Roasted Garlic-Potato Soup

It has been cold and rainy for the past few days!
While relaxing on the couch and trying to finish up reading,The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, my mind started to wonder with thoughts of warm, comfort foods...must be the weather, meh! :)

I came across this Potato Soup recipe and decided to try it!

Roasted Garlic-Potato Soup



Ingredients

5 whole garlic heads
2 bacon slices, diced
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced carrot
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups diced baking potato (about 2 pounds)
4 cups low-salt chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 bay leaf
1 cup 2% low-fat milk
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley


Preparation

Remove white papery skin from each garlic head (do not peel or separate cloves). Wrap each head separately in aluminum foil. Bake at 350° for 1 hour; let cool for 10 minutes. Separate cloves, and squeeze to extract 1/4 cup of garlic pulp; discard the skins.

Cook bacon in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until crisp. Add onion, carrot, and minced garlic, and sauté 5 minutes. Add potato, broth, salt, pepper, and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until potato is tender; remove bay leaf.

Combine garlic pulp and 2 cups potato mixture in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Return purée to pan; stir in milk, and cook over low heat until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat, and stir in chopped parsley.

ENJOY!

Chocolate Bliss Pecan Pie

Chocolate Bliss Pecan Pie....what more is there to say :) CHEERS!



Ingredients

1 (8 ounce) package BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, divided
1 (9 inch) ready-to-use refrigerated pie crust
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 eggs, slightly beaten, divided
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups PLANTERS Pecan or Walnut Halves

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350º
Coarsely chop 4 of the chocolate squares; set aside. Line 9-inch pie plate with pie crust as directed on package.

Microwave remaining 4 chocolate squares and butter in large microwavable bowl on HIGH 1 to 2 minutes or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted.

Brush bottom of pie crust with small amount of the beaten eggs. Add remaining beaten eggs, sugar, corn syrup and vanilla to melted chocolate; stir until well blended. Add chopped chocolate and pecans; mix well. Pour into pie crust.

Bake 55 minutes or until knife inserted 2 inches from edge comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

ENJOY!

Cheddar Broccoli Bake

I started making this recipe for Thanksgiving and my Hubby LOVES it, along with a few other friends, who have recently asked me to post the recipe for them to use this Thanksgiving, so with no further delay....Cheddar Broccoli Bake!

Sorry :( no pictures...YET!

Ingredients:

1 10oz can of Cheddar Cheese Soup
1 cup of shredded cheddar or mix cheese
1/4 cup of milk
2 stocks of fresh broccoli, chopped
1/4 cup of diced onion
salt
pepper
Ritz crackers
Butter

Preheat your oven to 350º

In large bowl mix; Broccoli, soup, milk, onion, shredded cheese and a dash of salt & pepper.
Place in baking dish.

In another bowl mix about half a tube of Ritz crackers and about 2 TBS. melted butter.
Layer the Ritz cracker mix on top of the broccoli mix and place in oven for 30 to 45 minutes or until bubbling.

Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as mine do!

GO MEAT!!! Chili Recipe

Tis the season for.....My AWESOME, GO MEAT chili!!!



Don't you love this weather? I do! It's the perfect weather to make my Homemade GO MEAT Chili and let me tell you! If you're a meat lover and like just a little bit of heat with your chili, then this is the chili recipe for you!

Ingredients:

1 Jar Chunky Salsa, your choices ;)
1 Can Original Rotel, drained of all juices
2 Cans Diced Tomatoes
1 8oz Jar Taco Bell Mild Sauce
2 Pkg. Mild Chili Seasoning Mix
1 14oz Fully cooked Jalapeno Sausage
1 16oz Mild Pork Sausage
1 16oz Ground Turkey Meat
1 1/2 tsp. Ground Cumin



Cook ground turkey meat and pork sausage in large saucepan, add Rotel and cook until brown.



