Basic Creamy Potato Soup

Basic Creamy Potato Soup

Yum! Creamy Potato Soup

I love soups! The fall is a great time to experiment with soup – a handy way to use some of that last-of-the-season produce, warm your tummy, and put a whole meal in a single pot!

I keep my soups pretty basic, to reduce the squawking from my young ones. The great thing about soups is that you can modify so easily (some bacon or sausage would sub in nicely for ham). I do my best to “hide” the onion (kids like the flavor, but no chunks). I like finely diced ingredients, but if you want a little more coarse chop, go for it.

This makes about 4 hearty servings. You can make it a meal with a side salad (or go for your carb overload and serve with fresh bread, like we did). By mashing a portion of the potatoes, it helps thicken the broth and make the soup rather creamy, without overdoing the heavy cream. It would actually be pretty tasty without the cream at all – that’s up to you. Start to finish, maybe 45 minutes – about 10 minutes chopping/prepping ingredients, about 10 minutes sautéing and maybe 25 to simmer.

Prepped ingredients

Ingredients:

• Potatoes – about 4 medium, peeled (2 coarsely diced, 2 finely diced)
• 3 Carrots, peeled and finely diced
• About 2 t. extra virgin olive oil
• One half onion, diced finely
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• About 1 cup ham, finely diced
• 1 box chicken stock (or broth), 32 ounce
• Heavy cream, one half to one full cup
• Kosher salt, to taste (about 1 t.)
• Black pepper, to taste
• Grated cheddar and fresh or dried chives, optional for garnish

First, prepare, peel and chop all your veggies. Set aside about 2 of the potatoes – just chunk them up and steam them in the microwave with about one-fourth cup water, until “mashable.” (Mine took about 7 minutes. Side note: I LOVE my Pampered Chef steamer – highly recommend! And no, I don’t sell their products.). Finely dice the remaining potatoes. I dice my ham after all the veggies are chopped, to reduce cross-contamination issues. 

In a medium stockpot, heat oil over medium heat, then add onion and garlic. Saute until soft. If they start to brown too much before you’re ready, stir in just a little (quarter-cup or so) chicken stock and continue cooking.

Once the onion and garlic are done to your liking, stir in the ham and lightly brown. It’s extra nice to get some of that brown, caramelized coating to the bottom of the pan.

Ham, garlic & onion - can you almost smell this?!?

While the ham is browning, your steamed potatoes should be done. I left in the little bit of water from steaming and mashed with a fork. (Actually, my unpaid assistant, Ella, did this part. I highly recommend unpaid kitchen staff!) Once the potatoes are all mashed, stir in about a half-cup of chicken stock and mix until smooth.

Now, once the ham is browned, add in the diced carrots, diced potatoes, mashed potatoes and about 2-3 cups of the chicken stock. (I didn’t quite use the entire 4-cup box, but you can decide how thick or thin you’d like the soup. Start thick and thin as desired.) Once the soup comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered until potatoes and carrots are at desired doneness. Add salt and pepper as desired.

To finish, stir in heavy cream and remove from heat. Serve with desired garnishes.

Before cream, while simmering

Finished soup - Dish up!

Mangia! (Eat!) . . . Cindy Lou Who

Leek and Potato Soup

I like to think that getting new recipes in the mail is like taking a step into the past, as almost everything is sent via Internet. When I received this recipe for Leek and Potato Soup from the Cooking Club of America, I really didn't give it a second look until I went to get my Bountiful Basket: finding both leeks, potatoes, onions, and even a lemon. The next thing I knew, I was at the bakery picking up a loaf of fresh bread to accompany this simple yet delicious soup.

 

 

Leek and Potato Soup

from Cooking Club of America

 

Ingredients:

3 leeks

1 medium onion

2 tbsp. butter

1 pound of potatoes

5 cups of chicken stock

salt and pepper

nutmeg (I used a 1/2 teaspoon to start)

1/2 cup light cream

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley, to garnish

Directions:

 

Leaving some of the green at the top to color the soup, cut the leeks lengthwise, then cut across into slices.

