Clay's Kitchen: Loaded Potato Soup

 

I have had several requests over the years for the recipe to my Loaded Potato Soup. This happens to be one of my family's favorite meals. They will actually make plans to be home so they don't miss out.

This is a hearty flavorable soup. It is thick and cheesy, with just about everything you might put on a baked potato. The cayenne pepper is what gives this soup it's kick. Our family likes it spicy but you can add or reduce this amount to fit your own personal tastes. 

Although it does take a while to make this meal, I can say it is definitely worth the wait. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. I would love to hear from you.

Clay’s Kitchen: Loaded Potato Soup 

Ingredients:

2 tbsp butter
1 small onion diced
2 raw carrots diced
10 cups water
10 chicken bouillon cubes
½ tsp celery salt
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp cayenne pepper
5 pounds russet potatoes peeled and diced into 1” cubes
2 cans Campbell’s Cream of Chicken soup
2 tbsp flour and a little water
3-4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 pound crisp cooked bacon

Cooking Directions:

• Melt butter in an extra large stew pot (8 quarts or larger)
• Saute onions and carrots until onions are clear
• Add water and chicken bouillon cubes, bring to a low boil to dissolve
• Mix in celery salt, parsley, basil, cayenne pepper and potatoes. Boil potatoes until done but still firm you do not want mushy potatoes.
• Reduce heat to medium low.
• Stir in both cans of Cream of Chicken soup
• In a small cup add a little water to 2 tbsp flour. You want this to be the consistency of gravy, add this to the soup and stir thoroughly. This will thicken the soup as you finish up.
• Stir in cheese and bacon.

Serving Suggestion:

• Top with dried chives or finely sliced fresh green onions and extra bacon.
• Serve with hot chewy bread like Italian, French or other favorite bread.
• If you want to make this dish stretch, serve with a side salad or sandwiches.

Game Day Chili

My family loves to eat and watch football, so last week after I posted my blog and before the game started, I headed to the kitchen to put on a pot of “Game Day Chili.” I knew it would be a big hit and because this recipe is so easy to make, I was out of the kitchen and enjoying the fun with everyone before I knew it. We watched the game, ate, laughed and cheered as our team won, and then we ate some more. It was good.

Now I must say, I’ve talked to a lot of people over the years and it seems like everyone likes their chili different. Some like it spicy, some not. Some like it in a bowl or piled high over dogs, brats or burgers. Some like chili on baked potatoes or served on fries, tots or pasta. No matter how you like it, chili is just good eating, and this hearty chili recipe is sure to please.

I hope you try some of my Game Day Chili and top it off with a combination of your favorite ingredients. How about some different types of cheeses, onions, peppers, bacon or fresh mushrooms? Add a dash of hot sauce or salsa, and don’t forget the corn chips, tortillas or crackers. We like hearing from you, so let me know how it turns out or what your fans like in their chili, and thanks for stopping by.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef (93 % lean or leaner)

1 (1 oz package) Williams Chili Seasonings or your favorite (The Williams Seasoning package says to use one 1oz package of seasoning with 2 lbs of meat. I use one 1 oz package of seasonings with 1 lb of meat.)

2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes

1 (29 oz) can tomato sauce

4 (15.5 oz) cans dark red kidney beans (drained)

½ tsp cumin

½ tsp chili powder (Optional)

2 cups water (Optional)

Serve with your favorite

sides and toppings.

Directions:

• Place thawed ground beef in the bottom of a large stew pot. Cover with water and break the meat apart with a spatula, then boil till the meat is no longer pink.
• Drain the meat, rinse and drain again.
• To this, add 1 package of chili seasonings and mix it into the meat. Then add the canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans, cumin, chili powder and 2 cups of water.
• Stir and bring to a low boil on medium-low heat for 30 minutes. Keep an eye on this and stir often so the bottom doesn’t stick.

Serve with your favorite sides and toppings such as grated cheese, crackers, corn chips, and salsa. Or how about a big slice of cornbread and honey.

Favorite Recipes: Super Bowl BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Here is a really great recipe for BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches that is Super Simple to make in your slow cooker for game day or any day. Serve this with your favorite sides and you’re sure to score some points.

Ingredients:

1 – 5 to 8 lb. pork loin
2 – 18 oz. bottles of BBQ sauce
(I like to use one bottle of Gates Original and one bottle of KC Masterpiece; it makes it a mild sweet sauce with a little kick. However, feel free to use whatever kind you like best.)
Sliced Bread or Buns

Directions:

• Trim all of the fat off the pork loin with a sharp knife.
• Slice the pork loin into ½ inch pork chops pieces.
  

