My first experiment with Navy food – Ham and Potatoes – was a bust. My husband described the results as “institutional,” by which he meant “prison food.” I agreed with him, even though I have no first-hand knowledge of prison food. I assume he doesn’t either. Of course, you know what happens when you assume. But, not being one to open cans of worms, I think I’ll wait until strange characters start popping in unexpectedly and demanding to know where the money’s hidden before I confront him. In the meantime, I decided to take a stab making this Navy food palatable. So, what I’m giving you here at least works. I managed to elevate it to “truck stop food.” If your tastes run toward stuff you find on the interstate, you might want to give this a spin. It’s better than a frozen dinner.
I’m nonetheless still energized about my Navy project long-term (which you can read about here). I’ll simply use my own recipes instead of these, when the time comes.
I started this whole Ham and Potatoes shebang by dividing the Navy ingredient list down from 100 servings, to single-serving size. Then I multiplied that up to 4-5 servings. (I’m sure there’s a more direct way to do that, but math and I have very strict boundaries.) After that, I rounded the numbers to the nearest 0.125 and made sanity adjustments (I mean, you try weighing out ⅝ oz. of butter). Finally, after some testing, I made further adjustments, while trying at least to preserve the essence of the Navy way.
Jailhouse Mashed Potatoes
Serves 4-6
3⅞ lbs potatoes[a]
2½-4½ cups water[b]
1-1½ cups milk[c]
1½-2 tsp salt[d]
2 oz. softened butter[e]
Parsley, optional
- Bring the water to the boiling point. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes. Add the potatoes to the boiling water, and cook until tender, 5 minutes.[f] When the potatoes are close to done, heat the milk in the microwave until hot, about 2 minutes. Once the potatoes are tender, drain them.
- Beat at lowest speed to break up potatoes, about 15 seconds. Increase to high speed (6 of 10), and beat until no lumps remain, 30 seconds.
- Add salt, butter, and 1 cup of the milk. Beat at lowest speed until blended, then increase to high speed for about 30 seconds. Add more milk, if necessary. (Garnish with a small amount of minced parsley.) Serve immediately.[g]
- Variation: Use 3 parts potatoes to 2 parts rutabagas (or turnips). Rutabagas are more fibrous and watery than potatoes. You need to cook them until they’re quite soft and even so, they’ll add a bit of texture to your potatoes. Be careful about adding milk – they may not need any – so that you don’t accidentally make the mashed rutabagas too loose.
- You need enough water to cover the potatoes.
- I’m pretty sure I did the math right, but I’m willing to admit that I may’ve been mistaken. In any case, the Navy recipe seemed to call for 3¼ cups of milk, which is obviously absurd. I decided to reduce it to 2, and it didn’t go well. The potatoes were so thin, they were almost pourable. I rescued it with a heavy dousing of Greek yogurt and a whole lotta potato flakes. What would I be doing with instant potatoes on hand? Have you had them? They’re not bad. They’re a great addition homemade white bread dough.
- The amount of salt I’ve listed is much more than the original recipe called for.
- The Navy recipe was so light on butter. Between that, the light salt, and too much milk … I feel sorry for the poor sailors who had to eat such bland, boring potatoes. You could easily double even what I’ve listed as the corrected amount of butter.
- I prefer to start the potatoes in cold water. In that case, it takes about a half-hour to get them soft.
- If potatoes have to be held for any length of time, cover with a clean, damp, lint-free cloth or buttered parchment. Keep warm in a 250º F oven.
Griddle-Broiled Ham
Serves 4
2 lbs ham steak(s)[a]
- Broil steak(s) on heated griddle.[b] Cook 5 minutes, scraping away fat as it accumulates. Flip to ensure even cooking, and cook 5 minutes more, continuing to remove fat. Serve immediately.[c]
- You can buy ham steaks in a variety of sizes. Some are as big as platters, others come in what I’d consider to be single-serving (½-pound) slices. I’ve had better luck with the platter-size steaks, as the smaller one are way, way too salty.
- As an alternative to griddle-broiling, if you have a grilling machine – a Quisinart Griddler, for instance – this is what they’re good at. Many machines are designed to drain away the fat automatically. If your machine grills from both sides at the same time, cut the cooking time in half.
- Serve with cream gravy, eggs or omelets, pancakes, or potatoes – especially scalloped potatoes.
Ham and Potatoes, Navy Style
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Perhaps it is all the division and multiplication that created the problem with the potatoes. One thing is certain, I know your own way of preparing mashed potatoes would turn out better, especially if there is more butter. 😀
Karen (Back Road Journal) recently posted…The Serras, One Of Barcelona’s Top Boutique Hotels
More butter never hurts, does it?
Simple but shipshape! I am sure a bunch of hungry folks would be happy to power through!
