Adventures in Crock Pot Cooking: Baked Potato Soup

Since I'm still new to the Crockpot world, I decided to use an actual recipe for this soup. After much research, I came across a new (to me) food blog: crockpot365. This site was totally helpful! I made the baked potato soup as directed, and it was really, really good. One note: it made a TON of soup. We ate a few bowls each over dinner and lunches, gave some to my father-in-law, and still have about 1 1/2 quarts left in the freezer. So, before you make this soup, clear out some room in your fridge and/or freezer! We topped ours with crispy bacon pieces, but I'm sure you could get creative with toppings. Enjoy!

Thanks to Stephanie for this tasty recipe!

Baked Potato Soup
from Crockpot365

5 lbs potatoes, peeled and diced into 1 inch chunks
1 small onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 quarts chicken broth
2- 8oz packages of cream cheese

Put the diced potatoes into the slow cooker. Add onion, garlic, seasonings, and the chicken broth. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. The potatoes should be fork tender. Using an immersion blender (or a potato masher), mash the potatoes until smooth. Crumble in both packages of cream cheese, stir, and put the lid back on. Cook on high for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted (this took me about 45 minutes). Garnish and serve!

Roasted Vegetable Puree

I made this soup about a month or two ago and never got around to posting it. It was one of those lovely fall days, where the South Florida weather was actually nice, and my local supermarket had quite a variety of fresh produce. (Those of you that know me know that I really dislike buying supermarket veggies)

I cut up and liberally coated my veggies with salt, pepper, olive oil, and a bit of thyme and rosemary from my garden. I roasted them at 420° until a fork easily went through the vegetable. Since I had different types of vegetables that would take various amounts of time to roast, I made sure to put similar vegetables together in each pan.

The first pan contained:

• about 5 parsnips, peeled and chopped
• about 7 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 of a large butternut squash, peeled and chopped

The second pan contained:

• 1 sweet potato, chopped
• 3 zuchinni, sliced
• 4 yellow squash, sliced

The third pan contained asparagus.

Once all of the vegetables were roasted and cooled, I blended them with a bit of chicken stock in my food processor (a blender would work if you have one- I don't). Once all of the vegetables were blended, I brought the puree to a boil, and adjusted my seasonings. At this point, I added about 2 cups of chicken stock to mine, as I like a thinner consistency, but you could leave yours thicker if you prefer. Once everything was warm, I divided the puree into containers and froze half of the recipe for later.

The soup was very yummy, especially in the colder weather. Also, I gave some to a friend with a baby, and the baby LOVED it. Good way to get in all of those important nutrients! Not the best picture, but you get the idea!

Manhattan Clam Chowder

The hubby is a big Manhattan Clam Chowder fan. He loves the stuff. So, it was about time for me to give it a try. The thick cut bacon was clearly the key to this soup. Normally, I use regular bacon- whatever I have in the freezer. However, this recipe is not the one to go cheap on. You can find thick cut bacon with all of the other varieties in your grocery store, or you can go to a butcher. Either way, do it. Trust me- it's delicious! The bacon gave the soup an earthy smokiness that played well with the clams and lemon juice. Then again, when have you known me to NOT love something with bacon in it???

Manhattan Clam Chowder

4 strips of thick cut bacon, diced
2 leeks, white and light green parts chopped finely
2 Russet potatoes, diced
2 stalks of Celery, diced
2 cloves of Garlic, minced
2 cans diced tomatoes drained, juices reserved
2 cans minced clams drained, juices reserved
3 cups of water
4 tsp. fresh lemon juice
3 Tbsp. parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Cook bacon over medium high for 4 minutes, or until brown. Add the leeks, potatoes, celery, and tomatoes. Cook for minutes, adding the garlic during the last minute. Add tomato juice, clam juice, and water. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once the soup has boiled, cover and cook on medium low for 15 minutes.
After the 15 minutes, check to see if the potatoes are cooked. If not, cook for another 3 minutes, then check again. Once the potatoes are cooked, remove the pot from the heat. Using an immersion blender (or a regular blender), blend the soup a bit, making sure to leave it a bit chunky. Return soup to the heat and add clams, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Cook for 3 minutes, then taste to adjust seasonings if needed. Stir in the fresh parsley and serve with crackers.

