Memorial Day Planning

I can't believe we are already going into the second week of May. Cinco de Mayo and Mother's Day have come and gone. Before I know it, the end of the school year and Memorial Day will be here! When will you start planning your holiday weekend cookout? Maybe seeing a tasty new potato salad recipe will inspire you to begin earlier than later! 

I bet like me, you have more potato salad recipes than you ever thought one person would need. But every time we see a new one that looks unique or just delicious, we have to try it. Let's face it, a great potato salad is one of summer's staples. It shows up at every graduation party, picnic table, Memorial Day barbecue, July 4th pool party...the list goes on and on. It's no wonder we never feel like yet another one is too many. 

One of the reasons I fell in love with this recipe is the use of red potatoes. No peeling required! What a time saver. Plus, this is best when it chills out in the fridge for several hours, or best overnight...gotta love anything you can make ahead and have waiting on you when it's party time! 

The dressing on this is simple, but filled with flavor! It's the perfect mix of sweet and tangy, made from things most of us have on hand, so it is a great one to whip up last minute! Heck, I would make this for burger night on the deck any night of the week! 

Summer and potato salad go together like sun and sand! With cookout season upon us, bowls and bowls of it will be enjoyed over the next few months. Why not add another yet to the ones you love so much?

 

 Red Potato Salad

5 lbs. red potatoes, halved

5 hard boiled eggs, chopped

2 stalks celery, diced

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

1/4 cup sweet pickle relish

2 TBS dried parsley

3 TBS sugar

2 tsp mustard

1 tsp cider vinegar

Salt and Pepper

In a medium bowl combine mayo, mustard, relish, parsley, sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper. Whisk well. Set aside in fridge until ready to make salad. Place halved potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat. Cook 15-20 minutes until fork tender. Drain well and allow to cool. Cut potatoes into 1 inch cubes. In a large bowl combine potatoes, onion, celery and eggs. Mix gently. Add dressing. Stir gently to combine. Chill at least 6 hours before serving or overnight. Stir again before serving and garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

 

Classic Side To Say Goodbye Summer Or Hello Fall

 Anyone else feel like summer lasted about 3 days? It always goes by too fast, but this year just seemed like lightning speed. I can't believe Labor Day is just around the corner, and I'm already seeing Halloween decorations in the stores. (I won't lie, I've already picked up a few cute autumn decor items myself!)

With the heat index in the 100s all this past week, it makes me want to tell September and fall "pump the brakes" a little because we still have some summer yet to enjoy! 

Today's recipe is one that doesn't really need a season. Being a potato salad, thoughts of summer cookouts come to mind first. But it can be served warm, so it would also work for a sunny, mild fall picnic too.

I am sure many of you have made and probably have a recipe for German Potato Salad, but when I find something we love, I have to share. 

I've tried a few recipes for this classic over the years, but this is the first one that we all truly enjoyed. Plus, it was the easiest one too, so bonus points!

If you've never had German Potato Salad, it is set aside from other traditional tater salads for a couple reasons. First, the tangy and sweet bacon dressing is unique and immediately memorable. Second, most enjoy it served warm, or room temp. You can certainly eat it chilled (we did with the leftovers) but personally I think warm is the best way to go! And for me, when it's warm, it almost becomes more of a potato side dish than a potato salad...hence why I wouldn't feel strange serving it well into fall! I think it would be delicious with a ham supper!

No matter if you are hanging onto summer as long as you can, and planning a big Labor Day bash to prove it, or counting the days until autumn brings some cooler days and evenings made for bonfires, this German Potato Salad should definitely be on your menu ASAP! 

German Potato Salad

2.5 lbs. yellow potatoes, skin left on

8 slices bacon, fried crisp and chopped

1 medium white onion, chopped

1/3 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup water

1 TBS sugar

1 TBS flour

1/2 tsp. dried mustard

2 tsp. dried parsley

Salt and Pepper

Chop potatoes into large bite size pieces. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Boil potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well. While potatoes cook, fry bacon in a large skillet. Remove to a paper towel lined plate. Saute onion in bacon fat until soft, about 3-5 minutes. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute. Add mustard, vinegar, water, sugar, salt and pepper.  Bring to a simmer while whisking.  Simmer for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened. When potatoes are drained, add to a large bowl. Pour dressing over potatoes. Add bacon and gently stir. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve warm, room temperature or chilled.

 Inspired by Spend With Pennies

Shared at Weekend Potluck

Breakfast, Brunch or Supper

Many of you are planning those Easter brunch menus. Others might be wanting an idea for breakfast for supper this week. Or maybe you like to make a big family breakfast every weekend. If you fall into any of these categories, today's recipe is going to the top of your grocery list!

Imagine tater tots mixed with all the things we love about tasty loaded baked potato, baked together in one simple casserole Are you drooling yet?

Perfect with eggs and bacon, or as a side dish for your next burger night, this is as versatile as it is yummy. Plus, it's pretty wallet friendly too, so if you've got a big Easter guest list, this will help you stay on budget.

 Come home from sunrise Easter service, pop this in the oven and it can be done by the time the kids find all the eggs! Whip up some scrambled eggs, a fresh fruit salad and toast...and you've got a holiday brunch that is easy on you and delicious for your guests.

Loaded Tater Tot Casserole is the potato dish the kids will gobble up and the adults will want the recipe for.

