Baked Potato Soup
Sometimes I don't think that the potato gets the credit it deserves. Sure, it's a homely root that grows all over the country, but they're also delicious, velvety and filling. i love their versatility, and I'm convinced that, if needed, we could feel the world with potatoes. I remember growing up we had "potato bars" which was basically a baked potato drowning in as many sides as possible, chili, cheese, beef, sour cream, broccoli, chives, onions, and if mom was in a good mood, Fritos. Insanely satisfying, great for kids and very inexpensive. Ah, the great potato.
When I found this recipe I realized how long it had been since I'd cooked with a tater and quickly got busy. I love this recipe because, since the potato is already dense with a lovely texture, you really don't need to add much to the soup for it to be rich. We piled this with bacon, cheese, and chives and ate like kings, for cheap!
Baked Potato Soup
From Skinnytaste
Ingredients
2 russet potatoes, washed and dried
1 small head of cauliflower, stem removed cut into florets
1 1/2 cups fat free chicken broth
1 1/2 cups 1% reduced-fat milk
salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 cup light sour cream
10 tbsp reduced-fat shredded sharp cheddar cheese
6 tbsp chopped chives, divided
3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (you can use turkey bacon if you prefer)
Directions
Pierce potatoes with a fork; microwave on high for 5 minutes turn over and microwave another 3 - 5 minutes, until tender. Or if you prefer to use your oven, bake at 400° for 1 hour or until tender. Cool. Peel potatoes.
Meanwhile, steam cauliflower with water in a large covered pot until tender. Drain and return to pot. On medium heat, add chicken broth, milk, potatoes and bring to a boil. Use an immersion blender to puree until smooth. Add sour cream, half the chives, salt and pepper and cook on low another 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat. Ladle 1 cup soup into each bowl. Top each serving with 2 tbsp cheese, remaining chives, and bacon.
Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Blue Cheese Vinaigrette
It's gorgeous today! The sun is shining, the wind is minimal and I didn't even need a jacket when I went outside. I can't wait for my daughter to get home because as soon as she does, we're packing up and spending the rest of the day at the park. I love days like today!
And on a beautiful spring day, you need a beautiful green salad. I found this salad on Natalie's blog, The Sweets Life. This girl knows her stuff, especially when it comes to beautiful healthy food. As soon as I saw this salad, I knew I had to have it. In my mind, it's perfect for spring because it's got the summery crispness of the leafy lettuce or spinach, but also the winter nostalgia of creamy butternut squash and dried cranberries. Combine that with crispy bacon and an incredible homemade blue cheese vinaigrette, and you have yourself springtime on a plate! Thanks Natalie, I will be enjoying this salad a lot! Check out the recipe here.
Bacon Pierogi Bake
Pierogi is a word that I had never even heard until I was twenty seven and moved to Philly, what had I been missing out on? I see them everywhere now, there's even a delightful take out kitchen close by that sells several different types of pierogi. Sour kraut, loaded baked potato, even Philly cheese steak Pierogi is on their menu. They're delicious, creamy and full of stuf that fill the belly and warms the soul.
For those of you unfamiliar with pierogi, they are a dumpling originating from Eastern Europe (think Russia, Poland etc). They are filled with a variety of different things, but potato seems to be the most common. And then they are usually served with sauteed onions and sour cream, oh, I'm hungry just thinking about them!
Aside from getting them at restaurants, you can also get them frozen from grocery stores. But to be honest, I've never been that impressed with the frozen version, and consequently have had a box of them hanging out in my freezer longer then I'd like to admit.
So this recipe came in very handy to dress up the poor neglected pierogi in my freezer, and made them SO delicious. The sauce and cheese coats the already cheesy pierogi and adds so much great flavor. And let us not forget that there is bacon in there too. Need I say more?
Check out the recipe here!
Roasted Brussel Sprouts
It's amazing how certain recipes just stay with you. I read them, then no matter how much time passes, I just can't rest until making it. That's how it was with this brussel sprouts recipe I found over at The Hungry Housewife (a fun and DELICIOUS blog, I highly recommend you go say hi to Leslie). She posted this recipe clear back in January of last year, but when Thanksgiving rolled around, and I wanted to make brussel sprouts, I knew exactly where to go. Oh I'm so glad I did! There aren't too many brussel sprout lovers in my home, but how can you not automatically love anything cooked in bacon, c'mon? It should win just by default.
These are really simple to make, just a quick saute and a roast. But the results yield a brown, caramelized brussel sprout, brimming with smoky bacon flavor. It was easily the yummiest thing on my plate, and was the only dish that got completely eaten. Oh yes, I will be making these again and again. Thanks Leslie!
