Kale Soup

Made this soup for dinner today. It was delicious. I made a couple changes that I indicate below. 


Ingredients 
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound fresh chorizo (I used fresh kielbasa removed from its casing - Italian sausage would be good too)
4 Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups chicken broth (I also added 2 cups of water) 
1 pound kale, stems removed, leaves torn into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Kosher salt and black pepper


Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Brown the chorizo in the oil, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the potatoes, onions, garlic and chicken broth.

Simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add the kale, and cover. Cook until the kale wilts, 7 to 10 minutes.

Uncover, add the Parmesan, and heat through for about 5 more minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.



Recipe courtesy: Trisha Yearwood 

Crockpot Hash Brown Casserole

Yes, we've all had hash brown casserole but I guarantee this is the best. My favorite thing was being able to make it in the crockpot. This will be great for the holidays as it frees up the oven for a ham or turkey. Try this today & thank me tomorrow.

Ingredients
26-32 oz bag frozen hash browns
8 oz sour cream
10.5 oz cream of chicken soup
1/4 c onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c butter, melted
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions
Spray inside of crockpot with cooking spray. In a large bowl mix all ingredients together. Dump hash brown mixture into crockpot. Cook on low for 4-5 hours. The casserole should be crispy on the sides & bubbly throughout. Enjoy!


Recipe courtesy Stockpiling Mom via Pinterest

Roasted Red Potatoes

Here is a gem that I had forgotten about. Made them last week to go with our grilled hamburgers. They are so simple but full of flavor.

Roasted Red Potatoes (click for recipe)

Italian Sausage & Veggie Pockets

I saw something in a magazine that inspired me to create this. My husband & I love Italian sausage, but my kids don't typically eat it. Well, this dinner changed all that.  They loved this tasty version. The sausage was cooked perfectly & the veggies were full of flavor. This creation is a keeper.

Ingredients
2 sweet peppers, chopped
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
2 tbsp minced garlic
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/8 c olive oil
1/8 c apple cider vinegar
Italian seasonings
Salt
Pepper
5-6 Italian sausage links, sliced
1 bag frozen seasoned potato wedges

Directions
In a large bowl, toss the first 9 ingredients. Coat 5-6 large sheets of heavy duty foil with cooking spay. If you don't have the heavy duty foil, just make 2 layers of regular foil. Divide the sausage, potato wedges & the veggie mixture evenly on the foil sheets. Now seal the foil packs tightly.
Grill for 20-25 minutes or until sausage is done. Let rest 2-3 minutes before serving. Carefully open the packs & serve.

Vegetable Minestrone Soup

Ingredients
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 stalks celery, sliced crosswise into 1/2 inch pieces
2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1-35 oz. can crushed tomatoes
8 c low-sodium chicken stock
1-15 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tsp red-wine vinegar
1 bag baby spinach
2 c cooked ditalini pasta
freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Directions
Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium high heat. Add onion, celery, potatoes and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and their juices, chicken stock and cannellini beans; season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in vinegar and spinach; season with salt and pepper. Prepare the pasta to al dente by following the directions included with the pasta. Drain pasta and dump into soup. Garnish with cheese.


Recipe adapted from Pinterest

Roasted Red Potatoes

 

 

 

I made these to go with our grilled hamburgers. They were a HUGE hit. My sister made them last week and they were a HUGE hit in her house too! These potatoes are a quick, go to side dish for those busy weeknight dinners.



 

Ingredients

Red potatoes, cubed (leave skins on)

Olive oil

1 packet dried Good Seasons zesty Italian dressing

Dried minced onion

Salt & pepper

Parmesan cheese

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, toss potatoes with olive oil, Good Seasons, dried minced onion, salt and pepper. Place potatoes on cookie sheet. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until done. We like ours a little on the crunchy side. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese before serving.

 

 

Recipe courtesy: Pinterest



Italian Sausage and Potato Soup

 

 

 

Wow! This soup was delicious. It smelled so good as it was cooking.