Loaded Tater Tot Casserole

2 lb. frozen tater tots

16 oz. sour cream

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 envelope ranch dressing mix

2 (2.5 oz.) pouches real bacon bits

2 c. shredded mild shredded cheese

1/2 c. shredded fiesta blend cheese

1 TBS chopped green onions (green only)

1 tsp. dried parsley

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9x13 baking dish. In a large bowl combine soup, sour cream, bacon bits, 2 cups mild cheddar, and ranch mix. Stir to combine. Add frozen tater tots. Stir gently, to coat evenly. Transfer to baking dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup fiesta cheese and parsley. Bake for 45 minutes until bubbly and heated through. Garnish with green onions. 

Shared at Weekend Potluck
Shared at Meal Plan Monday

Winter Has Arrived

If you read that title and are saying "Um, Krista, it has been here for a while now, officially since last month!" You are absolutely correct. But see, here in Indiana we have been spoiled for most of the winter thus far. It's been pretty mild. It was over 60 on Christmas day! We've had unseasonably warm temps, rain instead of snow, and even a few thunderstorms!

However, Old Man Winter found us this weekend, and with a vengeance! Friday night it snowed, then turned to ice, then it got warm for a few hours, rained, and then....the brutal wind and bitter temps showed up. Seriously. I got up this morning and there was ice on the inside of our living room windows!

When it is cold like this, you know the kind...it takes your breath away the minute you step outside, and makes your face hurt, about the only comforting thing we can rely on is a piping hot bowl of soup, stew, or chowder!

In our house, if it's got a creamy base, and bigger chunks of meat and veg, that's chowder. It's not a true science, but it makes sense to us! I actually made this with leftover holiday ham in mind. I know there are some out there with some ham hanging out in the freezer. How do I know this? Because any time I've made a big ham, we were sure to have extra so I could freeze it for later use in soups and chowders!

This is s full meal deal with your meat, veg and potatoes all in one bowl. It is sure to fill you up and thaw you out after a long day in the cold. A warm, delicious hug to cure all that ails you!

Winter is here to stay, no matter how many mild days we are spoiled with. While we all wait for spring, at least we can have some yummy meals to ease the pain!

Crock Pot Potato & Ham Chowder

8-10 medium russet potatoes, cubed

2 carrots, peeled & diced

2 celery ribs, diced

1 medium white onion, diced

1 lb. ham, cubed

1 (32 oz.) box chicken broth

2 c. water

2 cubes chicken bouillon

1 TBS dried parsley

1 1/2 c. heavy cream

1/4 c. flour

Salt and Pepper

Combine everything except cream and flour in Crock Pot. Stir well. Cook on high 6-8 hours, until potatoes are tender. Using a potato masher, slightly mash the potatoes. In a bowl whisk together cream and flour. Add to soup. Cook another 15-20 minutes until slightly thicken. Reduce to warm until serving. *NOTE* Check your potatoes. If they are tender before cooking time is up, finish cooking on low. When you mash the potatoes, you still want lots of big chunks left behind, so don't over mash.

Shared at Weekend Potluck
Shared at Meal Plan Monday

Dump, Stir and Go!

It's officially autumn. The days are getting shorter and shorter. With day light I mean. But let's face it, the days are always short, no matter what season. I don't know about you, but I think there should be some kind of "buy back" program for hours in the day.

Here's how it would work. For every hour we don't use one day, we get to "bank" it for a day when we need more! That way when it's a random Thursday and we have a bazillion things to do...and before we know it, the clock says 6pm, we can go to the bank and get an extra hour. Genius, right?

Alas, I don't see this happening any time soon, so we need to find other ways to free up some of our minutes and hours. And in the kitchen our slow cookers can do just that!

This chunky, hearty delicious stew can be prepped in the morning, cook all day and be waiting on you when you get home. But you say your mornings are super busy too? Well, about 10 minutes is all you need to brown the sausage and onions, dump the rest of the ingredients, stir and be done! In fact, you could even saute' the sausage and onions the night before, stick them in the fridge and have one less step the next morning. Oh, and those hash browns that need partially thawed? They take almost no time at all, and the ones I used were only thawed about 20 minutes before I dumped them in. So those won't hang you up either.

Talk about an all in one meal! You've got your meat, potatoes and veggies all in one bowl! Okay, I guess corn isn't technically a veggie, but I think most of us think of it that way.

Fall is such a beautiful time, with so many reasons to be busy. From the ordinary day, to the special ones spent at the corn maze, pumpkin patch or apple orchard, make sure you have some great simple recipes to make just one thing a little easier on you!

Crock Pot Sausage & Corn Chowder

1 (14 oz.) package smoke sausage, sliced thin

2 small carrots, diced

1 medium white onion, chopped

2 TBS butter

1 lb. frozen shredded frozen hash brown potatoes, partially thawed

2 (15 oz.) cans corn, undrained

2  (15 oz.) cans cream corn

1 (14 oz.) can chicken broth

2 (12 oz.) cans evaporated milk

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning

1 TBS dried parsley

Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large skillet over medium heat melt butter. Saute' sausage until slightly browned. Transfer to Crock Pot.  In same skillet, in leftover butter and sausage drippings, saute' onion for 1-2 minutes.You are just getting a little color on them. Transfer to Crock Pot. Add all other ingredients. Stir very well. Cook on LOW 6 hours.

Shared at Weekend Potluck
Shared at Meal Plan Monday

Inspired by Recipes That Crock

Po-Tay-Toe

When Alex was little, he was a fantastic eater, just like now. About the only thing I can even remember him not being a huge fan of was potatoes. Gasp! I know. It was a little confusing for him spud loving parents. Well, and let me be clear, he might not have been thrilled with them, but he ate them anyway. Why? Because that's how we roll. 

But I can distinctly remember his dad trying to get him to eat mashed potatoes and him crying! Seriously...who was that kid? Then all of a sudden, he began eating them more and more, and found his love for them, and has never looked back. In fact, we can always tell when he is ready for a growth spurt because he craves them. Wants as much as he get. 

