Potato Soup

A while back, I tested out Paula Deen’s recipe for potato soup. Yeah, not great. Since then, I’ve been testing several different recipes and found one that I really enjoy. And yes, I’ve tweaked it a bit. 🙂

I make this in our crockpot and it dishes up more than enough servings for a family. You can also make this up and then freeze portions in quart freezer bags. I did this recently, when I made a huge pot in our bigger crockpot. It’s about winter here now, so having readily available, homemade soup is a good thing!

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Potato Soup BigOven - Save recipe or add to grocery list
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Instructions
  1. With your reserved bacon drippings in large fry pan, saute the onions until translucent.
  2. Add flour, stirring to prevent lumps.
  3. Add chicken stock a cup at a time, stirring constantly to prevent lumps and it will thicken as you add them all.
  4. Once all the stock is in, reduce heat to simmer. You can add the potatoes at this time OR use crock pot, put potatoes in crock pot with the thickened stock.
  5. Add all the seasonings and bacon. Let simmer for about 10 minutes - do not let it boil.
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Parmesan Crusted Tilapia w/Tomato Basil Cream Sauce

I cook a lot of tilapia. It’s the one fish I really enjoy that doesn’t taste ‘fishy’. I found this particular recipe on Pinterest, tried it, and modified it because a) I don’t like frying food*, b) the sauce did not thicken well, and c) I have a better recipe to coat the fish. 🙂

So below is my modified recipe. The fish will taste just as good with or without the sauce, by the way.

*Fried food is good, don’t get me wrong. But it isn’t generally healthy for you and why deal with all the oil splatter to clean up later? As stated elsewhere, I’m lazy.

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Parmesan Crusted Tilapia w/Tomato Basil Cream Sauce BigOven - Save recipe or add to grocery list
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
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servings
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Sauce
Tilapia
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Sauce
Tilapia
Instructions
  1. Sauce: heat oil in small skillet on medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
  2. Add cherry tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes or so.
  3. Reduce heat to low and add cream and fresh basil. Simmer for 15 minutes. Thicken by mixing cornstarch with a bit of water to make a slurry. Add this to the sauce and stir thoroughly.
  4. Fish: Preheat oven to 375. Spray baking pan with Pam or equivalent.
  5. In shallow dish, combine melted butter, garlic powder, and lemon juice. In another shallow dish, combine panko and parmesan.
  6. Dip each filet in butter mixutre and then roll well in panko mixutre. Place filets in a single layer onto baking pan.
  7. Press any remaining panko mixture onto the tops of the filets.
  8. Bake for 12-14 minutes.
  9. Serve with sauce on top!
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Zucchini Au Gratin

I love zucchini, which is saying a lot since I don’t like many veggies. Something that my taste buds have changed their mind about over the years. This is why I recommend trying things you may not have like the taste of previously. I do it about every 7-10 years.

Anyway, I like finding new ways to cook it. This is one that looked interesting and it involved cheese, so why not? Adding cheese to most things makes it tastier. However, I can tell you that this particular recipe needs tweaking. I added more cheese, because cheese, but if you prefer less, cut down the amount of cheddar by half.

 

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Zuchini Au Gratin BigOven - Save recipe or add to grocery list
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
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Ingredients
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Preheat over to 350.
  2. Slice zucchini - about 1/4 inch
  3. Blanch zucchini - see notes below.
  4. Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until translucent.
  5. Add milk, paprika, garlic powder, nutmeg, allspice, salt, and 1 cup of cheddar cheese.
  6. Stir until cheese is melted. Remove from heat and add egg.
  7. Pat dry the zucchini one more time. Lay zucchini out in dish.
  8. Pour cheese mixture over zucchini.
  9. Sprinkle remaining cheddar cheese and fontina over the top.
  10. Crumble up crackers and sprinkle on top.
  11. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Take foil off and broil for 5 minutes to brown top.
Recipe Notes

To blanch: Set up an ice bath in a bowl big enough for your colander to fit into. Boil enough water that will cover all your zucchini. Once water is boiling, toss in zucchini for one minute. Drain into colander and plunge into an ice bath to stop them from cooking more. Lay out zucchini on paper towels and pat dry. Sprinkle with salt and set aside.

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