Fully Loaded Baked Potato Soup

I made this soup for the first time last night, and Hondo, Lacey, and LB really liked it.

6 cups fat-free chicken broth
1 cup fat-free milk
3 large potatoes
½ cup all-purpose flour
4 T. chopped onion
4 T. shredded fat-free cheese
4 T. fat-free sour cream
2 T. real bacon bits
1 ½ t. garlic powder
1 ½ t. onion powder
1 t. minced garlic
½ t. salt
¼ t. black pepper

Pierce potatoes with a fork in multiple places, and then place them on a paper towel or microwave-safe plate. Microwave for about 15 minutes, until potatoes are soft. Once cool enough to handle (I put them in the freezer for a little while), remove and discard the skin by either peeling it off or cutting potatoes open and scooping out the insides. Mash the potato pulp with a fork and set aside.

Bring a large pot sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and minced garlic and cook for 1 – 2 minutes, until onion has softened. Add broth and milk. Slowly add the flour, continuously stirring until it has completely dissolved

Add mashed potatoes and stir until fully blended. Add all other ingredients. Mix well, reduce heat, and simmer for 2 minutes. Makes 10 servings.

Peanut Butter Texas Sheet Cake

I don't know if this is popular in Dentin, Whitney, but I'm posting it for you anyways.

Cake ingredients:
2 sticks butter
¼ cup cocoa
1 cup water
½ cup buttermilk
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 t. baking soda
2 eggs
1 ½ cups peanut butter

Frosting ingredients:
1 stick butter
½ cup cocoa
6 T. buttermilk
1 box powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts

Combine the butter, cocoa, water, and buttermilk in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium/low heat. Pour it over the dry ingredients and mix well. Add beaten eggs to the mix quickly. Bake in a cookie sheet with sides at 350 degrees for 13 minutes.

Let cake cool for about 5 minutes and then spread the 1 ½ cups of peanut butter over the cake. Let peanut butter cool completely then make the frosting. Combine the butter, cocoa, and buttermilk in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Then add the sugar and vanilla and pour over the peanut butter with a spatula.

Chocolate Eclair Cake

This is a somewhat guilt-free dessert that is simple to make.

14 low fat graham cracker sheets broken in half (need 27 squares)
4 oz. box fat free, sugar free instant vanilla pudding
1.5 cups milk
1 tub fat free cool whip thawed
1 tub whipped chocolate frosting (lowest fat and calorie you can find -- this will last you awhile)

Break the 14 graham cracker sheets in half to make 27 squares, and set aside. Pour milk into a large bowl and add the pudding package. Whisk for approximately 2 minutes until ready and then set aside for a few minutes. Line the bottom of an 8x8 dish with 9 of the graham cracker squares. Then add thawed cool whip to pudding mixture and mix thoroughly. Place half of the pudding/cool whip mixture over the graham crackers. Then layer with 9 more of the graham cracker squares, followed by the remainder of the pudding/cool whip mixture. Top with remaining graham crackers. Cover the dish, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. When ready to serve, cover with the chocolate frosting.

Chocolate Passion Bowl

Whitney's mom, Kim, gave me this recipe. I made it for a work potluck a couple years ago, and now everyone requests I make it again everytime we have a potluck.

3 cups cold milk
2 pkg (4 oz. serving each) Jell-o chocolate flavor instant pudding & pie filling
1 tub(8oz.) cool whip french vanilla whipped topping, thawed & divided
1 baked 9 inch square brownie layer, cooled, cut into 1inch cubes (about 5-1/2 cups)
1 pt (2 cups) raspberries

Pour milk into large bowl. Add dry pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk 2 minutes or until well blended. Gently stir in 1 cup of the whipped topping.

Place half of the brownie cubes in 2 qt. serving bowl; top with half of the pudding mixture, half of the raspberries and half of the remaining whipped topping. Repeat all layers.

Refrigerate at least 1 hour or until ready to serve. Store leftover dessert in refrigerator.

Chili Rellenos Bake

I can't help but post another Mexican food recipe. Even though I make this for dinner, it would be great for breakfast, too.

1 26-oz. can roasted and peeled green chilis (or use about 24 roasted and peeled green chilis)
4 cups grated cheese
1/2 cup very thinly sliced green onions
5 eggs
1/2 cup fat-free or low-fat milk
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder

Put green chilis in a colander placed in the sink and let drain for about 15 minutes. While chilis drain, preheat oven to 375F. Spray glass or crockery casserole dish with non-stick spray or olive oil. (I used a 9x13 dish, but anything close to that size will work.) Use your thumb to split open each chili, scrape out any lingering seeds, and make a flat layer of chilis covering the bottom of the dish. (I alternated every other chili facing the opposite way because they are slightly v-shaped.) Top chilis with half the grated cheese, then sprinkle on green onions. Make another layer of flattened chilis, followed by the rest of the cheese. Put eggs into a bowl and beat well, then add milk, ground cumin, and chili powder, and stir until well combined. Pour egg-milk mixture over chilis and cheese, taking care to get it evenly distributed. (The egg-milk mixture will not completely cover the casserole.) Cover dish with foil for the first 15 minutes of baking time, then remove foil and bake until mixture is bubbling and cheese on top is lightly browned, about 40 minutes total baking time. (You can cook it without the foil, but watch it carefully or the top will get too brown. Cooking time without foil will be slightly less.) Serve hot and with sour cream and salsa if desired.

