When Dinner is a Disaster*

After my week plus vacation from the blog, YJDKIY had big plans to return with a tasty sweet potato recipe that I could also feature for an upcoming Winter Harvest post. I should have known when the sweet potatoes were MIA that this dinner was doomed. Apparently when unpacking groceries the other day, I thought they should go in the freezer. Just for the record, frozen whole potatoes are an ideal substitute for bricks. The other eater showed up with two new sweet potatoes, and I decided to cheat the recipe and microwave them for a few minutes to reduce the 60 minute bake time. Note, this doesn't really work.

Meanwhile, I got out the shallots, garlic, and corn for a little stuffing saute. Again, I should have quit when two of the just purchased shallots were already rotten.

Plus they make SUCH a mess. 

Diced them up and cooked for a while, but apparently not long enough (this will be clear later).

Scooped out the potatoes, which is not at all like scooping out a baked potato.

Spooned the mix back in.

Top with some fancy-grated cheddar and return to the oven for 15-20 minute. These had such potential!

Just so we're clear, I have never met a dish that had too much onion or garlic...until now. I couldn't even finish this because the shallots were so potent. It burned my mouth to even chew it. And just to reinforce the magnitude of this disastacular, the other eater even said, for the first time EVER, that this dinner concoction did not get approval. first.time.ever.

So while dinner was a total flop and second dinners ensued, we're going to hope this is just the fault of the frozen potatoes/rotted shallots and not because I, you know, forgot how to cook or anything.

* or The One that made me have to re-think tomorrow night's dinner in order to make this flop not the last post of 2011. You're welcome.