• Layer the slices in the bottom of your slow cooker.
• Pour half of each bottle of BBQ sauce over the pork.
  

• With your hands mix the sauces together and coat all sides of the pork.
• Cover with the lid and cook on low or high heat. (I usually cook it on high for 4-6 hrs.)
• The pork is done when it flakes apart. (The cooking time will vary depending on the amount of meat and the thickness of the slices.)
  

• When done, drain and carefully transfer pork to a large mixing bowl. Then pull apart with two forks.
• Add the remaining BBQ sauce from both bottles and mix thoroughly.
  

Serve on sliced bread or buns with pickles and your favorite sides. This recipe will make a lot of sandwiches, usually I can feed 4-6 people a couple of sandwiches each. You can also serve these on mini buns as Sliders, like they serve at some restaurants. This year don't get stuck in the kitchen. Have fun and enjoy the game too.

Favorite Recipes: Slow Cooker Pot Roast

This Slow Cooker Pot Roast practically cooks itself. It is fancy enough for special occasions or holidays, yet simple enough to serve during the week. I love making this dish, especially if I don’t have time to cook a big meal. Once the food is prepped and in the slow cooker, you just set it, wait and serve. It is a perfect meal for busy cooks, and it taste oh so good.

Ingredients:

4-5 lbs. Chuck Roast
2 Tbsp. Butter
3 tsp. Dried Parsley
2 tsp. Ground Black Pepper
1 tsp. Onion Salt
1 tsp. Salt
1 ½ Cups Water
1 Beef Bouillon Cube
1 Med. Onion
4 Cups Sliced Carrots
8 Med. Russet Potatoes


Directions:

• Season one side of the roast evenly with ½ tsp. ground black pepper, ½ tsp. onion salt and 1 tsp. dried parsley; lightly rub the seasonings on the roast. Flip, and repeat with ½ tsp. ground black pepper, ½ tsp. onion salt and 1 tsp. dried parsley on the other side.  
  

• Melt the butter in a skillet or I actually do this my crock from the slow cooker on the stove. Then sear the meat until it is brown on both sides.
  

• Next place the meat on a separate plate, then add the water and a beef bouillon cube to the pan you browned the meat in. Deglaze the pan by stirring briskly with a whisk or a fork. You want to loosen all the little bits of meat, fat and seasonings that stick to the bottom of the pan. This is where so much of the flavor is, and you don’t want to loose that. If you are using a separate pan pour all of this into your slow cooker crock and place the meat in the bottom.

• Peel and cut off both ends of the onion, then cut it into wedges. Place onion wedges around and on top of the meat, and then add the sliced carrots. Season carrots with ½ tsp. salt and ½ tsp. ground black pepper.

• Next peel and dice potatoes into 1-inch cubes and add them to the slow cooker. Again season with ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp. ground black pepper and also 1 tsp. dried parsley this time.

• Cover and cook on high for about 4-5 hrs or until the meat is done and the vegetables are fork tender, but not mushy. (Temperature and cooking time may vary from one slow cooker to the next, so adjust as needed.)
  
  Tip: If your vegetables get done before the meat, simply move them to a dish with a lid and finish cooking the meat.

Favorite Recipes: Tips to Spice Up Spaghetti

When we think of Spaghetti, many of us immediately think of our favorite Italian restaurant where they serve a generous bowl of pasta, a house salad and hot fresh bread straight from the oven. However, when we think about making spaghetti at home, we may get a different kind of picture, like a jar of plain sauce poured over the top of boiled noodles. I must confess, for many years I made spaghetti just like this, until one day I decided to spice things up a bit. I was tired of serving the same meal, the same way, over and over again.

So I started paying attention to what was on the menu when I ate out. Every time I tried something new that I thought I could make at home, I made a mental note of it. Then I would go home and try to fix something similar for my family. This has really made a big difference in the way I cook and I think it will help others as well. Sometimes we just need to get out of the rut we are in and use our imagination. The food we serve to the most important people in our lives should look and taste great, because they are worth it.

To help you get started, here are a few tricks I use to spice up my spaghetti. When it comes to the noodles, I usually choose traditional spaghetti noodles, but I prefer the thin noodles as apposed to the thicker ones, because I like the texture better. I boil my spaghetti in a little bit of salt water until al dente, which is firm but not hard, and I add a little olive oil to the water.

