These two recipes were in our local paper today and sounded like something I would want to try. I wanted to post them for everyone here in case someone might want to give them a try as well.

Twice-Baked Potato Casserole (Paula Deen)

8 medium baking potatoes, about 4 pounds

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 pint sour cream

2 cups (1/2 pound) shredded sharp cheddar cheese (divided use)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup chopped chives, for garnish

6 slices bacon, cooked crisp, drained and crumbled, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pierce potatoes and place on baking pan. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until very soft.

Peel and mash potatoes in large bowl with potato masher or back of fork. Add cream cheese, butter, sour cream and 1 cup of cheddar. Stir well. Add garlic, salt and pepper, and stir again.

Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Place potato mixture in dish, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate casserole until ready to bake.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees, remove plastic wrap and bake casserole 30 to 35 minutes until hot. Sprinkle remaining 1cup cheddar over casserole and return to oven for about 5 minutes, until cheese melts. Garnish with chopped chives and crumbled bacon before serving.

Makes 10 to 12 servings.


Spicy Citrus Shrimp

Start to finish: 50 minutes, 20 minutes active

1 lemon

1 navel orange

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

30 medium shrimp, peeled and veins removed

Salt

Zest the lemon and half of the orange and place the zest in a medium bowl. Peel both pieces of fruit, then finely chop half of each. Placed the chopped fruit in the bowl with the zest and reserving the remaining halves.

To the bowl, add the oil, garlic, black pepper and pepper flakes. Mix well. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Cover and marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes, or refrigerated overnight.

Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Remove the shrimp from the marinade, allowing bits of citrus to stick. Discard the marinade. Season the shrimp lightly with salt and grill until opaque and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.

Use the reserved halves of lemon and orange to squeeze a bit of juice over the shrimp just before serving.

Makes 10 three-piece servings.