SLOW COOKER LOADED POTATO SOUP

Slow Cooker Loaded Potato Soup Recipe

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time:30 minutes
Cook Time:4 hours
Total Time:4 1/2 hours

Ingredients:

3 to 3 1/2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch pieces (about 7 medium potatoes, 8 - 9 cups)
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced (1 cup)
3 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth (this comes to just a tiny bit under 5 1/2 cups)
1 cup evaporated milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups (6 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
9 oz bacon, cooked and diced or crumbled
4 green onions, diced

Directions:

1. To a 6 or 7-quart slow cooker, add potatoes, onion, chicken broth, evaporated milk and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover with lid and cook on HIGH heat for 4 hours or LOW heat for 8 hours. To check for doneness, poke a piece of potato with a knife. It if easily slides through, it is cooked.
2. Ladle out 2 cups liquid from soup mixture in crock pot into a liquid measuring cup, set aside. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. While whisking, slowly pour 2 cups liquid in measuring cup into butter mixture. Pour butter mixture into slow cooker and stir to blend.
3.If desired, mash potatoes with a potato masher to break down into smaller pieces or use an immersion blender to puree. (High recommended. Be careful when using an immersion blender. If it splatters on you it can be quite hot).
4.Cover and cook on HIGH heat until thickened, about 10 minutes. Turn heat off (or to warm), stir in sour cream. Serve warm topped with cheddar, bacon and green onions.

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Easy Spinach Dip Wreath

• Prep Time 10 min
• Total Time 10 min
• Servings 12

Ingredients

1 round uncut loaf (about 9 inches in diameter) Hawaiian or sourdough bread

1 1/2 cups spinach dip

Rosemary sprig, if desired

Miniature yellow cherry tomatoes, if desired

Cranberries, if desired

Red bell pepper pieces, if desired

Directions

• Cut and hollow out 3-inch-wide ring on top of bread loaf to within 1/2 inch of bottom, leaving center of loaf intact. Reserve scooped-out bread.  
• Spoon spinach dip into hollowed-out ring. Arrange rosemary sprigs around outer edge of wreath. Decorate with cherry tomatoes and cranberries. Cut bow shape from bell pepper; place on wreath. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.
• Tear remaining loaf of bread into bite-size pieces. Use torn bread and reserved scooped-out bread for dipping.

Christmas Tree Roll-Ups

• Prep Time 20 min
• Total Time 2 hr 20 min
• Servings 64

Ingredients

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup chopped drained roasted red bell peppers (from 7.25-oz jar)

1/4 cup chopped ripe olives

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

4 spinach-flavor flour tortillas (8 to 10 inches in diameter)

Ripe olive pieces

Directions

• In medium bowl, mix all ingredients except tortillas and olive pieces. Divide mixture among tortillas, spreading to edges of tortillas. Roll up tightly. Press each tortilla roll into triangle shape, using fingers. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours but no longer than 24 hours.
• To serve, cut rolls into 1/2-inch slices. Place olive piece at bottom of each triangle to look like tree trunk; secure with toothpick.

Holiday Tree-Shaped Cheese Ball

• Prep Time 20 min
• Total Time 4 hr 20 min
• Servings 7

Ingredients

3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened

4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (16 ounces)

2 tablespoons basil pesto

1 tablespoon grated onion

1/4 teaspoon yellow mustard

Red pepper sauce

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley or cilantro

1/4 cup pine nuts or sliced almonds

2 tablespoons chopped red bell pepper

Piece of lemon peel, if desired

Assorted crackers, if desired

Directions

• Stir together cream cheese and Cheddar cheese; divide in half. Stir pesto into 1 half; stir onion, mustard and 2 or 3 drops pepper sauce into other half. Cover each half; refrigerate about 4 hours or until firm enough to shape.
• Place cheese mixtures on cookie sheet. Shape each half into cone shape to look like a pine tree.
• If desired, wrap each tree, label and freeze up to 1 month. Twelve hours before serving, remove trees from freezer. Thaw in wrapper in refrigerator.
• Just before serving, roll trees in parsley, pressing it evenly onto trees. Press pine nuts onto trees in string form for garland. Press bell pepper pieces onto trees for ornaments. Top each tree with star shape cut from lemon peel. Serve with crackers.

