Cheesy Potato Soup is truly a quick and easy meal. You can walk in the house, hungry and tired, without a clue as to what’s for supper. Thirty minutes later, bowls of hot steamy potato soup are on the table. The secret is to keep moving and focused on preparation. Butter melts while you are chopping the onion and celery. They are sautéing while you are peeling potatoes. I usually add the broth after the first potato is peeled so it comes to a gentle boil while the others are peeled. You can also scrub those potatoes well and dice with the peel on. Faster and more nutritious. I dice the potatoes, adding each one to the broth before dicing the others. Make sure the pieces are small so they cook quickly and can be easily eaten. Check after about 10 minutes to see if you can ... [Read More]
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Struessel Topped Sweet Potato Casserole
Sweet potato casserole is good anytime of year . Dressed up, it’s the perfect accompaniment to any holiday meal. This sweet potato recipe has no marshmallows. Just a crunchy Struesel topping to contrast with the deep sweet potato flavor! No sweet, sticky marshmallows fans in our house :-) Cook and mash the sweet potatoes before measuring. If you are in a hurry (or can’t get fresh sweet potatoes, as they are not always available), use a 40 ounce can and drain before mashing. If you use yams, remember they are a bit sweeter than sweet potatoes so you might want to reduce the sugar a bit. You can add coconut to the topping of this traditional dish. I usually don't, but when I made this I had a bit of coconut hanging out and lonely in the pantry. So I added it. Baking time will vary a ... [Read More]
Slowcooker Cheesy Brats and Potato Soup
Thick cheesy soup, chunky potatoes, flavorful brats topped with a handful of cheese – very good! Bytes made this cheesy good potato and brats soup for supper on a cold, rainy evening recently. (It’s almost May, folks! And we’re still eating hot soup to warm the soul!) If there are leftover brats in the refrigerator, or if you purchase precooked brats, you can skip the browning and just put the sliced brats into the slow cooker. The red pepper provides a bit of color, as well as flavor. You can substitute green peppers. Or Bytes used a yellow pepper for this bowl since that was what in the refrigerator. One carrot, shredded or sliced diagonally, could also be substituted for color, if peppers aren’t available. No extra salt is added since the brats and soup have enough to flavor ... [Read More]
Potato Nests and holiday menu suggestions
I served this at a tea party brunch for something a little more substantial and with a different texture and savory taste than the usual fare. I served in the fancy ramekins in which they were baked. A platter of these nicely turned out would be spectacular, especially with a few chopped chives over the top and perhaps a bit of other green garnish tucked in between the cakes. Foods that are already portioned make a buffet line move quickly. This is quick to make because you start out with packaged shredded potatoes. I used the kind found in the refrigerated section. The shredded Parmesan cheese adds to the flavor and you can use your choice of cheese for the remaining measure of cheese. I didn't want my potato nests to have a bright yellow color so chose a white yellow mix of ... [Read More]
Bacon Potato Salad
Bacon Potato Salad is a summer favorite at our house. Somehow those summer favorites just don't taste the same when there is no sunshine around! Ever wonder why sometimes potato salad comes out creamy with nice firm potatoes and other times the same recipe is mushy and dry. I went looking for the answer. Just cause I'm curious that way. And I figure if I am -- so is someone else. The reason is the type of potatoes we use. I even tried it with two different kinds of potatoes. Just for you. 'Tis true, my friends -- the type of potato makes the difference! Red potatoes or Yukon gold are what is called waxy potatoes. They hold their shape well and meld in with the dressing without absorbing it so the salad remains creamy. Russets, in the “floury potato” category, are more dry ... [Read More]
Superhero Cheeseburger Soup
"This is what makes superheroes fly” said the middle schooler as he presented his emptied bowl for a refill. I took it as a high compliment! This soup is exquisitely good – liquid comfort and a reasonable number of calories and carbs, too! Serve it on a rainy or cold winter evening with a lettuce wedge and it is just like cheeseburgers -- only waaaaay better. Make this at least once with fresh potatoes shredded by hand or in the food processor and with fresh shredded cheddar and fresh parsley in the quantities given. That was the way I learned to make it and It. Is. Superb. You may decide that you will find the time to do it this way every time. But your family may be like mine with all kinds of schedules and limited time for food preparation – although we always find time to ... [Read More]
