Thursday, November 16, 2017

Loaded Potato Soup



There's nothing like a nice bowl of soup on a cold, wintry day.  What's even better is to be able to make a simple, delicious soup in a short amount of time. This recipe is amazing. It's hearty and satisfying. I adapted the recipe from __________ . The great thing is that I usually have all of these ingredients on hand!

Ingredients

2 lbs. Russet potatoes or White Potatoes
8 slices bacon, diced
1 stalk celery, diced small
1/2 large onion, diced small
3 Tablespoons flour
3 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup chicken stock
2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese (or your favorite cheese)
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp. thyme

Toppings:
Cheese
Sour Cream
Bacon pieces


1. Wash and scrub the potatoes. Place them on a plate and pierce with a knife in several spots to allow steam to escape. Microwave for 11 min.

2. While the potatoes are cooking, dice up the bacon slices and cook in a large pot. Once crisp, remove to a paper towel-lined plate.

3. Pour off all the bacon drippings except 3 Tablespoons. Saute the celery and onions in the bacon drippings. 

4. Once tender, add the flour and whisk.

5. Add the spices and milk. Whisk together.

6. Add the heavy cream and chicken stock and whisk again. 


7. The potatoes should be finished by this point. Dice them up.

8. Add the diced potatoes to the soup and stir.

9. Add cheese and stir.

10. Use a masher to mash up some of the potatoes right in the soup. I like how it makes the soup a little thicker and you get chunks of potatoes with it too. 

11. Add all but a few Tablespoons of the bacon (to use as a topping) and stir.

12. Ladle some soup into a bowl. Top with cheese, sour cream, and bacon. Enjoy!!



Saturday, January 7, 2017

Grab and Go Homemade Soup Storage




      For years, I have been freezing my soups in individual servings. I really do not like canned soup, so making my own soups with fresh ingredients has always been one of my go-to lunches. It's nice to be able to reach into the freezer, grab an individual serving and toss it in a freezer bag to put in my lunch. At work, I have a glass soup bowl that I'll use to microwave them in. Delicious, fresh-ingredients, and full of flavor! 

      However, for years my method was to use plastic cups for the mold. I'd then cut them away and RECYCLE them. However, in recent years, people have been more environmentally conscious and have complained about the waste this creates. Although I have ALWAYS recycled the cups and NEVER put them in the trash, I did discover that not all municipalities actually have the capability to actually recycle these cups (even though the cups have the recycle symbol on the bottoms). SOOO, I was on the hunt for a new method. I liked the idea of using silicone molds, but in order to have enough soup for a single serving, I needed something larger than the typical cupcake mold. On Amazon, I was so happy to discover these jumbo cupcake liners and was even more excited when they worked out perfectly! 
Webake 12-Pack 4.3-inch Non-stick Jumbo Silicone Cupcake Liners, Baking Cups, Muffin Liners

      First, I just made my soup as normal. Then, after letting it cool, I lined up the cups on a baking sheet, ladled soup into each liner, and then placed the sheet in the freezer. The next morning, I easily peeled away the silicone molds and tossed them in the sink to be washed. Finally, all of the molds fit perfectly in a gallon freezer bag.SCORE! Now, I have an environmentally friendly, simple way to store my homemade soups individually. This can be used for gravies, chili, stocks, etc. Simple, environmentally friendly, and convenient! Can't get much better than that!




Monday, January 2, 2017

Buffalo Chicken Salad Sandwich



Sometimes, I get so tired of the same old foods I eat for lunch. As much as I love my homemade soups, sometime I just need a little more substance, which is why I was so glad when I came up with this recipe. Typically, traditional chicken salad isn't my thing. Really, the flavor isn't that exciting. However, I usually have some Gorgonzola crumbles (for salads) on hand, as well as Texas Pete hot sauce. With my very busy schedule, our family will often pick up a rotisserie chicken from the local grocery store and will usually have leftover chicken. I will usually save this chicken for use in some of my meals, such as Chicken and Broccoli Braid or Chicken Quesadillas. However, this recipe is a great alternative. 

Ingredients
2 cups cooked chicken
1 stalk celery, diced small
2 Tablespoons Texas Pete (or your favorite hot sauce)
1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise 
salt and pepper (to taste)


First, break up the chicken either by hand, shredding it with two forks, or chopping it. Add chicken to a bowl. Add the remainder of the ingredients and mix thoroughly. Taste. Add more salt and pepper, if needed. Serve on toasted bread and enjoy! Pretty easy, right?? The Gorgonzola really makes this recipe! Feel free to substitute crumbled blue cheese instead. If you REALLY just hate stinky cheese, you could, of course, add some other types of crumbles. I, however, prefer the stinky cheese. Absolutely delicious!







Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...