Fabulous Baked Potato Soup

My dear friend, Lindsey, Super-mom to the most adorable twin boys, sent me this recipe to try. Oh, it really was a little piece of heaven... I loved it!!!! I've actually never had baked potato soup... Crazy, I know!!! This makes enough to feed a herd of starving monkeys! We have lots and lots of left-overs which we have been diligent in eating. :)

Baked Potato Soup

Approximate prep time: 30 minutes (not including baking potatoes)

Cooking time: 15-20 minutes

2/3 cup butter
2/3 cup flour
7 cups milk
4 cups baked potatoes,or about 5 large potatoes (I added a couple more to make it thicker), peeled and cubed
4 green onions sliced then (I used chives from my garden - a handful. I might use more next time because I'd like a little more flavor)
8-12 strips bacon, according to your taste preferences, cooked and crumbled
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
8 oz sour cream
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

1. Melt butter in large stockpot. Add flour and stir until smooth over med. heat.

2. Add milk, stirring often until thickened. Be careful not to scorch.

3. Add potatoes and onions and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, for about 5 minutes. (I added a bit of garlic powder here as well)

4. Remove from heat and add bacon, cheese, and sour cream. Stir until melted

5. Add seasonings and blend thoroughly.

New Chicken Recipe!!!

I tried a new chicken recipe that I found in Kraft Food & Family Magazine... thanks, Teresa, for sharing the info for this with me... if you want to subscribe to this recipe filled magazine, click here.

Chicken Nacho Bake

4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1/2 cup salsa

1/4 cup sour cream

1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips

1/2 cup shredded cheese (Mexican style, cheddar, whatever you like)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. The breasts should be split in half so they are flatter and thinner... this makes them cook quickly and keeps that toppings on. Slice 3 cuts on top of each chicken breast half with a sharp knife and place on a foil lined baking sheet.

Here's what the breast halves look like with the slices.

Top each chicken breast evenly with salsa, sour cream, and tortilla chips. (One breast doesn't have the full toppings because it was Cayson's) Bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven; sprinkle with cheese. Bank an additional 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Note: I didn't mess with measuring out the ingredients. I just spooned the ingredients on until it looked good to me. We loved this recipe! It is kind of like reverse nachos... with the chicken on the bottom and the chips on top! I served it with some Mexican rice and it was yum-o!

I thought I'd post a picture of what I deal with when trying to make dinner... a clingy boy and toys spread across the floor... it makes things a little more difficult. :)

Pizza Casserole

By now, you have probably realized I like simple easy recipes and use a lot of beef! I love chicken but since it hasn't been on sale lately, I've been cooking with a lot of beef. This is a recipe I found in a magazine a few years ago.

Pizza Casserole

Ingredients:

2 cups egg noodles
2 tsp vegetable oil

1 pound ground beef

1/3 cup finely chopped onion

1 clove garlic, finely chopped ( I substitute garlic powder when I don't have garlic)

1 ts oregano (I use about 2 ts)

(I also add about 1/2 ts Italian seasoning)

1/2 ts salt

1 can condensed tomato soup

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat oven to 350. Cook noodles following package directions. Drain and reserve. (I like the steam in this picture!)

Meanwhile, heat oil on medium-high heat in a nonstick skillet. Add ground beef, onion, and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat for 6 minutes until beef is no longer pink. Drain off excess liquid. Stir in oregano, salt, soup, 1/3 cup water, and noddles. (Isn't this can of soup cute? Pink!!!!)


Take off the heat and add half of the cheese. Spoon into a 11x7 inch baking dish (or whatever size you have!) and sprinkle remaining cheese on the top. Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes until bubbly. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Bacon Cheeseburger Roll-Up... or Stromboli in my case

I tried a new recipe that I found on the Kraft Foods website tonight. Dusty gave it two thumbs up. I thought it could use some type of dipping sauce - like salsa or a pesto marinara. It was super easy - not exactly healthy. But you could make a big salad to go with it!

Bacon Cheeseburger Roll-Up

1 lb hamburger meat
4 slices bacon, chopped
1/2 cup, small onion, chopped
1/2 lb Velveeta cheese (or 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese)
1 pkg. refrigerated pizza crust

Preheat oven to 400. Cook ground beef, bacon, and onion in large skillet. You might put the bacon in first to get it cooked a little more before adding the beef. Cook on med-high heat until browned. Drain fat and return to heat. Add Velveeta; cook until completely melted, stirring frequently. Cool 10 minutes. (I didn't put the Velveeta in. Instead, I spread the shredded cheese on the rolled out pizza dough before layering the beef mixture on it. )

Unroll pizza dough onto greased baking sheet. My dough came out of the container with some major issues - here is the mutilated dough that I had to attempt to fix. Press into 15 x 8 inch rectangular. I didn't have my measuring tape handy so I just winged the measurements. Top evenly with meat mixture. (I put the shredded cheese on first) Roll up dough, starting on one of the long sides. Since I had a lot of problems with my mutilated dough, I just pulled up the sides and sealed it so it was more like a Stromboli instead of a roll.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown (not dark brown like mine - don't follow my example!). Cut and serve.

Chicken Taco Soup

I've made this Chicken Taco Soup by Rachael Ray twice and Dusty & I both love it! We found a salsa that has great flavor and tastes wonderful in it - Mrs. Renfro's Smoky Roasted Salsa. You can use your favorite salsa in this. It's also a great left-over meal. Actually, we are having the left-overs tomorrow night - great for a cold day! It's easy and healthy! So, here it is...

Chicken Taco Soup

2 T EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1 med. onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups salsa verde
2 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded (I chop mine)
Salt and black pepper
1 quart chicken stock

Toppings:
Cilantro, chopped
Shredded cheese
Crumbled corn or flour chips
Diced tomatoes

1. In a medium-size sauce pot over medium-high heat, add 2 turns of EVOO, and 2 tablespoons. Add the onion and garlic, and cook until softened, about 5-6 minutes.

2. Add the salsa, rotisserie chicken, and chicken stock. Bring up to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper and cook for about 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

3. Serve soup and top with diced tomatoes, shredded cheese, crumbled corn or flour chips, and cilantro.