Boneless Buffalo Chicken Cheese Dip

Just in time for football season.........

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (or 1 already cooked rotisserie chicken)
1 medium bottle of ranch dressing
1 medium bottle of Frank’s Red Hot Sauce (Buffalo flavored)
2 blocks of cream cheese
Shredded cheddar cheese
Bag of tortilla chips, pita bread, or crackers

Boil the chicken breasts until they are fully cooked. Shred the chicken into small pieces. Microwave the cream cheese so it’s mixable. Mix the chicken, cream cheese, ranch dressing, and hot sauce in a bowl. Spread the ingredients in a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle the shredded cheese on top of the ingredients. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips, pita bread, or crackers.

Tortilla Roll-Ups & Salsa

Like I previously said....as AZ natives, we make lots of Mexican food. This tortilla roll-ups recipes is a great appetizer that goes very fast. My mom's homemade salsa recipe goes very well with them, and it tastes very fresh and is so easy to make.

Tortilla Roll-Ups

8 oz. sour cream
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 c. shredded cheese
1 4 oz. can diced green chiles, drained
1 4 oz. can diced black olives, drained
Garlic powder to taste
5-10” flour tortillas

Combine sour cream and cream cheese together well. Stir in cheese, green chiles, olives, and seasoning. Spread over tortilla. Roll tortilla. Wrap tightly with plastic warp, twisting ends. Refrigerate several hours. Cut in ½” slices.


Salsa

1 can crushed tomatoes
1 can petite-diced tomatoes
2 cans chopped green
1 can El Pato hot sauce (the yellow can)
1 purple onion
1 bunch green onions
Cilantro to taste (about ¼ of the bunch)

Put the crushed tomatoes, onion (cut into about 8 pieces first), green onions (chop by hand first), and cilantro into the blender and blend. In a separate bowl, mix the diced tomatoes, green chiles, and El Pato. Add the blender mixture into what’s in the bowl.

Bean Soup and Other Bean Recipe

These are 2 bean recipes you can make in the crock-pot. Not only are they easy, but they will feed a lot of people and are great for a potluck.

Bean Soup

Brown 1-2 lbs. ground beef (or turkey). Mix in a crock-pot with the following ingredients:

One can each-
Pinto beans
Great northern beans
Kidney beans
Hominy
Stewed tomatoes
Corn, drained
Chopped green chiles
El Pato hot sauce (yellow can)
One packet dry ranch dressing mix

Serve with Fritos and grated cheese.


Beans

Soak 1 pound of pinto beans in water overnight. The next morning, discard the water and cover beans with new water. Add 1 cup barbeque sauce, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic salt, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 yellow onion, and pork. (I used a $5 pork roast from Wal-Mart that I cut up into small chunks while still raw.) Then cook all day in the crock pot on high.

Chicken Enchiladas

Growing up in AZ, my mom cooked a lot of mexican food, of which this is my favorite recipe. Not only is it very good, but it's really easy, too.


Chicken Enchiladas

3 T. butter or margarine
2-3 c. cooked, diced chicken or turkey (I use canned chicken, but you can use leftover turkey from the holidays.)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 c. sour cream
1 can green chiles
12 corn tortillas

Slightly fry each tortilla in a pan with oil so tortillas are moist and not brittle/dry.

In a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in chicken or turkey, soup, and sour cream. Blend well.

For each enchilada, place about 1/3 c. chicken mixture in center of each tortilla and roll. Arrange in an ungreased 13”x9” baking dish. Spoon remaining chicken mixture over enchiladas. Sprinkle grated cheese on top.

Bake uncovered at 400 degrees until cheese is bubbly, about 25 minutes.

Grape Salad

When my sister-in-law Meg first came to Christmas with Dan, she brought along a delicious grape salad. This has become my go-to side dish for picnics and get-togethers. There are rarely leftovers and when there is that one bowl left, everyone would like to take it home.

Meg's Grape Salad
4-5 pounds red or black seedless grapes
8 oz. cream cheese, softened (do not use low fat, it will clump)
8 oz. sour cream
1/2 cup sugar

Topping:
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup pecans, chopped

Mix cream cheese, sour cream and sugar with mixer on medium speed until well-blended. Toss in grapes. Place grapes coated in mixture in large bowl.

Combine brown sugar and chopped pecans and sprinkle over grape mixture. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Typically, I don't measure the brown sugar or pecans. I simply go by sight to make sure there is a nice, thick topping (i.e., I probably use more than the recipe calls for). This dish is also wonderful if it has time to "sit." I often make it the night before an event.

