Crock Pot Baked Potato Soup

I stumbled across this recipe and I am so, so glad I found it. It is just what the doctor ordered on this cold, December day. It tastes like restaurant style soup but without any of the work. I tweaked it to my liking so feel free to do the same. Here's what I did:









1 package frozen hash browns
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 box + 1 can chicken broth
1/4 onion, chopped
Course ground black pepper to your taste
12 oz or 1 1/2 packages cream cheese (do not use FF, it won't melt)
1/2 package real bacon bits

Combine all ingredients except cream cheese and bacon in crock pot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or more if needed. An hour before serving, add cream cheese and bacon to crock pot. Stirring occasionally. Serve topped with scallions and cheese.

It can be made on stove-top also and takes about an hour. If you like really thick soup then go ahead and add the other 1/2 of the cream cheese.

Tomato Basil Soup

This recipe is actually a "Copy Cat" recipe for a famous department store's soup. It is a great knock-off but the original recipe makes 128 servings!!! I usually halve it and it still makes probably 8 qts of soup so be ready to eat and/or freeze the soup. It freezes and reheats well.














1/2 cup olive oil
1.5 lbs carrots, chopped
1.5 lbs onions, chopped
6 cups canned, peeled plum tomatoes
2 TBS dried basil
1/2 lb chicken base
1 gallon water
1 to 1.5 qts heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

In a large stock pot, saute the olive oil, carrots and onion at medium heat for 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.

In a large bowl, whisk the chicken base into the water until dissolved. Add the water mixture to the stock pot, bring to a boil and then simmer for 45 minutes.

Puree the soup using a hand blender while adding the cream until it reaches a thin consistency or in my case, it's the color I want.

Cilantro Hummus/Bean Dip

I was trying to re-create the Cilantro Hummus from TJ's because I am tired of always being out of it and craving it! However, I didn't have any tahini so I'm hoping with the addition of that it will be more like it. As written, it doesn't taste anything like it but it is just as addicting. My husband loves it. It's kinda spicy so the kids haven't tried it but it would be a great party dip (double or triple for guests)

1 can garbanzo beans, drained

1 bunch of cilantro, stems removed

1 TBS chopped garlic (jarred kind works)

5-6 pickled jalapeno slices (more if you want spicy)

couple glugs of olive oil

1 TBS Tahini if you want hummus. Leave out for bean dip.

Combine everything in food processor until as smooth as you want it. Serve with pita chips or veggies.

Asian Grilled Chicken

There are lots of diffrent versions of this marinade but this happens to be our favorite. I can't make enough of this chicken at a time. I use boneless thighs but breasts work well, they just aren't as juicy. I always marinate overnight, the longer the better for sure. We usually have plain, old white rice and steamed broccoli with it. Quick, easy and a kid favorite. Enjoy!

6 boneless thighs or breasts

2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground ginger

2 green onions, minced
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1 tsp honey
2 tsp sesame oil

Mix the marinade together. Place chicken in baggie and poor marinade over chicken. Turn freq to coat. Heat the grill to medium-high and grill until done. Let it rest a few minutes before cutting or serving.

Cucumber Salsa

Sorr for not having a pic!


I received this from a friend (thank you Kim C.)at the beginning of the Summer and have just fallen in love with it. I should have shared a long time ago! I have fed it to many people and it has always gotten rave reviews. I can't seem to make a good regular salsa but I can make this one. Enjoy your Labor Day weekend and be safe.

Cool Cucumber Salsa
Mama Socorro Salsa Mix (not sure if this is local but I buy it at my KC grocery store)
1 pkg Ranch Dressing
2 Cucumbers
4 Tomatoes (or 28 oz. can petite)
1 Red Onion
1/2 cup Rice Wine Vinegar

Mix together and let sit overnight. Serve with tortilla chips.
(Not a breathe friendly dish, just so you know)

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

I found this on a blog the other day and thought to myself "these sound awesome". They sounded a little tedious so I waited for a good time to make them and I will definitely be making these again and again! I boiled the chicken but I will plan ahead next time and cook in the crock-pot for better tasting and moister chicken. I will say, my stomach actually hurt after eating these because I ate way too much. That's how good they are!