Adapted from William-Sonoma Soups and Stews

Chicken Stock (and soup too!)

A few weeks ago, I decided to make a batch of homemade chicken stock. I had done this a few times before, but I always used it up straight away. I never had the room in the old freezer. Now, I have the room to make a big batch to freeze in small portions.

In the past, I had used whole chickens. But to tell you the truth, it's just too expensive. I generally buy about a 5 pound chicken to make 7 quarts of stock. After cooking the chicken for hours, it's not that great to eat. So you end up tossing the whole bird. This time around I went to the butcher at my local supermarket and asked him if he had any carcasses or gizzards to sell me. He told me that he had just packaged up a few packs of gizzards and necks. For about $3.50 I got 5 pounds of stock worthy chicken. Great!

I used my very tall stockpot to do this job. First I added the following to the pot:
7 carrots, not peeled, chopped
3 onions, quartered
4 head of celery, chopped
1 head of garlic, not peeled, chopped in half
5 pounds chicken (parts or whole chicken chopped up)
3 bay leaves
1 tsp. whole peppercorns

Then I added as much water as I could fit in the pot. For my pot, this was 7 quarts. I then added a ton of fresh herbs from my garden. You can add whatever you like, but I used:

1 1/2 c. flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
4 long stalks of Rosemary
5 stalks of Thyme
1/2 c. of chopped chives

I let the mixture simmer for about 4 hours. Every half hour or so, I would skim off any fat that had risen to the top. After 4 hours, I poured the stock through a strainer into a cheesecloth lined bowl. (You don't have to use the cheesecloth, but I find that it really helps to remove any of the finer particles that may have passed through the strainer.) I then allowed the stock to cool before putting it in the fridge overnight.

The next day, I skimmed off all the fat that had separated from the stock. There will be a lot, don't worry! I then transferred the stock into food storage bags. I put 2 cups of broth in each bag. I then put the bags in the freezer, lying them flat to conserve room. I used 7 quarts of water and ended up with about 6 1/2 quarts of stock. Not bad! Cheap and delicious!

Well, the hubby is feeling a little under the weather this week. Time for soup! I took out 2 bags of broth (4 cups) from the freezer and let them defrost a bit. I then put the stock in a pot over medium low heat to finish defrosting. When the stock was warm, I added a chicken breast that I had cut up into bite sized pieces. I would have normally added carrots as well at this point, but the patient didn't want them in there. I also added 1 cinnamon stick to the pot and a bit of lemon juice to taste. I used about 2 tsp.

I let the soup cook for about 5 minutes before removing the cinnamon and adding a few hand fulls of broken egg noodles. The soup cooked for just another few minutes, until the noodles were done. Soup was delicious!

What I like about making my own stock is that it's easy. Time consuming, but easy. But, I just put the stock on to simmer away while I'm watching TV, cleaning, etc. So, it's not that bad. I also really enjoy getting to control what goes into the broth. It's exactly what I want. And I can alter the ingredients to fit the mood I'm in. Finally, it's really nice having a freezer full of stock! Since I use chicken stock all the time, it's both a cheaper and a healthier option for us. I just pop a bag of broth into the pot and my meal is halfway done! I also use chicken broth to flavor rice and vegetable dishes. I'm getting a ton of use out of $3.50 worth of chicken parts. And when all else fails, a good cup of homemade soup is only 10 minutes away.

Enjoy!

Oops...

I made two soups last week. Of course, you wouldn't know it, as I forgot to take pictures. I stayed home last Tuesday to wait for the plumber (only a few months in and I'm starting to really experience what being a homeowner is all about!). In order to pass the time, I decided to roast a butternut squash I had bought. This turned into roasted butternut squash soup. Tasty. I had never made it before, but i will again. (But next time, I will make it when others are around. I found out later that night that Joe HATES butternut squash. Which left me with a lot of soup to eat!)

