Tasty Tuesday: 2 Recipe Reviews

We have tried 2 new recipes this month so far,  Slow Cooker Baked Potato Soup and Secret Ingredient Mac and Cheese.

 Both were a hit with the majority of the family and will be staying in the recipe rotation.

With the soup, I put the cooked and crumbled bacon directly in the soup before I served it, just because it would make a more fair distribution. :) Some of us like our bacon a LOT and would leave little for anyone else.

The Mac and Cheese got a substitution due to the cost of the Frank's Hot sauce being $4+ a bottle and the store brand $0.97. One of these days I will get the Frank's just to see how it compares heat-wise.
Everyone liked this one a lot, even the Mac and Cheese hater who said it was okay. Everyone that is, except the boxed Mac and Cheese lover, who would not even taste it.

Give them a try and if you like them, give the chefs some love!

 

Tasty Tuesday: Becki's Cheesy Potato Soup revisited

Sunday dinner.       Hmm.
We get home from church at 4 and after 3 hours of church, we are generally quite hungry.

Enter the slow cooker.

I have a few really good go-to recipes for my slow cooker, but I really need to expand my horizons. Lat Sunday I had planned on making Becki's Cheesy Potato Soup, which I have shared on Tasty Tuesday  before, but it is a stove top version. I decided to see if it would translate to the slow cooker so I could have a relatively easy dinner prep after church.

Here is what I did to make it in the slow cooker.
 I put my diced potatoes, onions, grated carrots (I skipped the parsley) in the bottom of the crock. I heated 2 cups of water in the microwave with the bullion cubes in it and then poured it over the veggies. I added about 4 more cups of water to the crock, to cover the veggies and turned it on low. Total cook time was bout 4 and half to 5 hours. When I got home I added the cream (about 1 cup) and the butter and the cheese, gave it a stir and let it sit for about 10 more minutes, then added about 2 TBSP of cornstarch in about 1/3 cup of water, just enough to make a slurry, and stirred that in. Then I let it cook for 15 or 20 minutes more, on low, and then served it up. It was just as delicious and required less effort.

Becki’s Cheesy Potato Soup Slow Cooker Version – Becki Johnson
(I think Becki got this from someone else, so please excuse me if I owe you credit.)

15 Medium-Large Potatoes (peeled and cubed)
2 Large Carrots (grated)
1 Medium Onion (grated)
1/3 C Knorr bouillon (powder) (bouillon cubes- all 6 cubes in the pkg)
1 Tbsp fresh parsley (Chopped)

Place potatoes carrots, onions,and parsley in a slow cooker pot, and cover with water. Heat 2 cups water and bullion in microwave , then stir to dissolve. Pour over vegetables, then add water to just cover the vegetables. Cover and cook on low 4-5 hours.

When potatoes are tender, add:

Heavy Cream (enough to thicken, about 1 cup, or to taste)
1 Stick of butter cut into tablespoon sized slices
2 Cups cheese
Stir to combine.
Cook about 10 minutes for cheese to melt.
Stir again, and if needed add 2 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1/3 cup cold water, and add to soup to thicken. Cook another 10-20 minutes and serve warm.

Linked up to Debbie's Tuesday at the Table

Tasty Tuesday: Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

This soup is a deliciously easy slow cooker meal. My family gobbled it up and wanted more! (Well almost everyone. Picky Littlest Miss licked the bottom of her spoon and turned up her nose.)
 I got the recipe from Mandy at Creative Cents.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1 small onion diced
1 box long grain & wild rice {rice & seasoning packet....I used Rice A Roni}
2 cans cream of chicken soup
4 cups chicken broth

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Remove chicken to shred, then return to crock. Stir and serve.

I bet this would be great to use up leftover turkey if you still have some!

Digital kit by Corina Nielsen.