Cheeseburger Soup

For Christmas Eve this year, I made my mom's Cheeseburger Soup. It's a lot of prep work, but it was certainly tasty! We think it should be our new Christmas Eve tradition!

Cheeseburger Soup

Makes 2 and 1/4 quarts

1/2 pound ground beef
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup shredded carrots
3/4 cup diced celery
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
4 tablespoons butter,( divided, 1 T. and 3 T.)
3 cups chicken broth
1 can creamed corn
4 cups diced peeled potaotes (1-3/4 pounds)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups (8ounes) process cheese (Velveeta)
1-1/2 cups milk
3/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoons pepper
1/4 cup sour cream

Directions

In a 3 qt. saucepan, brown beef; drain and set aside.
In the same saucepan, saute onion, carrots, celery, basil and parsley in 1
tablespoon butter until vegetables are tender, about 10 min.
Add broth, potatoes, corn and beef; bring to a boil.
Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, melt remaining butter (3 T.).
Add flour; cook and stir for 3-5 minutes or until bubbly.
Add to soup; bring to a boil.
Cook and stir for 2 minutes.
Reduce heat to low.
Add cheese, milk, salt, and pepper; cook and stir until cheese melts.
Remove form heat.
Blend in sour cream.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

From Gooseberry Patch's Dips and Spreads Cookbook, available as a free download here:

http://www.gooseberrypatch.com/gooseberry/database.nsf/Circle%20of%20Friends%20Cookbook#dipsandspreads

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced

8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

15-oz. jar blue cheese salad dressing (I used Kraft Blue Cheese dressing)

12-oz. bottle hot pepper sauce (Used Ott's Wing Sauce, about 2/3 of a bottle)

12-oz. pkg. shredded Cheddar (I used about a cup and a half)

In a large bowl, combine chicken, cream cheese, salad dressing and hot pepper sauce. Spread in a lightly greased 3-quart casserole dish; sprinkle with Cheddar cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees about 20 minutes, until bubbly and heated through. Serve warm with celery sticks and tortilla chips. Makes about 9 cups.

Spring Window

Meet My Friends, Spinach and Mushrooms

When David is away, I eat a lot of meatless suppers. It's cheaper, easier, and I don't really miss the meat. This week I have made two suppers (with leftovers for lunch) using two of my favorites: spinach and mushrooms. The first was pizza using my friend Brian's crust and sauce recipe and some baby spinach and sliced baby bella mushrooms. I put a little mozzarella cheese on top. Delicious!

Tonight, I made the Pioneer Woman's Spinach and Mushroom Quesadillas. They were so very tasty. I'm horrified at how much butter I used, but oh my. I just used mozzarella cheese since I already had it from pizza night. All the quesadilla needed was a side of guacamole. Purely divine.

Paula Deen's Gooey Butter Cake

Crust:

1 package yellow cake mix

1 egg

1 stick butter

Filling:

1 package cream cheese, softened

1 stick butter

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 box (16 ounce) powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350. Combine the crust ingredients and press into the bottom of greased 9x13 pan. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat until smooth. Add powdered sugar and mix well. Spread over crust mixture and bake for 40-50 minutes. Center should be gooey.

Ott's Ranch Potatoes

From the Ott's Ranch dressing bottle:

2 pounds red potatoes, sliced, with skins on

1 bottle Ott's Ranch dressing

1 stick butter

1 small onion, thinly sliced

2 cups cheese, shredded

From Erin's kitchen:

3 pounds +/- Yukon gold potatoes, sliced with skins on

2/3 bottle of Ott's dressing with milk to fill the rest of the bottle

Part butter and part margarine to equal about a stick, sliced

1 and 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 onion, thinly sliced

Parboil the potatoes until just soft. In a greased 9x13 pan, layer potatoes, 1/2 ranch dressing, 1/2 sliced butter, and half cheese. Follow with another layer of the same. Bake for about 30 minutes at 350. Salt and pepper to taste. With the Yukon potatoes, I'm not sure it's really necessary to boil the potatoes before baking. Might be able to just bake them a little longer.