Cut the Jalapeno sausage into chunks and add to meat mix with 1 Pkg. of Chili seasoning. Mix well and then turn to low heat and let simmer for about 15 minutes.





In another large saucepan, add diced tomatoes and Taco Bell Sauce, chunky salsa and cook on high heat until it starts to boil then turn heat down to low and add the meats, the other Pkg of chili seasoning and the ground cumin, mix well.



Simmer of low heat for about 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve with Shredded Cheddar Cheese!


CHEERS!

Quiche Casserole, Comfort Food For The Family

It's that time of the year, when everyone in the house is coming down with something!
Right now, we have one kidio, with a cough and runny nose and one hubby with body aches and a sore throat...eeeeeeeek!

Have no fear, Supper Mom is here ;) or at least she can make some yummy comfort foods to help ease the pain. ;)

Today, it's Oh So Yummy Quiche Casserole!



Ingredients

1 Tsp. Minced Garlic
1 cup chopped onions
5 bushels of of broccoli cut
10 eggs
2/3 cup milk
2 1/2 cups Shredded Cheese
pie crust ( See my pie crust recipe )
Olive Oil
Butter
7 to 10 pieces of fully cooked bacon, chopped into pieces
Salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 375º

Easy Pie Crust Recipe:

4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
2/3 cup buttermilk ( Regular milk will work just fine )
1 1/3 cup vegetable oil

Measure flour and salt. Add milk and oil. Mix until dough is formed. Roll out and line a 9x13 backing pan with crust.


Place pie crust into the oven and let cook for 15 minutes or until a semi cooked but not fully cooked.
Set aside an cool.

Quiche Casserole Recipe:

Place 4 Tbs. olive oil, 3 Tbs. butter, diced onion and cut broccoli into a pan and saute everything until tender. When done, place in bowl and let cool.

Whisk eggs, milk, dash of salt & pepper and bacon bits, together in large bowl, until well blended.


Place cooled veggie in the cooked pie crust/baking dish.


Cover with 1 1/2 cups of cheese.


Then pour egg mixture over the top.


Finish it by sprinkling the rest of the cheese on top.


Place in oven and cook for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.


Let cool and serve!

Leftover Cheese, Veggie & Chicken Croquettes

Got leftover chicken and don't know what to do with it?
These Leftover Chicken Croquettes are AMAZING! By themselves or as a sandwich, with lettuce and tomato, they are YUM YUMMY! ;)

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked, finely chopped chicken meat
1 1/2 cups seasoned dry bread crumbs (I used Italian Bread crumbs)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups sauteed chopped onion
2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 Carrot, chopped into small pieces
2 celeri sticks, chopped
1 Bell Pepper Chopped
3 Chives, diced and set aside
1 cup of shredded cheese
Olive Oil
Butter

Direction:

Sauteed chopped onion, in 3 Tbs. of olive oil, salt, pepper and 2 Tbs. butter.


Place chopped carrots, bell pepper and celeri, into food processor and chop for a few seconds or until everything is finely diced up.


Then add the chicken and onions to veggies, in food processor and chop again.


After it's all chopped/mixed,together. Take out of food processor and place in large mixing bowl.

Add bread crumbs, cheese, chives and eggs, mix well.


Heat 3 Tbs. of olive oil, in large skillet.

Form small patties out of mixture, place into skillet and cook on each side for a couple of minutes or until fully cooked.



Place on papper towl and let cool before serving.


ENJOY!

Late Night Snack

So today I decided to take a brake form the gym and fry,Yeah, you heard me right! Fry up some AWESOME, Bacon, Egg, Chorizo and Cheese Breakfast Taquitos!
The perfect late night snack,for the hubby and I :)

Ingredients:

9 Eggs ( set one aside for brushing the rolls)
1 cup of shredded cheese
1 tube of Chorizo from the pack ( I use Garcia chorizo)
1 cup of bacon bits *or just fry up and chop fresh bacon*
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Butter
1 package egg roll wraps ( I use Nasoya egg roll wraps)
Vegetable Oil for Frying


Directions:

Heat your pan up with the olive oil and butter. Cook the bacon bits for a few minutes then add the chorizo.

