Crock Pot Baked Potato Soup

If you love loaded baked potatoes, then this is a must try.  It's rich and creamy and reheats really well for the next day's lunch.  I used red potatoes (no peeling!) and diced frozen onion (a huge time saver for meals like this), but you can use large baking potatoes and peel them if you like (you'll only need about 6).  Depending on the size of your red potatoes, you'll need about 8-10.  I think I used 9 because in my bag, some were much larger than others.    

Start cooking your bacon just before your soup is done.  We love this soup topped with bacon, more cheese and sour cream.  Green onions or chives would be great, too! 

Serves 6-8

Crock Pot Baked Potato Soup

8 -10 red potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup frozen diced onion
4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup butter, cut into cubes
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup half & half
1 cup cheddar cheese, plus more for topping
8 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
sour cream, optional

 Combine the potatoes through the pepper in the Crock Pot and cook on high for 4 hours (or low for 7).  Potatoes should be tender.  Using a potato masher or fork, mash the potatoes until they are coarsely chopped and the soup has thickened.  Stir in half & half and cheese.

Serve topped with crumbled bacon, more cheese and sour cream.

(Source:  Adapted from Food.com)

 

Chicken Pot Pie

So this is probably not the Chicken Pot Pie you were thinking...there's not a crust baked on top of this dish.  Where I grew up, in Central Pennsylvania, this is Pot Pie, or more appropriately, Pennsylvania Dutch Pot Pie.  And if you want me to get really technical, "Bott Boi" - which is why we just ended up calling it pot pie.   I can still taste the way my grandmother made it - usually with leftover turkey from a holiday and sometimes with ham (not my favorite).  Creamy and chunky with potatoes, carrots and yummy square-shaped noodles.

This is my very Italian grandma I might add, not a trace of German roots in her!  Just goes to show that it's a PA thing.  And I call these noodles, some may call them dumplings.  I did not use all of the dough that I made.  Just use your best judgement when adding them to the broth.  You know how chunky or not chunky you'll want your soup. 

  

So inviting and comforting looking right?  Perfect for a chilly fall day.  And really very simple!  Serve with good bread for dipping. 

Serves 6-8

Chicken Pot Pie

2 quarts chicken broth

1 quart water

1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast 

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 rib celery, diced

1/2 medium onion, diced

4 small red potatoes, diced 

2 tablespoons flour added to 2 tablespoons water (for a thickening paste)

For the dough

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt 

3 eggs

1 tablespoon cold water

In a large pot or dutch oven, combine the chicken broth, water, chicken breast, carrots, celery, onion and salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to a boil and let simmer until chicken is cooked through.

While that is cooking, make the dough.  Combine everything except for 1/2 cup of flour.  Mix in the remaining 1/2 cup and continue kneading to form a stiff dough, about 10 minutes.  Roll dough on a lightly floured surface to as thin a sheet as possible.  Cut into 2-inch squares.

When chicken is done, remove, shred and return to pot.  Check broth for seasoning; salt and pepper if needed.  Add half of the potatoes, then about half of the dough squares, gently pushing down each layer until covered with broth.  Repeat with remaining potatoes and dough.  Cover and let simmer for about 20 minutes until potatoes and dough are thoroughly cooked.  Stir in the flour paste at this time to thicken the soup (if desired).

   

Saturday Morning Potatoes

I'm calling these Saturday Morning Potatoes because they are a creation from leftovers we had Friday night.  For a quick side dish, I make roasted potatoes with Lipton Onion Soup Mix (the recipe is right on the box!).  It's one of my favorites - and too easy!  I always make enough to have leftovers and thought they would make perfect breakfast potatoes.  You start with 2 pounds of red potatoes, but I had about a pound leftover after dinner. 

To crisp them up, heat them through and add a little more flavor, I tossed them with a bit of vegetable oil and about a 1/4 cup of chopped green pepper.  

Serves 2-3

Saturday Morning Potatoes

1 pound Lipton Onion-Roasted Potatoes

1 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 cup chopped frozen green bell pepper

salt and pepper

Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and add cold leftover potatoes and bell pepper; mix together.  Spread out to make an even layer and toss a few times to crisp the potatoes and heat everything through.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Potato and Bacon Frittata

I have been dreaming of a combination of potatoes, eggs, peppers, onions and cheese lately.  I had a bag of Ore Ida's Potatoes O'Brien in the freezer - peppers and onion already combined with the diced potatoes - perfect and easy!!  You'll need an oven safe pan because after cooking the bacon and potatoes on the stove top, the eggs get added and it goes straight in the oven. 

Start by cooking the bacon slightly (for a minute or two), then adding the frozen potatoes.  By the time the potatoes are browned, the bacon will be nice and crisp, so make sure you don't over cook it to begin with.    

Combine the eggs, milk and cheese and pour right over the bacon/potato mixture.  Into the oven it goes at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes until the eggs are set.  

Such an amazing combination of so many great flavors!  And super simple too with the already diced frozen potato shortcut.  By the way, also fantastic heated up the next day for breakfast (or lunch or dinner again!).

Serves 8

Potato and Bacon Frittata

10 eggs
3 tablespoons milk
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (or your preference)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
8 bacon strips, diced
1/2 of a (28 oz) bag of Ore Ida's Potatoes O'Brien

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, cheese, salt and pepper and set aside.  In a 10" oven safe skillet, cook bacon over medium heat for just 1-2 minutes.  Add the frozen potatoes and continue cooking until bacon and potatoes are crispy, about 15 minutes.

Pour egg mixture over the bacon/potato mixture and bake for 20-25 minutes or until eggs are set.  Let stand for 10 minutes and cut into wedges.

(Source:  Adapted from Taste at Home)