Crock-Pot Potato Cheese Soup

This is the first time I have ever made this... it came out pretty good. Kurt said the only thing he would change is to add more onion but I think that is a personal preference. I will keep playing with it until I prefect it but it's a pretty good start. I typed this blog out as I did it so it's done in two parts. A list of ingredients is at the very bottom. VERY IMPORTANT: When using milk, sour cream or half & half these items should not be added until the last 20 to 30 min. These items can separate when cooked over a long period of time and they will curdle in your meal

The Night Before: I'm going to prep as much as I can tonight while Sarah is in bed so that I don't have to do as much with her under foot in the morning. Plus, we have somewhere to be in the morning and I need to get out of the house at a decent time. :o) Prep and store in the fridge, celery, onion, bacon and chicken broth. With all of this done, in the morning I will only have to peel and cube potato's. So much faster to prep the night before.

In the Morning:
In the crock-pot combine potato's, celery, onion, bacon, chicken broth, butter and water. Cook on Low for 8 hours. 20 minutes before serving add the pint of half & half and shredded cheese. I took a potato masher and mashed the potato's down so that there were not huge chunks of potato's. You can leave them big if you want to... again personal preference. Continue heating until warm the entire way thru and cheese is all melty.

Ingredients

3 ribs of Celery sliced in half and then cut into bite-size pieces
4 stalks? of green onion cut from top to bottom (minus the roots)
8 slices of bacon, crispy and crumbled ( I prefer to bake this in the oven, I don't like to fry. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil, and place the bacon on it. Bake in the oven at 350 for 20-30 min or until it looks crispy.
4 cups of chicken stock or broth. I don't keep canned broth in the house sometimes I have it in the freezer from when I cook an entire chicken, but not this time. So I boiled water and added bouillon cubes. One bouillon cube per cup of hot water.
6 medium to large Potato's, peeled and cubed
1 cup of Water
3 Tablespoons Butter or Margarine
1 pint of Half & Half
2 cups of shredded cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Planning Ahead

I honestly have to say I got this idea from someone else.. but I love it! It's so simple I have a hard time trying to figure out why I never thought of it. :o) We just got home from the commissary and Sarah went right down for a nap, so I had a little spare time. I love to crock pot but I don't always have the time in the morning to get everything ready... or I forget. So, here is what I did....

I took 2 ziplock freezer bags, and in one I put 5 pieces of boneless, skinless chicken breast and in the other is pork cutlets.
In the Pork bag I have 3 pounds of pork, 1 can of diced tomato and some chopped green onions.
In the chicken bag, I have chicken and the seasoning from a McCormac seasoning packet (the packet was only 75 cents  :o) http://www.mccormick.com/Products/Herbs-and-Spices/Recipe%20Inspirations/Rosemary-Roasted-Chicken-with-Potatoes.aspx
I will let both of these sit in the fridge until tomorrow morning then toss them into the freezer. Then when I want them I can take them out and dump them into the crock pot (frozen is fine), and dinner will be done when we get home at the end of the day.
Simple easy and it will save me time down the line.. it took me longer to type all this than it did to prep everything.. LOL  Enjoy!

Macaroni & Cheese (Clardy Style)

(I may have used to many breadcrumbs.. but it was still really good). This is a long recipe to follow but it's not hard.. I promise. Just take it step by step and it will be fine.

Ingredients

• 1 package fully cooked kielbasa sausage, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 (16 ounce) package elbow macaroni
• 1 stick of butter
• 1/4  small onion, chopped
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• about 2 cups of shredded cheese ( I use a colby/montery jack mix)
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 can of diced tomato's (drained)
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs, or more as needed

I know what you are thinking.. Tomato's in Mac & Cheese??? but I'm telling you, it makes all the difference!! Try it :o)

1. Cook and stir the cut-up kielbasa in a large skillet over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes, until heated through and beginning to brown. Remove the sausage from the skillet, and set aside.                
2. Fill a pan with lightly salted water, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stir in the macaroni, and return to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain well.
3. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
4. Melt the butter in the skillet over medium-low heat, and cook and stir the chopped onion for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Whisk in the flour, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Cook and stir the butter, onion and flour for 2 to 3 minutes to make a kind of paste, and remove from the heat. Whisk in the milk a little at a time, stirring constantly, until all the milk has been incorporated, and return to low heat. Bring the sauce to a simmer, and cook over low heat for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, to finish cooking the flour. Whisk in the Cheddar cheese, a handful at a time, until all the cheese has been melted into the sauce and the sauce is hot and smooth.
5. Pour the macaroni into the cheese sauce, and stir to combine. Stir in the cooked kielbasa, tomato's, salt, and pepper.
6. Spoon the macaroni mixture into the prepared baking dish, and sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top. Bake for about 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until the crumbs are brown and the casserole is bubbling. Let stand for 15 minutes after baking, to set before serving.               

CrockPot Mexican Chicken

This meal costs about 12.00 to make and we eat this one night then freeze the rest for another time, so it's actual cost is 6.00 per meal to feed my family of four. :o)

This recipe is REALLY simple and I promise you that you can NOT screw it up..  This can be served on hamburger buns or in tortilla's to make taco's :o) The choice is yours

Ingredients:
A pack of boneless skinless Chicken Breasts ( I use a family pack)
1 package of Taco Seasoning
1 large can of Rotel or 3 small cans
Hamburger Buns or Tortilla's
and other fixings you may want (lettuce, shredded cheese, sour cream, salsa)

 Place the chicken in the bottom of the CrockPot. Sprinkle the entire package of taco seasoning over the top of the chicken. Then pour the Rotel over the top. Place the lid on the CrockPot and allow to cook on low for 8 hours. About 30 min before serving use 2 forks and pull the chicken apart so that it is all shredded, let it continue to cook for another 20 to 30 minutes. Then place on buns, top with cheese and lettuce.