Potato Soup

As the weather becomes cool and crisp, I love opening my windows and getting out the slow cooker to make some warm and comforting meals. I decided to get creative and used what I had on hand to create this recipe. I don't normally post my own creations, but we thought the soup turned out really well, and was very simple to make. We enjoyed it with a crisp green salad and some warm buttery dinner rolls. I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

5 lbs red potatoes, cut into eighths
1 can chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 shredded carrots
2 chopped leeks
1 soup can of water
10 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
milk to taste (about 1 cup)
salt
freshly ground pepper

Optional for topping:
shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream or Greek yogurt
additional diced bacon

Directions:

• Place potatoes, broth, cream of chicken soup, carrots, leeks, and water in crock pot.
• Cook on low heat 6-8 hrs or high heat 3-4 hours.
• Use a potato masher, or any kitchen utensil that will work, to mash some of the potatoes up.
  
• Stir in milk until soup reaches desired consistency. We like our potato soup quite thick, so I only added about 3/4 cup milk.
• Add bacon.
• Add salt and pepper to taste. (I used lots of black pepper!)
• Replace lid on slow cooker and allow soup to heat up for about 10 more minutes.
  
• Place soup in serving bowls and top with toppings of choice.
  

Zuppa Toscana

The Kozy Kitchen has been out of commission for a few weeks due to a move from Southern Alabama to Wisconsin. This recipe is very appropriate for my first post after moving into this snowy, freezing climate because it is so warm and comforting. This recipe is basically a knockoff of Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana, the popular sausage and potato based soup offered as an option before the main course. The taste is shockingly similar. In any case, it has quickly become my and my husband's favorite soup, and possibly favorite food that I make. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 lb mild italian sausage (I use Jimmy Dean's brand)
1Tbsp olive oil
6 slices bacon, chopped
2 medium sized potatoes, sliced in small half moons
10 + cups chicken stock/broth
1 bay leaf
1 cup finely chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
About 4 cups kale leaves, torn
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (more or less depending on how spicy you like)
2/3 cup heavy cream (whipping cream)
fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add sausage and break up with a wooden spoon. Transfer sausage to a paper towel lined plate after it is cooked.
2. Add bacon to pot and cook until slightly crispy, then place on same plate as sausage.
3. Drain all but about 2 Tbsp of fat. Add onions and saute until soft, then add garlic, red pepper flakes and bay leaf and saute a couple minutes more.
4. Add cold stock and stir with wooden spoon to remove stuck on bits from bottom of pot.
5. Add potatoes and meat and bring to a boil. Simmer 15-20 mins.
6. Add kale and cream, simmer 10 minutes more and serve.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

One of the foods that reminds me most of home is, of course, CHEESE! I have always loved broccoli cheese soup, but this was my first attempt at making it. It turned out to be very good, so I figured I'd share it. I'm sure my fellow Wisconsinites can appreciate the cheesiness.

Ingredients:
6 tbsp. butter, divided
3/4 cup onion, chopped
1 cup carrot, chopped or shredded
4 cups small broccoli florets
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 tsp. onion salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
4 tbsp. flour
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

• In a large stock pot, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add onion and saute until tender, about 5 minutes, then add the carrots and cook about 3 minutes more. Add the broccoli, broth, onion salt, and garlic powder. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer.
• In a smaller sauce pan, melt the rest of the butter. Add the flour and cook, whisking, for 2 minutes until golden brown. Whisk the milk in and cook for about 5 minutes until the mixture becomes thicker and bubbles.
  
• Whisk in the cheese until it is totally melted.
  
• Add cheese sauce to the soup pot and let soup simmer until completely warmed through and vegetables are tender.
  
• Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Optional: use immersion blender to puree the soup to desired consistency.

Recipe originally from Annie's Eats.

Butternut Squash Bisque

I love seeing all of the different types of squash and fall vegetables in the produce section this time of year. I picked up a butternut squash recently, and roasted half of it for a side dish for dinner. I wanted to do something different with the other half of the squash, so luckily I found a delicious looking recipe for butternut squash bisque on a food board that I frequent. Unfortunately I no longer remember whose blog this recipe was originally posted on, but I need to give them all the credit for this recipe! It was a delicious taste of fall.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup diced onion
3/4 cup diced carrots
4 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
3 cups vegetable stock (I used chicken broth)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
ground nutmeg to taste
1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions

1. Heat the oil and melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook until tender, stirring frequently.
2. Add the carrots and squash into the pot. Pour in vegetable stock and add all seasonings/spices. Bring this to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until vegetables are tender.


3. In a blender, food processor, or with an immersion blender, puree the soup mixture until smooth. Return to the pot and stir in the heavy cream. Heat through but do not boil. Serve warm with a sprinkle of nutmeg. Enjoy!

Chicken Chili

We recently had a group of fellow Wisconsinites over to watch the Packers beat the Lions 26-0. It was a perfect fall day here in Southern Alabama, and we were all excited to welcome "sweatshirt" weather. I wanted to make something warm and comforting to eat while we watched the game, and this chicken chili turned out great. Everyone gobbled it right up, and a couple of people requested the recipe, so I figured it was definitely worthy of a blog post! This is a much healthier alternative to traditional chili, with just as much flavor and spice.

Ina Garten's (Food Network's Barefoot Contessa) chicken chili recipe is the base, but I followed many suggestions from the reviewers. I would consider the amount of spice in this recipe to be "moderate", so adjust spices according to your taste.

Ingredients

3 yellow onions chopped
1/8 cup olive oil, plus extra for chicken
about 4 cloves minced garlic
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and large-diced
2 yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded, and large-diced
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for chicken
2 (28 oz) cans whole peeled plum tomatoes, undrained
2 heaping tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup minced fresh basil leaves
3-4 chicken breasts (may use bone-in or boneless/skinless)
freshly ground black pepper
For serving:
chopped onions, corn chips, grated cheddar, sour cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking pan with cooking spray and place chicken in pan. Drizzle olive oil over chicken and sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, chili powder, and a little cayenne pepper. Roast in oven for 35-40 mins, or until juices run clear, then let cool in pan.

2. Cook onions in the oil over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

3. Add the bell peppers, chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, cayenne, and salt. Cook for 1 minute.

4. Crush the tomatoes by hand (wash your hands well and dig in!) and add to the pot with the basil. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Remove skin and bones from chicken (if using bone-in chicken breasts). Cut cooked chicken breasts into 3/4 inch chunks. Add to the chili and simmer, uncovered, for another 20 minutes.

6. Serve with the toppings. Enjoy!