Baked Potato Soup

Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients

2/3 c. margarine
2/3 c. flour
7 c milk
4-6 med baked potatoes-baked, cooled, peeled & cubed
4 green onions, chopped12 slices bacon
1 1/4 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp salt1 tsp pepper

optional-dash onoin, garlic salt, cayenne pepper and 1 tbl parsley

Procedure

Cook bacon over med high heat. Drain, crumble, set aside.

In a dutch oven, melt margarine over med heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Gradually stir in milk, whisking until thickened. Stir in potatoes and 1/2 onion. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Mix in 1/2 bacon, cheese, and all spices. Continue cooking stirring freq.
Top with remaining bacon, onion, cheese and sour cream on each serving.


I was going to post a picture, but when I made this the other day, I was trying to too many things and burnt it. I had it up too high and didn't stir and it scortched and was absolutely gross and we ended up having pizza. So, it only takes like 10 min, but don't be like me and burn it. :)

This is super easy and fast if you use left over baked potatos, so I always make extra when I make them for dinner and we have soup a day or two later. Also, often, I will cook a few packs of bacon and keep it in the fridge, for BLT's and this soup. It makes it super easy. :O

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:
2 cans chicken broth (or 3 cups water with bouillon cubes)
2 cups cooked diced chicken
2 cups chopped carrots
2 cups chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped onion
4 cups egg noodles
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can evaporated milk
1 cup milk
Flour
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Cook carrots, celery, and onion in broth. When tender, add noodles & cook.
2. In blender, mix cream of chicken soup, evaporated milk, and milk. Add to soup.
3. Add flour until desired consistency is reached.
4. Cook until boils and thickened. Add chicken. Season with salt and pepper.

Makes about 2 1/2 quarts, or 10 one-cup servings.

This is fabulous with some breadsticks!

Enjoy!

Is it Spring yet?

Pasta Salad

This is a favorite at my house, and they look for leftovers the next day.
Note: you can use any veggies, meats or cheeses you like to tailor this for your family.

Get a large pot of water boiling while you chop the veggies.

I chop equal amounts of carrots, broccoli and cauliflower in small pieces.
(think too small to be picked out easily and too small to overpower a spoonful.)
You could add any veggies, thawed peas, halved cherry/grape tomatoes, leftover cooked chilled asparagus, chopped sweet peppers. Whatever you family likes.

All together you should have about three cups of vegetables.
Place in a large bowl.

Next chop about 5 stalks of green onions and add it to the other veggies.

Some time in here your water should be boiling. Add about 12 oz of your favorite pasta and cook according to package directions. We like small shell and bowtie pasta the best but corkscrew in any of it's varieties works great as does penne.... really, whatever you have on hand works (maybe not spaghetti but who knows).

Time to chop some meat - this is a great use for leftovers, chicken (grilled is especially good), beef, ham... the thicker sliced lunch meat works fine too. Cottage cheese is also really good.

Chop some cheese, string cheese is a favorite but you could do Colby jack, Parmesan, feta, shredded cheese (you get the picture).

I always keep the meat and cheese separate and allow people to add their own - or not. The salad as a whole keeps better this way.

When your pasta is done, drain it and then put ice cubes in the bottom of the pan. Mix the ice cubes, hot pasta and some cold water in the pan and allow to sit for a few minutes as you get everything together. Stir the pasta occasionally to cool evenly.

Drain the pasta again making sure the ice cubes are melted or removed and mix pasta with veggies. (There should be roughly equal amounts of each).

Serve with the cheese and meats as well as a variety of salad dressings on the side.
Serves 4-6.

Deep Dish Mexican Pizza

My kids love tacos and corn bread, so when i found this recipe it seemed like a natural combination. This is great for left over taco meat.

Preheat oven to 400
Cornbread-
1-1/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup corn meal
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup skim milk
1/4 vegetable oil
2 egg whites or 1 egg beaten

Toppings:
Anything you would put on a taco-
I put taco meat, sliced olives, diced tomatoes, 1 cup of shredded medium cheddar cheese.

Mix the corn bread ingredients and pour mix into a greased 11" (deep) oven safe skillet, (I put mine into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake corn bread for 15 min. Remove from oven and put the toppings on with the cheese last. Put back in the oven and bake an additional 5 mins. Remove and serve with salsa and sour cream.


If you don't want make cornbread from scratch use 2 boxes of Jiffy corn muffin mix. For those of you with smaller families, try 1 box of muffin mix in a 9in square pan.
I make 2- 9 x 13 pans for my family of 7.