Baked Potato Soup

I don't usually think to make a hearty soup in the middle of June, but the weather here has been wet and frigid. Today just screamed for this yummy soup!

4 large potatoes, cooled, peeled and cubed
2/3 c butter
2/3 c flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
6 cups whole milk
8 oz sour cream
1/4 cup green onions
10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbed
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

In a large saucepan heat butter, flour, salt and pepper over medium heat. Whisk until smooth and bubbly. Cook one minute. Gradually whisk in milk and add potato cubes. Bring to a low boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in sour cream. Garnish individual servings with onions, bacon and cheese.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cookies

Mmm...there is something magical about peanut butter and chocolate, don't you think? It's like the perfect marriage. The only thing that would make it more poetic is if peanuts were the roots of the cacao tree. I had to adapt this recipe for high altitude and I think I have it perfected.

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 c whole wheat flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

3/4 c creamy peanut butter, room temperature

3/4 c granulated sugar

1/2 c light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 Tbs milk

1 cup chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl beat butter and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add in sugars and mix well. Beat in egg and milk. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into wet ingredients. Stir well. Fold in chocolate chips. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and press lightly with the back of a fork. Bake for 10 minutes (cookies will be slightly undercooked.) Leave on cookie sheets for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool

Apricot-and-Cheddar Chicken Melts

I found this recipe on an insert in my Everyday Food magazine, by far one of my favorite publications...thanks, Martha! These were easy, quick and delicious! (Although my children had a hard time eating them. Their chicken kept sliding off the bread. If I make them again I might cut the chicken into slices before placing them on the baguette.)

Here's what you'll need:

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

2 Tbs Dijon mustard

2 cloves garlic, chopped

coarse salt and ground pepper

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6-8 ounces each), split horizontally

1 baguette (about 20 inches), split horizontally, then cut in half

1/4 cup apricot preserves

4 oz thinly sliced deli ham

4 oz white cheddar cheese, grated (1 cup)

So first, heat up your broiler and set the rack 4 inches from heat. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. In a shallow dish or resealable plastic bag, combine vinegar, mustard, garlic, 1 tsp coarse salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper; add chicken and turn to coat. Marinate at room temperature for 10 minutes (or cover and refrigerate in marinade up to 24 hours).

Lift chicken from marinade and place on prepared sheet; broil (without turning) until opaque throughout, 4-6 minutes. Transfer chicken to a work surface; discard pan juices from baking sheet.

Looks good so far! Now, spread each piece of your baguette with some of those apricot preserves and then top 'em off with some chicken.

Layer on the ham and cheese! (I forgot to tell the guy at the deli counter to slice it ultra-thin, I think that would have made a more appealing presentation.)

Pop those babies in the oven under the broiler until the cheese is melted and bubbly. (I would move the rack down one position more to keep the cheese from melting too fast. This will also help your baguette crisp up a little more since it will have more time under the broiler.)

Looks like a winner, huh?

Buffalo Chicken Salad

I made this for myself for lunch yesterday. It was quite delicious and you can increase all amounts for a larger salad.

1 1/2 - 2 cups mixed salad greens

1 crispy chicken strip (I got mine from a deli)

1 Tbs hot wing sauce (more or less to taste)

grape tomatoes

cucumber slices

grated cheddar

Bleu cheese dressing

Slice chicken strip into small, bite-size pieces. Place in a small resealable container, pour in hot sauce. Cover and shake until chicken is evenly coated. Place chicken over a bed of salad greens. Garnish with tomatoes, cucumber and cheddar. Serve with bleu cheese dressing.

Sweet Potato Fries

While I was at my sister-in-law's a couple of weeks ago she made some sweet potato fries on the grill. They were so delicious that I have been craving them since. I didn't get her recipe so I just made up my own and baked them in the oven. They were so good that I made them two nights in a row!

2 large sweet potatoes
olive oil
coarse sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

I put a baking sheet in the oven and preheated the oven to 425 degrees. I peeled the potatoes and rinsed them, then patted them dry with paper towels. Then I sliced them into 1/4-inch sticks. I put all the sticks in a bowl and drizzled them with olive oil and tossed to coat. Once the oven was preheated, I pulled out the baking sheet and dumped the potato sticks onto the sheet and seasoned them with salt and pepper. (I wanted to put a little cayenne on them but I was out.) I baked them for 20-25 minutes, until they were starting to blister and crisp, turning once or twice during the cooking time.

Mmmmm. I think I like these better than french fries and I'm going to guess they're healthier, too. I think my SIL added some fresh basil to hers and that was really delicious also.

Taco Dip

Tonight we had tacos. I always cook a full pound of hamburger for the tacos, though my family barely eats 1/2 of it. Rather than putting it back in the refrigerator (letting it sit there at the back until it molds and I have to throw it away) I've begun to use it in this yummy taco dip.

1 8-oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1 can refried beans
1/2 lb leftover seasoned taco meat
1/2 - 1 cup salsa
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread cream cheese into the bottom of an 8x8 baking dish. Spread refried beans over the top of the cream cheese. Mix taco meat and salsa to taste, then spread over the beans. Top with grated cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until heated through and sides are bubbly. Serve with your favorite corn chips.

It's perfect for a game night!

Oatmeal S'More Cookies

This recipe came from a Taste of Home magazine from a few years ago. This is a great oatmeal cookie alternative for those weirdos who don't enjoy raisins.

1/2 c butter, softened
1/2 c shortening
1 c pack brown sugar
1/2 c granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c oats
1 c semisweet chocolate chips
1 c mini marshmallows*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter, shortening and sugars in a large mixing bowl. Ad eggs one at a time, mixing well after each egg. Beat in vanilla. Gradually add flour, baking soda and salt. Stir in oats, chocolate chips and marshmallows. Drop by heaping teaspoon onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 11-13 minutes. Let cool 1-2minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool. (If cookies come out flat, chill dough for 30 minutes before baking.)

*I don't know if it's my altitude, but I've found that the marshmallows bake better if they've been allowed to dry out a few hours before adding them to the cookie dough.