Potato Soup

Anyone who knows me well knows that I love potatoes.  There are really no words to describe my love for them.  I love them in every single form.  Baked, Fried, Mashed, Boiled, Roasted, Hash Browns, French Fries...... All the potatoes.  This soup is a family favorite and a personal favorite.  The fun thing about this recipe is that it is easy to customize to your family's preferences.  It is easy to make a ton and it is very good left over.  I have never frozen it but I will try it soon and let you know.  I love anything that can be frozen. I always cook it in the crock pot.  I have done it on the stove top in a pinch and it was good, but something about the crock pot makes it even better!

Potato Soup

5 baker size potatoes (Idaho baker size)

3/4 cup chopped onions

2 T butter

1 T chicken bouillon or 3 bouillon cubes

2 cups heavy cream

1/3 cup flour

2 cups freshly shredded sharp cheddar (trust me, follow this exactly)

Peel and cut potatoes into desired size pieces. 

Place in crock pot with onions, butter, bouillon and just enough water to cover it all. 

Cook on low 8 hours or high 6 hours.  Remember: Potatoes do take a while to cook.

Thirty minutes before you are eating, combine the flour and cream into a slurry and stir into soup with the cheese.  Stir to combine.  Replace lid, stirring every ten minutes.

Serve topped with bacon, more cheese and green onions.

Notes: I promise you won't regret shredding the cheese by hand.  It is SO much better freshly shredded.  If I recommend this, it is worth it because I am usually too lazy to do it!

I highly recommend the crock pot, but the stove top will work!

We have also put leftover ham in this soup and it was delicious!

I have also used this same soup base to make corn chowder.  I will halve the amount of potatoes and use a 16 oz bag of frozen corn and a cup of shredded carrots and omit the cheese.  I love this!  My family does not.  I have also made a California medley soup using cauliflower, broccoli and carrots.  It is also yummy but my broccoli cheese soup in the instant pot (post coming soon!) is even better!

Feel free to leave out the cheese entirely and make this a “Cream of….” Soup. 

Enchilada Pie and Spanish Rice

Let me start off by saying, I cannot cook rice. I will admit it. It is ridiculous that someone who has been cooking for years and enjoys it cannot cook something simple like rice.  But, it's true.  Rice cooker? Nope. Instant Pot? Nope. Stove top? Nope. Microwave? Nope, and oh, so bad. All that being said, this rice recipe is the ONLY recipe I make using uncooked rice that I never, ever mess up and get right every time.  My whole family loves it.  It is especially good with sour cream, and so are the enchiladas.  These recipes are both yummy left over.  The rice recipe is a compilation of several recipes I've tried over the years and the enchiladas are from a meal my mom used to make that I tweaked ever so slightly.  They are both a huge hit.  I like to cook them together as they are a great pair and they use a couple of the same ingredients so I can overlap on my purchasing. If you give them a try, I hope you and your family will enjoy them!

 Enchilada Pie

1 lb extra lean ground beef (or whatever you prefer)

1/2 cup coarsely chopped onions

1 15 oz can refried beans (I use the spicy jalapeno. YUM!)

1 30 oz can enchilada sauce

8-10 corn tortillas 

2-3 C shredded cheese (Fiesta Blend is perfect!)

Preheat oven to 350* and grease 11x7 or 9x9 pan.

Brown hamburger with onions until cooked through.  

Drain excess grease.

Stir in entire can of beans. Combine well. Remove from heat.

Pour entire can of enchilada sauce into a wide bowl than can accommodate a corn tortilla. 

Spread small amount of enchilada sauce on the bottom of your greased pan.

Dredge tortillas in enchilada sauce and layer in pan. Be sure to cover pan completely, tearing tortillas as necessary. 

Spoon 1/3 of meat/beans mixture and spread evenly over the tortillas. 

Sprinkle 1/3 of cheese on meat/beans.

Using a large table spoon, drizzle 2-3 spoons of sauce over cheese.

Repeat until you have three layers.  

Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes. 

If desired, remove foil the last 5 minutes to brown the cheese.

Serve with sour cream.

Spanish Rice

1 1/4 c uncooked rice

1 cup enchilada sauce (this is WAY better than plain tomato sauce)

1 3/8 C chicken broth 

1/4-1/2 c finely chopped onions 

1/8 t cumin 

1/2 t minced garlic, or 1 clove

1/3 c oil - VERY important

Preheat oven to 350* and grease 9x9 pan

Combine all ingredients and pour into pan.

Cover tightly with foil.

Bake for 1 hour.

Fluff with fork. The garlic and onions will rise to the top as it cooks.

Serve with sour cream.

Notes: 

I buy pre-shredded cheese, but use what you prefer.

I will use the medium enchilada sauce in both of these recipes but it is fairly spicy combined with the jalapeno beans. We love spice. 

Do not leave the oil out of the rice. You WILL regret it!

I always serve with corn. 

I usually get a 30 oz can and a 10 oz can of sauce. It should be enough for both recipes with about 2 T left over.