Loaded Baked Potato Soup

There is a reason my family calls me CaitoPotato: I love potatoes.  So when Nate and I were craving a little comfort food the other day, my head jumped straight to a creamy, soupy potato concoction.  I had never made potato soup, so I set out to find a yummy recipe.

I wasn't thrilled with any of the recipes I found on Pinterest.  They all looked tasty, but I was either missing key ingredients, or I disagreed with the methodology.  I might have some strong preferences as to how things should be cooked...  I broadened my search and found this recipe on CDKitchen.com.  Of course, I made it my own.  Here is the recipe as I adapted it!

Ingredients:
6 large baking potatoes, peeled & cut in 1/2-inch cubes (I used the 6 largest Yukon Gold I had, plus 2 smaller)
1 medium onion, chopped
3 slices uncooked bacon, chopped
1 quart chicken broth
1 tsp minced (jarred) garlic
1/4 cup butter
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives (optional)
8 slices bacon, fried & crumbled
cheese, for sprinkling

Directions:
Combine first seven ingredients in a large crockpot; cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours (potato should be tender).

Mash mixture until potatoes are coarsely chopped and soup is slightly thickened. Stir in sour cream, cheese and chives.  <-- I used my immersion blender for this part!  So much fun!

Top with bacon, chives and more cheese.

This was super easy, and very delicious.  I didn't have any chives and the soup was still great.  I hope to add them next time!

Meatloaf

This might be my mom's meatloaf, but it's not your mother's meatloaf!  This delicious, comfort food dish is really closer to a really huge, baked cheeseburger.  But WOW is it fantastic!  My mom's meatloaf (with a side of peas) was my birthday dinner go-to for much of my childhood.  That's right: I special requested meatloaf for my birthday dinner. 

I love that I can make this meatloaf any size, by just adjusting the measurements by eye.  Nothing is too precise, but it always comes out delicious.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef (I hear turkey works well too... not my style)
1/4 pound ground veal
1/4 pound ground pork (the ground pork/veal can be a "meatloaf mix" or left out entirely; just double your beef)
1 small can (4 oz) tomato sauce (or 1/2 jar of chili sauce!)
3/4 C Italian bread crumbs
1 egg
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 (8 oz) container ricotta cheese

Directions:
In large bowl, using hands (take off your rings!), mush together the meat, tomato sauce, bread crumbs, egg and 1 C of the cheddar cheese until thoroughly blended.
Pat 1/2 of the meat mixture about 1" thick into the bottom of a baking pan; I like to build a little retaining wall for the cheese filling in the next step:

Spread the ricotta cheese across the layer of meat, almost to the edges.
Cover with the remaining 1 C cheddar cheese.
Pat the remaining meat over the top of the cheeses, sealing the cheeses within.
Bake 1 hour at 350* degrees. 
Drain grease from pan. 
Let sit 5-10 minutes before serving, so the cheeses can cool.

Last night's meatloaf, pictured here, turned out even tastier than usual.  Maybe it was the cold, rainy weather, but YUM!

Chicken Pot Pie

This has to be one of my favorite foods.  Good thing it's so easy to make!  I almost exclusively use shortcuts in this tasty, comfort food classic.  I love buying a grocery store rotisserie chicken for one dinner, then using the leftovers in pot pie the next night!

Ingredients:
store-bought pie crusts
chicken, cooked and cubed (whatever chicken is leftover from the night before!)
one can Veg-All (any can of mixed veggies, or whatever veggies are leftover in your fridge)
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons flour
thyme
salt
pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 475*

Unroll first pie crust into pie dish

Drain veggies and spread onto pie crust

Sprinkle 1-2 teaspoon flour over top

Add salt, pepper and thyme to taste

Spread cubed chicken over veggies

Sprinkle remaining flour over top

Add salt, pepper and thyme to taste (too much s&p is bad; no such thing as too much thyme! Pun intended.)

Pour chicken broth over top, making sure it doesn't spill over the edge of the pie crust.  (You probably don't need the full amount)

Unroll second pie crust over top, and crimp edges.

Bake at 475* for fifteen minutes.

Reduce heat to 375* and bake for 20-30 minutes, till crust is brown and gravy is bubbly.  Let sit five minutes before serving.

*As a side note, if you roast your own chicken the night before, you can substitute leftover gravy for the chicken broth and flour.  You can also use a jar of canned gravy (my mom's choice), or make a white sauce.  The broth/flour mix just happens to appeal to my lazy, shortcut nature!  Enjoy!

Cocoa-Braised Crock Pot Pot Roast

Out to lunch with friends last weekend, I scoured the menu for hours looking for something to eat.  I settled on pot roast french fries; I'm not sure why.  In a cruel twist of fate, I was the pregnant woman left without her food for the longest time - my fries had been forgotten.  When they finally arrived, I wanted to hate them.  Instead, I devoured every last drop of gravy, cheese, meat and fry... and was left craving more.  So I added pot roast to my menu plan for the week, and set out to find a really succulent crock pot version. 

I asked friends and scoured Pinterest.  I ultimately settled on a recipe found through Pinterest on EatingWell.com, but with my own modifications.  The Eating Well recipe was written to be braised in the oven, but included the necessary steps to make it in a crock pot instead.  Thank you, Eating Well!  The original recipe also includes strong black coffee... which I have a history of seriously messing up.  I improvised, as is written below!  This turned out absolutely delicious - everything I hoped it would be!  Here is the recipe as I created it.

