Smashed Baked Potatoes with Chicken and Mustard Vinaigrette

Long name, but a GREAT side dish or easy FAST lunch.  and costs pennies per serving.  Have I ever told you all how cheap I am?  I mean really cheap.  I haunt the grocery store ads, often making a three store swing to take advantage of what is cheapest that week.  This week, 5 pounds of russet potatoes for only 79 CENTS!!!  I knew potato recipes were in my future.  There was a small issue with the taters... as in they were all a little small.  Too small to serve as a baked potato.  But that was OK, I rarely make baked potatoes.  This dish was perfect in many ways, ot the least, small potatoes are so much fun to smash.

And when I say smashed, I don't mean mashed, I mean taking a frying pan and whacking the potato to smash it flat.  Hulk (and cooks) SMASH!

This particular recipe came from a lunch I made.  Just me puttering around the house, time to whip up something fast.  I microwaved a potato... Fast and easy.

The chicken (of course) comes from a  store bought, pre-cooked, pre-seasoned Rotisserie Chicken... Fast and easy.

The sauce is so very simple, easily whipped up in the short amount of time it took to zap the potato... Fast and easy!

Here's what I did...

Smashed Baked Potatoes with
Chicken and Mustard Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 2 Small Russet baking potatoes, microwaved according to your machine's directions
• 1 Cup Meat from a Rotisserie Chicken, I used a thigh and leg quarter
• For the Sauce
• 2 TBS White Wine Vinegar
• 1 TBS mayonnaise
• 1 TBS Dijon Mustad
• Pinch of Salt and Pepper
• 3 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tsp Lemon Juice
• 1 pinch Cayenne Powder
• 1 Medium Green Onion, sliced for garnish
• To Taste Salt and Pepper

Cooking Directions

1. Start by putting the potatoes in a microwave and cook according to directions until done.
2. Meanwhile, make the Vinaigrette... In a blender, combine the Vinegar, mayo, mustard, salt and pepper, Ex-Virgin Olive Oil, lemon juice and just a pinch of cayenne Pepper. Blend for 30 seconds until completely emulsified.
3. Remove the potatoes from the microwave and allow to rest for a few minutes.
4. Take a heavy frying pan, place a potato on a cutting board and smash with the frying pan. If you wind up and swing, the potato will smash, but you will have to clean up. OR, just rest the pan on the top of the potato, and hit with the back of your hand. The potato smashes flat, about 1/2 to a full inch thick.
5. Move to a serving plate, top with the chicken and the vinaigrette and garnish with the Green Onions.
6. Salt and Pepper to taste
7. Serve HOT and Enjoy!

As I said, I originally made this for my solo lunch,,, easily finished in just 10 minutes.

BUT, I loved this so much, I am adding this to my list of side dishes, and moving them high on the list.  They have two advantages... FAST and EASY, but also the vinaigrette adds an unusual taste that makes these stand out.

SO... Later that night I served these up with a sloppy Chicken Joe (will be posting that recipe soon) to my wife with the inconvenient day job for dinner.  They were a BIG BIG HIT!

So, here it is. One of my new all time favorite dishes. FILLED with flavors, and just plain DELICIOUS!

It really does all come together quickly... not even a 30 minute meal.  5 minutes hands on cooking. Especially if you use one of my beloved Store Bought, Pre-cooked, Pre-seasoned Rotisserie Chicken.

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This recipe has been added to my growing list of "52 Uses For a Rotisserie Chicken"  (Now close to 100!)...I am so confused... $5.49 for a fully cooked, fully seasoned Oven Roasted, Rotisserie Chicken. Yet shop in the raw meat department and most raw chickens are at best $8 each and usually far closer to $10. Anyone have an answer??? Me either. So, I can either rail against the machine, or learn to embrace the beauty that is the $5 chicken! In this pin are recipes I have made, and recommend. MORE than 52 (I just can't stop)..
You get the idea.  From Scratch Pizza to Chinese Take Out recipes, Lots of Soups and Chili... Appetizers to Main Courses (Still can't find a dessert, but I am looking).  More than enough ideas for that store nought bird to shine with just a little extra work

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