A Cooking Baker

You've probably seen the recipe posted everywhere lately for the crock pot potato soup.  Last year a friend shared it with me but I never got around to trying it. Yesterday I actually had everything on hand, so I gave it a shot.  I made a few tweaks, but if you want to stick with the original,  here's  the one I started with. It was ridiculously easy, delicious, kid-approved and budget-friendly (other than the bacon - and I was told Canadian bacon works well as a cheaper but tasty substitute - it does. YUM). My Crock Pot Potato Soup 1 30 oz. bag of frozen shredded potatoes (make sure they don't have lots of other ingredients - it should be potatoes, and that's about it!) 1 32 oz. box of chicken broth (I added another can of broth later, since my crock pot was running hot, so you might want extra on hand) 1 small onion, diced 1 recipe of cream soup base  (I left out the salt, so I could adjust the soup later)* 4 oz. Neufchatel cream cheese, cubed (regula...

I made these recently for a snack - super easy, and super delish.   Preheat the broiler while you prep.  Halve some grape tomatoes the long way,  and arrange on a baking sheet or in a broiler-safe baking dish.  Top each half with a small cube of Feta cheese, drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil (I used a garlic-infused one I had), grind on some black pepper, and stick under the broiler until the cheese starts to get toasty.  They're perfect alone, or on top of grilled or broiled slices of bread.

I'm a fan of blondies.  I love the brown sugary goodness, especially when combined with dark chocolate.  Add almonds (like these ones right here ) and I am a a very happy camper.  This is a more basic recipe - very easy to make, and so tasty.  I always come home with an empty plate when I bring these along. My Favorite Blondies 1-1/2 c. packed brown sugar 1/2 c. butter, melted (can also use coconut oil) 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 1-1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. kosher salt 1 10 oz. pkg. dark chocolate chips (you can use semi-sweet, but I highly recommend the dark) Add butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla to a large bowl and mix until just combined.  If you want to combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl and then add, you can, but I'm lazy and just added it all in, and then combined with the brown sugar mixture.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  The mixture will b...

I tossed this together with things I had on hand to bring to a pizza party at a friend's house the other night.  It was super easy, and was a nice alternative to Caesar salad or just a plain dinner salad.  I didn't really measure, so I'm guessing below, but like I always say, do what looks right to you! Italian Tossed Salad 2 hearts of Romaine, chopped, washed, dried  about 1/3 c. chopped hard salami about 1/3 c. chopped Picante Provolone cheese 1/2 of a small red onion, sliced very thin banana pepper rings (a few forkfuls from the jar) 2 tbsp. Italian dressing (I poured a little in, and then tossed to coat, and adjusted as needed) 2 tbsp. of grated Parmesan freshly ground black pepper Note: If you're bringing the dish somewhere, add the dressing when you get there so it doesn't get soggy. Add lettuce to a large bowl.  Sprinkle in salami, cheeses, onion, banana peppers, a few good grinds of black pepper, and toss to combine.  Add dressi...

I tried a recipe from the "try it eventually" folder last night for some Asian chicken sliders, and they were decent, but unremarkable.  It was still a fruitful effort, however, because I found a super simple, tasty side to serve in the future (although the kids were not fans). I guestimated on the measurements, since I just chopped and added - do what looks right to you.  I made about 1/2 of this recipe, since it was just for 2 of us, but you could easily multiply it for a larger crowd, too. Asian-Inspired Slaw 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice 2 tbsp. EVOO 1/2 c. cilantro, minced pinch of kosher salt a few turns of freshly ground black pepper 2 c. red cabbage, shredded 1/2 c. carrot, julienned or grated on the large holes of a box grater 1/2 c. red onion, finely diced (could do thin slices if you prefer) 1/2 c. red bell pepper, julienned or diced You could get crazy here, and add some sliced scallions, toasted sesame seeds, minced jalapeno, garlic, etc.  I'll be e...

I was looking through my Pins for a recipe I wanted to make tonight, and found this one .  I decided to try it, and oh. my. word.  They are so good.  I did have to tweak it a little, though. For me, following the suggested baking time resulted in the 2nd photo - burned to a crisp (ha ha, get it?). So I baked mine for HALF that time, for 4 minutes at 375 degrees.  I also added a TEENY sprinkle of cayenne pepper on some to try it, and I liked the kick - might be a good variation next time, with cumin, garlic powder, oregano, etc.  I will be experimenting a lot with these babies, for sure. This combo was some freshly ground black pepper, grated Parmesan, and some dried parsley, since I didn't have fresh.  I also sprinkled a little garlic powder on some. On my wonton wrappers, it says 1 serving is 8 wrappers, and if you slice them in 1/2 (like top photo), you'd get 16 crackers.  If you went with the lil' triangles like the 2nd photo, you'd get doub...

