Baked Potato Soup

We have been eating out A LOT...shame shame, slap my hand, I know.

After my birthday dinner on Monday, I said no more eating out, which I then said again after I ate out on Thursday night, and again after I ate out last night...WHOOOOOPS.

Anyway as I was sitting here sniffling and trying to decide what to cook I came across a potato soup recipe and decided it would be PERFECT for this cool fall evening.

It was super tasty and ridiculously easy.  I halved the recipe because I didn't have enough potatoes, it was perfect for 2 people. Try it!

ENJOY!

Recipe from the Tasty Kitchen Blog!

Baked Potato Soup

• 4 whole Extra Large Baked Potatoes Or 8 Regular Baked Potatoes                                                6 slices Bacon, Diced
• 6 Tablespoons Butter
• ½ whole Onion, Chopped
• 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
• ⅓ cups All-purpose Flour
• 4 cups Chicken Stock
• ½ teaspoons Sea Salt (or To Taste)
• 2 teaspoons Ground Pepper, Or To Taste
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 3 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 4 whole Scallions (Green Onions), Sliced
• 1 cup Greek Yogurt

Scoop the white insides out of the baked potato skins. Roughly chop the white insides and set them aside. Chop potato skins and set aside.

In a large stock pot brown the diced bacon over medium heat. Once it’s crispy, remove bacon from the pan and drain off the grease.

Add 4 tablespoons butter to the brown bits at the bottom of the stock pot. Add onion and continue to cook over medium heat until onion is caramelized. Add minced garlic and flour. Stir flour until absorbed by the butter and cooked, about 1-2 minutes.

While stirring, slowly add chicken stock to the flour mixture to prevent lumps. Bring to a simmer then turn heat to low. Add the insides of the diced baked potato. Add sea salt and pepper. Cover pot and continue to cook over low heat.

In a large saute pan add 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat and heat until all of the butter is melted. Add the chopped potato skins and fry them until crisp and heated through.

Add 1/2 of the crumbled bacon, 2 cups of cheddar cheese, 2/3 of the scallions and Greek yogurt into the pot of soup. Stir well and continue to cook over low heat until heated through and cheese is melted.

Serve soup topped with remaining bacon, cheedar cheese, scallions and crisp potato skins.

Broccoli Chowder

It makes me so happy to say...IT IS SOUP SEASON!

Tomorrow is the very first day of fall, and despite the fact that the temperature will most likely not reflect that, I will no longer feel bad about making soup.

I love soup.  

Maybe that's why I choose to live in a place where there are WAY more months of cold weather than there are warm.  There has to be some sort of explanation.

So, on day early, I celebrated the coming of fall by making soup.

In specific, Broccoli Chowder from the "light" version of Everyday Food.

I served this tasty, yet light soup with some dinner rolls (more to come on these in a different post).

I also added about 1/2 cup of light sour cream to this recipe, I should thought it needed a little extra creaminess, and it really did the trick.  I also served it with a little grated cheddar, everything is better with CHEESE.

This was the perfect meal to celebrate the end of summer and welcome the beginning of fall.

You must try this soup!

ENJOY!

Broccoli Chowder with Corn and Bacon

4 slices bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 medium onion, finely chopped 

1/4 cup all purpose flour

2 cans (14.5oz each) low sodium chicken broth

1 large russet potato, peeled and diced 

1 head broccoli (about 1 lb), cut into bite-size florets, stalks peeled and thinly sliced

2 cups fresh (from about 3 ears) or frozen corn kernals (do not thaw)

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 cup milk

S&P

In a 5 quart Dutch oven or other heavy pot, cook bacon over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 8-10 min.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. 

Increase heat to medium.  Add onion and cook, stirring, until it begins to soften, 6-8 minutes.

Add flour; cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds (do not let brown).

Add broth and potato; bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer; cook until potato is tender, about 10 min.

Add broccoli, corn, thyme, and milk; cook until broccoli is crisp-tender, 8-10 minutes. 

Season with S&P.  Serve immediately, topped with bacon.

Serves 4. 

Logan Rating: ***

Tis the season for Pumpkin Chili

I'm not sure about where you all are, but here in MT it is speeding right past fall and into winter.

