Skillet ( or roasted) Potatoes with Mushrooms and Kale

When I was a kid, my dad sometimes fried potatoes and onions in a big skillet for dinner when he got home before my mom.  I don't know what we had with them, but it was probably a a big hunk of meat.  This recipe starts from that tradition, but adds two vegetables my dad would never eat (sorry, Dad), as well as some Old Bay, because that stuff is delicious on potatoes.  This would still be tasty with a big hunk of meat, but you could just as easily make it a meal for two with a side salad. Bonus: leftovers can be laid out on a single layer baking sheet, sprinkled with feta or the cheese of your choice, and broiled on high for 5 minutes (see below), serving as a perfect bed for a fried egg for brunch. 

Skillet Potatoes with Mushrooms and Kale

Serves 4 as a side

1 tablespoon olive oil

3-4 large russet potatoes, thinly sliced and rounds cut in half

1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced

4 ounces sliced mushrooms

2 cups washed, chopped kale, tightly packed

2 garlic cloves, minced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

(To roast instead, combine all ingredients in a large bowl, pour out in a single layer on baking sheets, and roast in the oven at 425⁰F 20-25 minutes, stirring every ten minutes or so.)

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. In batches, cook the potatoes until golden on both sides. Remove potatoes to a paper towel-lined plate and lower heat to medium. Cook the onions and mushrooms until soft a watery, about 5 minutes, then add the kale and cook until bright green and wilted, another 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, potatoes, and Old Bay.  Taste for salt and pepper and serve piping hot.