By this time, the plumber still had yet to arrive. So, I made a potato leek soup. I used red potatoes, as my mother had dropped off a bag a few days prior. But, I bet it would be just as good with any other variety. The leek soup was lovely. And even better, Joe liked it too. I was able to freeze the leftover potato leek soup, so I'll add a picture when we have it. Until then, sorry!

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

1 large butternut squash, halved
1-2 c. chicken stock
1 tsp. olive oil
nutmeg
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the halved squash on a baking sheet and drizzle with oil. Roast until the squash is fork tender, about an hour. Take the squash out of the oven and let it cool. Once cool, spoon out the squash (not the pulp) into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste. Slowly add chicken stock until you reach the desired consistency. Place mixture in a pot and warm.

*I have also heard of people chopping the squash ahead of time and roasting the pieces. I'm sure that either method works fine.


Potato and Leek Soup
1 large head of leeks, washed and chopped
2 c. potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 quart chicken broth
1 c. whole milk
1 c. heavy cream
4 Tbsp. butter
salt and pepper


Melt butter over medium-low heat in a heavy bottomed pot. Add leeks and a pinch of salt. Cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add potatoes and broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover. Allow soup to simmer until potatoes are soft, about 45 minutes to an hour. Remove pot from heat and blend with an immersion blender or a regular blender in batches. Return soup to pot and add cream and milk. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Kidney Bean Soup

I threw together this soup a few days ago when I was really hungry and didn't have much in the way of lunch. It turned out to be very good and I had plenty left over to freeze for another day! I don't like spicy foods, but Joe liked his with Tobasco sauce in it.

1/2 lb bacon, diced
1 large shallot, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. carrots, chopped
1 c. celery, chopped
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 c. green peppers, diced
1 can kidney beans, rinsed
1 c. orzo
1 1/2 quarts beef broth
1 tsp. dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Cook bacon in a large pot until crunchy. Add olive oil, garlic, shallot, carrots, celery and peppers. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 7 minutes. Add beef broth and deglaze the pan. Add beans, orzo, and spices. Bring soup to a boil, then turn down the heat to simmer. Cook until the orzo is done, about 8-10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Makes 6 servings

Parmesan Chicken with Broccoli Cheddar Soup

The heat here in South Florida is what one would call "oppressive." This being the case yesterday, I was in the mood for a light dinner. I settled on parmesan chicken with a mixed green salad on top. I also made broccoli cheddar soup. Usually I don't like soups in the summer, but this one is light enough to enjoy.

Parmesan Chicken

2 chicken breasts
1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 c. Panko bread crumbs
1/2 c. grated Parmesan
1 c. flour
2 eggs, beaten with a bit of water
salt and pepper

Pound the chicken breasts to thin them out a bit. In three seperate plates arrange the following: eggs, bread crumbs and parmesan, and flour with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in the flour first, then the egg mixture, and finally the bread crumbs. Heat the olive oil and butter in a pan over medium heat. Place chicken into the pan and allow to brown on each side, about 7 minutes total. Remove chicken and place onto paper towels, or a baking rack to drain some of the grease. Sprinkle with a bit more parmesan.

I plated the chicken first, then added a simple mixed green salad on top. The salad had a lemon vinegrette dressing contianing 1/2 c. olive oil, 1/4 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice, salt, and pepper. I topped off the salad with a bit more parmesan.







Broccoli Cheddar Soup

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bunch of broccoli
1 1/2 c. beer (I used Blue Moon)
2 quarts of chicken stock
1 1/2 c. heavy cream
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese (I used Irish cheddar)
4 Tbsp. whipped cream cheese
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
salt and pepper

Heat oil in a heavy pot or dutch oven. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add the beer and allow it to simmer until the alcohol has cooked off. Meanwhile prepare the broccoli: cut off the florets, trim the stalks and cut into disks. When the alcohol has cooked off, add the broccoli, stock, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Continue to cook until broccoli is very tender.



At this point, remove the pot from the heat, add the cream, and blend the soup with an immersion blender. Once smooth, add the cheddar and cream cheeses. Blend mixture again until smooth. Adjust seasonings as needed. Serve immediately.