Loaded Baked Potato Soup

I found this recipe on the 30 Day Gourmet site. On the site, they have adjusted the amount of ingredients for larger or multiple batches if making all at once. You can check out the Loaded Baked Potato Soup recipe here. I have both made the recipe to serve immediately and to freeze for a later meal. It is a good way to use up any leftover baked potatoes from a previous meal. It also can be adjusted to make a lighter version by using lighter or fat-free, low sodium, etc. versions of the ingredients.

Serves 8

INGREDIENTS
4 large baking potatoes
10 tablespoons butter or margarine
2/3 cup flour
6 cups milk
1-1/2 cups cheddar cheese
1-1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon balck pepper
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
8 ounces sour cream

ON HAND:
2-3 green onion sliced
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
3-4 slices cooked bacon, cooked and crumbled

DIRECTIONS
Scrub potatoes and wrap each one in aluminum foil. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 60-90 minutes, or until they’re soft when you squeeze them. Remove the potatoes from the oven, unwrap and cut in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out the pulp into a large bowl. Set aside. Save the leftover skins to make potato skins, or discard.

Melt butter or margarine in a large saucepan over low heat. Add the flour, stirring until smooth. Cook for about a minute, stirring constantly. Turn heat up to medium and continue stirring while slowly adding the milk. Continue to stir until mixture is thick and bubbly. Add the cheddar cheese, salt, pepper, and bacon. Mash the potato pulp with a hand-held potato masher, a fork, or a mixer, to get rid of the large chunks. Add the potato pulp to the pan, stirring to mix. When it is heated through, add the sour cream and stir to mix well. Do not boil the soup. Set aside to cool.

TO FREEZE
Freeze in freezer bags or rigid containers based on your family size. Seal, label and freeze.

TO SERVE
Thaw at least overnight in the refrigerator. Put the soup in a saucepan or microwave-safe container to heat. The soup will have the consistency of soft mashed potatoes. If needed, stir in some milk to make it more “soup-like”. But the soup should be thick, not runny. Once it’s heated through, spoon into serving bowls. Top each bowl with a sprinkle of shredded cheddar, sliced green onions and crumbled bacon as garnish.

Beef Stew Bread Bowl

Doesn't it look just yummy? I subscribe to various e-zines as well as regular magazines for cooking. This particular recipe came to me from Pillsbury.

The recipe (included below) calls for pre-packaged and convenience items. It helps to put this meal on the table in 30 minutes. Some items can be be made from scratch like the biscuits or used fresh (vegetables). It is all a matter of personal preference.

It is a good meal that can have all the ingredients at hand for one-of-those days. That is one thing we all have in common.



INGREDIENTS
1 lb. lean boneless top sirloin steak, 3/4-inch thick
1 teaspoon oil
3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (5/8-oz.) pkg. brown gravy mix
1 1/3 cups water
1 (15-oz.) can whole potatoes, drained, quartered
1 (9-oz.) pkg. frozen baby cut carrots, thawed, drained
1 1/2 cups Green Giant® Valley Fresh Steamers™ frozen sweet peas, thawed, drained
1 cup canned whole onions, drained
1 (16.3-oz.) can Pillsbury® Grands!® Refrigerated Buttermilk Biscuits


DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease eight (10-oz.) custard cups or large muffin cups.

2. Trim fat from steak. Cut steak lengthwise into 2 to 3 strips and then crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices.

3. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add beef; cook and stir until browned. Add garlic salt, pepper, gravy mix and water. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add potatoes, carrots, peas and onions; mix well. Simmer 5 minutes. Set aside.

4. Separate dough into 8 biscuits. Press each biscuit to form 5 1/2-inch round. Place each biscuit round into greased custard cup; firmly press in bottom and up sides, forming 1/4-inch rim. Spoon about 3/4 cup beef mixture into each cup.

5. Bake at 350°F. for 14 minutes. Cover with foil. Bake an additional 8 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown and beef mixture is thoroughly heated.

Chunky Chicken Soup

I tried a new dish on my family last night. It was a hit and definite keeper. Usually when I make a recipe for the first time I follow the recipe closely. I did veer from that a bit as I know my family fairly well. I knew that a whole can of chiles would be too much so I cut the amount in half. Also I had no vegetable broth in my pantry so used fat-free chicken broth. I made some pumpkin-zucchini muffins to accompany the soup and had some leftover shredded zucchini and added that to the soup. Other than that and using Parmesan cheese instead of mozzarella for topping, I followed the recipe as it was written in my magazine, Simple & Delicious. I found it easy to assemble with basic ingredients. It would be a good recipe to use up leftover chicken, vegetables or even white beans.


Recipe and picture taken from December 2008 Simple & Delicious

SERVINGS: 5
METHOD: Stovetop - One-Dish
TIME: Prep: 20 min. Cook: 20 min.

Ingredients:
3/4 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup chopped onion
1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) vegetable broth
2 cans (15-1/2 ounces each) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1-1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1 cup frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions: In a Dutch oven, saute the chicken, onion and garlic in oil until chicken juices run clear. Stir in flour until blended; gradually add broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes.

Reduce heat; stir in the beans, vegetables and seasonings. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Garnish with cheese. Yield: 7 cups.


Nutrition Facts
One serving: 1-1/3 cups with 1-1/2 tablespoons cheese
Calories: 332
Fat: 6 g
Saturated Fat: 2 g
Cholesterol: 44 mg
Sodium: 1387 mg
Carbohydrate: 41 g
Fiber: 12 g
Protein: 28 g

Ready, Set, Cook!

The game is Ready, Set, Cook! You can read about how to play here:


This month the ingredients were chicken breasts, leeks and cauliflower. I decided to prepare this menu for the game. Join us in future games at Cooking with Anne (you can also see other game players' entries).


Menu:
Italian Herb Chicken
Creamy Potato-Leek Soup
Ceasar Salad
French Bread


Italian Herb Chicken
1 pkg McCormick Slow Cookers Italian Herb Chicken Seasoning
2.5 pounds chicken parts
1 pkg (8 oz) fresh mushrooms, sliced or halved
2 cans (14.5 oz each) stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste

Place chicken and mushrooms in slow cooker. Mix seasoning, tomatoes and tomato paste until blended. Pour over chicken and mushrooms. Cover. Cook 8 hours on LOW or 4 hours on HIGH. Remove chicken and vegetables to serving platter. Stir sauce before serving.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 8

Creamy Potato-Leek Soup
3 large potatoes, peeled and diced
2 quarts chicken broth
1 head cauliflower
2 Tablespoons butter
1 leek
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 cup fat-free half & half
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon basil

In large pot, place chicken broth and diced potatoes and cook until potatoes are tender. In a microwave-safe bowl, place cauliflower in an inch of water. Cover with saran wrap and heat in microwave 5 minutes until tender (but not mushy). Cut green tops off leek and chop white part. In small skillet heat over medium heat, add butter, garlic, celery and leek. Saute until tender.

When cauliflower is steamed, puree in blender all ingredients except half & half and grated carrots. Return to pot; add half & half and carrots. Reduce heat and simmer until flavors mix.

Hint: Using cauliflower as a substitute for potatoes in a soup allows for the same color and texture but eliminates the carbs.