However before my favorite and the shortest season in MT leaves me, I am determined to cook some fall things.  Such as cider, squash, pumpkin seeds and well really just all things pumpkin.

We made this twist on a traditional chili about a week ago.

We had our friends Tim and Maggie over, watched some football and chowed on some of this delightful stuff.

It was a hit!  I was very relieved, wasn't sure how pumpkin chili was going to go over, but it was delicious.

I got the recipe here, so not only was it delicious, but it was nutritious as well.

I pretty much enjoy just about anything that can be thrown into a crock pot and cooked for 6+ hours, especially during the week.  

Try this one out!

More actual blog recipes to come!

Hope you are still tuning in! 

ENJOY

 

Logan Rating: *****

Corn Soup, NOT COLD

This is corn soup, it is not cold and it was absolutely delicious.

Logan was not sold, but I seriously sipped it all up and then licked the bowl afterwards. 

It was so simple and yet that's what made it so delicious, it really highlighted the bright natural flavor of corn.

YUM!

I paired it with BBQ chicken and some sliced and pan fried potatoes. Can't get any better than this. 

Do you like that BBQ sauce smear on the plate? 

That's how fancy I am.   Well only with my plate, because that's the one I photograph.

Logan's plate usually just looks like one large pile of food. I never claimed to be perfect. :)

I added some Chile powder to this recipe, gave it a nice extra bite, loved it.

Top this with scallions and scoop it up with tortilla chips, you will thank me with every bite that you take!

ENJOY!

Creamy Corn Soup

16 ears yellow corn

4 T butter, cut into small pieces

salt (I used pepper and chile powder as well)

garnishes:

scallions

tortilla chips

lime wedges

Remove the husks and silks from the corn. 

Holding the ears in a large bowl, slice off the kernals.

In two batches puree the kernals and accumulated juices with a total of 2 cups water until chunky.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook the pureed corn, butter and 4 cups water and 1 T salt until butter is melted and soup is heated through, about 5 min.

Serve hot with suggested garnishes as desired.  Or you can let it cool and freeze it in individual servings; reheat over med-low or in the microwave.

Serves 8.

YUM BBQ Chicken!

LOGAN RATING: ***

Cold Soup

It looks beautiful doesn't it??

Well...I just couldn't do it.

Cold soup

Its just not my thang.

The flavor was amazing, but I couldn't get myself to eat an entire bowl of cold soup.

Which is a bummer, because Gazpacho is something that I've always wanted to try.

I ended up passing the rest of the gazpacho onto a friend who loved it!

So I guess that's the next best thing :)

Logan didn't get a chance to try it, he was out on a fire.

I don't think he's too bummed about it.

Ok more recipes coming soon I promise!

ENJOY!

Shrimp Gazpacho

1 T olive oil

1 lb med shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed

S&P

6 plum tomatoes chopped

1/2 small red onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 cucumber peeled and chopped

1/2 cup finely chopped jarred roasted bell peppers

1 1/2 cups tomato juice

2 T red wine vinegar

In a large nonstick skillet heat the oil over high heat, swirling to coat the bottom of the pan.  Season the shrimp with salt and pepper.  Add half the shrimp cook until browned on both sides and opaque in the center, 3-4 min.  Transfer to a plate; repeat with the remaining shrimp.

In a food processor, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, cucumber and half the roasted peppers.

Process until smooth, season with S&P.

To serve, divide the tomato mixture among the bowls; top with the shri*mp and the remaining roasted peppers.

Serves 4.

PAIGE RATING: *

Is it possible to be in love with a pot?

I don't care what you say...it is possible...I do love that pot!

How could I not? 

Its green and beautiful and can go from the stovetop to the oven...I've wanted one for years!

Someday I will have another one, a bigger one, maybe a yellow or orange one!

I can't wait!
Until then, I will cook anything and everything in this beaut! 

Pictured above is turkey taco chili, recipe found here

Skinny Taste is one of my favorite websites, it has lightened up versions of all of my fave foods.

However, even if you aren't looking for lightened up food...this is a DELICIOUS recipe. 

