Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Good thing about working from home now, I can throw everything in crockpot at lunch & be ready for dinner! I am hoping that all the flavors of a loaded baked potato can come together in this satisfying comfort soup. One of my first thoughts were...where are the onions? But hey, let's go for it, with melted cheddar and the crispy bacon bits, how can you resist?

26 oz  Shredded Frozen Hash Browns
16 oz  Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
32 oz  Chicken Broth
1 package  Cream Cheese
1 small can cream of chicken soup 
1/4 cup bacon bits

Place everything in crockpot & cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours.

TUPPS TIDBITS: use frozen, not dehydrated hash browns

This did not exactly come out as soup for us. It was more like, Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes!  We decided at the last 1/2 hour to add diced ham. We did use dehydrated hash browns, instead of frozen, so that may have been the reason for "no soup" but the plus side of this, IT WAS Delicious!   

KEEPER (side dish) RECIPE at our house.👍

Broccoli Cheddar Stuffed Baked Potatoes

Cheese and potatoes? Plus a healthy dose of Broccoli? I am in!

Ingredients

2 (6 oz each) raw Russet potatoes, scrubbed clean and dried

1 tablespoon light butter
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
½ cup skim milk
1.5 oz 50% reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup fresh raw broccoli florets

DIRECTIONS:

1. Arrange the racks in your oven so that one is in the top half and one is in the bottom half.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a sheet pan with aluminum foil. 
2. Use a fork to poke holes around the surface of your potatoes, about 6-8 times each. Sprinkle with salt, to taste.
3. Place the sheet pan on the bottom rack and position the potatoes directly on the rack above it 
4. Bake for an hour or until cooked through.
5. Remove from the oven and set aside.
6. When the potatoes are done (or almost done), place the butter in a small saucepan and bring over medium-low heat until melted. 
7. Add the flour, salt and pepper and whisk to combine. 
8. Add the milk a little at a time and whisk the flour mixture into the milk each time until smooth. 
9. Add the shredded cheese and whisk into the milk mixture. Cook, whisking on and off, for 1-3 minutes until thickened and remove from heat.
10. Place the broccoli florets in a microwave-safe bowl and cover the bowl with a damp paper towel. Microwave for 2 minutes on high. 
11. Slice open each potato and fill them with broccoli, evenly distributing it between the two potatoes. Pour 1/3 cup of the cheese sauce over the top of the broccoli in each potato and serve.

TUPPS TIDBITS:  Honestly, I would just purchase some Velveeta cheese & add a bit of milk instead!

This recipe is definitely not worth the time &  NOT A KEEPER!  

French Toast Sticks!

APR20

0We had some left over blueberries.. everyone will love this one!

We had some left over blueberries.......

8 slices sandwich bread 

3 large eggs
2/3 cup skim milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
A pinch of salt
½ teaspoon powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS:

• Cut each slice of bread into 3 equal strips (used kitchen shears) and set aside.
• Whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt until combined and pour into a shallow dish (use a pie pan).
• Lightly mist a skillet or griddle with cooking spray and bring to medium heat. 
• Dip the bread strips into the egg mixture and flip to coat. Allow any excess liquid to drip off and lay the strips on the pan/griddle.
•  Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until the sticks are golden and lightly crisp on both sides.
• Transfer to a platter and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Tupps Tidbits:  Freezer-friendly! 

Once they’re cooked you can line them up on a baking sheet and place them in the freezer for an hour. Once they are frozen, transfer them into a Ziploc freezer bag and put them back in the freezer. Freezing them individually first helps them not form into one giant frozen French toast stick blob in the bag. To reheat, you can either microwave them or bake them lined up on a baking sheet for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees. How can this not be a keeper recipe? YUMO!  Enjoy!

Refrigerator Pickled Jalapenos

 I needed something to do with all the jalapenos I had bursting out of the garden!

So I thought Why not pickle some?  No canning necessary!

Ingredients

20-30 Jalapeño Peppers Sliced
2 cups white vinegar
2 cups water
4 cloves garlic smashed
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons kosher salt

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan combine water, vinegar, garlic, salt and sugar. Bring to a boil whisking until sugar and salt are dissolved. 
2. Remove from heat, let cool 15 minutes.
3. Slice jalapenos and add them to the jars ( I use 3-4 pint jars)
4. Add the pickling juices to the jars, make sure you get some garlic cloves into each jar. 
5. Let cool to room temperature then add lid and place in fridge.

