Creamy Potato Soup - Broke Food

I love a hot bowl of potato soup, especially considering how cold it's been lately.  Also, for me, this is comfort food.  When I was a kid and didn't feel well, my mom would make me a bowl of "tater soup."  It was a very soothing soup, especially if you have a stuffy nose or have the flu, and it's extremely easy to make in under an hour. 

As my recipes are prone to be, this is a simple one that can be gussied up or left plain in order to suit your taste, budget, and what you have in your pantry.  Also, as I'm prone to do, I don't follow any "rules" with regard to what is or isn't the right kind of potato to use.  I use what I have and make it work for what I need.  The soup pictured reflects that.  I used Yukon Gold for the soup photographed above.  Some might recommend a red potato or say not to use a white potato.  I believe in your food working for you, not having to go out and buy a bunch of fancy stuff in order to make a meal.  If the type of potato is a hard or very firm potato, slice it thinner and then cook longer, checking consistency of the potatoes while boiling until they're the right consistency.  After all, we're broke!  That's why we're making this soup!

The basic ingredients needed are potatoes, onions in some form (fresh or dried both work), some form of milk product, water, and salt and pepper.  The rest can be added to your taste, based on what you have.  I'm going to list the basic recipe, and then below I will list variations/additions that you may want to try.   The variation shown in the photo above includes:  Potatoes, onions, celery, chopped ham, evaporated milk, and butter. 

Creamy Potato Soup Basic Recipe

3-4 medium to large potatoes peeled and cut into small chunks (or one potato per person)

1 medium onion, minced (or equivalent dried minced onion)

Water to cover

2/3 to 3/4 cup milk, cream, half-and-half, canned evaporated milk, or powdered milk

Salt and Pepper to taste 

3-4 tablespoons butter or Margarine

In a large saucepan, place potatoes and onions.  Add just enough water to cover.  Place lid on sauce pan and bring to a rolling boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are soft. Scoop out about 1/2 cup of cooked, drained potatoes.  Mash these thoroughly, then return to the pot and stir in order to thicken the soup.  Turn fire back on under mixture and add milk and butter or margarine.  Heat until steaming, then add salt and pepper to taste. 

Note, if you use powdered milk you may want to only reconstitute it with half the water necessary in order to help the soup's consistency not be too thin. 

Variations/Additions: 

Meat:  Add any cooked meat that you may have such as leftover ham, cooked and crumbled bacon, grilled chicken, chopped turkey, cooked Spam, cooked hamburger meat, kielbasa, and even finely chopped leftover deli meat. 

Vegetables:  Celery, green onions, carrots, corn, chopped sauteed bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, or whatever is left in the fridge from prior meals. 

Broth:  If available, you may substitute chicken or vegetable broth for some of the water in this recipe.  

Cheese/Sour Cream:   If desired and available, you can either top the soup with cheese or stir in up to 1/2 cup finely shredded cheese of any type (stir well and do not boil if this is added) or sour cream to add richness and protein to the soup.  

Spices:  You may also add garlic, a small bit of red pepper flakes, rosemary, basil, marjoram, tarragon, or other spices (not all at once; choose wisely).

This is a taste-as-you-go recipe.  Start with the basic recipe, then add ingredients to your liking.  If you have doubts about how an ingredient will taste in the soup, remove a small amount of soup to a cup or bowl, add the ingredient, taste, and see how things are shaping up.  Once you get the recipe to your liking, write down your additions for use the next time.  

Serve with crusty bread, a salad, crackers, or Fry Bread.  This makes a very filling meal.  It keeps well and reheats well, so it's great to take in a lunch the next day or warm up for a quick meal. 

Crock Pot Okie Beef Stew - Freezer to Crock Pot

Wow, how about our weather?!  Winter here in Oklahoma has been crazy!  It went from 80 degrees one day to 20-something with a windchill in the teens the next day.  That type of cold, blustery, chilly weather makes me hungry for a warm, rich beef stew.

This recipe originally started out as Pioneer Woman's Beef Stew with Beer and Paprika.  However, as I'm known to do, I have modified it to suit our tastes and lifestyle (you'll see why below).  Sometimes I'm not in the mood for beer in my stew, and sometimes I am going to share this with others who may have either dietary, religious, or other personal reasons for not consuming beer, so the recipe below reflects that.  I've also added extra tomato products because, honestly, stew just doesn't seem like stew to me without some form of chunky tomato in it, and we like our stew a little spicier than the original recipe.

Since Pioneer Woman is an Oklahoma girl herself, I'm paying tribute to our shared heritage by renaming it slightly to reflect the changes. The name is also reflective of the fact that I have modified this to be a crock pot recipe (if you wish to cook this stove top, see instructions below recipe). 

