aside.

Drain off all but 1 Tbsp of the oil and drippings in the pan, and return to the heat.  Add the onions and carrots, and cook until the onions just start to brown. Add the roast back to the pan, then add the stocks. If necessary, add enough water to bring the cooking liquid 3/4 of the way up the roast. Add the remaining ingredients.

Bring to a boil, then back down to a simmer. Simmer covered for 3-4 hours or until the meat is tender and almost falling apart. Really, just leave this alone and it will cook itself perfectly.

Gravy

Bring the gravy to a full boil and reduce until it coats the back of a spoon. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Mushroom Stroganoff

5 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
a bunch of fresh mushrooms -- I used 2 big portabellos, 8-10 shitakes, and a small pack of regular white button mushrooms
1 15-oz can fat-free beef broth
1 Tbsp corn starch
1/4 cup cold water
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
Cooked egg noodles or rice

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add onion, stirring and cooking until browned and soft/translucent. Remove onion from pan and set aside. Add mushrooms and cook several minutes, until soft and brown. Remove from pan and set aside. Pour beef broth into pan over high heat and bring to a boil, stirring to get all the yummy cooked bits from the bottom of the pan. Boil for several minutes, until broth has reduced by about one half.

Meanwhile, whisk together corn starch and water until no lumps remain. Return mushrooms and onion to pan, stirring until heated through. Push mushrooms and onions off to the sides of the pan, leaving the liquid in the center. While stirring constantly, pour the corn starch/water mixture into the boiling beef broth. It will very quickly thicken up. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in dijon mustard and sour cream. Serve over cooked egg noodles or rice.

Note: To make this recipe vegetarian, substitute vegetable stock for the beef broth, and add some soy sauce for color.

Baked Ziti

1 lb ziti, cooked and drained
4 cups pasta sauce (recipe follows)
1 large ball fresh mozzarella, half cubed, half sliced in thin slices
1/2 cup fresh parmesan, grated

Preheat oven to 400. Combine pasta, sauce, cubed mozzarella and half of the parmesan. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Lay mozzarella slices over the top, and sprinkle with remaining parmesan. Bake 30 minutes, until browned and bubbling.

Pasta Sauce

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb sweet italian sausages, casings removed and sausage crumbled (I used pre-cooked)
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, coarsley chopped
1 28-oz can chopped tomatoes, with juice
1 handful fresh basil, coarsley chopped
1 tsp dry thyme (or fresh if you can get it...we couldn't)
1 cup water
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook several minutes, until browned. Add onion and garlic. Cook andstir until onion is translucent. Add tomatoes, herbs and water. Season to taste with salt, and black and red pepper. Simmer uncovered 10-15 minutes.

Baked Macaroni & Cheese

16 ounces macaroni
1 can fat-free evaporated milk
1 cup fat-free sour cream
1/2 cup Egg Beaters, or 2 eggs
8 oz (2 cups) shredded 2% cheddar cheese
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, combine milk, sour cream, eggs and cheese. Season with salt & pepper; set aside. When macaroni is cooked al dente, drain and immediately toss with cheese mixture, stirring quickly to combine. Pour into baking dish, and bake 40 minutes.

Breakfast Casserole

1/2 of a roll of breakfast sausage (I think that'd be 1/2 lb)
1 pkg frozen hash browns (diced or shredded)
1 medium onion, diced
2 cans diced green chiles, drained
2 cups (8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
8 large eggs
1 cup milk
2 Tbsp flour

Preheat oven to 350.

Brown the sausage, breaking into pieces, and drain thoroughly. Sprinkle evenly into a 9x13 pan. Layer potatoes, onions, chiles, and half of the cheese over sausage.
Whisk together eggs, milk and flour. Pour over all. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.

Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour, or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out mostly dry.

Note: To make this recipe vegetarian, omit the sausage.

Cheryl's Chicken Enchiladas

4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (I usually poach them)
1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 jalapeno peppers, finely diced (leave the seeds in if you want it spicy, or take them out before dicing if you want them mild)
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese, divided
2 cans green enchilada sauce, divided
12-16 corn tortillas
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine chicken, cream cheese, onion, jalapenos, and half of the cheddar cheese; set aside.

To prepare tortillas, place one on a microwave safe plate, and spray on both sides with cooking spray. Place another tortilla on top, and spray the top side with cooking spray. Continue with remaining tortillas. Once all tortillas have been sprayed, microwave on high for 1-2 minutes, or until heated through.

Spread 1/2 can of enchilada sauce in bottom of 9x13 baking dish.

Fill tortillas, using about ¼ cup of filling for each. Roll up and place seam-side down in a baking dish. Pour remaining 1-2 cans sauce evenly over enchiladas, and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes, until bubbly. Remove foil and bake 10 minutes more to melt cheese.

Fusilli with Tomato-Bacon Vodka Sauce

12 oz fusilli pasta
¼ c butter (1/2 stick)
¼ c flour
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
2 c milk
10 strips bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled
1 c grated parmesan cheese
1 can diced tomatoes, all liquid drained
1 Tbsp crushed red pepper
½ c vodka
fresh Italian parsley

Cook pasta per package instructions. Meanwhile, melt butter over medium-high heat in a skillet. Add flour, salt and pepper, and stir until bubbly and slightly browned, about 2 minutes. Slowly add milk, stirring or whisking to combine. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Add cooked, drained pasta, bacon, cheese, tomatoes, red pepper and vodka, tossing together to coat. Cook and stir for several minutes, allowing the alcohol to burn off. Garnish with chopped fresh Italian parsley and more parmesan cheese, and serve immediately.