Abbe@This is How I Cook recently posted…Milk Bar’s Chinese Sausage Focaccia
Yeah, I have to admit that I did chow it down.
This is a wonderful comfort food we would absolutely eat any night of the week and be happy! Looks soooo delish! Pinning! Ham and potatoes is always a winner, love it served this way. 🙂
Have at it, Kim! It is pretty straightforward, bound to be acceptable to most palates, and filling. But stick around, because I’m eventually going to turn it into something more exciting.
Would this also be called a blue plate special? that term always confused me. the ham and potatoes looks like a lovely meal, in or out of prison.
mimi rippee recently posted…Savory Biscotti
Yes, I think it would if it had a few more sides! I haven’t heard that term in several lifetimes!
This is so hearty and comforting! I didn’t even know there’s a navy styled ham and potato dish. Live and learn!
angiesrecipes recently posted…Spinach Pesto and Cheddar Stuffed Mushrooms
In the end, I do think it was hearty and comforting. Thanks, Angie!
Hah! Despite the recipe being upgraded to just truck stop food, I still support your Navy food mission. It’s a fun project, and I’m hoping we can upgrade it again in the next post. I’m not sure what lies one step above truck stop food, though. Perhaps McDonalds? That might be a bit of a stretch though. Either way, it’s hard to beat a good ham and potatoes dish. Your grill marks look fantastic here, too.
David @ Spiced recently posted…Muffin Tin Stromboli
Thanks, David. The grill marks are almost too perfect, but that was the work of The Griddler – it worked beautifully with the ham. Anyway, I’m planning to catapult this meal right to “good enough for company” when I finally pull it together, bypassing McDonald’s altogether. Thanks for the vote of confidence!
We’ve used instant potato flakes in bread recipes, too. They’re good for that! Haven’t had them as actual potatoes, though. Anyway, interesting dish. And you’ve made me realize I don’t exactly know what quantities of ingredients I use when making mashed potatoes — one of those dishes I make entirely by eye!
John / Kitchen Riffs recently posted…Lamb, Lentil, and Green Chile Chili
Oh yeah? That’s cool. I’m always afraid I’m going to overbeat them if I don’t get the proportions right them first time. Truth is, I don’t make them that often. I should, though – I love’m.
This looks like breakfast to me, and I’m loving those grill marks and the char flavor I be it has. I might just crack an egg over it. 🙂 (I would’ve had to give that math to my 12 or 15 yr old to do for me. No joke!)
I know what you mean about the math! Alexa was no help. She doesn’t like story problems any more than I ever did.
What could possibly go wrong with real mashed potatoes? I would have assumed institutions use potato flakes for the mashed potatoes? This looks like a simple, tasty and filling meal. Truck stop or not.
Eva Taylor recently posted…Twice Baked Mushroom Soufflé
This comes from a 1945 cookbook. Flakes weren’t invented until 1962. I worked it up into something I could eat, but man, it took a lot of zhuzhing.
Speaking as the son of a navy father (my Dad was in the British Navy) I have to say when he made mashed potatoes at home for us, like he had at sea, they were made with lashings of butter! He would most certainly enjoy your ham steak though (although we call it a gammon steak) as I would too. Yum!
neil@neilshealthymeals.com recently posted…Curried Red Lentil Soup
Cool!
I’ve actually never heard of these before, but they look right up my alley!! I love all the filling suggestions and have a feeling I could eat WAY too many of these!!
Jeff, I’ve eaten prison food more than once (I was guard while in University) and I got to tell you it is very institutional. Perhaps hubby worked as a guard when he was younger or was a volunteer for ACLU. I always have instant potatoes in the pantry, mostly for baking and sometimes for quick comfort food. Rutabagas are a mainstay crop here and we often include them in our mash, so great idea there. And, remember everything is better with butter. A proper truckstop meal that I’d gladly put down.
Ron recently posted…Skansen, fascinating kids and adults since 1891…
Man, you have done some interesting things, Ron! Well, once I get the whole Navy thing together, it’s going to be a good meal, for sure. I think I’ll use a better mashed recipe, though.
This Navy-style food looks delicious. I wonder how those mashed potatoes are in taste with a pinch of pepper on it. Great recipe for breakfast.
I did like it for breakfast.
I’d never call this prison food. In fact, drizzle a Coca Cola pan sauce over the mashed potatoes and you’d have a special dinner my Great Grandma would have made for me as a 6-year-old. I haven’t thought about ham steaks in cola sauce in decades, but it was an ongoing family joke when I was a kid. Whenever we’d have a particularly good dinner my mother would always say “Sure it’s good, but it ain’t my Gramma’s ham steak in cola sauce.”
Thanks for that memory. GREG
Haha! I’ve never had a cola sauce!
I don’t eat ham but I LOVE potatoes. I’ll devour your jailhouse mash potatoes.