Ingredients:

• 1 4-pound beef chuck roast, trimmed of fat (although, mine was a bit smaller)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 heaping teaspoon jarred, minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon baking cocoa powder, whisked into 1/2 cup boiling water
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• Sliced mushrooms
• Carrots
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
• French fries

Directions:

1. Season beef with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a heavy frying pan over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook, turning from time to time, until well browned on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes.
2.  Transfer to crock pot
3. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil to the pan. Add onions, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until softened and golden, 5 to 7 minutes.
4. Add garlic and thyme; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in cocoa and vinegar; bring to a simmer.
5. Pour onions and cocoa sauce over beef in crock pot.  Add mushrooms and carrots.
6. Cook on low 8 hours.
7. Transfer beef, mushrooms and carrots to a cutting board, tent with foil and let rest for about 10 minutes.
8. Cook french fries in oven according to package.
9. Meanwhile, transfer braising liquid to sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the cornstarch mixture and cook, whisking, until the gravy thickens slightly, about 1 minute. Season with pepper. Carve the beef and serve with gravy.

Serve your delicious pot roast with gravy over french fries, and enjoy!

I prepped my meat and onions the night before.  It took about 20 minutes to sear the meat, saute the onions and prepare the sauce.  The next morning, all I had to do was take the crockery out of the fridge and set the timer on the crock pot.  When I got home from work, I just stuck some french fries in the oven and prepared the gravy.  DONE!

Pork a la Parke

This is a variation of Beef Wellington my mom created ages and ages ago.  My brother loved it so much, she dubbed it Pork a la Parke in his honor!  I make this fairly often (in both beef and pork versions), as it looks really, really impressive... but is actually really simple to make.

Ingredients:
one package pork tenderloin
salt
2 T sweet butter
1/2 lb mushrooms, minced and thoroughly dried
2 shallots, minced
1 package puff pastry
1/2 C melted butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Saute mushrooms and shallots for 2-3 minutes or until soft. Set aside.
Butterfly the two strips of tenderloin and quickly sear.
Put the mushroom mixture on top of one butterflied piece and then top with the second tenderloin.
Wrap in puff pastry.
Cook until pastry is golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes

Delicious, and so pretty on the table!

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Plums and Apricots

This is one of my favorite dinners, ever.  I request it whenever I'm home, and have made it for myself several times as well.  It tastes delicious with any random assortment of fruits, too.  I'll substitute whatever I have on hand!  And since I always have a tenderloin in my freezer for just-in-case... we end up eating this delicious entree fairly often!

Ingredients:
4 lbs boneless pork tenderloin, cut in half lengthwise
4 T olive oil
1 1/2 C port wine
1 C orange juice
3 T honey
3 shallots, minced
1 tsp garlic, minced
1/2 C dried apricots
8 fresh prune plums, cut in half and pitted
2 T fresh rosemary, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
*regular plums may be substituted for prune plums. Make sure the plums are ripe!

Directions:
Rub the pork tenderloin all over with olive oil and coarse salt.
Place in 5-6" deep bowl or pan
Place other ingredients in saucepan and heat to simmer.
Simmer 5 minutes, then pour the warm marinade over the pork.
Let cool to room temperature.
Cover and let marinate in refrigerator at least 4 hours.
Prepare grill.
When coals are hot, sear pork away from heat until nicely browned.
Adjust rack so pork is 4-5" from coals.
Cover and grill, turning occasionally, until desired doneness, 35-45 min.
Boil marinade 5-7 minutes.
Remove any separated peel.

Cut pork into 1 1/2" slices.
Spoon warm marinade over sliced tenderloin.
ENJOY!

Calypso Pork Roast

My little brother loves the sauce on this.  Not my favorite... but let's be honest: I'll eat pork tenderloin anytime, anywhere.  It's my favorite meat!

Ingredients:
4 lbs pork tenderloins
2 T olive oil

Paste:
1 1/2 C brown sugar
3 T light dark rum
3 cloves minced garlic
3 tsp ground ginger
1 bay leaf, crumbled
1 tsp each salt and pepper

Sauce:
1/2 c chicken stock
1/4 C light rum
1 T flour
1/4 C fresh lime juice

Garnish with Mango -Lime Salsa

Directions:
Mix "paste" ingredients until a paste forms.
Cover and set aside.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place tenderloins in large roasting pan greased with olive oil.
Roast until meat thermometer reaches 160 degrees or about 35-45 minutes, depending on thickness of the meat.
Remove from oven.
Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees.
Spread pork with sugar and spice paste.
Continue to roast 8 minutes.
Transfer pork to platter and tent with foil.

Set roasting pan over medium heat.
Add chicken stock and light rum to deglaze the pan.
Sprinkle flour over stock mixture and whisk to blend.
Bring to a boil, whisking constantly.
Add lime juice and boil until thickened slightly, about 2 minutes.
Remove from heat.

Slice the pork into 1/2 inch slices.
Drizzle with sauce and serve.

Serve with Mango Lime Salsa:

Mix together and cover and refrigerate until ready to serve:
1 C canned pineapple juice
4 T fresh lime juice
1 tsp minced garlic
15-20 cilantro leaves
4 T red wine vinegar
1 T curry powder
salt and pepper.
3 ripe mangoes (or one jar ready to eat mango)
1 small red pepper, seeded, diced
1 small green pepper,seeded, diced
1 small red onion, minced.
*I leave out the cilantro!!