Crock Pot Potato Soup

Yield: 8-10 servings Slow Cooker Potato Soup This Slow Cooker Potato Soup recipe is thick and creamy (without using heavy cream), wonderfully flavorful, and made extra easy in the slow cooker! Me: This was definitely a winner, Rob and I loved it. I'll be using this as my go-to potato soup recipe! Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 4 hours 10 mins Total Time: 4 hours 20 mins Ingredients: 6 slices cooked bacon*, diced 3-4 cups good-quality chicken or vegetable stock 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes**, peeled (if desired) and diced 1 medium white or yellow onion, peeled and diced 4 tablespoons bacon grease* (or butter) 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1 (12-ounce) can 2% evaporated milk 1 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese 1/2 cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt or low-fat sour cream 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, or more to taste 1/2 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper optional toppings: thinly-sliced green onions or chives, extra shredded cheese, extra bacon, sour cream Directions: Add bacon, 3 cups chicken stock, potatoes and onion to the bowl of a large slow cooker, and stir to combine. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours, or until the potatoes are completely tender and cooked through. Once the soup has slow cooked and is about ready to serve, cook the butter in a small saucepan on the stove over medium-high heat until it has melted. Whisk in the flour until it is completely combined, and then cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Gradually add in the evaporated milk while whisking it together with the flour mixture, and continue whisking until the mixture is completely smooth. Let the mixture continue cooking until it reaches a simmer, stirring occasionally, and then it should get really thick. Immediately pour the milk mixture into the slow cooker with the potatoes, and stir until combined. Add in the cheddar cheese, Greek yogurt (or sour cream), salt and pepper, and stir until combined. If you would like the soup to be even thicker, you can use a potato masher or a large spoon to mash about half of the potatoes (while the soup is still in the slow cooker) to thicken the soup up. If you would like the soup to be thinner, add in an extra 1-2 cups of warmed chicken or vegetable stock. Stir to combine, then taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve warm, garnished with desired toppings. Or transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. (This recipe will not freeze well.) *You can either fry the bacon, cook it in the microwave, or buy pre-cooked bacon. If frying or microwaving, I recommend dicing the bacon before cooking it. And if you are frying it, I highly recommend saving the bacon grease for later and then using it to make your roux (instead of butter). **I highly recommend using Yukon gold potatoes, which have the perfect texture and buttery taste for this soup. But Russet potatoes or red potatoes would also work just fine in this recipe. ***If you would like to make this recipe vegetarian, use vegetable stock, omit the bacon, and I would recommend adding in 2-3 teaspoons of Old Bay seasoning for extra flavor.

Fruit Dip

This was AMAZING! 8 oz cream cheese 7 oz marshmallow cream 1 1/2 C whipped cream Soften cream cheese and mix all ing together. I added quite a bit more whip cream. Delicious!

Healthy Kung Pao Chicken

Ingredients 3 large chicken breasts, thinly sliced 2 tablespoons of garlic, minced 2 tablespoons sesame oil 1 - 1.5 pounds of green beens 2 tablespoons coconut aminos (or soy sauce <-- not paleo) 1 tablespoon sriracha 1 tablespoon chili paste (or more, to taste) 1 tablespoon honey (or more, to taste) salt and pepper, to taste 1 teaspoon sesame seeds optional: crushed peanuts/cashews Instructions First, prep chicken by seasoning with salt and pepper and slicing it into thin, bite-sized pieces. Set aside. Then, prep the green beans but cutting off both ends. Set aside. Prep stir fry sauce by mixing together coconut aminos, sriracha, chili past, and honey in a small bowl. Set aside. Next, place 1 tablespoon of sesame oil and 1 tablespoon of minced garlic in a large sauce pan or wok. Turn to high medium/high heat. Add in chicken and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until partially cooked. Remove chicken and set aside. Place another tablespoon of sesame oil and minced garlic in the pan and turn to high heat. Add in green beans and sauté for about 5-7 minutes or until they begin to soften. Add in the chicken and continue to cook for 5ish more minutes or until the chicken is cooked all the way through. Once chicken is cooked, add in stir fry sauce and reduce heat to low/medium and let cook down for a few more minutes. Add in sesame seeds and let sit for at least 5 minutes so that the sauce can thicken a bit more. Serve hot. Notes If you like things really saucey, feel free to double the sauce in this recipe! Many readers have done so and loved it.