A Soup for Fall!

Today was the first day we've had that felt like fall here in Denton, so I did what I always do when fall rolls around. I opened the windows and made soup, but today I gave up the old standby of vegetable beef soup. I tried out a new recipe I'd come across for a Roasted Corn and Crab Soup. The name doesn't really give justice to the delicious flavor that comes through in this soup. It is one of my new favorites, and will become a new standby on cool fall days (and the rest of the year)!

Roasted Corn and Crab Soup
14 oz. bag of steam-in-the-bag frozen whole kernel corn
2 large red onions, chopped
2 red bell peppers, chopped
1 tbsp. olive oil
64 oz. (2 boxes) reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup half-and-half
4 ounces cooked crabmeat in bite-sized pieces (we bought pre-packaged, refrigerated crabmeat)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place corn in the microwave and cook on high for 2 minutes to thaw. Pour out onto paper towels, and dry corn thoroughly. Spray stone bar pan or tinfoil lined metal cookie sheet with cooking spray. Spread corn evenly onto the stone. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes and then stir. Bake approximately 10 minutes more until golden brown, stirring once or twice (it took mine about 8 additional minutes). Remove from oven and set aside.

In a stock pot, cook onions and peppers in oil over medium heat for 4-5 minutes until almost tender. Add roasted corn, 1 1/2 boxes broth, thyme, and red pepper. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In an old spaghetti or mason jar, combine remaining broth and the flour. Shake together well. Stir mixture into the soup. Cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 2-3 minutes more. Stir in half-and-half, and heat until warmed through.

Ladle into soup bowls and divide crab meat among bowls.

If you plan to make this ahead, simply make as above without adding crabmeat. Refrigerate the soup, and reheat when ready to eat. After reheated, add crabmeat.

Banana Pudding with Meringue

I clearly love dessert. This is no secret given the number of dessert-oriented recipes I post. Banana pudding with meringue, warm from the oven, is hard to beat. I took this to a picnic last night, and even though my bananas were too ripe (making it a little overly sweet) only one scoop was left. This recipe is easy and delicious, but tastes rich enough that people think it's really difficult! I would just recommend ensuring your bananas still have a little bite to them.

I put this into a 9x13 pan last night, and that made for pretty thin servings. If placing the dessert in a 9x13 dish, I would recommend doubling the recipe, so the meringue is nice and thick!

Banana Pudding

Pudding

4 TBSP. melted butter (1/2 stick)
3 eggs, separated (reserve egg whites for meringue)
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 heaping TBSP. flour
2 cups milk
1/2 box vanilla wafers
3 big bananas thinly sliced

Mix butter, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, and flour. Whisk and stir, then slowly add milk while whisking. Microwave 5 minutes on high, stir thoroughly, the microwave an additional 3 - 4 minutes. Fold in bananas, and layer mixture into a 2 quart, oven-safe bowl or dish with 1/2 box vanilla wafers.

Meringue:
3 Egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup sugar

Beat egg whites on highest speed until stiff. Add tsp. vanilla. Then add 1/4 cup sugar slowly while gently beating. It will take several minutes to whip egg whites until ready to spread.

Spread meringue on pudding and bake approximately 15 minutes at 350 degrees or until meringue peaks are golden brown.

FINALLY - A Blueberry Muffin Recipe Worth Sharing

As Jeff can attest, I have a pretty serious love affair with blueberry muffins. Although they have been a staple in our house the past several years, I am not particularly a huge fan of the packaged blueberry muffin mixes. Since we moved to TX, I have been searching for a good "from scratch" blueberry muffin recipe. Trust me, there are lots of not-so-delicious recipes floating around online, but I will have to say I think I found my new go-to recipe this morning.

Yummy Grande Blueberry Muffins
1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup) at room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups frozen blueberries, thawed, rinsed, and patted dry

This recipe will yield 12 huge blueberry muffins. If you're used to filling muffing cups 2/3's full, then you could likely maintain that tradition and get 15 muffins out of the batch.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare 12 muffin cups. I use a Pampered Chef baking stone to skip out on paper cups. The stone does a nice job of keeping the muffins light and fluffy, but allows the top to crisp a bit. If you're using a muffin tin, I would recommend lining it with paper baking cups.

Cream butter and sugar together until well mixed and light. Add eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each egg. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Alternate small amounts of the flour mixture and milk while gently beating mixture until well combined. Be careful not to get overzealous with the mixing.

Just as a note, I used my stand mixer and it worked great in getting everything mixed well without overdoing it.

Using a spatula, gently incorporate blueberries into the mixture. Spoon mixture into greased/lined muffin cups. Sprinkle a small amount of sugar on top of each muffin. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until muffins are golden and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Just as an aside, I didn't really "time" the muffins too carefully. I like to go on sight, and using the toothpick check.

These are definitely worth the investment of time! They were so delicious, I plan to make them for Christmas Eve breakfast this year.