 

Ingredients

1 lb Italian sausage (can be sweet, mild or hot, link or ground)

1 onion, chopped

1-2 tbsp minced garlic

4 medium potatoes, cubed

2 c chicken broth

4 c water

1 bag of baby spinach

1 c heavy whipping cream

Salt and pepper

Red pepper flakes (optional)

Parmesan cheese

 

Directions

Brown sausage in pan until cooked. If using the links, cut into bite size pieces. Place sausage, onion, garlic, potatoes, chicken broth and water in crock pot. Add a little salt and pepper. Add red pepper flakes if you desire a little more heat. Cook on high for 3-4 hours. Turn the crock pot off and add the spinach. Wait 5 minutes. Add the whipping cream and stir well. Serve in bowls sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

 

Kielbasa, Potatoes and Beans

 

 

 

If you love having a one pot meal then this is a must try. This was true comfort food. The kielbasa was so tender from cooking all day. The potatoes and green beans were full of flavor. It was kind of surprising there was so much flavor with so few ingredients. Loved it!

 

Ingredients

1 lb kielbasa or smoked sausage, cut into bite sized pieces

4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

1/2 medium onion, chopped

2 (14.5 oz) cans green beans, drained

2 c chicken broth

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions

Combine all ingredients in crock pot. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. Serve with a slotted spoon to drain liquid.

 

 

Recipe courtesy: Crock Pot Girl



Amish Breakfast Casserole

My friend, Carolyn sent this recipe to me. It looks like the perfect thing for Christmas morning! And for all my gluten free friends, this one is for you too.

Ingredients

1 pound bacon, diced

1 medium sweet onion, chopped

6 eggs lightly beaten

4 c frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed - I used Ore-Ida

2 c (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese - I used sharp

1 1/2 c (12 ounces) 4% cottage cheese

1 1/4 c shredded Swiss cheese

Directions

In a large skillet, cook bacon and onion until bacon is crisp; drain. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; stir in bacon mixture. Transfer to a greased 13in. x 9in. baking dish. Bake uncovered, at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting. Yields 12 servings.

 

Note from Carolyn: It is gluten-free and we serve with blueberry muffins (which aren't gluten-free) and fresh fruit. Leftovers are yummy the next day.

 

 

Recipe courtesy: Carolyn B of Georgia

Italian Crock Pot Chicken

I found this recipe on Pinterest. It was absolutely delicious. I recommend everyone try this one. You won't be disappointed. My husband & kids also loved it.

Ingredients
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
16 oz bottle of Italian dressing
1/2 c Parmesan cheese
Italian seasoning
4-6 potatoes, peeled or unpeeled, quartered
1/2 - 1 bag baby carrots

Directions
Spray crock with cooking spray. Squirt a small amount of Italian dressing on the bottom of crock. Place 2 chicken breasts on bottom of crock.  Add some Italian dressing & half of the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Add next 2 chicken breasts (don't place them directly on top the other chicken breasts). Add some Italian dressing & rest of Parmesan cheese. Add carrots. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Place potatoes on top. Pour remaining Italian dressing on potatoes & sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Recipe courtesy: Pinterest

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

I love Pot Roast especially after church on Sunday, but I HATE to peel and chop vegetables.  Most of my families' meals are freezer meals. I very rarely "cook" for dinner.  I finally found one that can be prepped and then put in the freezer.  When you are ready to cook, just thaw, and place in the crock pot to cook all day!

Ingredients:
1 package onion soup mix
2 cups hot water
2 pounds beef chuck roast
2 pounds potato, peeled and quartered
2 pounds baby carrots
1 medium onion, quartered

Directions:
Remember, you are NOT cooking this before putting in your freezer.
Start adding vegetables to a gallon freezer bag beginning with the potatoes; this will make sure that the potatoes will be covered up by the onion soup and water that you will add later.  (No brown, icky potatoes!!!!)  Add carrots and onions. 
Mix onion soup mix and hot water together.  Pour over the vegetables in the freezer bag.  If the liquid doesn't cover the potatoes, add enough to cover them.
Place the roast on the top of the veggies.