Coconut Curry Soup

This was so tasty! Next time I'm going to add potatoes! Yield: Serves 4-6 Note: the slight dash of cayenne pepper doesn’t make the soup spicy, instead, it just enhances the overall flavor. You can add more to taste, if you like things a bit spicier. Also, if you are worried about the fish sauce, don’t be! It is widely available in most grocery stores in the Asian foods section. It is relatively inexpensive and lasts a long time in the refrigerator. It adds an element of flavor you can’t get otherwise, but in a pinch, you could leave it out and sub in probably 1/2 teaspoon salt (more or less to taste). If you don’t know what you would use the rest of the fish sauce in, here are a few of my other favorite dishes that call for it: Shrimp Stir Fry with Coconut Curry Sauce, Chiang Mai Noodles, Red Coconut Curry Noodles, Vietnamese Spring Rolls, Authentic Egg Rolls.) Ingredients 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts, (about 3), cut into 1-inch pieces Salt and pepper for seasoning 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion (about 1/2 medium onion) 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth 1 can (14-ounces) unsweetened light coconut milk 1 tablespoon fish sauce 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or more to taste 1 tablespoon brown sugar ½ tablespoon curry powder 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (about 1 medium lime) ¼ cup fresh cilantro 3-4 cups hot, cooked rice for serving Directions In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat until it is hot and shimmering. Pat the chicken pieces dry with a paper towel and season them lightly with salt and pepper. Add them to the hot oil. Let the chicken cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the onions and red pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the onions and peppers are slightly softened. The chicken and vegetables don’t have to be fully cooked as they will simmer and cook further in the next step. Add the chicken broth, coconut milk, fish sauce, cayenne pepper, brown sugar and curry powder. Stir to combine. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook, gently, for 10-15 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve a ladle or two of the soup over a scoop of rice and garnish with more cilantro, if desired. Notes Make Ahead Instructions: Follow the recipe through the step through the first paragraph. Transfer the chicken/onions/peppers to a slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients (except the lime juice, cilantro and rice). Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir in lime juice and cilantro. Serve over rice. http://www.melskitchencafe.com/coconut-curry-soup/

Best Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients 1 loaf white bread 3 C grated cheese 6 beaten eggs 1 1/2 tsp dry mustard 3 C milk 1 lb sausage salt and pepper to taste Cut off crust of the bread. Butter bread and place in the bottom of a greased pan. Brown sausage. Spread half of sausage and half of cheese over bread. Do another layer of buttered bread, sausage and cheese. Max eggs milk and seasonings in another bowl. Pour egg mixture over the top of the bread layers. Cover with plastic and let sit in the fridge over night. The next morning uncover and bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

apple snickers salad

Ingredients 1-1/2 cups cold 2% milk 1 package (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix 1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed 4 large apples, chopped (about 6 cups) 4 Snickers candy bars (2.07 ounces each), cut into 1/2-inch pieces Directions In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Fold in whipped topping. Fold in apples and candy bars. Refrigerate until serving. Yield: 12 servings (3/4 cup each).

Chicken Fried Rice

Ingredients 1 lb chicken, about 2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded 3 cups cooked rice 2 Tbsp sesame oil 1 small white onion chopped 1 cup frozen peas and carrots thawed 2-3 Tbsp soy sauce (more or less to taste) 2 eggs, lightly beaten 2 tbsp chopped green onions (optional) Instructions Cook and shred the chicken. I highly recommend cooking in slow cooker in teryaki sauce. preheat a large skillet or wok to medium heat. Pour sesame oil in the bottom. Add white onion and peas and carrots and fry until tender. Slide the onion peas and carrots to the side, and pour the beaten eggs onto the other side Using a spatula scramble the eggs. Once cooked mix the eggs with the veggie mix Add the rice and chicken to teh veggie and egg mixture. Pour the soy sauce on top. Stir and fry the rice and veggie mixture until heated through and combined Add chopped green onions if desired.