Cook on med heat until the chorizo is brown then add 8 eggs.

Mix well and continue to cook on low heat or until eggs are fully cooked.
Now add the cup of cheese and mix.

Whisk the extra egg, with a Tsp of water in small bowl.

Now for the rolling of the Taquitos! If you have never rolled an egg roll before, I suggest you watch a video, on how to roll an egg roll. There are TONS of them on YouTube ;)

Place about 2 Tbsp of the egg mixture on the side of your wrap, like so ( See picture below ;)

Then fold in side and roll, wetting the wrap with egg, each and every roll so that the wrap holds together.

I suggest rolling up ALL your Taquitos before you start heating your oil or else your oil will burn to fast.

Heat your Vegetable oil up and then place rolls in, one at a time.
It will only take a few minutes for the Taquitos to come to a golden brown, so watch them carefully and turn them a few times, while they cook.

Place on paper towel, to soak up any extra oil, cool and then enjoy! :D CHEERS!

Steam Cooker. If You Don't Own One, You Should ;)

Thanks you Jessica, my mother in-law, for giving us one of the, in my opinion, GREATEST inventions in the world! The Steam Cooker!

If you don't own one, you should!

It's so easy to eat healthy with one of these.

You just fill the bottom with water. Put whatever you wish to cook in the top; Chicken, fish, sausage or veggies. Set the timer and walk away.

When the timer gos off, you have some of the best tasting veggies, I have ever had.
The carrots come out SO sweet and full of flavor and the broccoli, EVEN BETTER!

And thanks to Tim mother, I also get fresh veggies from her garden :D

Like I said, if you don't own one, you should SO, go get one! ;)

CHEERS!

Working With What You've Got

So, the other day, my hubby comes home, from work and tells me that he went to lunch with a co-worker and his mouth watered, as he watched his co-worker eat a chicken pot pie.
Yes, it's true! I have not made a home made chicken pot pie, in a VERY long time!

So today I decided to surprise me hubby by making a chicken pot pie but while gather the ingredients together, I found out that I didn't have enough flour to make the crust, bummer!

I had already starting preparing all the ingredients, for the pot pie, so I decide to look around my kitchen and find something else to complete it with.

Chicken Pot Pie....With a biscuit topping!?! YUM YUM!! :D

Ingredients:

3 fully cooked chicken breast, chopped up ( Salt & pepper to taste )
2 cups of fresh broccoli
2 large carrots, chopped up
1 Tsp minced garlic
13 cup of chives, diced
1 pkg Pioneer Brand, Country Style Gravy Mix ( Follow direction and make )
1 Can Grands Flaky Layers Biscuits
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 350º

I like my veggie to be perfectly cooked ahead, by steaming them in a steam cooker. One of the most AWESOME invention EVER....if you ask me :)

In a large mixing bowl, mix your chicken, gravy, veggies and minced garlic.
Pour into a 9x13 casserole dish.

Layer your biscuits on top, stretching them out a bit, one at a time.

Pop in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown.

Cool, then serve and enjoy!

Fully Loaded, Potato Casserole

Fully Loaded, Potato Casserole

OK, at the request of few friends and family, here is my Fully Loaded, Potato Casserole recipe.
Sorry I don't have pictures to go with it but trust me when I say it's DELICIOUS!

Ingredients:

5 to 6 large potatoes
Butter
2 1/2 cups a shredded cheese
7 slices of bacon for bacon bits
4 stocks of chives, chopped
Salt & Pepper
Olive Oil
Frozen Tater Tots, you will only need 7 or 8 fully cooked tots

Directions:

Place your tots in the oven and cook for about 20 minutes at 350º

Place the potatoes in a saucepan of lightly salted water, bring to a boil, and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes in a colander, and let cool.