To serve:
Thaw in refrigerator.  Place all ingredients in slow cooker.  Cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.  Serve.

I have 2 friends that I freezer cook with regularly, and this is one recipe that all of husbands went WOW over!

Lemon & Sage Roasted Chicken

If you have never roasted a whole chicken, this is a easy recipe for you to give it a try. The chicken was moist & full of flavor. The potatoes were yummy.

Ingredients
1/4 c lemon juice

1/4 c plus 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

5 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp minced fresh sage

1 roasting chicken (6 to 7 pounds)

2 tbsp butter, softened

1 medium lemon, cut into wedges

8 medium potatoes, quartered

2 medium onions, quartered

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Directions
In a 2-gallon resealable plastic bag, combine the lemon juice, 1/4 cup oil, garlic and sage. Add the chicken; seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Drain and discard marinade. With fingers, carefully loosen skin from the chicken; rub butter under the skin. Fill cavity with lemon wedges. Place chicken breast side up on a rack in a roasting pan. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, onions, salt, pepper and remaining oil. Arrange around chicken. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 2-1/4 to 2-3/4 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 180°. Cover loosely with foil if chicken browns too quickly. Let stand for 15 minutes before carving.


Recipe courtesy: Simple & Delicious

Parsley Potatoes

My cousin Angie made these for our family reunion. They are simple but so delicious.

Ingredients
Canned potatoes
Parsley
Butter
Paprika

Directions
Place all ingredients in a roaster oven Cook at 350 degrees until ready to serve.


Recipe courtesy: Angie P of Ohio

Roasted Red Pepper & Crab Soup

 

 

Ingredients

6 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into quarters

1 (32 ounce) carton chicken broth

1 large potato, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 quart half-and-half cream

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper to taste

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp dried basil

1 lb cooked crabmeat, flaked

 

Directions

Set the oven to broil, and preheat for 5 minutes. Place the red bell pepper quarters skin-side up on a broiler pan or baking sheet. Broil until the skins have blackened, then place them in a brown paper bag, or in a covered bowl and allow them to steam for approximately 10 minutes to loosen the skins.

Once the skins have loosened, peel them off and discard. Coarsely chop the peeled, roasted peppers, and place into a large saucepan along with the chicken broth and chopped potato. Bring to a boil over high heat, then add the half-and-half, salt, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and basil. Return to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 45 minutes. Once the potatoes have softened, puree the soup in batches in a blender until smooth. Pour the pureed soup into another saucepan and stir in the crab. Heat over medium heat to warm through, about 5 minutes.

 

Recipe courtesy: Lisa B of Ohio

Roast Beef Pot Pie

This pot pie was AMAZING! It was super easy to assemble. From start to the table, it was just under an hour. The flavor was delicious. It was a HUGE hit with the entire family (including my picky eater).


Ingredients
10 baby carrots, chopped
6 small red potatoes, cubed
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 17 oz package refrigerated beef roast au jus (or leftover roast), coarsely chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/3 c all purpose flour
2 1/4 c beef broth
1 sheet refrigerated pie pastry
1 egg, beaten

Directions
Saute carrots, potatoes & onion in oil until crisp tender in a large skillet. Add the beef roast, salt & pepper. Combine the flour & broth until smooth; gradually stir into pan. Bring to a boil. Cook & stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Transfer to a 9-inch deep dish pie plate (it must be this size or it will run over). Place pie pastry over filling. Trim, seal & flute or crimp edges. Cut slits in pastry. Brush with egg. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-30 minutes or until golden brown.