EASY PANCAKES

EASY PANCAKES

1 egg 1 c. flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt 1 c. milk Mix the first four ingredients together. Then add the milk gradually until batter is smooth. Pour batter on greased hot griddle to size desired. Bake on hot griddle until tiny bubbles form around edges; flip and bake another 1-2 minutes until cooked through. Batter thickens as it sits. If the batter becomes too thick, add a little extra milk. If too thin, add another teaspoon of flour until desired consistency. A thicker batter and a hotter griddle will make thicker pancakes; a thinner batter and a cooler griddle will allow batter to spread for thinner pancakes. Makes about 12 small pancakes. Servings: 12 (1 small pancake per serving)Nutrition (per serving): 54 calories, less than 1g total fat, 19.3mg cholesterol, 248.8mg sodium, 47.4mg potassium, 9g carbohydrates, less than 1g fiber, 1.1g sugar, 2.3g protein, less than 1g saturated fat, less than 1mg iron, 22mcg folate, 46.7mg phosphorus, 58.9IU Vitamin A, less than 1mcg Vitamin B12, less than 1mg Vitamin C, 10.2IU Vitamin D.

Make-Ahead Snowman Cheese Ball

• Prep Time 10 min
• Total Time 4 hr 10 min
• Servings 7

Ingredients

3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened

4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (16 ounces)

2 tablespoons basil pesto

1 tablespoon grated onion

1/4 teaspoon yellow mustard

2 drops red pepper sauce

1 container (4 ounces) whipped cream cheese, softened

Decorations, if desired

Assorted crackers, if desired

Directions

• Mix 3 packages cream cheese and the Cheddar cheese; divide into 3 equal parts. Combine 2 parts to equal two-thirds of mixture; mix in pesto. Mix onion, mustard and pepper sauce into remaining one-third mixture.
• Cover each cheese mixture and refrigerate about 4 hours or until firm enough to shape. Shape each cheese mixture into ball. Wrap each ball, label and freeze.
• About 12 hours before serving, remove balls from freezer. Thaw in wrappers in refrigerator.
• Arrange balls on serving plate with smaller ball on top for head of snowman. Frost snowman with whipped cream cheese before serving. Decorate as desired. Serve with crackers. Store covered in refrigerator.

CROCKPOT HAMBURGER STEW

CROCKPOT HAMBURGER STEW

Prep Time:20 min  

Cook Time:6 hr 

Total Time:6 hr 20 min

 

Ingredients

• 1 lb Ground Hamburger
• ½ an Onion, Chopped (you could us more we prefer just a little bit of onion)
• 1 Bag of Baby Carrots
• Peeled and cubed potatoes *We used about 7 since they are the kids favorite part
• Minced Garlic to Taste
• 6 oz Can of Tomato Paste
• 3 Cups of water (you could do less if you reduce the amount of potatoes)
• 1 tsp Salt
• ½ tsp Pepper
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp Oregano

Instructions

• 1 - Brown the ground beef
• 2 - Prep all your veggies: Peel and chop potatoes, onions, and carrots.
• 3 - I sprayed my crock pot with a non-stick spray, you can choose to skip this step if you’d like!
• 4 - Combine the beef, carrots, potatoes, and garlic in the crock pot
• 5 - In a separate bowl whisk together the water, tomato paste, and seasonings
• 6 - Pour the water mixture over the beef mixture in the crock pot and cover with a lid
• 7 - Cook on low for 6-8 hours until done. Be sure to watch the liquid level for the potatoes to cook all the way. If it gets low before the stew is done cooking be sure to add some more!
• 8 - Serve with bread bowls or bread

penny pincher jenny http://pennypincherjenny.com/