Roasted Brussel Sprouts
By The Hungry Housewife
Ingredients
1 pound fresh brussel sprouts,washed and trimmed of the rough "bud" on bottom and halved
Olive Oil
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
6 slices bacon, finely chopped
2 Tbsp Butter
Salt and Pepper
Balsamic Glaze
Directions
Preheat oven to 425
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large skillet over medium heat, add bacon and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the shallots and cook for another 3 minutes. Add Butter , brussels Sprouts, salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
Pour the sprouts onto the baking sheet, roast for 30 minutes, turning once.
Remove from oven and drizzle with the Balsamic Glaze.
After all the pictures I've taken of food, I really shouldn't be surprised!
Zuppa Toscana
Whenever I go to Olive Garden for lunch, I'm always sure to get a bowl of this tasty stuff. Zuppa Toscana, with it's hearty kale and delicious sausage, you really can't go wrong. The only thing better then eating it at a restaurant, is eating it at home donning pajamas and warm fuzzy socks, whilst watching your favorite show. I also love making things like this myself because I can lighten it up without lightening flavor, like using turkey sausage, and fat free half and half. Mmmmm, delicious.
Zuppa Toscana
Adapted From Allrecipes
Ingredients
1 pound bulk mild Italian sausage
1 1/4 teaspoons crushed red pepper
flakes
4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 large onion, diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
5 (13.75 ounce) cans chicken broth
6 potato, thinly sliced
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 bunch fresh kale, tough stems
removed
Directions
1. Cook the Italian sausage and red pepper flakes in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crumbly, browned, and no longer pink, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Cook the bacon in the same Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain, leaving a few tablespoons of drippings with the bacon in the bottom of the Dutch oven. Stir in the onions and garlic; cook until onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Pour the chicken broth into the Dutch oven with the bacon and onion mixture; bring to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes and kale, and boil until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the heavy cream and the cooked sausage; heat through.
Cobb Salad Pizza
You'll have to forgive the pictures on this post. Sometimes pictures are done in haste. Sometimes you're just too hungry to worry about plating, lighting and aesthetics. Sometimes when you have a beautiful warm salad, tossed with chicken, bacon, avocado, blue cheese, cherry tomatoes and a homemade vinaigrette, soaking into a freshly baked pizza crust, you don't want to be bothered. You just want to eat it.
I suggest you do the same.
A Night of Meat (and Potatoes)
(I'm the short one with glasses!)
A few Saturdays ago I ran a 5K with a few of my friends. It's become a bit of a tradition that we started last year, and hopefully with every year my time will improve. The weather could not have been more beautiful and we had a great time, there's nothing like starting your day then with a good run. I can see how people get addicted to this running business.
So after the race, we did what any good food lover would do, cooked about ten pounds of ribs and ate them with our friends!
Ah ribs, truly God's gift to the carnivore. Is there a more succulent meat on this earth?
Ribs are surprisingly easy to prepare. The trick is just giving them enough time to cook low and slow. Whether you rub, sauce, or grill is up to you!
But what I really want to talk about are these bacon smashed potatoes. I had found a recipe in my Taste of Home magazine, glanced over it, misunderstood it, and now I like my version better! You can use red or russet potatoes (I like red). Boil them until they are tender enough to smash. Put them in a casserole pan.
And them smash the crap out of them.
I then drenched them in Italian Dressing, then sprinkled a generous helping of chopped crispy bacon, chopped parsley and shredded cheddar cheese. Bake them uncovered at 400 for about fifteen minutes, or until potatoes are heated through and cheese is melted or bubbly. These will disappear fast, I guarantee it!
I also served my all time favorite baked beans ala Paula Deen. Packed with things like crushed pineapple, molasses and french onions, these could practically pass for a dessert. Check out the recipe here.
The pictures might not be so great, but as evident by the big plate of bones, everyone was left completely satisfied! A very fun day (and night) indeed.
Broccoli Salad
When I lived in Idaho, one of my favorite places to go to lunch was a place called 5th Avenue Bagelry. They made the best sandwiches, with fantastic unique ingredients, and killer drinks. But one of my favorite things to get there was their broccoli salad. It was fresh broccoli tossed with all sorts of goodies like bacon (BACON!), sunflower seeds, craisins, and a sweet tangy dressing. There was no end to how much of this salad I could eat! Luckily, it's very easy to make and is a guaranteed crowd pleaser. It's a great dish to serve in the summer for barbecues, but also good for when it's freezing outside and you need a little taste of summer to give you hope! Definitely try this salad, it's great with just about any dinner.