 

 

On thing I have learned about leeks is, you need to wash them thoroughly. By cutting them lengthwise and then placing them under running water, you will clean them fast and easy. Otherwise, you'd have to take each layer apart and wash them.

 

After cutting into slices, clean under water again.

Cut the onion into the same sizes as the leeks. Melt butter in pot and add onion and leeks, stir into butter. Cover and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes until softened (not browned). Stirring occasionally.

 

While leeks and onions are cooking, clean, slice, and cut potatoes into 1/4 inch slices.

 

 

 

When leaks and onions are ready, add potatoes to pot.

Add stock, salt and pepper (note* your stock may already have enough salt in it).
Grate your nutmeg about 8 times (or add the 1/2 teaspoon like I did) then heat soup up to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes, until vegetables are soft.

Remove from heat and blend with either immersion blender, food processor or blender. Puree about 3 minutes or until smooth.

Return soup to heat and bring to boil once more. Remove from heat and add cream and lemon juice. Stir and check if you need more seasonings.

 

 

 Serve hot and garnish with parsley.

 

To serve this soup as a vichyssoise (chilled):

 

Press through a sieve after pureeing, let it cool and then cover and place in refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

 

You may need to add more seasonings as chilling will dull the flavor.

Snipped chives are a classic garnish for vichyssoise.

 

Enjoy!

 

Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese

Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese
 

It is still cold and snowy here in Rochester, and I am still making cozy warm meals to fill us up and keep the frigid temperatures from turning us into living ice sculptures. I am also always looking for ways to sneak veggies into my kids meals because anyone who knows me and my kids knows they are THE pickiest eaters on the planet, hands down. "Oh no", you say, "My kids are the pickiest." I DARE you to challenge my picky kid stories with yours. You will be schooled -BIG TIME. And what a happy thing to lose at. I hope to lose this title some day. Please. Anyway, here is the recipe that I whipped up the other day simply because I had previously made Sweet Potato soup (the box variety will work just fine for this recipe, too) and I was desperately conspiring with other the child-loved ingredients in the fridge on how to get that soup in their bellies. Here is the result of desperation. It was a VERY tasty scandal.

Ingredients

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for dish
• 6 slices good white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 cups milk
• 2 1/2 cups sweet potato soup
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 4 1/2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese (about 18 ounces)
• 2 cups grated Gruyere/ or Mild Cheddar cheese (about 8 ounces)
• 1 pound elbow macaroni

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour butter into bowl with bread, and toss. Set breadcrumbs aside.
   
2. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, whisking, 1 minute.
   
3. While whisking, slowly pour in hot milk. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick. Next, stir in the soup. Stir another 4-5 minutes until it bubbles slightly again.
   
4. Remove pan from heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, cheeses ; set cheese sauce aside.
   
5. Fill a large saucepan with water; bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 minutes less than manufacturer's directions, until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce. If you want to, sprinkle top of macaroni with bread crumbs and finish off in a 400 degree oven until cheese bubbles. If you want to serve out of pot, sprinkle with bread crumbs just before serving. Enjoy!
   

Sweet Potato Puree

This is a simple way to make Sweet Potato puree. It is perfect to use for baby food, baking/cooking, or freezing for later. I do this every time I get a big bundle of sweet potatoes. It is so easy and makes for quick access without having those canned "Yams" from the supermarket. Of course, I like my sweet potatoes baked or made into baked fries personally, but for the most part, I find I use it in more dishes this way. I put in pancakes or waffles, chili or beef stew, Casseroles, muffins, rolls, and more. Most importantly, we don't get tired of sweet potato mash because were not eating it the same way every time, yet we are still getting the benefits from this nutrient dense food. In fact, did you know that the vitamin A content in a 1/2 cup of Sweet Potatoes is equivalent to 128 Bananas! It goes without saying that this colorful vegetable provides more than you think.

 

Easy Steps to Sweet Potato Puree:

Step 1- Clean your potatoes to rid them of dirt even it you are not peeling them. 

Step 2- Cook your potatoes by baking, boiling, or microwaving them.

