Baked Potato Soup Recipe..

I need to try this:

From:  http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Baked-Potato-Soup/Detail.aspx

Looks tasty…

Baked Potato Soup

By: Kristi Teague
“‘A good friend who runs a bed-and-breakfast game me this creamy potato soup recipe that’s become a winter favorite,’ recalls Kristi Teague of Southside, Tennessee. ‘A dash of hot sauce a little basil give it special flavor.'”

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Prep Time:
10 Min
Cook Time:
20 Min
Ready In:
30 Min

Servings  (Help)

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Original Recipe Yield 4 servings

Ingredients

Directions

  1. In a large saucepan, cook bacon until crisp. Drain, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings. Set bacon aside. Saute onion and garlic in the drippings until tender. Stir in flour, salt, basil and pepper; mix well. Gradually add broth. Bring to boil; boil and stir for 2 minutes. Add the potatoes, cream and hot pepper sauce; heat through but do not boil. Garnish with bacon, cheese and parsley.
Maybe I’ll add some beer..

Mock Taco Salad Recipe | CopyKat Recipes | Copycat Recipes | Restaurant Recipes

I saw this on Twitter, and had to post.  My aunt makes a version of this that she picked up from her ex-in-laws.  It always shows up at family picnics, and is generally always a crowd-pleaser.  The version we get is most definitely the Catalina dressing, not French… and Doritoes instead of Fritos.  If I were making this, I may substitute taco sauce for salsa, and I’d cut out the onions.  And… if you’re buying shredded cheese, why go for cheddar when you could get Colby-Jack, “taco cheese” with seasonings, or “four cheese Mexican” (whatever that is)?

Recipe from: Mock Taco Salad Recipe | CopyKat Recipes | Copycat Recipes | Restaurant Recipes.

Mock Taco Salad Recipe

Mock Taco Salad

Serves 8

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 package or 2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix
  • 1/2 head of lettuce shredded
  • 1 cups of Fritos or other brand of corn chips
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (you can add more if you like)
  • 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup diced red onions
  • 1/4 cup Kraft Catalina Dressing you could also use a French dressing
  • 1/4 cup salsa
  • sliced olives (optional)

In a skillet over medium heat brown ground beef, when almost done drain fat, and add taco seasoning mix. If you are using a package of taco seasoning mix add the amount of water recommended on that package. If you are using the Copykat taco seasoning mix add about 1/3 cup of water, and let the meat simmer until fully cooked. Once meat is fully cooked turn off the heat, and allow the meat to cool slightly.

Prepare salad toss together lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, shredded cheese, and corn chips. In a small bowl prepare salad dressing by mixing together prepared salad dressing and the salsa, mix well. Toss together the seasoned beef, salad dressing along with the lettuce. Garnish with sliced black olives if you desire. Serve immediately. This salad does not hold well, so be prepared to eat in one setting.

Eric’s Decadent Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

This past Christmas when we had the family over for a holiday dinner, I decided to try & make some scalloped potatoes.  I found a ton of recopies online, and took what I liked from some & what I liked from others and put them all together… leaving out the stuff I didn’t like.  They turned out really well, to the compliments of everyone.  The only problem is that I didn’t write down what I did… so I had no idea when I went to make them again for an Easter  dinner yesterday.  Last time, like everyone in the kitchen, I kept adding stuff until the sauce looked & tasted just right.

Friday night, I pulled out the same printed recipes from last time…. made sure we had most of the stuff here & popped what I needed on to the grocery list.  This time I wrote down what went into it, but I may have the portions off… Where I have “cup” or “Tablespoon”, I may have just dumped some stuff in by eye.

People have asked how I made them, so I’ll try writing it out coherently here.  I’ll add that  my wife, Bethany, washed & cut the potatoes while I made the sauce… which was invaluable… because the sauce needed to be watched, and cut potatoes that sit for any period of time get all brown.  I guess I could have cut them & put them in some cold water to halt the browning if I absolutely had to… but we get along well in the kitchen, and it’s nice to cook together sometimes.  (I offered for her to do the sauce & to put me on potato duty, but she declined in case the cause didn’t turn out well, the blame could go solely on me.)

Eric’s Decadent Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes:

Ingredients:

  • 5 lb. bag of russet potatoes
  • 2 cups shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese (I buy the stuff in bags, this is 1 small bag.)
  • 2 cups shredded Colby & Monterey Jack Cheese (The store brand was 2 bags for $5 I think.)
  • 1 pint (2 cups / 16 fl. oz.) heavy cream
  • 1½ cups buttermilk
  • 1 stick (8 Tbsp.) butter
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese
  • 4 Tbsp. flour
  • 4 Tbsp. corn starch
  • Salt/Pepper/Season All to taste
  • 1 tsp minced garlic (I used the stuff minced & put in olive oil, in little jars)
  • 2 Tbsp. sour cream
  • 2 Tbsp. Miracle Whip or mayonnaise… (or 1 Tbsp. Each!)
  • 1 sm. bag bacon bits
  • bread crumbs (or crackers)

Stuff:

  • potato scrubber
  • cutting board
  • knife
  • 9″ x 13″ glass baking dish
  • sauce pan
  • spoon and/or wisk
  • large bowl (if you’re gonna soak the potatoes)
  • measuring cup & spoons
  • aluminum foil
  • hot pads
  • oven
  • stove top

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
  2. Wash & slice the potatoes, store in cold water if you have to so they don’t brown… or have someone do that while you…
  3. Grease a 9 x 13 glass baking dish with the stick of butter.  Melt the rest of the butter on medium heat in a saucepan.
  4. Add the flour & corn starch to the butter to make a roux.
  5. Turn it down to low heat, & slowly stir in the cream, buttermilk, sour cream,  & mayo/Miracle Whip.  Stir like a madman.
  6. Add the bacon bits, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and salt/pepper/spices to taste.  Don’t forget to stir.
  7. Add about half of each kind of shredded cheese to the mix, keep stirring like a madman.
  8. Pull the sauce from the heat, keep stirring… add a little to the bottom of the baking dish.
  9. Later potatoes, sauce, & remaining shredded cheese… saving a nice amount of shredded cheese for the top.
  10. Cover with foil, bake at 350° for an hour.
  11. Pull it out, uncover, top with bread crumbs or crumbled up crackers, add some additional seasoning if so inclined, and pop it back in for another 15 minutes.

Well, there you have it.  Pretty simple, and nothing makes me happier than cheese & potatoes.  I noticed a lot of scalloped potato recipes don’t have cheese, but really… where’s the fun in that?  Some also used a cream of chicken or cream of potato soup… makes it too much like White Trash ‘Taters for me.  You may want to skip the breading, use chips or those crispy canned fried onions.  Everyone has their own thing that they dig.  Yukon Gold potatoes would make this really nice, probably wouldn’t need to cook as long…red potatoes might make it bitey…  A mix may be nice.  As far as the spices, I used coarse ground black pepper, I think some dry mustard, paprika, and some McKormick Season All.