I LOVE French Onion Soup. I made a big pot this weekend. I froze half of it, and served the rest for a Sunday lunch. The kids don't mind it, but they tend to supplement a smaller portion with a grilled cheese or salad. 
The key to the amazing flavor is the caramelizing of the onions, so take your time and do it right. You can do the onions a day or two in advance if you like and then finish off the soup, as long as you're cool with onion-ing up your house for 2 days (my kids are always horrified with the oniony aroma when they come home on a day I've been reducing a big pot of onions), or do it all at once, and then either serve the soup right away or stick it in the fridge for a day or two (or freeze it!). Making the soup a day or two before you're going to serve it improves the flavor, in my opinion. The recipe below looks a little involved, but it's really not bad at all. You can walk away from the onions while they're in the oven, as long as you se...

I pretty much always have the ingredients to whip up a pasta dish like this for the fam.  It's something I know everyone will eat without complaining or picking things out.   It's a great way to use up things in the fridge, too.  Here's the basic recipe - use what you have on hand and tweak as you like. Easy Penne with Chicken & Broccoli Serves 4-6 1 box (8 oz.) penne or your favorite pasta noodles 1 rotisserie chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces, or 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or 1 whole chicken, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces 2-3 crowns of broccoli (asparagus is good, too), cut into spears 1 c. chicken broth (I use Swanson Natural Goodness) 1/2 c. Asiago cheese, grated 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, grated 1/4 c. (ish) Half & Half (I just poured a little - may have been a little more) 1/2 container (ish) of grape tomatoes, halved (or use 2 Romas, seeded & diced) 2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 biggie) 1/2 small onion, diced salt...

I hosted my first "carbo cram" recently (a big carbohydrate-laden meal the night before a sporting event, mostly meant for team bonding).  It never ceases to amaze me how much food 10 teenage dudes can put away!  I made spaghetti & meatballs (the meatballs are based on a recipe from a friend - I sort of 1-1/2'd it, and are GREAT for freezing, so make a big batch and freeze them, and take out as many as you need for dinner, or to bring to someone), baked penne alfredo, bread, salad and ice cream dessert. Meatballs 3 lbs. ground chuck 2-1/3 c. Italian bread crumbs (I used Panko with some Italian seasoning - it's what I had) 3 eggs 2-1/4 c. sour cream (I used light) 1/2 tsp. garlic powder 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. pepper Preheat oven to 375.  Mix all ingredients well and form into loosely-packed balls.  I actually weighed all of mine, and it made 57 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 oz. meatballs.  Bake on a rimmed baking sheet for about 25 minutes. I froze min...

I made this dessert for the first time for a carbo cram for my son's team.  It's great for a crowd, and you can, of course, make it in advance, which is hugely helpful when you're entertaining lots of people. I didn't make everything from scratch for this dessert, and I decided to live dangerously and serve it anyway.  You do what you need to do - find a better, super healthy dessert, make your own homemade components of this one, or just go nuts and do it this way.  An offset spatula is a handy tool for building this dessert, if you have one. Oreo Ice Cream Dessert 1 pkg. regular Oreos 3 tbsp. butter, melted 1 1/2 gallon container chocolate ice cream, softened 1 1/2 gallon container vanilla (or cookies & cream, or mint chip), softened 1 jar of fudge sauce (I grabbed Mrs. Richardson's) 1 container Cool Whip Line a 9" x 13" baking dish with foil or parchment.  Set aside.  Process 30 Oreos (the whole cookie - none of this scraping out the ...

I needed a quick, easy app the other night using existing ingredients since I was NOT going back to the store again, and I found the stuff to make these guys.  I don't think you can even call it a recipe, but if you need a guide, here ya go. BLT Bites Cook a pound of bacon (thick sliced is great, but whatever works) in the oven (try it, it's less painful that tending a skillet with grease spitting at you.  Preheat an oven to 400, throw your bacon on a foil-lined baking sheet (use one with a rim, please), for about 15 minutes, or until brown and crispy.  Keep your eyes on it, because if it burned, that would be sad.).  Transfer it to some paper towels to cool/drain. While it's still warm (so it won't crack into pieces), cut each slice in half or into thirds, and then let it cool completely.  When you're ready to assemble the bites, slice the crusts off some sourdough bread (optional - leave them on if it makes you happy), toast it, and then cut it into b...