Place the bacon in a large, deep skillet, and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned and crisp, about 10 minutes.
Place bacon slices on a paper towel-lined plate. Snip the cooked bacon into pieces with a scissors, or chop. Save bacon grease, leave in pan.

When potatoes have cooled, peel their skins off, cut the potatoes into large chucks and place into large bowl.

Mix the Bacon bits, 2 cups of shredded cheese, 3 Tbs of butter, chopped chives but save a few chives for top of casserole, a dash of salt and pepper in large bowl until butter is melted or mixed good. Place in serving bowl or backing dish.

Take your fully cooked tots, place in leftover bacon grease with 2 Tbs of Olive Oil, cook on high for a few minutes, chopping up your tots with your spatchula, until they are fried to a crisp.

Sprinkle tater tots, leftover chives and the rest of cheese, on top of potato mixture then serve.

Hope you enjoy this recipe :D CHEER!

EXTRA! Try mixing in half a cup of sour cream for a even creamier, load baked potato taste.

Chicken For The Hubby

Before leaving for a Moms weekend, out of town, I decided to make some chicken breast, that my hubby could eat over the weekend. I tried a combination of baking, then frying the chicken breast and WOW! YUM YUM!

Try this recipe out! It's GREAT by its self, on a sandwich or even a salad!

Ingredients:

4 chicken breast, slice each in half
salt & pepper
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups a flour
McCormick grill mates, Roasted Garlic & Herb seasoning
Oil for frying

After chicken is sliced in halves, sprinkle with salt, pepper and McCormick seasoning, on both sides, then place in a 9x13 backing dish, cover with foil and cook at 350º for 35 minutes.

Mix your flour, 2 Tbs of McCormick seasoning and a pinch of salt & pepper, in large bowl.

Fill a large frying pan about 1 inch high with cooking oil and heat on high or until oil in bubbling.

One at a time, dip your baked chicken breast into beaten eggs, then into the flour, making sure both sides are covered with the flour mix. Then place in frying pan and cook both sides until golden. Should only take a couple minutes on each side.

Let chicken cool and then ENJOY!

Easy Breezy Coconut Cream Pie

Easy Breezy Coconut Cream Pie

With summer time here and the temperatures rising, what better way to cool off then a yummy slice of Homemade Coconut Cream Pie! With this EASY recipe you will be enjoying a slice in no time at all :D

Ingredients:

1 Deep dish 9 inch pie shell, baked
1 box of Jell-O Coconut Cream, instant pudding & pie filling
10 oz of Coconut Flakes
Milk
4 egg white 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix Jell-O pudding/pie filling as directed on box. Once pie filling is thick, mix in 8 oz. of coconut flakes. pour pie filling into baked pie shell.

Meringue For Pie:

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Beat sugar in gradually. Beat until stiff and glossy. Beat in vanilla.

Layer the Meringue on top of pie and then sprinkle the rest of the coconut on top.

Place pie in oven on broil to lightly brown the coconut on top, for color.

Cool pie off in refrigerator for a couple of hours, then serve and enjoy!

Homemade Lasagna

More comfort food....Homemade Lasagna!

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground Turkey meat
2-1/2 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1 container (15 oz.)Ricotta Cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup parsley
1 egg, beaten
1 cup of Italian diced tomatoes
1 jar (24 oz.) Garden blend spaghetti sauce
12 lasagna noodles, fully cooked

Directions:

Cook your noodles.

Cook meat in large skillet on medium-high heat. Meanwhile, mix 1-1/4 cups mozzarella, ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan, parsley and egg until well blended; set aside.

Stir spaghetti sauce into your meat, stir until well blended. Spread 1 cup meat sauce onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish; top with layers of 3 lasagna noodles, 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture and 1 cup meat sauce. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining noodles, meat sauce, cheeses and sprinkle with more parsley.

Bake at 350º for 1 hour or until heated through. Let stand 15 min. before cutting to serve.

ENJOY!