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Thursday, October 21, 2010

Baked Potato Soup

This soup had the kids at our house literally making up songs and singing it's praise as they gobbled it up tonight. It's super delicious! I hope you like it too. 





Baked Potato Soup
4 Baked potatoes (we used left overs)
2/3 cup Flour
1/2 Cup Butter
6 Cups Milk
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup Sour Cream
3/4 cup sliced green onions divided
1lb sliced bacon cooked and crumbled

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a glass oven proof dish place your butter. When the butter is mostly melted pour in the flour, and whisk until blended. Bake for 15-18 minutes until bubbly.

Ia large pot pour in all the milk, and add the flour mixture stirring with a whisk until all blended. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly (approx 8 minutes.) Add peeled and roughly chopped/roughly mashed potatoes, 3/4 cup cheese, salt, pepper stirring until cheese melts. Remove from heat.

Stir in sour cream, 3/4 of the crumbled bacon and 1/2 cup onions. Cook over low heat until thoroughly heated but DO NOT BOIL. Garnish with additional cheese, bacon and onions and ground pepper.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Zuppa Toscana

Hip Hip Hooray for soup weather at last! Ahhhh October! I love it when I can break out the soup recipes and cook away. Soup is so easy and so tasty. To be honest I am not a fan of the Olive Garden but they did make me familiar with a great soup so kudos to them for that! Try it out, hopefully you'll enjoy this as much as we did.

Zuppa Toscana

1 lb. spicy Italian sausage – crumbled
1/2 lb. smoked bacon – chopped
1 qt. water
(2) 14.5 oz. cans (about 3 2/3 cups) chicken broth
2 large russet potatoes, scrubbed clean and cubed
2 garlic cloves minced
1 med. onion diced
2 cups washed and roughly chopped kale
1 cup heavy whipping cream
salt and pepper – to taste

Method:
Brown sausage in a pan over medium to medium-high heat, breaking up into small pieces as it cooks.
Drain sausage and set to the side.
Brown bacon in a pan over medium-high heat. Be careful not to cook all the way to crispy.
Drain bacon and set to the side.
Place broth, water, garlic, potatoes, and onion in a pot. Simmer over medium heat until potatoes are tender.
Add sausage and bacon to the soup. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add kale and cream to pot. Season with salt and pepper. Heat thoroughly but don't boil.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Homemade Hamburger Helper.

Why make it from a box when you can whip this up almost as fast and inexpensively and it tastes 100 times better! 
 
Homemade Hamburger Helper
1 large onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 lbs ground beef, browned and drained
2 (24 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes
1 (24 ounce) cans water
12 ounces elbow macaroni, raw
1 1/2tsp- to taste salt
1 1/2tsp- to taste pepper
Garnish with parmesan cheese (optional)
 
Method: 
Saute onions and garlic in olive oil until translucent.
Brown ground beef and drain.
Add ground beef, tomatoes, water, raw macaroni, salt and pepper to the onion and garlic mixture.
Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until macaroni is tender.
If desired, top with Parmesan cheese.
 
Serve with crusty bread and a salad.