We don't have this problem with Max. He has been a potato lover since he could chew. And he will tell you.. "Po-tay-toe" yummy!"

 It's so funny because as much as they look alike, and many times act alike too, there are definitely differences too. 

Since Max is such a fan of all things potato, it keeps me on my toes even more to make sure he gets a variety. Sweet potatoes were one of his favorite baby foods, and now he loves them mashed, baked, and roasted too. 

I make breakfast for dinner so much, it would be easy to fall into a rut, so when I thought of these, I was pretty proud of myself. Time for home fries. Put the russets down and grab the sweeties instead. 

They are perfect with eggs and toast, but would be just as tasty as a side to any protein too! I can see these on our table a lot this fall and winter; and maybe next to a holiday ham as well! 

Sweet Potato Home Fries

6 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 1/2 TBS vegetable oil

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. dried parsley, extra for garnish

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Salt and Pepper 

In a large bowl combine potatoes, oil, and seasonings. Stir well to combine. Allow to sit at room temperature for 30-45 minutes. Preheat oven to 400. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray. Place potatoes on it, spreading evenly into one layer. Cook for 30 minutes, turning the tray (bring the back to the front) half way thorough, or until fork tender. Sprinkle with extra parsley before serving. 

Shared at Weekend Potluck

Last Minute Idea

Usually about twice a month I plan a potato bar for dinner. I baked off some big ol' taters, lay out a bunch of toppings and let everyone make their own. It's a fun, simple meal I don't have to think much about and everyone enjoys.

Well, a couple weeks ago, when I had planned this, I'm not sure what happened, but I forgot a few of the toppings I needed. Never even brought them home from the grocery store. I'm sure I got distracted by a free sample, or apparently couldn't read my shopping list, but either way, my "bar" was a little empty.

No fear. I looked at what I did have on hand and decided to do things a little differently. I would just make everyone the same kind, and act like I planned it all along.

My uh-oh ended up being a big success! We all loved these and they were the perfect Meat Free Monday main dish! I served them with some cottage cheese and fresh fruit on the side, but they would also be yummy at your next cook out too. Bake off a whole bunch and serve them alongside some steak or chicken hot off the grill!

Sometimes the best things come out of our screw ups!

Broccoli Stuffed Potatoes

3 large russet potatoes 

1/4 c. sour cream

1 1/2 c. finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 (12 oz.) bag frozen broccoli florets, thawed and woody stems removed

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400. Clean potatoes and pierce with fork. Lay directly on oven rack. Bake for 50-60 minutes until fork tender. Turn oven down to 350. Once cooked, allow to cool until you can handle them. About 20 minutes. Carefully slice potatoes in half and scoop out potato leaving about 1/8 inch around edges. Place cooked potato in a large bowl. Add sour cream, 1 cup of cheese, broccoli, salt and pepper. Mix well. Place empty potatoes in a greased baking dish. Fill each with potato mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Add a little extra pepper to top. Bake for 20-25 minutes until cheese is melted and heated through. *NOTES* To scoop the potato, I find a melon baller works great. To speed up the cooling process, place potatoes in the fridge for 5-7 minutes. You want 1 potato per person, or 2 halves. 

Southern Inspiration

Today's recipe is going to begin with a disclaimer. I am NOT a Southern cook. I have never nor would I ever claim to be. Sure, I say ya'll and love me some greens, but alas, I am born and bread in Indiana. So, if you consider yourself one, or have been eating your granny from Mississippi's food all your life and know Southern food, and read this and think "that's not Southern"...please keep the hate mail to yourself. This is an interpretation of mine, a born and raised Yankee, just trying to make something new and yummy. 

 I don't care what the weather is doing outside, sometimes I just want foods that are not considered to be "in season." It can be 80 and sunny and I crave a certain soup, or it can be 30 and snowing and I want a big helping of potato salad, which was the inspiration for this. Well, except the weather part. It was actually unseasonably warm the day I made this. 60 in Indiana the last week of November? Yeah, that is odd, but we'll take it. 

When I sat down to plan my menu for the week, I couldn't get the words potato salad out of my head. I just wanted it. Now. And I wanted a new kind. I love the various recipes I have for it. From my Amish style to my Classic to the Loaded filled with bacon, they are all delicious. But I was just in the mood for a new kind. So I started reading, researching and of course Googling. 

After about a thousand recipes I came across a few I wanted to combine into my own creation, with this being the result; and to me it is Southern.

I know a lot of people are gearing up for that big holiday ham, and many serve potato salad with it. See, it's just not for summer! Lots of families are going to sit down next to the twinkling Christmas tree with some sliced ham and big ol' pile of tater salad next to it. If you're one of them, this would be a great version to include!

Southern Potato Salad

32 oz. bag frozen diced potatoes

3 hard boiled eggs, chopped

1 c. mayo

2/3 c. minced sweet pickles*

1/3 c. pickle juice

1 tsp. onion powder

1 1/2 tsp. yellow mustard

1 TBS dried parsley

Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large pot cover frozen potatoes with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 7-10 minutes. While potatoes cook whisk together mayo, pickle juice, onion powder, parsley, salt and pepper. Set aside. Once potatoes are cooked, drain well and add to a large bowl. DO NOT RINSE Mash slightly with a potato masher, leaving some chunks. Mix in pickles and eggs. Add dressing and mix well. Chill several hours before serving. *NOTE* The BEST way to get the pickles minced is to chop and then add to a food processor and pulse a couple times. You want them fine. Also, the potatoes will be warm when you mix everything, so when you add the dressing, it might look too wet and "soupy". That's okay. It will set up in the fridge. You want the potatoes warm because it absorbs the dressing.