Try and wait a couple of days before digging in. A week should give you great flavor.

They will keep fine in the refrigerator for about 6 months that is if they last that long. Add them to Tacos nachos, hot dogs, chili, burgers. I mean the list is endless really. Eat them right out of the jar. You definitely need to give these a try, you will be surprised at just how easy they really are to make.

This is a great recipe!  Definitely a keeper at our house!

Cheesy Jalapeño Beer Bread

Sliced beer bread is awesome when it’s warm and buttery & next to a bowl of  chili or soup!

It is super easy to put together. Its's best served the same day, but it will last just fine for a couple of days at room temperate if wrapped up tightly.

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup grated sharp Cheddar
1/2 cup chopped pickled jalapeños
12 ounces beer
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:

• Set oven to 350ºF and grease a loaf pan.
• Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl, making sure there are no sugar lumps, and toss grated cheese shreds around to coat.
• Add beer and jalapeños and mix. Dough will be thick.
• Scrape into loaf pan and spread evenly. Pour melted butter on top.
• Bake 45-55 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Cool in pan 5 minutes, then turn onto rack to cool completely before storing or slice and eat while warm, with more butter of course

Tupps Tidbits:  Make sure you bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  The baking time took a little longer than what the recipe called for.

YUMMY  YUMMY!  This recipe is DEFINITELY A KEEPER at our house.  We are going to try and use it towards a pizza crust & I bet it would make fantastic grilled sandwiches! Very versatile..the cheese and beer help keep it soft and tender.  You could refrigerate for longer storage.

Steak Sandwich Kabobs

Skewers with seasoned steak, bread and veggies are grilled and topped with provolone cheese for a fantastic meal. Coleslaw, spruced up with chopped walnuts, is a great side for the kabobs.

1 pound beef top sirloin steak, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 teaspoon steak seasoning
1 medium sweet red pepper, cut into 1-inch chunks
6 ounces focaccia bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 medium onion, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 Tbs Olive Oil 
3 slices provolone cheese, cut into strips
2 cups coleslaw
1/2 cup chopped walnuts 

1. Sprinkle beef with steak seasoning. Alternately thread the beef, red pepper, bread cubes and onion onto 4 metal or soaked wooden skewers; brush with oil.
2. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until meat reaches desired doneness, turning occasionally. For medium-rare, a thermometer should read 135°; medium, 140°; medium-well, 145°. 
3. Top with cheese; grill 1-2 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.
4. In a small bowl, combine coleslaw and walnuts. Serve with kabobs.

Tupps Tidbits: the bread burnt right away, the only change I would make is to brush the entire piece of bread with olive oil before putting it on the skewer

YUMMY!  It was like a philly cheesesteak all in one bite! Fantastic meal.  We skipped the walnuts, but made homemade coleslaw for the side.  This is a KEEPER RECIPE at our house.

Blueberry Lemon Pie

Well the hardest thing about this recipe...waiting till next day to eat it! 

Oh and trying to find sugar free lemon pudding.  Thanks Aunt Betty for finding it!

Preheat oven to 380 degrees...yes that is not a typo  - 380!

In a bowl, mix together...

• 3 cups Nonfat Greek Plain Yogurt
• 3 eggs (you can use 3 ripe bananas, mashed)
• 3 Tbs. artificial sweetener
• 1 small package sugar free lemon pudding

Add...

• Zest & juice of 1 lemon

Add...

• 4 oz.  fresh blueberries

Mix well -  Pour mixture into glass pie plate sprayed with non stick spray...bake for 40 minutes until firm in center and brown on edges.  Cool Completely, best over night.

TUPPS TIDBITS:  Really a dessert or breakfast?  You choose!  We added ready whip on top and sprinkled graham crackers.

We are going to say this is a KEEPER recipe because it was edible  but not Delicious or anything!  Nice treat in the spring time, if you have some pudding & fruit around and you want to make it into a pie! Mix and Match and enjoy!