Potatoe Cheese Soup

This is my favorite soup recipe of all time. Hope you enjoy!!!

Potato Cheese Soup
Source: Unknown

5 c. diced potatoes ( I add a few more!)
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 c. chopped celery
1 c. chopped carrots
3 c. water
3 chicken bouillon cubes
*boil 15 min. Do not drain

White Sauce:
3/4 c. butter
4 c. milk
3/4 c. flour
*cook on low, add 8-12 oz. Velveeta cheese

Add white sauce to vegetables, stir and enjoy
serves: 6

Chicken and White Bean Chili

This chili took home the prize for Best Overall at my ward's Chili Cook-off this weekend, so I thought I would share. I got the recipe from my aunt and it is my favorite thing to make when it is blustery and cold outside.

(The original recipe suggests you buy dry Great White beans and soak 4 cups of them in 4 cups of water and 3 cups of chicken broth, but I never have a day to spend boiling beans so I just buy canned beans.)

4 16oz cans Great White or White Northern beans (I like to mix them up for variety)
2 chicken breasts (or 4 tenderloins)
2 tsp White Chicken Worschestershire Sauce or Lea&Perrins Chicken Marinade (this is impossible to find, so I usually just leave it out)
2 tsp coriander
2 tsp cumin
pepper and salt to taste
1 small clove of garlic
1 cup chopped onion
3 cans mild green chiles (I usually just do 2, as 3 cans can get spicy)

Chopped cilantro to taste (you can leave it out if you don't like cilantro)

(The recipe says to cut chicken in 1 inch cubes, but I hate working with raw meat, so I usually just boil the chicken and then shred it into pieces w/ forks)

Take chopped garlic clove and onions and saute in 3 tbsp of olive oil until transluscent. Add chicken and spices and brown. At the same time put beans in a stock pot over medium heat. Once chicken is browned add the entire mixture to the stock pot along with the green chiles and a can and a half of water or chicken broth. Boil over medium high heat for an hour, then turn down to medium for at least another hour, stirring occasionally. You can really let it simmer for as long as you want, depending on how soupy you want it. Serve w/ pepper jack or mozzarella cheese sprinkled on top. Also, if you boil and shred the chicken, you can throw everything into a slow cooker and just not worry about it for about 4 hours.

Chocolate Chip Chocolate Bundt Cake

This recipe is from a lady in my ward, Julee Bateman. It is TO DIE for. Anyhoo...

1 chocolate pudding cake mix (any choc cake mix will do)

1-4oz. chocolate pudding mix

10 oz sour cream

4 eggs

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup warm water

12 oz pk chocolate chips

Mix all together and pour into a greased and floured bundt pan and cook for 50-60 minutes on 350 degrees.  It is pretty moist so it needs to be cooked all the way through. You can put powdered sugar on top, or drizzle chocolate sauce, or for Christmas chopped candy cane.

Enjoy!

Brown Sugar Muffins

This recipe is in the 6th Ward cook book, pg 95 From Karla Hansen. We had it today for book club lunch at Brenda Goodrich's house. They are awesome!

1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/4 cup nuts
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp soda

Combine flour, soda, and salt in a bowl; set aside. In another bowl, cream butter and sugar, then add the egg, milk, and vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture and last of all nuts. Place in greased muffin tins. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Yield: 12 muggins

Buffalo Wings

Wingette Chicken Pieces (we have only found them at Walmart, ugh.)
Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce (that's just the name, not the heat talking!)
Famous Dave's Chicken Wing Seasoning.


Place wings on cookie sheet (a large cookie sheet holds two packages of wings, and it's hard to have any less because they fly!) Sprinkle with the seasoning, on both sides. Place in 400 degree oven for 40 minutes. Deep fry wings for two minutes. Dump in a steel mixing bowl and toss with Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce until coated. They are spicy, but not an overkill of spice. We love, love, love them!! GREAT football food! That's nice and all...now that football season is over!

Brownies With Strawberries & Cream

Brownies: Make brownie mix with cake like directions and bake them in a mini muffin tin for 14 minutes at 325* When you take them out of the oven press the centers right away with a spoon or whatever you have that will make a small indentation in the middle.

Frosting:
Mix together 8 oz softened cream cheese and 1/4 Cup powdered sugar.
Add in: Melt 1/3 bag of white chocolate chips in microwave until soft.
Fold in: 1 Cup thawed cool whip (or more if you like).

Assembly:Put the frosting in a zip top bag, snip a small corner off and squeeze the frosting into the brownies. Top with fresh strawberries or a small amount of strawberry jam (or another fruit that goes well with chocolate and cream.)

These are great little desserts that taste like you spent hours in the kitchen!!

Pasta Fagioli Soup

2 cans of beef broth
1 can of Great Northern beans, drained.
1/2 link of Kielbasa Sausage, diced.
1 can of diced tomatoes, undrained. (I used Italian Tomatoes)
2 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced.
1 tbs. olive oil
1 ½ tsp. minced garlic
½ tsp. dried basil leaves
½ tsp. dried oregano leaves
½ c. uncooked tubetti, ditali pasta
½ c. garlic croutons
½ Parmesan cheese

1. combine broth, beans, tomatoes with juice, zucchini, oil, garlic, basil, and oregano in slow cooker. Mix well. Cover; cook on low for 3-4 hours.
2. 2. Stir in pasta. Cover; cook on low 1 hour or until pasta is tender. (just threw pasta in to begin with)
3. Serve soup with croutons and cheese. Garnish with fresh basil if desired.

Prep time: 12 minutes
Cook time: 4-5 hours
Makes 5 – 6 servings.

This is super easy and a crowd pleaser! YUM YUM!

EASY Turtle Bars

I got this recipe out of my new cake mix cook book. I made these for New Years Eve and everyone raved about them!

1 pkg chocolate cake mix
1/2 C butter, melted
1/4 C milk
1 C semisweet chocolate chips
1 C chopped pecans or walnuts
1 jar (12 oz) caramel ice cream topping

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9x13 pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Combine cake mix, butter and milk; mix until well blended. Press half of batter into prepared pan. Bake 7 -8 mins or until crust begins to form.
3. Sprinkle chocolate chips and half of the nuts over partially baked crust. Drizzle with caramel topping. Drop spoonfuls of remaining batter over caramel mixture; sprinkle with remaining nuts.
4. Bake 18-20 mins or until top springs back when lightly touched. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

Makes 2 1/2 dozen bars.