Crock Pot Okie Beef Stew

2 tablespoons olive oil or cooking oil

2-3 pounds stew meat

1 whole medium onion, diced

1 cup rinsed baby carrots or 3-4 whole carrots sliced into medallions

2 cloves minced garlic

1 can of beer, 12 oz. OR 1-1/2 cups chicken stock or chicken broth (not beef, though it's tempting)

4 cubes beef bouillon or 4 tablespoons buillon granules

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 can RoTel tomatoes with green chiles (or other diced tomatoes with green chiles; this is about a 14 oz can)

1 14 oz can tomato sauce

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 Tablespoon of my All-Purpose Seasoning, second recipe, HERE 

1-1/2 teaspoon sugar

 3-4 potatoes peeled and cut into chunks

In a skillet, brown meat in oil, in batches.  Pour just enough water in bottom of skillet and stir to deglaze the pan. About 2-3 tablespoons of water. Place meat and deglazed mixture in bottom of 1 gallon freezer bag.  Add remaining ingredients EXCEPT POTATOES.   Squish out air and massage to distribute ingredients.  Seal and freeze.  When ready to cook, place cut up potatoes in the bottom of the crock pot and put the frozen mixture on top (or thaw in the fridge the night before before adding to crock pot).  Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 8-10 hours.  Serve with cornbread, crusty bread, or fry bread. This is best when cooked low and slow. 

To make this a stove top recipe, follow instructions, except you will need to add approximately 1-1/2  to 2 cups of water to the mixture and allow it to simmer on the stove top for 1-1/2 to 2 hours.  Watch carefully and add water if the stew becomes too thick. 

Crock Pot Baked Potatoes

 

Crock pot baked potatoes are an easy way to cook potatoes without heating up the house or turning on the oven just took cook a few potatoes.  There are two ways to make them.  I recommend using a softer potato for this like a red potato or Yukon gold.  I know they are not generally recommended for baking, but we got a batch of Russets a while back that could have been used for stones!

First is the foil method.  Wash and scrub thoroughly.  Do not peel. Coat each potato with olive oil then dust with salt.  Wrap in aluminum foil and place in crock pot.  No need to add any type of liquid.  Cook on low 6-8 hours on low or high for 3-4 hours. 

The second method is just the plain potato method.  Wash and scrub potatoes thoroughly, then place in crock pot.  Again, cook 6-8 hours on low or high for 3-4 hours. 

The foil potatoes will have the more traditional baked potato taste to them.  The unwrapped potatoes will have more of a steamed consistency and flavor.  

This is a great way to either make potatoes for a meal or to have them for twice-baked potatoes, potato salad, potato soups, hashbrowns, or any other recipe for which you need cooked potatoes.  It's an economical and easy way to have cooked, whole potatoes without having to either boil them on the stove or bake them in the oven! 

Crock Pot Foil Packets for Veggies and Other Foods!

I love foil packet cooking, and I love my crock pot/slow cooker.  I especially love when I can combine the two!  Most people know they can use foil packets of foods in the oven or on the grill, but did you know they work for crock pots, too? How many packets you use and what you put in them is up to you!

Tonight, we were having roast beef with the traditional veggies in the crock pot.  However, I wanted to add a few more veggies to stretch the roast for a meal or two of leftovers but didn't want the vegetables them to pick up the flavor of the roast.  Enter foil packets!  

I chose green beans and kernel corn.  For both, I used canned veggies and drained all the liquid off.  I added butter, salt, and pepper.  I then sealed the packets and placed them on top of the roast and veggies to cook.  I put the top back on the slow cooker, and let them cook until the entire meal was done.  

This is a great way to get an entire meal in the crock pot if you have a long day ahead of you and don't want to worry about making side dishes when you get home!  When you're ready to eat, simply slit open the packets and serve the contents piping hot. 

The possibilities for these packets are endless!  I have also made potatoes in these packets by peeling and dicing them then adding a bit of chopped onion, salt, and pepper. 

You can cook anything in these packets that you would on a cook stove top or oven.  You can even cook fish in a packet!  Just put the fish in foil, add your seasonings, seal, and place in the slow cooker. 

Other for packets ideas include: 

Glazed carrots: Fresh or canned carrots, maple syrup, a little brown sugar, and a little butter.

Mixed veggies such as cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, and green beans. 

Baked beans:  Pork and beans with liquid drained, BBQ sauce, crumbled bacon, and brown sugar. 

Baked potatoes:  Clean and scrub small baking potatoes.  Leave peels on.  Coat them with olive oil and salt, then wrap in foil and place them on top of the other items.  If using larger potatoes, consider partially microwaving them before wrapping in foil and placing them in the crock pot.  
Corn on the Cob:  Remove silk, wrap tightly, and place in crock pot.

What can you think of to put in a packet?  Use your imagination! 