We ate it two nights in a row and still have plenty leftover

Logan gives it a ****, even though it is not a challenge recipe.

Gotta mix it up a little.

ENJOY!

I shall leave you with more pics of my new love.

Serves 9.  In my opinion 6.

No asparagus?!?

How does a grocery store run out of asparagus?

Not THAT many people even eat it.

Did one person go to Safeway and clean out the asparagus supply,

I hate you, asparagus hoarder!

Anyway I was supposed to make cream of asparagus soup, but once arriving at the store and discovering that apparently it was national eat asparagus day, I had to find a new plan.

Thank God for smart phones!

I have been craving broccoli cheese soup for quite sometime, but always feel guilty eating it...

all that cream and cheese, not good for my "diet". 

Anyway, I found an awesome lightened up recipe here.

While it doesn't count towards this challenge, I had to share it with you all, because

I'm telling you it was amazing...you must try it!

I paired it with an actual challenge recipe, which was also super delicious,

goat cheese is a newly discovered love of mine.

Crisp Goat Cheese Salad

1/2 cup olive oil +more for baking sheet

3 large red potatoes

1 large egg

S&P

1 1/2 cups plain breadcrumbs

1 log fresh goat cheese (12 oz)

1 T white wine vinegar

1 T grainy or dijon mustard

8 oz mixed greens

Heat broiler, brush baking sheet with oil; set aside.  Place potatoes in a med saucepan, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil.  Simmer just until fork tender, 20-25 min.  Rinse the potatoes under cold water until cool enough to handle, and cut into 1 inch chunks.

In a shallow bowl, whisk egg with 1/4 tsp of each salt and pepper.  Place breadcrumbs in another bowl.  Slice goat cheese into 8 rounds and pat each into a disk about 1/2 in thick.  (it may be necessary to freeze the cheese in order to slice it...I didn't).  

Dip the disks in egg and then breadcrumbs.  Place on prepared baking sheet.

In a large bowl whisk together the vinegar, mustard, and 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper.  Slowly add 1/4 cup of oil, whisking to emulsify.  Set aside.

Brush disks lightly with remaining 1/4 cup oil ( I did not do this, I sprayed them with pam, worked great).  Broil until golden and crisp, about 5 min. (might take less time, watch them closely.)

Toss the greens and potatoes in the dressing.  Divide the salad among 4 plates and top each with 2 cheese disks.

Serves 4.

Here are pics of the soup.

Paige Rating: **** (For the salad)

Fishy soup

I wasn't 100% sure about this soup...

the thought of fish in a soup was a little worrisome to me.

While I LOVE clam chowder...fish chowder was definitely a foreign concept.

But I must say it was really good.

Fairly easy to make

and provided plenty of leftovers.

So it pretty much met all of my requirements for a good meal.

The clam juice was a little odd, but it tasted great in the soup.

Just don't smell it before putting it in, 

might weird you out.

I learned that the hard way.

I've had this 3 times as leftovers...still good, but I think I'm getting close to turning into a fish.

Good thing its almost gone.

ENJOY!

Manhattan Fish Chowder

4 slices bacon (4oz) cut crosswise into 1/2 in pieces

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 carrots, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise

S&P

1 can whole peeled tomatoes in juice (28oz)

2 cups clam juice

1 1/2 cups water

2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 in cubes

2 tsp fresh thyme leaves (1/2 tsp dried)

1 lb skinless tilapia fillets, cut into 2 inch pieces

In a large pot, cook bacon over medium low heat until browned and crisp, stirring occasionally, 8-10 minutes.  Spoon off all but 1 T rendered fat.

Add onion and carrots, season with S&P.  Cook stirring occasionally until vegetables are softened, about 10 min.

Break up tomatoes with kitchen shears or your hands (in the can), then add to pan along with their juice.  Add clam juice and the water, bring to a boil.  Add potatoes and thyme; reduce heat to a simmer. Cook (uncovered) until potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife but not falling apart, 15-20 min.

Add tilapia; cover and cook until the fish is opaque, about 3 min.  Season with S&P. 

Serves 6. 

Paige Rating: ***