Recipe adapted from Simple & Delicious

Roasted Root Vegetable Medley

Ingredients

8 to 12 slender carrots, peeled and trimmed

8 to 12 baby turnips, peeled

6 to 8 fingerling potatoes, scrubbed and cut lengthwise in halves

1 or 2 large parsnips, peeled, trimmed, and cut diagonally into 1-inch-thick slices

1 or 2 medium onions, trimmed, peeled and halved, each 1/2 cut into quarters

1 or 2 large beets, peeled and cut into thick wedges

1 or 2 kohlrabi bulbs, peeled and cut into thick wedges

1 celery root, trimmed and halved, halves cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices

1 whole head garlic, separated into cloves, unpeeled

2 or 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, sage, or thyme

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Put all the vegetables and the herb sprigs in a large baking dish. Season well with salt and black pepper, drizzle generously with olive oil, and toss them with your hands to coat them evenly. Put the baking dish in the preheated oven and cook, stirring the vegetables occasionally, until they are tender and golden brown, about 45 minutes. Serve the vegetables from their baking dish or transfer them to a platter to accompany a roasted main course.

Note from Lisa - I did not use celery root, parsnips or kohlrabi in mine, because I could not find them. You can make this recipe with any root veggies you like.

Recipe courtesy - Lisa B of Tennessee

Herbed New Potatoes

Ingredients
4 tbsp unsalted butter
2 1/2 lbs small white or Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled
2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3 tbsp chopped mixed fresh green herbs, parsley/chives.... I used basil

Directions
Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or large heavy bottomed pot. Add the whole potatoes, salt and pepper, and toss well. Cover the pot tightly and cook over low heat 20 to 30 minutes, until potatoes are just tender when tested with a small knife. Shake the pot without removing the lid to prevent the bottom of the potatoes from burning.  Turn off the heat and allow the potatoes to steam for another 5 minutes. Don't overcook. Toss with the herbs, and serve hot.

Recipe courtesy - Linda O of Georgia

Ham Chowder

This recipe comes courtesy of a Facebook follower, Jessi H. She said her family loves it & it only takes 30 minutes total! It sounds like a winner to me.


Ingredients
Half a cooked ham, small cubed
1/2 bag of frozen mixed veggies
5 potatoes large cubed
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/2 block of sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 c whipping cream or half and half
Pepper

Directions
Fill a large pot half way with water. Add cubed potatoes and onions. Boil until tender. Add the cubed ham and frozen veggies. Stir well. Bring back to a boil, then add whipping cream. Stir well. 5 minutes prior to serving, add the shredded cheese. Add ground black pepper to taste.

Recipe courtesy: Jessi H.

Baked Potatoes in the Crockpot

Ingredients

Potatoes

1/2 can-1 can chicken broth

Garlic Pepper

Directions

Place potatoes in the crockpot. Pour chicken broth over the potatoes. Sprinkle Garlic Pepper on top. Cook on low in crockpot all day.

Such an easy way to make baked potatoes. When I make them, I fill the crockpot pretty full- baked potatoes one night, then you can peel and mash potatoes, cube potatoes to make buttered, parsley potatoes.... No fuss cooking with plenty of potatoes for another meal or two.

Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole

This recipe knocked one out of the park. First, the smell coming from the oven was almost too much to take. Then when we tasted it....yummy, yummy.

Ingredients
1 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1/3 c ketchup
2 tbsp yellow mustard
1 c shredded cheddar cheese
8 slices bacon, cooked, crumbled
4 c frozen bite-size tator tots

Directions
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Brown meat with onion in a skillet. Drain. Stir in ketchup and mustard. Spoon into a 9-inch square baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Top with remaining ingredients. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until casserole is heated through and tator tots are golden brown. Note- I used ground chuck and turkey bacon.

Freezer Directions
Make as directed placing in a foil pan and cover with heavy duty foil. To serve, thaw and bake as directed for 35-35 minutes. I baked this one with the foil on and then removed it for the final 10 minutes.

Recipe courtesy - Kraft food and family