To Die For Spaghetti Carbonara

1 lb bacon
1 large onion, chopped
1 c half-and-half
5 eggs
100 grams fresh parmesan cheese, grated
½ stick butter
2 lbs spaghetti

Brown bacon very well. Take off and discard about 2/3 of the grease. Add chopped onions to remaining grease and brown. Stir in half-and-half; simmer 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside. Beat eggs and parmesan cheese together; set aside. Melt butter; set aside.
Cook spaghetti until al dente. Turn off burner, then quickly drain the pasta and immediately return it to the hot pan on same burner. Add melted butter and stir well. Immediately add egg/cheese mixture; stir quickly until eggs are cooked. Add hot bacon mixture. Toss together and serve immediately with additional parmesan cheese for sprinkling on top.

Make a very deliberate effort to not think about the nutritional content of this meal. Sometimes denial is a good thing…

Meatloaf

1 lb hamburger
1 onion, chopped
1 small can Spicy V-8
½ c oatmeal
1 egg
salt & pepper
Ketchup

Preheat oven to 350. Mix together all ingredients, using fingers to combine thoroughly. Shape into loaf in 9-inch square pan; spread ketchup on top. Bake for 1 hour.

Robbie's Chicken Casserole

1 can cream of chicken soup
4 small chicken breasts, cut into chunks
2 c cooked rice
1 c grated cheddar
1 c sour cream
1 c mayonnaise
3 c broccoli florets
1 c corn flakes

Preheat oven to 375. Spread rice on bottom of large casserole dish, then place chicken chunks on top. Layer broccoli florets on chicken. Combine soup, cheddar, sour cream and mayo, and spread mixture on top of broccoli layer. Cover with foil. Bake 45 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove foil; sprinkle corn flakes on top of casserole and bake until flakes are crispy. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Note: This is also good if you substitute french fried onions for the corn flakes

Spaghetti with Bacon, Zucchini & Garlic

4 slices bacon, snipped into pieces
2 small to medium zucchini
2 Tbsp plus 1 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
1/2 pound spaghetti, cooked al dente
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano or Romano

Cook bacon pieces over medium heat until crisp; drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, grate zucchini.

When bacon is done cooking, add garlic to the drippings. Cook and stir for 1-2 minutes, until garlic is lightly browned. Add shredded zucchini. Season with salt and pepper. Saute zucchini 7 to 10 minutes.

Add hot, drained pasta to the pan. Toss spaghetti with zucchini and additional 1 tsp olive oil. Add parmesan cheese and stir to combine. Serve hot.

Note: To make this a vegetarian meal, omit bacon and substitute olive oil for the bacon grease.

Shortcut Chicken & Dumplings

1 cooked rotisserie chicken
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 c celery, diced
1 c carrot, diced
6 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried oregano
Tabasco sauce, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste
1 c flour
1 Tbsp snipped fresh parsley
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 beaten egg
¼ c milk
2 Tbsp cooking oil
½ c cold water
¼ c flour

De-bone chicken and coarsley chop or shred meat; set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot and celery. Saute several minutes, or until onion is translucent, and vegetables are just beginning to soften. Add chicken pieces, chicken stock, bay leaf, oregano, Tabasco sauce, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes.

For dumplings, in a mixing bowl combine the 1 cup flour, parsley, baking powder, and the 1/4 tsp salt. In another bowl, combine the egg, milk and oil; add to flour mixture. Stir with a fork just until moistened. Drop batter onto the hot broth by large spoonfuls. Heat broth until almost boiling; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10 to 12 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into a dumpling comes out clean. Do not lift cover while simmering.

Combine the ½ cup cold water and the ¼ cup flour; stir well. Pour into the broth. Cook and stir till mixture thickens. Serve in large soup bowls.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

1 large package wide egg noodles
1 large can tuna, drained
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 soup can full of milk
1 can French Fried Onions

Preheat oven to 425. Cook egg noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large casserole dish, mix together tuna, soup, milk and about 1/3 can of French Fried Onions. When the noodles are done, drain them and stir into the tuna mixture. Sprinkle remaining French Fried Onions over the casserole. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Watch the onions to make sure they don’t burn.

Note: This is also good with a couple handfuls of frozen peas added before cooking, and/or 8 oz of shredded cheddar cheese.

Shepherd's Pie

2 pounds potatoes, such as russet, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons sour cream or softened cream cheese
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 3/4 pounds ground beef
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup beef stock
2 teaspoons Worcestershire
1/2 cup frozen peas

Boil potatoes in salted water until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain potatoes and pour them into a bowl. Combine sour cream, egg yolk and cream. Add the cream mixture into potatoes and mash until potatoes are almost smooth.

While potatoes boil, preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil to hot pan with beef. Season meat with salt and pepper. Brown and crumble meat for 3 or 4 minutes. Add chopped carrot and onion to the meat. Cook veggies with meat 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

In a second small skillet over medium heat cook butter and flour together 2 minutes. Whisk in broth and Worcestershire sauce. Thicken gravy 1 minute. Add gravy to meat and vegetables. Stir in peas.

Preheat broiler to high. Fill a small rectangular casserole with meat and vegetable mixture. Spoon potatoes over meat evenly. Broil 6 to 8 inches from the heat until potatoes are evenly browned.