The Cheesiest Potatoes With Crushed Pretzels And Pepperoni!

Are you ready to #PepItUp because I know that I am! This sponsored post has been compensated by #CollectiveBias, Inc. and its advertiser. Because we all need a few extra cups of coffee in our day. Or coffee cake. Or ooey-gooey cheesy potatoes. Yup…I think you get the picture. If not, then here’s a few more.

There are some days I walk through the grocery store and do not deviate from my self-made instructions. The kids are on their best behavior and life is good. And then there are days like last week. When the littlest is screaming seated protests from the buggy and the oldest wanted to “help” me buy everything I never need. Right then I didn’t want my list – I wanted cheese. Gooey cheese and crusted, curled, baked-to-perfection Hormel pepperoni.

But I also didn’t want pizza. Or the sauce and bread that is normally found with these cups of glistening perfection. I was already disenchanted by the fact that any “cream of” condensed soup was thickened by the presence of wheat. I can handle ingesting a little wheat – but I yearned for my favorite cheesy potatoes. The ones that mound my plate during the holidays or fill my bowl when I need comfort food in depths of winter. You know, the kind that use a can of condensed cream of chicken soup to taste just right.

So it was at the exact moment that I was walking at the speed of motherhood that I saw it. The cheese I craved. And instantly, like divine inspiration…I could think of nothing else but a potatoes dish to rival the creamiest macaroni and cheese. All topped with a shredded cheddar cheese, crushed pretzel and pepperoni topping.

So I did what any great Momma would. I continued to let all those other parents thank their lucky stars it wasn’t their kid wailing like a bat out of hell. I dashed to grab the last few things I’d envisioned. Then I raced through the self-checkout, never breathing normally until the utter relief that occurs when crossing an “exit” sign with a fussy child.

And that people…is the story on how my newest normcore comfort-food dish was born. Enjoy. Because great pepperoni ideas deserve to be celebrated!

First – peel and cube 5 pounds of potatoes. I use a classic hearty white potato. But ever a Mom in a hurry, I usually leave on a little of the skin.

For this recipe? I like a bigger cube, and I’m going to boil them for 10 minutes. You can adjust your time to how long you boil the potatoes. Bigger cubes need a longer boil time. Smaller cubes will mush if your boiling them too long.

While your potatoes are boiling, cube your cheese. I used the original Velveeta cheese for this recipe. I cut off 12-16 oz and cubed it up for easy melting. Toss the cheese into a pan with 3/4 cup of real butter and 3/4 of a can of chicken stock. Set your heat to medium, and whisk till melted.

When the butter and cheese have melted, remove the pan from heat. Then dollop in about 12 oz of sour cream. Stir until blended.  Always a fan of disposable pans, I am using small 9×9 squares. {They stack in a small fridge better.} So this recipe will either fill two 9×9’s. You’ll want to eyeball about 2-1/2 pounds of potatoes to drain {not rinse} and layer them into your 9×9 dish.

Can you guess what’s next? Now that your cheese mixture is melted, pour it over your potatoes. Then cover with aluminum foil, and bake at 350° for 20 minutes. This really just gives it time to set the flavor and continue to soften those potatoes.

Uncover and top with mixture of crushed pretzels, shredded sharp cheese, and quartered Hormel pepperoni. For the topping I used 1/2 the bubble pack of Hormel original pepperoni. Then I quartered it, and tossed it into a bowl with 1/2 cup of chopped pretzels and 1 cup of cheese.

Place back in the oven, and heat until cheese is melted and pepperoni is smelling so great you’re drooling. I left mine in for 15 minutes. This also provides the perfect timeframe to ready this dish while finishing up the rest of your menu when serving larger meals.

So…are you as geeked to try this out as I was? I totally forget to use it, but there is a coupon you can use on the Hormel site. And I’m always obsessed with following people on Twitter, so Hormel was no exception. Make sure to follow me too {@roastedbeanz}, so I can always serve up more great ideas on how to #PepItUp in your kitchen!