Sometimes I use different shaped noodles like linguini or angel hair pasta. There are also special flavored pastas now available, which you can try. Just experiment around. Remember, it’s your kitchen so do what you like. That’s part of the fun after all; you get to have it your way.

When it comes to sauces, I still start with a jar of store bought sauce. I have learned that by using the jar sauce as my base, I can make all kinds of different specialty sauces of my own in a fraction of the time it would take me to make it from scratch. Some sauces are sweeter than others so keep this in mind when you’re cooking. I like using a sweeter sauce when I make meat sauce or spaghetti and meatballs, and tangier ones for my other types of sauces.

To make my meat sauce, I brown a pound of ground beef and season it with onion salt and black pepper. You could use sausage if you like, or some people like to use a combination of the two. Try adding onions or green peppers to give it an even different flavor. Once the meat is cooked, I add my jar sauce, along with some garlic powder, oregano and an 8 oz. can of tomato sauce.

To make a hearty vegetable sauce, I simply sauté diced onions and zucchini in olive oil. To this I add a can of diced tomatoes and some red pepper flakes. Then I let the juice cook down slightly before adding about a cup of sliced mushrooms. The mushrooms soak up the rest of the tomato juice as they cook; when it does I add my jar sauce, garlic powder, oregano and some parsley. Sometime I make a meatless spaghetti dish and at other times I top my spaghetti with sliced grilled chicken or even shrimp that has been cooked in olive oil and garlic.

If you are an Alfredo fan, you might want to try my Smoky Alfredo sauce. Add a cup of grated smoked Gouda cheese and a teaspoon of tomato paste to a jar of store bought Alfredo sauce. Heat until the cheese has melted and pour over your pasta. Then top this with grilled portabella mushrooms and wow it tastes amazing.

On a final note, to make your meals even more interesting, try serving your spaghetti with different types of salads, sides and breads each time you make it. It will be like eating out at your own favorite restaurant every time. The combinations are as endless as you want to make them, so never settle for that same old spaghetti again. Mix it up a little and I’ll bet your family will be glad you did.

Favorite Recipes: Shellroni

Welcome to Clays Kitchen

 It’s mid October and already the leaves are starting to turn. There’s a cool crispness in the air, which means it won’t be long until we start smelling everyone’s cozy fireplaces. I love this time of year. The smothering hot days of summer are passed, the trees are showing off their beautiful fall colors, football season has begun, and all the small towns are having fall festivals.

As soon as it gets cool outside I start thinking about making meals that stick to your ribs like chili, hot soups and casseroles. One our family favorites is called Shellroni, which consists of shell noodles, ripe diced tomatoes and ground beef. This simple meal is filling, tastes great, and it’s inexpensive to make.

Through the years I have discovered there seems to be a lot of different versions of this dish. Some make it with tomato soup and call it goulash. My mom used to put diced onions and whole canned tomatoes in her's. My recipe is a variation of my mom's, except I substitute the whole canned tomatoes with diced canned tomatoes, and I leave out the onions for my boys. My oldest son told me last week he's changed the recipe again. He substitutes one can of tomatoes for some V-8 juice and he really likes it. Sounds like Mom is going to have to give it a try. No matter which way you make it, I hope you enjoy Shellroni with your friends and family.

Shellroni

 

Ingredients:

2 - 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes
1 lb. ground beef 

1 lb. medium shell noodles
onion salt
black pepper
1 tsp. salt
water

Directions:

Meat

1. Brown ground beef over a medium-high burner in an extra large skillet.
2. Season generously with onion salt and pepper to taste.
3. Break up meat with a spatula as you brown the meat.
4. Add canned tomatoes and 1 can water.
5. Reduce heat and mix all ingredients together on low.

Noodles

1. Put the shell noodles in a large sauce pan and add enough water to cover the noodles an inch or so above the noodles.
2. To this add the salt, then bring the noodles to a boil.
3. Cook until noodles are done, not mushy.
4. Drain noodles in a colander and rinse with hot water.
5. Add to the meat mixture and mix well.
6. Add more onion salt and pepper if needed.

Serve alone as a one-dish meal or with a side salad, bread or crackers and butter.
This recipe will feed 4-6 people.


Cooking Tip:

• I recommend using 90% lean ground beef or better for this dish so it is not greasy from the meat fat. It just does not taste the same, even if you drain and wash the meat.
• Don't over brown your meat, you don't want crunchy crisp bites of meat.
  
• Make sure you rinse your noodles well so the dish does not taste starchy.
• Make sure you buy ripe canned tomatoes