Broccoli Salad
Slightly Adapted from Allrecipes
Ingredients
1 pound bacon
4 cups broccoli florets
5 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup white sugar
6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 shredded cheddar cheese
Directions
1. Place bacon in a large skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly browned. Cool, crumble, and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, toss together broccoli, green onions, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, and bacon.
3. In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, sugar, and red wine vinegar. Toss with vegetables to coat. Add cheese and toss again, lightly. Cover, and chill until serving.
Honey Mustard Pork Loin with Bacon
About two months ago the good people at Newman's Own contacted me asking if I would be interested in trying their products and reviewing them. Heck yes I would! So when I got back from my vacation, I was greeted with a big old box filled with these goodies...Merry Christmas to me, again!
The first thing I decided to work with was the Honey Mustard dressing, one of my favorites. The first thing I wanted to do with it was make this salad again. But I thought I'd try something different instead, and this pork loin was born.
I realize it's not the prettiest thing to look at, but it sure was tasty! I combined the honey mustard with garlic and rosemary, brushed it all over the surface of the pork loin, covered it in bacon and roasted it slow and low until the pork was tender and juicy and the bacon was crisp. It turned out to be a very delicious dinner, however I think next time I'm going to try marinating the pork loin in the honey mustard for a few hours to let the flavors penetrate a bit more. Of course that was a problem easily solved by just pouring a little extra dressing right onto my cut after it was cooked! I thought the honey mustard was perfect for this pork loin, definitely try it!
Honey Mustard Pork Loin with Bacon
Ingredients
3/4 cup Newman's Own Light Honey Mustard Dressing
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried rosemary (fresh would be even better if you have it)
1 (3 1/2lb) center cut pork loin
5-8 slices of bacon, enough to cover your pork loin
Directions
Place oven rack on bottom third of oven. Preheat to 350.
Combine dressing, garlic and rosemary. Dress pork loin generously with dressing in a casserole pan or roasting pan. Layer bacon over pork loin, covering the entire roast. Secure with either toothpicks or kitchen string. Roast for 1 hour, cover with foil and roast for another 10-20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow pork to rest for 20 minutes, keeping it covered in foil. Slice and enjoy!
Here's a much prettier, and healthier looking shot for you.
Stay tuned for more Newman's Own reviews and don't forget to enter in my giveaway for a silpat, just below!
HBi5: Loaf of Bread, Epi, and Crackers
My first HBi5 post, and I think I'm sold with their concept. The whole way it works is you make a big batch of starter dough, which stays good in your fridge for up to two weeks. As the week goes by, you can cut pieces off of the starter as you please and make a large variety of fun breads. Plus, it's healthy!
This round was pretty simple. I started out with making a simple loaf of bread.
The bread was rich and delicious and had a wonderful nutty softness to it. We used it to make these paninis (what else!)
Inspired by Cooking Light, it is loaded with spinach, bacon, caramelized red onions and garlic, and a low-fat white cheddar. Talk about a rich and hearty sandwich, I was full for the rest of the night!
Later in the week I made an Epi shaped loaf of bread. It was fun and amazingly easier to make. It was also fun to tear off the individual "grains" and eat them as rolls. Again, wonderful wheaty flavor.
Coming in last, and probably my favorite were these great crackers. Rolled very thin and dusted with kosher salt and chili powder, they were crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside and great with lowfat cheddar cheese or cottage cheese. My kids also loved them!
So far, I'm very excited about this book!
Be sure to come back Monday, I have a long overdue giveaway that I'm absolutely giddy about!
This round was pretty simple. I started out with making a simple loaf of bread.
The bread was rich and delicious and had a wonderful nutty softness to it. We used it to make these paninis (what else!)
Inspired by Cooking Light, it is loaded with spinach, bacon, caramelized red onions and garlic, and a low-fat white cheddar. Talk about a rich and hearty sandwich, I was full for the rest of the night!
Later in the week I made an Epi shaped loaf of bread. It was fun and amazingly easier to make. It was also fun to tear off the individual "grains" and eat them as rolls. Again, wonderful wheaty flavor.
Coming in last, and probably my favorite were these great crackers. Rolled very thin and dusted with kosher salt and chili powder, they were crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside and great with lowfat cheddar cheese or cottage cheese. My kids also loved them!
So far, I'm very excited about this book!
Be sure to come back Monday, I have a long overdue giveaway that I'm absolutely giddy about!
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