Houlihan's Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds (2 cups, diced but unpeeled) baking potatoes
1/4 pound butter
2 cups yellow onion, diced
1/3 cup flour
5 cups water
1/4 cup low sodium chicken base
1 cup instant potato flakes
3/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
Salt, to taste
White pepper, to taste

Procedures:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Prick washed potatoes & bake until a fork pierces to the center easily. Remove potatoes from oven & allow to fully cool. Remove skin & cut potatoes into 1/2" cubes. Set aside.

Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add onions & saute over low heat for 10 minutes or until onions are translucent. Don't allow onions to burn. Add flour to onions & butter and cook 4 - 5 minutes, stirring well until flour is absorbed.

In a separate container, combine water, chicken base, potato flakes & seasonings. Stir or whisk thoroughly to eliminate lumps. Add slowly to onion mixture, stirring constantly so no lumps form. Increase to medium heat & continue cooking until the soup begins to gently simmer. Add milk & cream, stirring until smooth & lightly thickened. Simmer for 15 minutes. Do not boil. Soup should just simmer lightly. Add cubed baked potatoes & stir to combine.

Remove from heat & serve. Top each serving with grated cheddar cheese, sliced scallions & bacon pieces.

Serves: 6 person

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Nov 6, 1994

T.G.I. Friday's Sizzling Chicken and Cheese

Ingredients:
Two 4-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Marinade:
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1⁄4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper
1⁄4 teaspoon salt

Pepper and Onion Medley:
1 green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 yellow onion, cut into thin strips
1⁄4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
Salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups mashed potatoes
1⁄2 cup shredded Chihuahua cheese
2 slices American cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Procedures:
Trim the fat and pound the chicken breasts until thin.

Combine all the marinade ingredients. Put the chicken in the marinade and refrigerate for 3 hours.

Sauté the peppers and onion and in the olive oil for 2 minutes. Then add the chopped garlic and continue to sauté for 2 to 3 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Sauté the chicken breast on all sides in the olive oil over medium heat.

Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat until very hot, then remove from the burner.

Place the mashed potatoes on the bottom of the skillet. Cover with the pepper and onion medley, then the cheeses. Top the cheese with the chicken.

Sprinkle with the chopped parsley. Serve directly from the skillet.

Serves: 2 person

T.G.I. Fridays Mozzarella Cheese Sticks

Ingredients:
1 pound mozzarella cheese
1 cup flour
1/4 cup corn starch
2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 cup of milk
Vegetable oil for frying

Procedures:
Cut cheese sticks into long slices approximately 3/8 inch thick. Blend together the flour and corn starch in a bowl. Place cheese plank into the flour, then dip into a bowl of whole milk, and then dip the cheese stick into the bread crumbs. Shake off excess bread crumbs and place mozzarella stick on a wire rack. Discard the
flour. Repeat until all cheese sticks have been dipped once. When all of the cheese sticks have been dipped once place back into milk, then into bread crumbs for the second time, and shake off the bread crumbs. Dip all cheese sticks into bread crumbs for the second time.

Preheat vegetable oil to 350 degrees F for frying. Drop cheese stick into hot oil and fry until golden brown. This  should take no longer than 1 minute. Remove cheese stick from oil and place on a wire rack to cool.

Serve with your favorite marinara sauce.