Oreo Truffles

A colleague made these for our work potluck and was kind enough to share the recipe from food.com (http://www.food.com/recipe/oreo-balls-52035). David made them for us to take to a New Year's Eve party.

You need:

1 package regular Oreos (not double stuffed)

1 package cream cheese

1 package chocolate flavored almond bark

1 package white almond bark

1. Crush Oreos using food processor. You want them as fine as you can get them. David really liked this step!

2. Blend the Oreos with softened cream cheese using a hand mixer.

3. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls, then refrigerate for an hour.

4. When the hour is up, melt the almond bark using the directions on the package.

5. Using toothpicks, dip half of the balls into the white almond bark and half into the chocolate.

6. Let set up on waxed paper (about 15 minutes).

7. Drizzle melted almond bark to decorate.

8. We put them back in the fridge until we were ready to take them.

Very rich, and very tasty!

Chicken Pot Pie - The Unhealthy Redo

1 pound chicken breasts

1 stick butter

1 and 1/2 cup frozen peas and carrots (mixed), thawed

1 cup frozen corn, thawed

1 cup peeled, diced potato

1 small onion

1/2 cup flour

1/2 - 1 cup chicken broth (or water mixed with one teaspoon Jamison's soup stock, chicken flavored)

1 cup half and half

salt and pepper

store-bought pie crusts (top and bottom crust)

1. Brown chicken in butter until chicken is cooked through. Set chicken aside.

2. Place vegetables and onion in butter and chicken drippings. Cook until potato and onion soften.

3. Add flour, stir into vegetables. Add half and half and 1/2 cup chicken broth. Stir until desired thickness. Add more broth if necessary.

4. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Pour into bottom crust and cover with top crust.

6. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes. Check 20 minutes in to make sure edges are not too brown.

Chicken Pot Pie

The original recipe for this pot pie is from Real Simple magazine and can be found here:

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/chicken-vegetable-pot-pie-00000000008065/index.html

Here's the way I made it:

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Jamison's soup base, chicken flavored
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 bag of frozen carrots and peas
• 1/2 bag of frozen corn
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 and 1/2 cups 1 percent milk
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 9-inch store-bought piecrust, thawed if frozen

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400° F. Cook the chicken in a pot of simmering water until cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes; let cool, then chop.
2. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and soup base and cook, stirring, until onions begin to soften, 6 to 8 minutes (do not let them darken). Add frozen vegetables and continue cooking until they begin to thaw. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
3. Add the milk and simmer until the sauce thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the chicken and seasonings. Transfer to a shallow 1½- to 2-quart baking dish.
4. Lay the crust on top, pressing to seal. Cut several vents in the crust. Place the pot pie on a baking sheet and bake until bubbling and the crust is golden, 30 to 35 minutes.

This was pretty good, but I've got some ideas for improvement and another pot pie recipe that I want to try.

Cornbread Stuffing

It will soon be time for all the tasty foods of the holidays. This is David's mom's stuffing recipe.

Corn Bread
2 cups flour
6 teaspoons baking powder
1 and a half teaspoons salt
2 cups cornmeal
4 eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 cup cooking oil

Heat oven to 425. Grease a 9x13 baking pan. Mix dry ingredients. Beat eggs just enough to blend yolks and whites. Stir milk and oil into eggs. Add dry ingredients and stir to blend thoroughly. Pour into greased pan and bake 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.

Stuffing
Prepared cornbread
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
1 can chicken broth
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sage
Milk, enough to make mixture mushy
Salt and Pepper to taste

Crumble the cornbread into a large mixing bowl. Add the onion and celery and mix. Add remaining ingredients. Pour into 9x13 or larger baking dish. Bake at 325 for an hour.