Inspired by Southern Plate

Cincinnati, Here We Come

Last weekend was a whirlwind of activity in our house...kind of like the rest of September was. We had yet another Tae Kwon Do tournament, and since this one was in Cincinnati, we decided to make a weekend getaway out of it!!

So, Friday around noon I retrieved little man from school, Mr. E got off work early, we loaded up the car and we started making our way south about 3 hours. I love road trips. I love family time. I love getting away and making memories. What I don't love? All the work that happens when you return!!

We had an amazing couple days finding fun things to do, yummy places to eat, winning trophies (Yep, my little ninja warrior brought home a 1st and 2nd place trophy!) and just being together.

But when I awoke Sunday morning, after getting home at 1:45 a.m., I truly felt like I had been run over by a semi! I was exhausted, with a capital E. The boys were the same way; and when we all looked around at the bags to unpack, the mess to clean up, the laundry to do, the dishes, etc, we really considered moving and starting from scratch, just to avoid it!!

Okay, not really, but when I looked at all that, and remembered I was still on the hook for supper, I was so glad I had planned ahead and new it would be the perfect day for a crock pot full of soup that I barely had to put any energy into.

Talk about the best way to warm up on a chilly fall day, or some of those bitter cold winter ones that aren't too far off. Creamy potato soup with bites of ham...it is sure to make you smile and fill you up at the same time.

I am so thankful we have the opportunities we do to have family time and make memories to last a lifetime. And when those are over, I'm also thankful for simple recipes for when I'm dog tired and starving! 

Crock Pot Ham and Potato Soup

1 (30 oz.) bag frozen shredded hash browns

1 lb. diced ham

1 medium white onion, chopped

1 (32 oz.) box chicken broth

1 (5 oz.) can evaporated milk

4 oz. cream cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

Chopped Chives

Allow frozen potatoes and ham to come to room temp for about an hour, so they are partially thawed. Combine potatoes, ham, chicken broth and onion in Crock Pot. Season with salt and pepper. Stir well. Cook on HIGH for 2 hours. Reduce heat to LOW and cook 4-5 hours more. Mash potatoes to desired thickness. Add milk and cream cheese. Cook 30 minutes extra. Garnish with chives (I like dried). 

Shared at Weekend Potluck

Classic Doesn't Mean Boring

Last week when we got back from our 2 week Florida vacation, I had a craving. Sure, there was the one to immediately go back because it was sunny and HOT there, not rainy and cool like here in Indiana. And there was the one to turn the car around because I knew the beach and amazing pool would still be waiting on me. But neither of those are what I'm talking about today. The one I'm referring to was much more topic appropriate. See, I came home with such a hankering for potato salad, it simply could not be ignored.

I have absolutely no idea where it came from. There is no logical explanation for it. It literally came out of nowhere and would not be silenced. As soon as I began to plan that first week's meals, I knew one of them had to include it...for my emotional well being.

I have a hundred different recipes for tater salad; and I'm always up for trying new versions. It is definitely one of the summer time foods I look forward to the most. But this craving was screaming for something simple. Something classic. Nothing fancy. I just wanted a good ol' fashioned eggy potato salad. I didn't really need anything else in it. No onion. No celery. No carrot. Just potato, eggs and dressing. At least the nagging craving wasn't demanding something elaborate!

So this is what I came up with. Classic. But definitely not boring. It's simple, but still scrumptious. It's easy enough for any weeknight meal, but tasty enough you can definitely serve it to guests, or take it along to a cookout or potluck.

Classic doesn't mean boring. It means something you can come back to and love at first bite, all over again. And who knows, the most simple dish might be the one everyone can't get enough of!

Classic Potato Salad

6 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

6 hard boiled eggs, chopped

3/4 c. mayo

2 TBS mustard

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. celery seed

Salt and Pepper to taste

Paprika

In a large pot, cover potatoes with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until just fork tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and cool. In a medium bowl whisk together mayo, mustard, celery seed, salt and pepper. Combine eggs and potatoes in a large bowl. Pour dressing over and mix well. Sprinkle with paprika. Chill until ready to serve. 

Shared at Weekend Potluck

Slow Cooker Summer Series Day 5

Whew, what a fun week it's been here on EMM. Did you catch all the amazing recipes for your slow cooker this summer? There were some great ones, both from me, and my fabulous blogger friends, so if you missed any, be sure to go check them out! 

Personally, I think I've saved the best for last. No summer time picnic or barbecue is complete without a good ole' potato salad. And when my friend told me she had a great recipe for one for the Crock Pot, well, let's just say I thought she was crazy. Why? Because when she told me, I assumed she meant a recipe for a warm potato salad; and then she revealed it was indeed a cold one. No way! Yep, it's true!

I think this is a great recipe because you could easily do the first part, preparing the potatoes the day before, and then finish it off the day of your party. I love recipes that allow me to do some prep work before hand, leading to a more stress free cook!

If you love deviled eggs as much as we do, you have to make this. Seriously, go get the ingredients today if you don't have them. This summer time staple is like if potato salad and deviled eggs got married and had a baby. No joke! All the flavors are there, perfectly blended together. 

Potato salad and cook-outs go together like lemonade and sunshine. And now, you can make this classic a little easier by putting your slow cooker to work. I would have never guessed I could do this, and am so excited to share my discovery with all of you!

