Tasty Tuesday: Baked Potato Soup

Do you have left over baked potatoes?  Do you have potatoes that have been in the cabinet/bin a little too long?  Check out this YUMMY chunky cream soup from Patti Watson of Pampered Chef.   

INGREDIENTS

• 4 medium baked potatoes
• 2 slices bacon
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped
• 1/2 cup green onions with tops, thinly sliced
• 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1   garlic clove, pressed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup light sour cream
• 2 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (1/2 cup)

DIRECTIONS

1. Remove skins from baked potatoes. In Classic Batter Bowl, coarsely mash potatoes with Nylon Masher.
2. In (4-qt.) Casserole, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon to paper towel to drain; crumble and set aside. Discard all but 1/2 teaspoon drippings in pan.
3. Meanwhile, chop celery with Food Chopper. Thinly slice green onions with Utility Knife. Add chicken broth, milk, mashed potatoes, celery, onions, garlic, salt and black pepper to drippings in pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes.
4. Stir in sour cream and reserved bacon. Ladle soup into 4 bowls using Nylon Ladle. Shred 2 tablespoons cheese over each serving using Rotary Grater.

Makes:  4  servings of 1 3/4 cups

Nutrients per serving:  Calories 340, Fat 15 g, Sodium 970 mg, Dietary Fiber 2 g

Cook’s Tips:

Fresh garlic adds a wonderful flavor to many recipes. Our Garlic Press is a real time-saving tool because you never need to peel the garlic cloves before pressing.

Make-Ahead: Make this recipe with planned-over baked potatoes. Just bake extra potatoes for a weekend meal and you’ll be ready to make this soup on a weeknight. If you don’t have leftover baked potatoes, scrub and prick potatoes with the Hold ‘N Slice® then bake in 400°F oven 1 hour or microwave on HIGH 11-13 minutes until fork-tender. Cool slightly before using.

Want more recipes to help you change up boring dinners?  Check out Patti’s website where there is over 250 recipes to spice up your dinner menu.  If your wish list is bigger than your wallet, host a party to earn freeand discounted products.  Just like to shop, check out the monthly customer specials. 

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Tasty Tuesday: Hearty Chicken Quesadilla Soup

Thank you Patti Watson of Pampered Chef for today’s tasty recipe…. this is a delicious soup for chilly evenings….

INGREDIENTS

• 5 (6-in./15 cm) corn tortillas
• 1   jalapeño pepper
• 2 cans (14.5 oz each)or 796 mL) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
• 3 cups (750 mL) unsalted chicken stock
• 3 cups (750 mL) diced cooked chicken
• 1 bag (12 oz or 340 g) frozen Southwestern corn blend, thawed (see Cook’s Tips)
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) ground cumin
• 4   garlic cloves
• 1 tsp (5 mL) black pepper
• 1 cup (250 mL) fresh cilantro leaves
• 3 oz (90g) Monterey Jack cheese (3/4 cup/175 mL grated)

DIRECTIONS

1. Stack tortillas and cut into quarters with Santoku Knife; set 12 quarters aside. Tear remaining 8 quarters into pieces. Remove stem from jalapeño and cut in half lengthwise. Using Core & More, carefully remove seeds and veins. Cut into chunks. Finely chop jalapeño and torn tortillas with Food Chopper.
2. Place chopped tortillas and jalapeño, tomatoes, chicken stock, chicken, corn blend, cumin, garlic pressed with Garlic Press and black pepper in Rockcrok® (4-qt./3.8-L) Dutch Oven. Stir with Small Mix ‘N Scraper®. Cover; bring to a boil over HIGH heat. Reduce heat and simmer 15-17 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, preheat broiler. In (2-cup/500-mL) Prep Bowl, snip cilantro with Professional Shears. Using Microplane® Adjustable Coarse Grater, grate cheese.
4. Using Silicone Oven Mitts, remove soup from heat. Stir in cilantro. Carefully arrange remaining tortilla quarters in a circular pattern over hot soup, slightly overlapping, with points toward the center. (You may see some small gaps.) Sprinkle evenly with cheese.
5. Place Dutch Oven 2-4 in. (5-10 cm) from heating element. Broil 2-3 minutes or until cheese is light golden brown.

Makes: 8  servings of 1 1/4 cups/300 mL 

Nutrients per serving:   (1¼ cups/300 mL): Calories 220, Total Fat 6 g, Saturated Fat 2.5g, Cholesterol 40 mg, Sodium 500 mg, Carbohydrate 21 g, Fiber 3 g, Protein 19 gm

Cook’s Tips:

1. To quickly thaw frozen corn blend, place bag under warm running water for about 1 minute or until thawed, shaking occasionally.
2. The chopped tortillas help thicken the soup, making it a hearty meal.

Want more recipes to help you change up boring dinners?  Check out Patti’s website where there is over250 recipes to spice up your dinner menu.  If your wish list is bigger than your wallet, host a party to earn freeand discounted products.  Just like to shop, check out the monthly customer specials. 

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Tasty Tuesday: Mexican Quinoa Bowl

Today’s recipe is courtesy of Patti Watson, Independent Pampered Chef consultant.

This healthy, gluten-free recipe is a one-pot wonder which comes together in a snap! Skip the sour crean and it becomes a great vegan option.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup (250 mL) uncooked quinoa
• 1 cup (250 mL) vegetable broth
• 1   orange or red bell pepper, stem removed, seeded
• 1   medium zucchini, ends trimmed and cut into 3” (7.5-cm) pieces
• 1 cup (250 mL) fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
• 2   garlic cloves
• 1 can (15 oz/425 g) low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (14.5 oz/411 g) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1-2 tbsp (15-30 mL) Tex-Mex Rub
• ¼  cup (50 mL) fresh cilantro leaves
•  Diced avocado, sour cream and lime wedges (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine the quinoa and broth in the Deep Covered Baker. Cover and microwave on HIGH for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cut the bell pepper into quarters and the zucchini in half lengthwise. Using the Quick Slice, cut the bell pepper (skin-side up) into strips. Slice the zucchini halves crosswise.
3. Remove the baker from the microwave. Stir in the vegetables, garlic pressed with the Garlic Press, beans, tomatoes with juice, and rub.
4. Microwave, covered, for 8–10 minutes, or until the quinoa has absorbed the liquid.
5. Remove the baker from the microwave and let it stand, covered, for 5 minutes.
6. Snip cilantro in a small bowl with the Professional Shears.
7. To serve, sprinkle the quinoa with cilantro and top each serving with avocado and sour cream, if desired.

Yield:  5  servings of 1 1/2 cups (375 mL)

Nutrients per serving:

Calories 230, Total Fat 2.5 g, Saturated Fat 0 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Sodium 660 mg, Carbohydrate 46 g, Fiber 9 g, Sugars 8 g, Protein 11 g

Cook’s Tips:

• 2 tsp (10 mL) chili powder and 1 tsp (5 mL) of ground cumin can be substituted for Tex-Mex Rub.
• To make this recipe on the stovetop, increase vegetable broth to 1½ cups (375 mL). Combine the quinoa and broth in Rockcrok® Dutch Oven and cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce the heat to a simmer for 10 minutes. Continue as directed in steps 2 and 3. In step 4, bring to a simmer, covered, for 15 minutes or until quinoa has absorbed the liquid. Let it stand 5 minutes. Continue as directed.

Want more recipes to help you change up boring dinners?  Check out Patti’s website where there is over 250 recipes to spice up your dinner menu.  If your wish list is bigger than your wallet, host a party to earn free and discounted products.  Just like to shop, check out the monthly customer specials. 

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!