Chunky Potato Soup

My husband makes a delishish ham that my whole family devours.  However, there are always leftovers because it is so big.  I have finally found a great recipe to incorporate some of these leftovers in.  Potatoes, cheese, ham, are you drooling yet?  It just screams comfort food to me.

Serve this up with a side of salad and some crusty bread (or skip the bread!) and you've got yourself a filling, nutritious meal.  Yum!



Ingredients:
3 medium red potatoes
2 cups water
1 small onion
3 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
crushed red pepper flakes
ground black pepper
3 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup cubed cooked ham (mine was shredded)

Directions:
1.  Peel potatoes and cut into 1 inch cubes.

2.  Bring water to a boil in a large saucpan.  Add poatoes and cook until tender (approx. 20 minutes).  Drain, reserving liquid.  Set aside potatoes.  Measure 1 cup cooking liquid, adding water, if necessary; set aside.

3.  Peel and finely chop onion.  Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion to saucepan; cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent and tender, but not brown.  (approx. 6-7 minutes)

4.  Add flour to saucepan; season with pepper flakes and black pepper to taste.  Cook 3-4 minutes.  (this will make it into a thick mixture)

5.  Gradually add potatoes, reserved 1 cup of cooking liquid, milk and sugar to onion mixture in saucepan; stir well. 

Add cheese and ham.

Simmer over low heat 30 minutes, stirring frequently.

6.  Serve and enjoy!

This recipe is from a mail order recipe card from www.grandmaskitchenreicpes.com

Beef and Barley Soup

I've been on the search for a beef barley soup that we would enjoy for a long time.  I think I finally found it!  This recipe comes courtesy of all*you EAT WELL, SAVE BIG Cookbook.  My husband has been telling everyone I made him the best soup ever.

My favorite part?  It cooks all day in the crock pot.  I threw it in before I left the house for the day and when I came back home my house smelled wonderful.  I made it on a day that we weren't all home at the same time for dinner making it the perfect meal for us to grab when we were ready.

I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped
10 oz. white button mushrooms, sliced
2 lb. lean beef stew meat, cut into 1/2 inch peices
6 cups low-sodium beef broth
2 carrots, chopped
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes with juice
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2/3 cup pearl barley
salt and pepper

Directions:
1.  Warm 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onions and mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables have softened slightly and mushrooms have released their liquid, about 7 minutes.  Scrape vegetables into slow cooker. 

2. Warm remaining 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil in same skillet.  Add beef and cook, stirring until meat is browned on all sides, about 5 minutes.  Scrape beef into slow cooker.

3.  Pour 1 cup of broth into skillet and stir with a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits on bottom of pan.  Pour broth from skillet, remaining broth, carrots, tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, garlic powder, barley and 1 tsp. salt into slow cooker.  Stir, cover and cook on low until meat is tender, 6-7 hours.

4.  Season with salt and pepper and serve hot.