And with that , I am going to attempt my very own version of Creamy Potato Soup.
I am not a soup maker , infact I don't recall ever making any kind of soup from scratch, I love to eat soup of almost any kind, the rest of my family not so much, I managed to talk them into letting me try this recipe tonight though !
So without further delay - here is my own recipe for Creamy loaded baked potato soup ! Sounds tasty doesn't it ?
I'm starting out by baking a pound of bacon in the oven until crisp and then crumbling it for garnish, and then chop up 5 green onions to use as garnish as well.
My very own Loaded Baked Potato Soup
1 large onion chopped fine
2 table spoons butter
1-2 cloves of garlic minced
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese.
1/3 cup of flour
8-9 cups chicken stock ( 2 of the cardboard containers of the premade stuff from the grocery store because I haven't the time to make my own)
8 potatoes washed , peeled and chopped
1/4 cup heavy cream (table cream)
1/4 teaspoon basil
salt and pepper to taste (I didn't add any extra salt at all)
*Sautee the onions and garlic in the butter until translucent - don't let them brown though, I don't want brown bits in my creamy white soup.
This should take about 5 minutes - once its ready and soft add the flour in and stir well, this is apparently called a roux (I dunno it's what Emeril told me a few years back on his cooking show one day)
At this point you can add in your potatos and chicken stock , bring to a rolling boil and reduce heat slightly and let bubble and boil for 20 minutes or until potatoes are super soft and easily break apart with a knife or fork.
Reduce heat to low and mash the potatoes with a hand masher( I suppose you could use a hand blender on low if you like a really smooth soup but I like mine a bit chunky) , mix the soup well , add in the cream and cheese, stir to mix well until all cheese is melted.
Warm through, ladle into bowls , top with crumbled bacon and diced green onions.
This makes a huge batch of soup , you could easily halve the recipe if it's only for 2 people but if you want lots this is the way to go .
Eat ! Yum Yum Yum !
Easter has come and gone , there are chocolate bunnies and foil wrapped eggs tempting each of us in the kitchen cabinet, what better way to use it all up than peanut butter cups ?
I was looking for a simple recipe and recalled one my Aunt showed me years ago , I improvised a bit and browsed a couple of different recipes on my go to cooking websites . What I got was darn good , they could have been a bit better - more grainy to be closer to the real thing but we are enjoying the result none the less !
Without further ado ...
So simple Peanut Butter Cups
Utensils needed
*2 bowls
*1 muffin tin (or large baking sheet)
*Spoons
*Muffin tin liners (12 large worked perfectly)
Ingredients for chocolate part
1 and 1/4 cups chocolate pieces or chocolate chips (I chopped up a bunny and unwrapped a dozen chocolate eggs)
2 tablespoons peanut butter
Ingredients for peanut butter filling
3/4 cup peanut butter (we used smooth Kraft in the green jar but I'd highly recommend a fresh crushed or natural peanut butter, we'll definitely use a natural one next time.)
1/3 cup icing sugar (maybe slightly more you'll be able to tell)
large pinch of sea salt (fine grind not the coarse kind)
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract (optional but it gives it a nice flavor)
Place your chocolate in a microwavable bowl, melt it stirring frequently so it doesn't burn , it should take at most 2 minutes on high power.
Stir in the 2 tablespoons of peanut butter until mixed well.
Now head over to your muffin tin which you've lined with those fancy liners and drop 1 tablespoon of the chocolate mixture into each one. Tap the tray on the counter to distribute the chocolate evenly and stick it in the refrigerator to harden while you make the peanut butter filling.
Mix together the peanut butter , icing sugar, salt and vanilla , it should form a thick paste, once its nice and pliable roll bouncy ball sized balls - you'll need 12 total, 1 ball for each peanut butter cup.
Okay, the hard part is over, go get your chilled tray and press 1 ball of filling into each muffin cup, slightly reheat your chocolate mixture and top each peanut butter cup with enough chocolate to completely cover the peanut butter mixture.
Now go stuff your creation into the refrigerator and let it chill for about 45 minutes so the chocolate sets.
Pull them out and enjoy !
I love to cook & bake , trying new recipes makes me happy.
I've always loved food, creating meals my family enjoys is rewarding.
Cooking & baking with my daughters is enjoyable for everyone involved, they love to chop and mix to help mommy out!
So from my chaotic cramped kitchen I will share new things we try as well as our tried and true favorites.
I'll do my best to pepper my posts with pictures , but depending on the level of chaos in my house on any given day they may or may not be included !