Slow Cooker Deviled Egg Potato Salad Inspired By Get Crocked

10 medium potatoes, peeled, cut into 1 inch cubes and rinsed well

1/2 c. Italian Dressing

1/4 c. red wine vinegar

Water

3 kosher dill spears, diced

2 green onions, finely chopped

6 hard boiled eggs, chopped, reserve a few for garnish

3/4 c. mayo

2 TBS mustard

1 tsp. garlic salt

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. paprika

Salt and Pepper to taste

Place potatoes in Crock Pot. Add Italian dressing and vinegar. Stir. Add enough water to cover potatoes. Cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours. Drain well. Set in fridge to cool. When cool, add eggs, pickles and green onions. Toss to combine. In a small bowl combine mayo, mustard, garlic salt, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Stir. Pour over potato mixture. Stir to coat well. Set in fridge to chill until serving, at least an hour. Garnish with extra egg.

Shared on The Country Cook June 13, 2014

My New Crock Pot

One of my favorite lunchtime treats is the all you can eat salad and soup at Olive Garden. In fact, I probably go there for lunch three times more often than what we do for supper. I think their lunch time specials are one of the best deals around; not to mention delicious. And every single time I go, no matter what, this is the soup I get. Sure they have other varieties, and they always look yummy too when my lunch companions get them, but this is always in my bowl.

So you can imagine my excitement when I found a make-at-home version I could enjoy any time I wanted. Then try to picture how over the moon I was when I discovered I could make it in the slow cooker. Plus, this just so happened to be right after I had gotten a brand spanking new Crock Pot for my birthday! What a better way to break it in, than with one of my very favorite soups on the face of the planet!

If you've never had this soup, and aren't sure you want to try it...take my word, you do! The creamy broth is only outdone by the flavors of the sausage, potato and kale In fact, this was the dish that introduced me to kale. Until I had this soup years ago, I had never even heard of kale; and actually had to ask the waitress what it was. (Obviously this was before my foodie days and the explosion of kale's popularity!) Plus, there is just a little bit of kick from the red pepper. But not too much. You know me, I can't take a lot of heat, so you know if my wimpy taste buds can stand it, it can't be too spicy.

I'm so happy I found this recipe. It was so close to the original, if I closed my eyes I could have sworn I was sitting in the restaurant. Plus, how fun to have this be the very first thing coming out of my brand new Crock Pot. I'm sure it has many, many delicious meals in it's future, but this wonderful favorite will always be the first!

Crock Pot Zuppa Toscana Soup From Joyful Thrifty Home

1 lb. bulk pork sausage

1 medium white onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, grated or minced

1 medium bunch kale, chopped

1 lb. bacon, diced, cooked crisp and drained

32 oz. chicken broth

16 oz. heavy whipping cream

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 TBS Italian seasoning

5 small potatoes, skin left on, diced

Parmesan cheese for garnish

Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown sausage, onion and garlic until meat no longer pink. Drain grease if necessary. Transfer to Crock Pot. Add chicken broth, cream, bacon, red pepper, Italian seasoning, kale, salt and pepper. Stir well. Cook on HIGH for 3 hours. Add potatoes and cook another 30-60 minutes until tender. Garnish individual portions with Parmesan.

Shared on The Country Cook Mar. 28, 2014

Continued Resolution

Resolutions. Every new year people all over the world make lists of things they want to do in the next 12 months and vow, this time they will do them. Me? Well, I don't really believe in resolutions. Sure, every year I like to reflect. Like to look back on the past year and find things in my life and about myself I can improve on. Ways I can try each day to be just a little bit better than I was before. But I think making a set list of resolutions is just setting oneself up for failure and to feel guilty when they don't happen.

However, since I began blogging, I have tried to come up with a foodie resolution for EMM. Two years ago, it was at least one new recipe every week. And actually, I continued with that this previous year, even though I made a new goal for 2013. Last year, I decided to go back and "re-blog" many of the recipes I posted here when it was just my mom and husband reading. Share them again, take better (or even first time) photos, and have them be brand new again. Well, for this year, I've decided to take both of my previous foodie resolutions, continue them in 2014, and keep both alive. So, this year, I'm going to stick to at least one new recipe per week (some weeks more!) and still go back through the archives and find those sad, forgotten recipes that deserve to be in the spotlight again.

So, to kick things off right, I've chosen one of our all time favorite soups, and something I shared here for the first time January 21, 2011! Hard to believe almost 3 years ago!

It's the perfect feel good, taste good, absolutely delicious meal at the end of a cold, blustery day! If you've ever had the cheesy potato soup at Bob Evans, this will remind you a lot of it! In fact, that's why this recipe came to be. My husband has loved that soup since back in the day when his wife, then girlfriend, was a waitress there and use to sneak him bowls of it when he would come and visit her!

Put this on in the morning before work, come home and finish it off when you're dog tired, and your family will be so happy you did! And if you're someone who makes resolutions every year, and sticks to them, my hat is off to you. For me, I will just stick to making me a better me than before, and sharing yummy new, and somewhat new recipes!

Crock Pot Cheddar Potato Soup

32 oz. bag frozen diced potatoes

1/2 c. chopped onion

1 medium stalk celery, diced

2 (14 oz.)cans chicken broth

1 c. water

3 TBS flour

1 c. milk

3 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

Real bacon bits

Chopped Green Onions

In Crock Pot, mix potatoes, onion, celery, broth, salt, pepper and water. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours. Lightly mash potatoes with fork or potato masher. In small bowl, mix flour into milk; stir into potato mixture. Increase heat setting to high. Cover, cook 20-30 minutes or until mixture thickens. Stir in cheese until melted. Garnish individual servings with bacon and green onions.

Shared on The Country Cook Jan. 10., 2014

Not Just For Breakfast

A few weeks back when I was actually making these for supper, I posted on my Facebook page how "the smell of fried potatoes makes any house smell better." It was so funny to see just how many people agreed with me! I guess they are one of those things like fresh bread from the oven, or waking up to the smell of coffee brewing, it makes home feel a little bit homier.

