Baked Potato Soup

It's obvious I'm a hug fan of Cooking Light. Most of the recipes I make as written. Others (like this one), I make the Cooking Light way once, then I think to myself, "I'm going to put some of the fat right back in this because it is totally worth it." So, although the seed of this recipe came from CL, I'm quite certain they would NEVER claim it.

Baked Potato Soup
2.5 pounds baking potatoes
2/3 cup flour
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
6 cups milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup chopped green onion
6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Bake potatoes, let cool, and scrape out insides. Coarsely mash and set aside.

Melt butter in large stock pot. Saute onion in butter for 2-3 minutes. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly (Seriously. Whisk constantly. If you burn your roux you will be starting over.). Whisk in milk (true confession: sometimes I substitute 2 cups of heavy cream for 2 cups of the milk). Cook until slightly thickened, whisking frequently. Stir in potatoes, cheese, sour cream, salt, pepper, and bacon. Heat through.

Top with additional chopped onion, cheese, and bacon. This is a great one to serve in bread bowls.

Chicken and Black Bean Chili

The weather has taken a little turn this week and is starting to feel a little "fall-ish." It makes me want SOUP. I'm posting a few of my favorites.

Chicken and Black Bean Chili
from Cheryl

3 cans black beans, drained
1 (4 0z.) can mild green chiles
2/3 cup chopped red onion
2/3 cup chopped celery
2/3 cup chopped red peppper
2/3 cup chopped leeks (white part only)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp oregano
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1/4 cup flour
4 cups shredded chicken or turkey
5 cups chicken broth
2 1/2 cups thawed frozen corn
2 T chili powder
1 T ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup brown sugar

In a stock pot, saute chiles, onion, celery, peppers, leeks, garlic, and oregano in the butter over moderate heat until soft. Whisk flour into butter and veggies and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in chicken broth and heat until slightly thickened. Puree half of the corn in the blender (hold out about a cup of the chicken broth and put it with the corn- it will go easier). Add blended corn, remaining corn, meat, beans, and spices, heat throughly. Serve garnished with tortilla chips and sour cream.

Chili

I know, I know. Everyone in the world has THE BEST chili recipe. I'm not claiming that this is the very best one, just that it is very good.

Ron Carlson's Chili
From Mykin

2 pounds ground beef
1 cup EACH chopped celery, chopped onion, chopped bell pepper
2 cans drained kidney beans
16 oz tomato sauce
16 oz stewed tomatoes
1 1/2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 bay leaf
1 T chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dry mustard
2 T Worcestershire sauce

Brown and drain hamburger. Add celery, peppers, and onion and saute a couple of minutes. Add everything else and simmer at least one hour.

Roasted Tomato Soup

Does your garden runneth over? Unfortunately mine isn't, but when it does this is one of my favorite ways to use up cherry tomatoes.

Roasted Tomato Soup
from Family Fun

6 cups cherry tomatoes
3 T olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 T butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chopped onion
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp thyme
1 cup whipping cream (or fat free half and half)

Heat the oven to 400. On a baking sheet, combine the cherry tomatoes, 2T of the olive oil, and the salt and pepper. Toss ingredients to coat evenly and spread them in a single layer. Roast the tomatoes until they are shriveled with brown spots, about 35-45 minutes.

In a large pot, heat the butter and the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and saute until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes with their juice, the broth, the thyme, and the roasted tomatoes, including any liquid on the baking sheet. Bring the mixture to a boil, the reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 40 minutes.

Using a food processor or blender, puree the soup until it's smooth. Return it to the pot and stir in the cream. Warm the soup without letting it boil. Salt and pepper to taste.

Chicken Chili

I have several chili recipes that I thoroughly enjoy, and this is a mash-up of several of them based on the ingredients I had on hand tonight. It turned out surprisingly good- even my children ate it, and it was fast- maybe 20 minutes start to finish.

Chicken Chili
2 T canola oil
1 small onion, diced
1 diced pepper, any color
1 cup shredded carrots (you don't have to put these in, but I am always trying to find ways to get more veggies in our diets.)
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 lb to 3/4 pound cooked and shredded chicken
1/2 tsp. coriander
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles
1 can great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup fat free half and half

Saute pepper, onion, and carrots in oil until soft. Add spices and saute for a minute more. Add chicken, chiles, beans, and chicken stock. Simmer for a few minutes, then add half and half. You can skip the half and half if you want, but I like the creamy taste that it adds. Serve topped with sour cream and crushed up corn chips.

Here's a tip on cooked chicken- whenever chicken breasts go on sale for a good price, I buy quite a bit. I freeze some raw, but I also fill my crock pot with chicken breasts and cook them on low for 4 or 6 hours. Then I shred the chicken into freezer bags (about 2 cups each) so that whenever I need cooked chicken for a recipe I have it all set to go. For this soup I didn't even bother to defrost it because I knew it would cook in the soup.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

It's cold here today. Even though the weatherman said it would be 78 degrees, it sure isn't. And a chill in the air makes me think about soup. This soup is kind of like the chicken enchilada soup at Chili's, only made fresh in your own kitchen instead of in a factory somewhere then shipped in a 5 gallon bucket to your neighborhood restaurant (total conjecture on my part, but it seems logical.).

Chicken Enchilada Soup
From Liza.

1/2 cup canola oil (or a little less)
1/4 cup chicken base/bouillon
2 cups onions, diced
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp garlic (powdered or fresh)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 cups masa flour (in the Mexican Foods aisle)
4 quarts water
2 cups crushed tomatoes
1 lb (16 oz.) Velveeta, cubed
2 or 3 lbs chicken, cooked and shredded
1 small can tomato sauce

In a large pot saute onions in oil, chicken base, and spices. Cook until onions are soft. In another bowl combine masa with 1 quart water. Whisk out lumps. Add to onion mixture and bring to boil. Mixture will be thick. Cook and stir three minutes to rid masa of raw taste. Add remaining water and whisk out lumps. Bring to boil. Add remaining ingredients and heat until cheese is melted. Serve with sour cream and crushed corn chips on top.

This makes a very large batch, so plan on halving the recipe, freezing some (it freezes great!), or inviting over the missionaries.

Mexican Chicken and Tomatillo Stew

This is one of those super-easy recipes that only requires a little chopping and a crock-pot. Don't be scared about the sweet potatoes- they are really tasty in this healthy soup.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups peeled and diced sweet potatoes
1 cup chopped celery
1 chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon cumin
4 cups chicken broth
2 or 3 chicken breasts
2 cups diced tomatilloes (peel husks and rinse, then treat it like a tomato)

Put this all in the crock pot- high for 4 hours, or low for 8 hours. Shred chicken then stir in 1/2 cup of fresh cilantro. Top soup with sour cream, diced avocado, and crushed tortilla chips.