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.

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.

Chili's for dinner!

Thought I'd post what we had for dinner last night - a Spicy Chili! Yum! Dusty couldn't wait for it to cold enough this year so I'd make this. It's super easy - when I worked at SF, I'd brown the meat and put everything in the Crock pot on my lunch break. It was nice to come home to the savory aroma of dinner. If you want it extra hot, use the hot Rotel. I've done that before and it was great!

Spicy Chili
1 lb hamburger meat
1/2 onion
1 can Rotel
2 cans ranch style beans
2 small cans tomato sauce
1/2 package of chili seasoning
1/2 T chili powder

I know the instructions aren't really needed, but here they are.
Brown hamburger meat with chopped onion. Drain fat. Add remaining ingredients. Let heat through or simmer. Can simmer for several hours for great flavor!