We are potato lovin' people in this house. In fact, one of the things I find myself struggling with the most in the kitchen is finding new or at least updated way of putting spuds on our table. So when I was looking for yet another answer to this conundrum, I thought about the Baked Homefries I published here over 2 years ago now, based on the ones I used to serve at Bob Evans back in my waitressing days. It was kind of one of those "duh" moments. I figured out with just a few changes, ingredients and cooking method wise, I could have something new enough to let us feel like we weren't eating just another boring potato.

The only thing that is vital...make sure you leave them alone enough to allow them to brown! I hate when I order fried potatoes of any kind, and they come out looking like they were boiled with no brown crispy parts whatsoever. So while, yes you do need to stir them to avoid burning, you have to find a happy medium with letting them sit and brown too!

These are perfect for any time of day. Serve them for breakfast with eggs. Make a big Sunday brunch with these as one of the side dishes. Or, be like me, and have them for supper alongside dinner foods. It really makes no difference, they will taste fantastic morning, noon or night!

Skillet Homefries
3 large Russet potatoes (figure 1 potato per person), diced
3 TBS butter
2 generous TBS all purpose seasoning

Place potatoes in colander, rinse with cold water. Pour out onto kitchen towel. Top with another kitchen towel and pat dry. Leave in towels to finish drying, about 15 minutes. Preheat electric skillet to 375. Add butter to melt. Carefully pour potatoes from towel to skillet. Toss to coat in butter. Sprinkle with seasoning. Stir again. Spread out into an even layer and allow to cook on first side for 2-3 minutes. Stir again, flipping over and over. Lower heat to 350 and cover. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally until browned on all sides.

Potatoes at Very Good Recipes
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No Oven? No problem!

Yep, that's right. This food blogger had the unthinkable happen a couple weeks ago. I turned the oven to bake, set the temp for 350 and 15 minutes when I went back to pop in the baking tray of scones....it was still ice cold. After much inspection Mr. Everyday determined it was probably the igniter and would indeed need replaced. 

Well, not only did I not get to bake those scones, but I immediately started to think about the week's upcoming meals and just what I would need to adapt. Luckily I only had 2 things that were going to need the oven over the next few days, but of course one of those was that evening. Talk about no time to prepare! But I guess in adversity your brain starts to find ways to adjust and sometimes those brainstorms can lead to new possibilities, and in this case, delicious things!

So what started out as a new roasted potato recipe quickly became this incredible skillet potato dish. These would be absolutely perfect for breakfast, brunch or dinner! They go just as well with eggs as they do sandwiches. (In fact, I served them with BLTs!) They can easily be changed to fit your family's favorite flavors. Not to mention, they allowed me to use one of my new favorite kitchen gadgets, the mandolin! 

If someone from GE, Sears or Frigidaire happens to be reading this and would like to donate a hard working food blogger a new oven, she would forever be grateful and find you a very nice advertising space! HA HA HA But in the mean time, I'm going to keep cooking away, finding new ways to use other kitchen appliances. I wonder what I can do with the dishwasher???!!! Just kidding....

Skillet Cheesy Potatoes

3 large Russet potatoes, scrubbed and dried (figure 1 potato per person)

1 c. sharp cheddar cheese

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

Salt and Pepper to taste

2 TBS vegetable oil

1 green onion, chopped

Heat oil to medium in a large nonstick skillet. Using a mandolin or very sharp knife slice potatoes about 1/4" thick. Add onion to oil and saute for 3 minutes until soft. Add potatoes, season with salt/pepper and saute, while stirring for 5-6 minutes. Cover and reduce heat to medium low. Cook 20-25 minutes until tender, stirring often. Sprinkle with cheese and replace lid. Turn heat off. Allow cheese to melt, about 5 minutes. Remove to platter and garnish with green onions. 

Shared on Make Ahead Meals Apr. 8, 2013
Shared on Mandy's Recipe Box Apr. 10, 2013
Shared on Lady Behind The Curtain Apr. 10, 2013
Shared on Miz Helen's Country Cottage Apr. 11, 2013
Shared on The Country Cook Apr. 12, 2013

Meatless Monday....Um, Nevermind

So here is a delightful story to illustrate just how fried my brain has become. LOL My girlfriend and I have a saying "We used to be smart. We were braniacs. Then we had kids. Now our brains our mush." It's just a basic fact. Not only do we, as mothers, give some of our brain cells to our children in the womb, but then between the cartoons, silly songs, talking to ourselves, endless conversations about pee, poop, wee-wees and ding dings, we kind of "dumb" ourselves down a bit. (I am in NO way calling moms dumb or stupid...so please don't email me!) I think most parents out there will understand what I'm trying to say. When you are around kids all day, and think on their level, the adult part of our brain gets a little smaller each hour.

I am no exception to this phenomenon. I know for a fact that while I was an honors student, and a math whiz...it's only a matter of time before my child surpasses me. Why? Because there have been homework problems now in 2nd grade that I had to resort to using the calculator on my iPhone!

There was no real inspiration to this recipe other than I was looking for something different for a meal idea, and for whatever reason these popped into my head. So I made them, we ate them, we loved them and I sat down to blog them. That's where this post took a comical turn. I was typing along, talking about the idea of "Meatless Mondays" and how I know many people who do this every week, and while it isn't something we do all the time, I do enjoy it. Heck, I even took that idea and segwayed into Lent and how I know so many of you don't eat meat on Fridays. I then began to type the ingredient list...and that's when it happened. I typed the word bacon. It was like someone took a giant slice of the crispy pork fat and slapped me right upside the head with it. I stopped, reread it and waited for my brain to catch up. Yep, my brain is officially mush. How embarrassing would that have been? I can just see the comments now "Excuse me, I realize I'm not a food blogger, but you do realize bacon counts as meat, right?"