To bake: Poke holes in the skin with a fork or knife a few times and bake at 400 degrees F for 40 to 50 minutes or until soft. 

To boil: Cut sweet potatoes (they can be peeled or unpeeled) into pieces and place in boiling water. Cook 15 to 20 minutes and drain. If you are mashing sweet potatoes after boiling them, they should be peeled first. 

To microwave: Prick the skin of the potato with a fork or knife a few times. Cook on high, turning the potato halfway through the cooking time. Cook 1 potato for 3 to 4 minutes, 2 potatoes 5 to 6 minutes, and 3 potatoes 7 to 8 minutes.

Resource: usda.gov

Step 3- Peel Potatoes
After potatoes are cooled, the skin should be very loose. Loose enough to peel them by hand. Peel all the potatoes and cut quarterly into your food processor, blender, or Baby Bullet.

Step 4- Puree
By cutting in quarters you are limiting the amount of larger chunks. Blend until smooth. Sweet potatoes should not require any liquid to be added (especially if the potatoes are completely cooled) so blend accordingly.

 Step 5- Store for Later or Warm to Serve

 

If you use large amounts, measure them out and store in freezer bags.

 

 

If you like 1/2 cup portions, put puree into cupcake pans. I prefer a silicon pan because they are easy to pop out after freezing.  These are great sizes for toddlers and for smaller pre-measured amounts. After they are done freezing, place these frozen cups in a gallon freezer bag for later use.

For your babies, ice cube trays are the perfect size! Just freeze them, pop them out, and then put in a gallon freezer bag.

Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana

 Here is a re-do post of my husband's version of Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana. (The first time I posted this was back in November of 2008). Since then, we have made this recipe at least a dozen times to this day and every time, it has turned out fantastic! Here is how he does it:

Ingredients:

1 Pound of Italian Sausage (hot or mild)

2 tsp of crushed Red Pepper

1 large onion, chopped

4-6 strips of bacon, cubed

(You may cook and crumble bacon before hand)

2 cloves of garlic, minced

10 cups of water with 4 Tablespoons of Chicken Soup Base or Bullion

3 pounds of potatoes (about 6-8 medium)

2 cups of heavy cream

1 bunch of Kale (curly), roughly chopped

 Salt and Pepper to Taste

 

Directions:

Cook Italian Sausage with crushed red peppers in the stock pot you will be using for your soup. After cooked thoroughly, place sausage into a bowl and set it aside in the refrigerator until needed later.

Saute: Chopped Onion, bacon, and minced garlic in the same pot until onions are soft and bacon is cooked (if not already).

Add chicken soup based water. Bring to a boil.
(You can also use chicken stock)

Thinly slice potatoes.

Add potatoes and cook until tender (about 10 minutes).

Add chilled sausage back into the soup.

Stir in Heavy Cream.

 Add Kale just before serving.
 

Yummy Trout and Hashbrowns

This is my first time being more than 3 hours from my family. I have missed some of the wonderful traditions my family has every year... golfing over the fourth of July at Star Valley, Wyoming, hunting over Labor Day weekend, bar-b-cues, and parties. This year, the trip I missed the very most was fishing at Henry's Lake over Memorial Day weekend. After going to the grocery store about a thousand times waiting ever so impatiently for the chance to buy trout, it finally arrived. The next day... a family treat, trout and hashbrowns. I would love to share this easy but tasty recipe.

Ingredients:
         trout
         saltines or club crackers (crushed into chunks)
         egg (whipped)
         hashbrowns
         butter
         salt
         pepper
         lemon juice

Hashbrowns:
         Place 3 tbsp butter in frying pan. Put desired amount of hashbowns in pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat stirring often until softened.

Fish:
         Dip filleted fish in egg. Season fish with salt and pepper.. Coat with broken crackers. In a separate pan from hashbrowns, fry over medium heat about 6 minutes each side or until fish becomes pale pink. With the fish, be sure to keep the pan buttered to prevent burning of the crackers.

Add a dash of lemon juice to the fish. Dish up and enjoy!!