1 small, onion, peeled & diced (use a sweet onion if you can find it)

3 chicken breast halves

1/2 c. chicken broth (or box, if you are boiling)

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1 tsp. garlic, minced (2-3 cloves)

salt & pepper (to taste)

5tablespoons honey

5 tablespoons lime juice (1 large lime)

8-10 flour tortillas

1 lb. Monterey jack cheese, shredded16 ounces

green enchilada sauce (I used the green Verde sauce from Trader Joe's and loved the flavor)

1 c. heavy cream or half and half (i think FF would work just fine)

Cook onion in butter (or spray butter to save calories) until translucent. Place chicken, chicken broth, onions, chili powder, garlic, salt & pepper in the crock-pot. Cook on low for 8 hrs, adding more broth as needed, you don't want it to dry out. Remove chicken from crock and keep 1/4 cup of the juices for marinade. Discard rest.

Shred chicken, place in in large Ziploc bag, add honey & lime, marinate for at least 30 minutes, longer if possible. Grease 9x13 casserole, coat bottom of dish with enchilada sauce. Drain marinade from chicken into small bowl, add cream and rest of enchilada sauce. Mix together. Fill tortillas with chicken and cheese (saving some cheese to top enchiladas). Top enchiladas with cream mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until brown and crispy on top.

No crock-pot way: Boil chicken in half chicken broth, half water, chili powder and garlic. While boiling, cook onions in butter. Once chicken is done, shred chicken and combine with onions and marinade. Marinate in Ziploc, continue recipe as written.

Baked Chili Rellenos

Note: this is not what a the baked chili relleno will look like, it was the only picture I could find quickly and easily.

Chile Rellenos are my favorite Mexican dish, following closely with bean burritos. I have mastered bean burritos and finely mastered the rellenos! You just have to like peppers, that's all there is too it. I do nothing special to change the flavor, I broil them to enhance the flavor. So, if you didn't like rellenos before now, then you more than likely won't want to make this recipe. They are too spicy for my kids but my husband and I wished I would have made 4 peppers instead of 2! Also, make the enchilada sauce ahead of time and freeze what you don't use, it freezes beautifully.

2-6 poblano peppers, roasted (how ever many people you have), recipe for roasting follows

shredded monterey jack

Enchilada Sauce, recipe follows toothpicks

Enchilada Sauce:

3 TBS oil

2 TBS flour

1/4 c. chili powder (yes, you really use that much)

1 TBS cumin

Stir in saucepan on low heat until bubbly, then add:

2 c. beef broth

2 c. tomato sauce

1/2 tsp. oregano

1 clove minced garlic

Simmer on low until ready to use or let cool then refigerate or freeze until ready to use. I used half of the sauce on enchiladas and then froze the rest 6 months ago. I just pulled the other half out for these peppers and I still have a quarter of the sauce left. So 1 batch of sauce would probably cover 2 big batches of enchiladas.

To Roast Peppers:

Preheat broiler in oven. Place peppers on foil lined baking sheet. Rotate the peppers every 5 min, you want the skin to be mostly black. The whole process took me about 15 minutes. Let cool enough to handle. Remove skin, you can keep a few blackened spots for flavor. Can also be roasted on the gas grill or electric grill.

To Make Chili Rellenos

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut a slit down the top side of the pepper, from stem to bottom. Be careful not to cut all of the way through. Remove as many seeds as you can without ripping up the pepper. (And if you do rip it up, chop it and freeeze to use in a dish another time) Stuff with a handful of shredded cheese. Insert 1 toothpick at a time into top of pepper, making an "X" with the toothpicks so the pepper stays closed while baking. Coat with enchilada sauce, covering all parts of the pepper. Sprinkle with more cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling. Serve warm. And don't forget to remove the toothpicks before eating (because I would never do that!)