So never mind the meatless part, of course unless you decide to omit the bacon and then you're all set! These make a fantastic filling main dish, or a fun side dish. No matter what day of the week, or combination of ingredients, these will be delicious...and are so simple, we half brain dead parents can make them too!

Broccoli and Bacon Stuffed Potatoes
4 large baking potatoes, rinsed and dried
12 oz. frozen broccoli
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese, small amont reserved for top
2 green onions, chopped
9 slices precooked bacon, small amount reserved for top
Salt and Pepper to taste

 Preheat oven to 400. Wrap potatoes in foil, poke a few times to vent and bake 1 hour or until fork tender. Allow to cool 10 minutes. Combine frozen broccoli with 3 TBS water and microwave for 5 minutes until crisp tender. Drain well.  Slice off a small portion, lengthwise, on top. Gently scrape out inside potato leaving a 1/4 inch shell. (I use a pointed iced tea spoon for this) In a large bowl combine potato, broccoli, onions, cheese, bacon, salt and pepper. In a small bowl combine reserved cheese and bacon, making about 1/4 c. total. Mix potato mixture until well combined. Carefully spoon potato mixture back into potato shells, pressing down a little. Top each with cheese/bacon mixture. Bake for 20 minutes until golden and cheese is melted.

Shared on Miz Helen's Country Cottage Feb. 21, 2013
Shared on The Country Cook Feb. 22, 2013

Broccoli at Very Good Recipes
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Weekend Company {Guest Blogger Angie}

Woo hoo! It's Saturday again! I hope the week treated you well, and you have a fun, or maybe just a relaxing weekend in store. Maybe some Valentine's Day shopping or planning??

I'm happy to have a "repeat offender" with us today. She always has something family friendly and yummy to share with us. So grab a cup of coffee and join Angie in the EMM kitchen~

Good Morning EMM!!! I am so thankful to be back featuring one of my most recent favorite meals.   This is Angie Cupp from Northern Indiana where it is cold one day and warm the next.  I am a busy wife, mom & teachers aide during the week.  I love trying new recipes and making yummy treats for my little family of 5.

You always have to be on your toes to find that perfect recipe for a cold day.  One of those "stick to you ribs" meal.  Of course it always helps if the hubby and children love it as well. When I ask for suggestions for a our menu for the week, this is one of those meals that is always asked for. 

I have a huge passion for cooking great tasting meals and baking many treats for my family.  I also have a love for Pinterest!  ha ha!!! I love looking for new ideas for our dinner table!  I have a few boys in my home that prefer meat and potatoes so why not try "Cowboy Casserole" that I found on Pinterest.  Although, I have changed a few things to my own liking.  Your family will absolutely love this great tasting comfort casserole.

Cowboy Casserole

1 1/2 lbs of Ground Chuck (I used 90/10)

2-3 tsp Onion powder

3 TBS Minced Garlic

1 can whole kernel corn 

1 can condensed Golden Mushroom Soup

2 cups of shredded Cheddar Cheese

1/2 cup 2 % milk

4 TBS Sour Cream

1 Bag Ore-Ida Crispy Crowns

First I thaw the Crispy Crowns for 1-2 hours prior to starting casserole.

In large skillet cook ground chuck until no longer pink. While that is cooking I add the minced garlic and onion powder for flavor.  Drain grease if any. 

In a small bowl combine soup, milk, & sour cream until smooth. Then add corn & 1 cup of shredded cheese.  Mix together.    Add this mixture to the skillet.  Stir together until cheese is melted. 

Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish.  Place half of the Crispy Crowns in bottom on dish. Pour the skillet mixture over the Crispy Crowns.  Place the other half of the Crispy Crowns on top of that.  Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese.   Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. 

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Yep, It's That Time Again

What time? Soup time! And more specifically, Crock Pot soup time! What can I say? I am addicted to my new one, and the numerous new recipes I have to go with it. And with the temperatures not rising out of the teens for day time highs, the arctic chill screams for more soup meals. I try to limit it to once per week, but to be honest, if I am cold, there is going to be soup on the table!

When I was trying to "prioritize" the new soups I have to try, so basically putting them in order of "drool factor" this was one that had to be put at the front of the line, for one simple reason. Leeks. I love leeks, but don't get to cook with them nearly enough. Have you ever had them? They look like giant green onions, but have a much milder flavor. They give a dish a slight onion flavor in the background without overpowering the dish. And one thing they were meant to be cooked with are potatoes.

Now when you buy them at the store, they will more than likely have the dark green stems attached. These will not be used. And when you chop and prepare them, here is a great tip. Slice the white and light green part down the middle, vertically. Then slice each piece into half moon shapes, separating the pieces. Fill your sink, or a large bowl, with cold water. Place the separated pieces into the water and gently shake with your fingers. Leeks grow in soil, and it gets into the layers. By doing this, you separate the layers, washing them thoroughly. The dirt and grit will fall to the bottom while the pieces of leek will float. Remove them from the water with your hands or a slotted spoon and place in a colander to drain/dry.

This soup is so creamy with great flavor and is truly "set it and forget it". Serve some sliced bread or maybe my Easy Yeast Rolls, or even Cheddar Biscuits on the side for a full, satisfying and comforting meal. As long as winter sticks around, you can be sure to find more soups here on EMM and I'm guessing a majority those are going to include the Crock Pot!

