My Favorite Winter Recipes

Winter is really here in most of the country and temperatures have been absolutely unreal. Snow everywhere and below freezing across most of the country. Now just because I live in the desert doesn’t mean we don’t have winter too, ours is just more spring like for most of the country. We still love to cook up some tummy warming comfort food and I have some favorites that I thought I would share.

I love soups on a cold day and there are a few favorites that my family always loves.

Black Angus Baked Potato Soup

This soup is hardy and makes a deliciously filling meal!

Ingredients

4 large baking potatoes
2/3 cup butter or margarine
2/3 cup flour
6 cup milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
4 green onions — chopped and divided
12 slices bacon — cooked and crumbled
1 1/4 cup cheddar cheese — shredded and divided
8 ounces sour cream

Instructions

Wash, dry and prick potatoes with fork. Bake potatoes. (I wrap mine in wax paper and then bake in the microwave. 4 potatoes on high for 12 minutes and they are done. ) Let cool. Cut into half lengthwise and scoop out pulp; set aside. Use skins for something else, such as stuffed potato skins. Melt butter in heavy saucepan over low heat; add flour, stirring until smooth. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Add potato pulp, salt, pepper, 2 Tbsp. green onion, half the bacon and 1 cup cheese. Cook until thoroughly heated. Stir in sour cream to taste. Add extra milk if necessary for desired consistency. Serve with remaining green onions, bacon and cheese. Makes 4 really hearty servings.

Ten Bean & Ham Soup

3 cups dry 10 bean soup mix – ( I get mine from Sprouts in their bulk dept.)
2 carrots diced
1 1/2 onions diced
3 stalks celery diced
1 tbl. minced garlic
1tbl. ground pepper
1 ham hock
salt to taste

Cover with about 1 1/2 inch of water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer 3 to 5 hours until beans are tender. (Check often to make sure you still have plenty of water. As the beans cook and absorb the water, you will need to add more. Should be soupy, not dry) When beans are done, remove ham from the hock, dice and mix in soup.

Serve with hot bread for a fabulous 1 dish meal.

Chicken Soup – Good For The Soul

2 chicken breasts diced ( or any chicken thing you have )
1 carton chicken broth ( you can also use the granules to make broth )
2 cups water
2 carrots peeled and diced
4 stalks celery diced
1 onion diced
1 lb. pkg. noodles

Put broth and water in large pot with diced chicken, bring to a boil and simmer for approx 1 hr. or until chicken is tender.
Add the carrots, celery and onions and cook until tender.
Add the noodles and cook until done.
Season with salt and pepper as desired and enjoy.

Casseroles are also some of my favorites.

Feed A Crowd For Under $5

#1 – Nearing One Million Shares

This will definitely become your family’s favorite. It is my most pinned and shared post ever. I always take this to a Pot-Luck. This is the best casserole you will ever eat.

1 lb. ground chuck crumbled and browned.
1 med. onion diced and cooked with the meat the last few minutes to infuse the flavor and soften the onion.
Sprinkle both generously with garlic salt while cooking.
1 pkg. elbow macaroni cooked and drained
2 sm. cans tomato sauce
1/2 can water
3/4 pkg shredded cheese. I always use the 3 cheese variety.

Cook the macaroni in boiling water while you brown the meat and onion in a skillet. Drain the macaroni well, then add the meat mixture. Stir in the tomato sauce and water. Mix it all together well. Place into large casserole dish and cover with the cheese. Cover with foil (be sure to spray your foil with Pam or some kind of non stick spray so it won’t stick to the cheese when baking.)
Place in a 350 oven and bake for approximately 30 to 40 minutes. When you can see the bottom all bubbly and you are sure it has been heated all the way through and the cheese is melted and all gooy, then you are done. Makes 8 generous servings. I usually fix some garlic bread and a tossed salad to go with it.

Scalloped Potatoes & HamLots of potatoes (I am making a big casserole dish full, so I am using 8 potatoes), a large onion, 1 can of cream of mushroom soup, leftover ham chunks and shredded cheese. I like to use a combination of colby and cheddar.

I peel and cut up 4 large potatoes and layer them in the bottom of the dish, then add about 1/2 of sliced onion on top. Add some cubed ham chunks and a big handful of shredded cheese. Spoon 1/2 can undilted soup over the top. Repeat the same process with the rest of the potatoes, onions, ham and cheese.

Fill the remaining 1/2 can of soup with milk, stir to mix well and then spoon evenly over the top of the second layer. Cover with a glass cover or foil and bake in 375 oven for 1 hour or until potatoes are soft and tender with yummy melted cheese and mushroom gravy mixed all the way through.