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I tend to use my crockpot a lot in the summer months, and I probably use it more than I do any other time of the year. We’ll be hitting 100+ degrees daily for at least two more months, so anything I can do to avoid heating up the kitchen with the oven or even the stove some days will help. Read More

Over the last few months I’ve been making a roast chicken every other week for Sunday dinner. Roaster chickens are very affordable (around $5) and even with my family of five I’m able to get enough leftover chicken to use in another meal later in the week.

I started out making Ina Garten’s roast chicken, but I’ve kind of strayed away from that and changed it to what we like. Read More

We’re finally heading into fall in the desert southwest with temperatures that look to be staying under 90 degrees for the rest of the year. This means it’s time to whip out the soup recipes!

One of my favorites is baked potato soup. It gets extra brownie points because I can put it all in the crockpot in the early afternoon and have everything ready by dinner time.

The original recipe that I found didn’t specify that you’re supposed to mash up the potatoes, and while I do like chunks of potato in the finished soup, I don’t like the whole thing to be nothing but. It’s easy enough to do by using a regular potato masher right in the crockpot after the potatoes have cooked for several hours, and preferably right before you add in the dairy ingredients.

If you’re vegetarian, you can easily omit the bacon and use vegetable broth instead of chicken.

Baked Potato Soup

6 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 onion, finely chopped
4 (10.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
2 chicken bouillon cubes
5 large potatoes, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups half-and-half cream
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk

Cook bacon in a skillet until evenly brown. Remove from skillet and place on paper towels to drain. When fully cooled, cover and refrigerate the bacon. Drain all but a tablespoon or so of the bacon grease from the skillet and place chopped onions in to cook until soft.

Transfer onions to a slow cooker, and stir in chicken broth, bouillon cubes, potatoes, salt, and pepper. Cover, and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, stirring occasionally.

Using a potato masher, mash the cooked potatoes in the slow cooker until desired consistency is reached (you can also use an immersion blender, or transfer some of the potatoes and broth to a blender for a smoother texture, and put back into the crockpot when done).

In a bowl, whisk together the flour and half-and-half. Stir into the soup along with the evaporated milk. Add cooked bacon. Cover, and cook another 30 minutes before serving. Serve with shredded cheddar cheese and chopped chives.

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I came across this recipe a few weeks ago while trying to find something different to add to our bi-weekly dinner list. It looked easy enough and though I was a little wary about serving something new, it was a huge hit. I’ve tweaked the original recipe a bit to suit my family’s tastes.

Instead of putting it in a casserole dish I’ve also been able to make it a “one pot” meal, doing the whole thing in my giant (oven-proof) skillet and putting it directly in the oven after it’s been on the stove.

I also like to use the Foster Farms pre-cooked southwestern chicken strips (diced) as it adds a little bit of zing, too, and pre-diced ham also helps speed things up.

Baked Jambalaya

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 cup diced cooked ham
1/2 pound smoked sausage, cut in 1/4 inch slices
2 cans (15 oz each) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup raw white rice
1 1/2 cups (1 15 oz can) chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried leaf thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, or 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Melt the butter in a large skillet and add the onion, green pepper and garlic. Cook slowly, stirring often, until the onion and pepper are tender.

Add the chicken, ham and sausage; cook, stirring, 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes with their liquid, the rice, broth, thyme, parsley, chili powder, salt, and pepper.

Turn the mixture into a large casserole. Cover and bake until the rice is tender, about one to 1-1/4 hours. Serves 4 to 6.

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