Potato and Leek Soup Adapted from Crock Pot
5 c. frozen shredded hashbrowns
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of potato soup, undiluted
1 (5 oz) can evaporated milk
1 (14 oz ) can chicken broth
3 leeks, cleaned and sliced
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
12 slices pre cooked bacon, crisp and chopped
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. sour cream
Salt and Pepper to taste
Real bacon bits, for garnish

Combine potatoes, leeks, soup, evaporated milk, chicken broth, crisp bacon, salt and pepper in Crock Pot. Stir well. Cook on LOW 6-7 hours. After 1 hour, add 1/2 c. milk. Throughout cooking, stir about every 30 minutes. Just before serving stir in sour cream and garnish with bacon bits.

Shared on Make Ahead Meals Jan. 28, 2013
Shared on Mandy's Recipe Box Jan. 29, 2013
Shared on Lady Behind The Curtain Jan. 30, 2013
Shared on Miz Helen's Country Cottage Jan. 31, 2013

Soup at Very Good Recipes
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Not A Fan

My husband is not a Rachael Ray fan. End of story. While I enjoy her talk show, and have found success with a few of her recipes, and used to watch both 30 Minute Meals and $40 A Day multiple times a day, he just can't understand why. He doesn't enjoy her, the way she talks, or really anything about her. And that's okay because there are plenty of people he is a fan of that I do NOT like one bit! To each their own. So you can imagine my surprise when last week he was working from home one morning, walked into the living room where I was watching her, and said "That recipe wouldn't be too bad if you changed it up a little." Huh? What? Did I just hear him right? To be honest, I wasn't even paying attention to what she was cooking, and when I looked up, I knew exactly why he said what he did. She was making sloppy joes, but instead of serving them on buns, they were plated over roasted sweet potatoes. Now we love sweet potatoes, but I just couldn't get behind this idea. I understood why she was doing it. Sweet potatoes are one of the most nutrient packed things you can find in the grocery store; and this is why I serve them so often. But not this way. However, we both agreed that if they were done with a white potato instead, they could be really good. Kind of like a chili topped potato, but a little different. So using my own sloppy joe recipe and some yummy toppings, I came up with these. They are easy, delicious, and the kids will love them! Sloppy anything will get them running to the table! And here are a couple tips for you: 1. To save time, simply bake your potatoes in the microwave instead. 2. Make the sauce in the morning, cover and put in the fridge. Then when you are ready to make supper all you have to do is brown off the meat. Which ever way you decide to prepare them, they are a simple weeknight meal and a new twist on an old favorite.

Sloppy Potatoes

4 large baking potatoes, cleaned

1 lb. ground beef

3/4 c. ketchup

1 tsp. mustard

3 tsp. brown sugar

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Olive oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Chopped Onion, optional

Shredded Cheddar Cheese, optional

Preheat oven to 400. Rub potatoes with olive oil and salt. Wrap in foil and poke holes in them. Place on a baking sheet and cook for 1 hour or until fork tender. In a medium bowl, combine ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir well to combine. In a large skillet, brown meat until no longer pink. Drain if necessary. Add ketchup mixture to ground beef and simmer on low for 5-7 minutes until thickened. When potatoes are done split and lay open on plates. Spoon meat mixture over potato. Top with onions and cheese.

Shared on Lady Behind The Curtain Nov. 7, 2012
Shared on Miz Helen's Country Cottage Nov. 8, 2012
Shared on The Country Cook Nov. 9, 2012

One Pot Short

A few weeks back it was a cold, dreary Sunday and comfort food was on our menu. Comfort food in the form of Beef and Noodles. And in our house, if those are on our table, there is a big bowl of mashed potatoes right next to them! It's the only way we eat them....no exceptions! So as I ventured into the kitchen, taking the ingredients out of the cupboards, beginning my prep work I remembered one very important detail since the last time I made this meal. One of the two big stock pots I had was scorched, ruined and now resides in a garbage dump somewhere. So I had one pot to prepare the beef and noodles in, but what was I going to do about the potatoes? I could borrow one from my friend 3 doors down, I could drive the 20 minutes to my mom's house and borrow hers, I could head to the Walmart down the street and buy a new one...but to be quite frank, none of those sounded like good options. Why? I don't know if you are grasping just how cold it was this day, (Okay, on the scale of cold, it wasn't freezing, but after a week of 60s and one 80 degree day, 43 felt like the arctic tundra!) and I simply did not want to leave the house. So after the 60 seconds it took me to determine what ever solution I was going to come up it needed to be something "in house", it finally came to be. My Crock-Pot! Of course! Put the potatoes in some water, cook them all day. And then continue as planned. Why not? All I needed was to achieve the same goal as boiling them. Lucky for me, it worked perfectly! I am so glad to have this little tip in my back pocket! How easy when you are cooking a huge meal, or when you have company! Especially since after they are mashed, you can put them back in the slow cooker to keep warm throughout the whole evening. I knew there were more reasons to love my Crock-Pot, and I'm so happy I discovered this one. Because I'm telling you right now, beef and noodles with no mashed potatoes would mean riots at my house!

Crock-Pot Mashed Potatoes

2 1/2 lbs. russet potatoes, peeled and cubed

Water

1/4 c. milk

1/4 c. butter, room temperature

Salt and Pepper to taste

Place potatoes in Crock Pot. Add just enough water to cover. Set on HIGH and cook 4-5 hours until fork tender. Drain. Place in a large mixing bowl. Mash with a potato masher. Add butter and milk. Using an electric mixer, whip until smooth. Add salt and pepper. Stir to combine. If placing back in Crock-Pot to keep warm, turn heat to LOW and stir occasionally. Garnish with extra butter and pepper if desired.

Shared on Miz Helen's Country Cottage Oct. 25, 2012
Shared on The Country Cook Oct. 26, 2012