Hash Brown Bake? Party Potatoes? We call them “Scott’s Potatoes”.

Isn’t it interesting how one recipe can be called so many different things? Chili mac in one house was goulash in mine. What I now know as Mexican Wedding Cookies were called “Wayne’s Cookies” when I was growing up (because they were our Uncle Wayne’s favorites). And I recently learned that a potato dish I grew up with is known as “funeral potatoes” in some parts but in my house, we called a hash brown bake recipe “party potatoes” … until my brother-in-law entered our lives. My sister’s boyfriend, now husband of over 30 years, loved those potatoes. So much so that mom started making bigger batches so my dad could have leftovers. No luck. Because as my sisters and I cleaned the kitchen, Scott was sitting at the table polishing off those potatoes. To this day, when we are planning family gatherings someone will ask mom, “Are you making Scott’s potatoes?”

I haven’t had Scott’s potatoes in a long time. Eight years, to be exact because that’s how long I’ve been vegan and those potatoes sure aren’t. But, as a vegan culinary instructor one of the first tips I give to people who are new to the plant-based lifestyle is to make a list of their cherished recipes growing up and together we figure out how to “veganize” family favorites.

And that’s what I did here.

The potatoes are easy – already vegan! But I opted for fresh over frozen.

I used silken tofu as the cream base instead of primarily sour cream – to make the traditional side a meal – but I did use a wee bit of vegan sour cream for flavor. I also used vegan cheddar cheese, vegan butter and even vegan cream of mushroom soup. Easy!

And because I’m an appliance queen (hello, Vegan Pressure Cooking and The Vegan Air Fryer) I decided to use my Ninja to shred the potatoes and my multicooker (I used a GoWISE but your Instant Pot, Fagor LUX, or other electric or stovetop pressure cooker will work, too) and my air fryer to put these potatoes together in just over 30 minutes.

Thirty minutes sounds fast right? But it’s true! Here’s how:

1. The food processor delivered a pound and a half of shredded potatoes in under a minute. (I rinsed, drained and patted them dry.)

2. I employed the “pot in pot” technique to pressure cook the potatoes in only 20 minutes. To do this I added two cups of water to the cooker, placed a trivet in the water and then combined the ingredients in a heat-safe dish that sat on the trivet. For those savvy Instant Pot and pressure cooker aficionados, you may be scoffing at the 20 minutes. Because as we know, when pressure cooking first the pot must come up to pressure and then it cooks for 20 minutes. But I have a shortcut! While preparing ingredients, get two cups of water boiling so that when you place the lid on and set the device to 20 minutes the pot is so hot it comes up to pressure almost immediately.

3. The unique crunch for traditional funeral potatoes is the addition of crumbled potato chips to the top. But I once again opted for using fresh potatoes. While the potato casserole was cooking in the pot, I was air frying a half pound of shredded potatoes – for only five minutes – and then chopped the crispy shreds into chips, think bread crumbs:

After I quick-released the potatoes from the pot I uncovered them,

sprinkled the air fried “chips” over the potatoes and then the air fryer did what an oven would do – in this case broil the homemade “potato chip” topping – in half the time.

Below you’ll find the recipe for these delightful potatoes.

If you don’t have a pressure cooker or air fryer, no worries. Use one pound of shredded potatoes and then crumble about 1/2 cup potato chips on top and bake for an hour at 350°F.

Now on to the recipe for Scott’s Idaho® Potatoes:

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Scott's Idaho® Potatoes

You may call them funeral potatoes or party potatoes but in our house, they are “Scott’s Potatoes!” And now I’ve turned an hour+ non-vegan family recipe into a 30-minute vegan meal with tofu and plant-sourced versions of sour cream, cheese and soup and use my two favorite appliances: a pressure cooker and an air fryer!

Course Main Course

Cooking Method Air Fryer, Pressure Cooker

Servings 6

©JLFields JL Fields

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pound shredded Idaho® potatoes divided 1 lb and 1/2 lb

For the casserole

• 1 pound shredded Idaho® potatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped onions
• 1/4 cup melted vegan butter
• 1 cup shredded vegan cheddar cheese
• 1 cup silken extra-firm tofu about 6. 3 ounces
• 3/4 cup vegan creamy mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup vegan sour cream about 4 ounces
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Salt to taste optional

For the “chips”

• 1/2 pound shredded Idaho® potatoes
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon potato starch

Instructions

1. Add 2 cups of water to a 6-or 8-quart multicooker, Instant Pot or other type of pressure cooker. Place a trivet in the water. Saute on medium (to bring the water to a boil). 

2. Wash the potatoes - don't peel them! and shred in a food processor. Rinse and drain the shredded potatoes and pat dry with a tea or paper towel. Place 1 pound in a casserole dish that fits in the pressure cooker (6- or 8-quart) and air fryer (3.7- or 5.8-qt), approximately 3 x 7.5 x 3 inches. Set the remaining half pound of shredded potatoes aside in a medium bowl.

3. Chop the onion and add to the potatoes. Add the vegan cheese and pour the melted vegan butter over the potatoes and onion.

4. In a food processor or blender, puree the tofu, sour cream and mushroom soup for 20 to 30 seconds. Pour over the potatoes. Add black pepper.

5. Cover the casserole dish with foil and gently place onto the trivet in the pressure cooker. Cover and set for 20 minutes on high pressure (use a natural release - releasing after 15 minutes)

6. While the casserole is cooking, prepare the "chips."

7. Preheat the air fryer to 360°F for 3 minutes.

8. Add the oil, paprika, salt and potato starch to the remaining potatoes and mix until well coated. Transfer to the air fryer and cook for 5 minutes at 360°F. Transfer to a cutting board and chop the crispy shreds into crumbs.

9. Once pressure has been released, carefully remove the pan from the pot. Uncover and spread the potato "chips" / crumbs over the top. Transfer the pan to the air fryer and cook for 5 minutes at 400°F. 

   

This post was sponsored by The Idaho Potato Commission, but the opinions expressed are my own. 

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