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2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
3 tablespoons butter
¼ cup milk
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ parmesan cheese, grated
¼ romano cheese, grated
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 cup Italian seasoned Italian bread crumbs
1 cup flour
3 eggs
4 to 6 cups Canola oil

1. Boil potatoes in water with a little salt until tender. Drain and add butter, milk, salt, pepper, cheeses and parsley. Beat until mixed well.
2. Cover and chill in refrigerator over night or for 5 hours.
3. Heat the oil in a medium pot or fryer over a medium flame.
4. In a small bowl beat eggs. In a shallow dish toss flour. In a third dish toss Italian bread crumbs.
5. In a line place your potatoes first. Next in order place the flour dish, the eggs and last the bread crumbs. Form the potato mixture into 2 to 3 inch size tube shapes. Roll in flour, then in the eggs, then in the bread crumbs.
6. Deep fry the croquettes in the oil, using a wire strainer, shaking and rolling the tubes around to evenly cook them, until they are golden brown.
7. Serve immediately. Makes about 2 dozen. Great side dish for any entrée.
8. This recipe has an Italian flavor to them. If you don’t like the parmesan/ romano cheeses, eliminate the cheeses and try adding ½ grated onion to the potatoes instead.
9. Enjoy – You say potato and I say po-ta-toe, lets call the whole thing off. Instead lets say croquettes!

Family has surrounded me all my life. When I was a kid, my family shared a two family house with my mom’s sister and her family. We entertained in the basement which had a kitchen, bar, and a very rustic stone wine cellar. Every holiday, my mom and aunt would cook and entertain family and friends together as both their kitchens were too small and neither had a dining room. The basement was open, the tables were lined up to accommodate a crowd of family and friends, and everyone left feeling full and happy.

They made it look easy; I didn’t realize how many days they worked on preparing those wonderful dinners until I did my own entertaining!

I have a small diningroom which can just about handle 8 people comfortably or 10 tightly for a sit down dinner. My husband’s family is now too large for us to host a holiday dinner. So a few years ago, I invited just my sister-in-laws, their spouses and a cousin and wife to a formal dinner in February. There are 9 of us, making it a comfy fit around the table. This has been my fourth formal dinner in February for the same guests. I had been hosting the dinners on Saturday nights, but switched to Sunday afternoon this year. From now on, they will always be on Sundays, because I realized how much I needed the extra day. The week before the dinner, I start to put together a menu and by Friday I’m food shopping.

This year, just a day before my big Sunday dinner, my husband had to work, leaving me to my own devices. I cooked all day on Saturday, straightened out the first floor of my home, and set the table. I know you know that setting a proper table with china, special silverware, special wine glasses and linens is an art and a bit time consuming. However, it’s worth it to show my guests how much I appreciate them.

These potato croquettes were prepared especially for my two brothers-in-law, Kevin and John, real meat and potato guys. For this kind of crowd I tend to double the recipe and make 5 pounds of potatoes for the croquettes. I whip the potatoes the day before and let them get very cold in the refrigerator overnight; it makes them easier to mold and handle while breading and frying. These potato croquettes were, without a doubt, the highlight of my dinner. Everyone seemed to love them, especially Kevin and John, who raved about them and my daughter, Mia, who was thrilled to eat the leftovers the following day. If you plan on making these potato croquettes, by all means make extra, because you will be glad you did!

All this planning for one dinner that isn’t even a holiday, yes! Is it a workout? You betcha, more than any 40 minute Zumba or spin class. To have family and friends together, sharing a meal, conversing, enjoying each other’s company, is truly priceless. They are memories in the making, and I so value these times together even if it takes me three days to prepare for it!