Freezer to Crock Pot - Pot Roast with Veggies

The combination of pot roast and veggies is a yummy, satisfying, and comforting meal, especially after a long day.  Walking into your house and smelling the wonderful aroma of a hot meal is like a little slice of heaven.  This is an easy recipe and can be prepared ahead of time, put into the freezer, then cooked in the crock pot for a hearty meal.  (See my confession about this roast below.*)

SLOW COOKER POT ROAST

One 2-3 pound roast, trimmed of excess fat (see below for substitution)**

1 packet Italian dressing mix

1 packet onion soup mix 

2-3 carrots cut into medallions 

1 small onion cut in large chunks (optional) 

2 cubes beef bouillon or 2 tablespoons beef bouillon granules

1/2 cup water

 

When ready to cook, 3-4 potatoes cut in chunks.

Trim roast and cut slits in meat.  This is important, as the meat starts to cook it tends to contract and can take longer to cook.  Place roast in 1 gallon zippered freezer bag and add all ingredients except potatoes.  When ready to cook, add potatoes to crock, along with frozen roast and veggies.  Allow to cook for 8-10 hours on high (necessary to get the internal temperature of the roast up where it needs to be). 

*Here's my confession.  The poor roast pictured above had a real workout.  I put the chunk in the crock pot, turned it on, and went on my merry way.  The problem is that the crock pot wasn't plugged in!  D'oh!  I found it about 1-1/2 hours later. Aacck!!  I plugged it in and turned the crock on high, but even at 11:30 last night, it still wasn't done.  I ended up taking everything out of the crock pot, putting it into a large bowl, and sticking it in the fridge because cooking it overnight would have been too much.  I got up this morning, put everything back in the crock pot, and cooked it 4 more hours.  Luckily, it was ready to go by lunchtime.  Unfortunately, some of the carrots and potatoes were worse for the wear, but everything still tasted good! 

** If you do not have roast, another inexpensive cut of meat can work, such as round steak.  What I have done in the past is to get approximately 2-3 pounds of round steak and cut it into medallions.  Use the rest of the ingredients, as directed.  Cook on high 6-8 hours, and check doneness of meat.  This comes out more like a stew than roast but can be a great way to use a less expensive cut of meat. 

Freezer to Crock Pot Cooking Tips

• Link to post with above photographed recipes is HERE.
•  I use 1 gallon zippered freezer bags.  They are more durable than regular zippered bags.  The 1 gallon size is usually equivalent to a 5 quart slow cooker.
•  When you’re ready to cook your items, always start with a cold crock pot.  Do not preheat the crock.  If you put cold items into a crock that’s already heated, the crockery insert could shatter or crack. This is also true for items that have just been in the refrigerator.  Cold+hot=Shatter. 
•  I cook items straight from the freezer.  It takes longer to cook, but I’ve never had a problem.  Some people prefer the recipes are thawed first.  If so, thaw the entire bag of ingredients unopened for 24 hours in the refrigerator, and then add to the crock.  Adjust cooking times as necessary. 
•  Write what’s in the zippered freezer bag on the outside before adding ingredients.  Include cooking times, directions such as to add potatoes, serve over rice or noodles, etc.  You may think you’ll remember what’s in that bag, but two weeks from now you might not. 
•  Crock pot cooking temperatures vary.  When in doubt, allow more time to cook rather than less. 
• When using meat, you will need to precook meats with a high fat content such as hamburger meat or certain cuts of stew meat.  If in doubt, precook.  I also recommend rinsing these meats before adding them to the freezer bag.  Since you will be cooking them again in the crock, there might be more fat that comes out during the cooking process. 
•  Place meats in the bottom of zippered bags and place ingredients on top.  Once everything is added, squeeze out air, seal the bag, and massage slightly to distribute ingredients well.  This ensures meats are surrounded by ingredients.  This is important when you’re ready to cook because sometimes the meat can stick together as it is cooking, increasing time needed for everything to cook evenly.
•  Less liquid is better than more.  The funny thing about cooking in a crock pot or slow cooker is that it generates liquids from the items that are cooking, since condensation is trapped.  You can always add more liquid later if the recipe seems dry or thick.
•  If at the end of cooking your recipe seems to have more liquid than intended, turn the crock pot on high, remove the lid, and allow some of the liquids to simmer/boil off until it’s the desired thickness. 
•  You can make almost any crock pot recipe a freezer-to-crock recipe.  Just remember that potatoes and pasta do not freeze well.  I’ve seen recipes that say you can use both of these items, but my experience is that the potatoes and pasta come out mushy, with the exception of lasagna.  I add potatoes at the time I put ingredients in the crock.  I cook pasta separately and add it just prior to serving, as we tend to like our pasta al dente.
•  Almost any casserole can be adapted for cooking in a crock pot. 
•  Almost any soup can also be adapted for the crock pot.  Just decrease the liquid significantly (by at least 1/2 if not 2/3).  When I make soup in the crock, I start with as little amount of liquid as possible then add liquid toward the end, if needed. 

I will be posting more freezer-to-crock pot meals in the coming days and weeks.  I just need photos.  Photographing food is a lot harder than it looks!