Homemade Picadillies

Picadillies are a Sanpete thing - I guess. I grew up eating them at school and during elementary school we even went on a field trip to the Picadilly factory somewhere in North Sanpete. (It was awesome, we learned all about how they were made and got to see them go through production from start to finish.) I especially have fond memories of eating them during the Scandinavian Festival and Manti Pageant along with my favorite Sanpete Turkey.  When I posted that recipe, I even made mention of how much I missed these delicious picadillies.

I've always struggled with finding a side for that meal because ... well... you can't buy picadillies at the store. I've tried to pair tater-tots with the meal, but it just isn't the same. You can imagine my delight when on facebook, one of my friends posted a picture of their homemade picadillies and I knew RIGHT THEN that I had to try them. It was a fairly complex recipe that included shredding the potatoes, adding flour and egg, then compressing them back together before cooking them in hot oil.

We were pleased, but it took for-ev-er! After a while, we thought about how much nicer it would be to just cut the potatoes into picadillies, maybe boil them or something to make them soft, and then frying them from there. We ended up adapting a french fry recipe and although it takes a different direction that the previous recipe we used, it's SO so so good. Crisp on the outside, soft in the middle - the perfect addition to some yummy Sanpete turkey.

And so, without further ado - I give you... Homemade Picadillies!

Picadillies
Source: Adapted from The Pioneer Woman's "Perfect French Fries" (also, a great resource that we found after the fact is - High Heels and Grills who seems to feel the same way about Picadillies as we do.)

Ingredients:

10 Russet potatoes
Vegetable oil
Salt

Directions:
Peel potatoes and slice into picadilly chips. These end up being about 1/2 inch thick, 1 inch wide, and 1 1/2 inches long. Potatoes aren't exactly square, so most of the chips will end up being a variation on this size - but the idea is to get some thick rectangular chips. 

Soak the potatoes in cold water for at least 30 minutes. You can soak them for longer 2-3 hours and it wont hurt anything. It is important to soak them because this helps remove the starch so that they turn out deliciously crispy on the outside. 

After the potatoes have soaked, blot them dry with a paper towel and prepare to cook them. The key to getting the perfect picadilly texture is to fry them in the oil, twice! The first time in the oil is to cook the center, the second time in the oil is to get the outside nice and crispy. Don't be tempted to skip this step and try to do it all in one go, it will be worth it - I promise. 

Heat a couple inches of oil in a heavy pot or pan to medium heat (about 300 degrees). In several batches, cook the potatoes for about 4-6 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. At this point you want the insides to be soft and well on their way to being cooked, but you don't want the outsides to be brown. Remove each batch and let them drain onto plates/paper towels. Turn your heat up to medium-high (about 400 degrees), and when the oil is hot you can start frying your bathes again, cookies the chips until they are golden and crisp. Again, remove from the oil and drain on paper towels. 

Sprinkle with salt and serve hot!

Note: Always be very careful when usinghot oil. Don't let the oil get too hot (it will burn and potentially flame up). Make sure that small children can not reach up and grab the pan with oil, keep it on a back burner and keep your eye on small children all the time. 

Lemon Garlic Red Potatoes

I'll be honest, I don't fully understand the subtle differences between regular potatoes and red potatoes. It seems that they are used interchangeably much of the time. However, they also seem to be used for different things. Bah, I don't know. But I had an extra red potato from a red potato soup I made the other night and decided to find a good recipe for red potatoes. This ended up being fairly similar to THIS meal. Especially because I threw in a couple of chicken tenders to make it a main dish instead of just a side dish - but it would be really good served as a side dish sans-chicken.

Ingredients:
2 pounds red potatoes, quartered
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 lemon, juiced
Grated Parmesan cheese


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Place potatoes in an 8x8 inch baking dish.
3. In a small bowl combine melted butter, garlic, salt and lemon juice; pour over potatoes and stir to coat. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over potatoes.
4. Bake, covered, in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes, or until golden brown.

Susan's Banana Bread

I have this amazing cookbook. It's called "Susan's Favorite Recipes" and it was compiled by Susan Barclay - one of the most amazing women that I know. Susan is the mother of my two best friends, Tausha Barclay Bentz and Kayla Barclay Hall.  She basically adopted me as her daughter during my junior year of high school and I look up to her so much. A couple of Christmases ago, Susan sent me a cookbook that she had compiled of all of her favorite recipes (she is an amazing cook.) I use it all of the time, and hope that someday I can be as amazing as she is in the kitchen.

This is her recipe for banana bread. I absolutely love it, and always think about Susan as I am in the kitchen making it.

Banana Bread
Source: Susan Barclay

Ingredients:
5 bananas
4 eggs, well beaten
1 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup chopped nuts or chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:
Blend bananas and eggs in mixer. Mix in shortening and sugar. Add dry ingredients. Grease two loaf pans and line with wax paper. Pour in batter. Bake at 300 for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

*Note: David and I love to add cinnamon sugar to the loaf pan right after you grease it, and right before you pour the batter in. It gives it this delicious crust that is to die for. Try it out - you won't be sorry.)

(Mmm... this is baking in my oven right now and mouth is watering just thinking about it.)

BBQ Salad

This recipe comes straight from the ladies at Howe to Cook. They are quite the amazing culinary geniuses.  In fact - I love them. Mostly because I think they are funny - and they are key players in making sure that David gets fed.

BBQ Chicken Salad
Source: Howe to Cook

 Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup barbecue sauce

1/2 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
1/2 head Romaine lettuce, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can black beens, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen sweet corn, thawed
1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese, grated

Directions:

*Marinate chicken in barbecue sauce, then grill or bake or at 350 degrees for 30 minutes (marinating is preferred, but not necessary). Chop into bite size pieces and set aside.

*Combine chicken and salad ingredients. Serve with Ranch Dressing, additional BBQ sauce and tortilla chips.

Potato Disks

I saw this recipe and knew that it would be a great David recipe. We had my little sister, Jenna, over for dinner when we ate these and was surprised when I told her that it was my first time making them. David immediately responded, "But it won't be the last!" Which, is true. They were delicious and relatively simple to make.

Potato Disks
Source: Real Mom Kitchen.

Ingredients:
3-4 potatoes
Season Salt (to taste)
1 cup cheddar cheese
5 slices of bacon, cooked and diced
Green onions for garnish, if desired

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. Clean and scrub potatoes well. Slice the potatoes into 1/4″ thick slices. Place potatoes on lightly greased baking sheet and season each side with Season Salt. Cook for 20 minutes. Flip potatoes over and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and place a pinch of cheese and bacon on top of each potato slab. Return the pan to the oven and cook until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 4-8 minutes.

*I served these as a side with some baked chicken. It was a great match.

(Update, I served these at a Superbowl party and they disappeared almost as soon as they were out of the oven. I daresay, that they were a hit!)

Mashed Potato Heaven

a.k.a. KFC's Mashed Potato Bowl

Around this house, we love us some good mashed potatoes. We esecially love KFC's mashed potato bowl. Naturally, we decided to try to make it at home - and let me tell you - it is just as delicious as the original and it's super easy!

Interestingly enough, I found that there is some major controversy over whether cheese and gravy go together. All I know, is that this dish is so good that David dubbed it Mashed Potato Heaven - so we love the combination.

Ingredients:
4 cups mashed potatoes
1 shredded chicken breast
1 can corn
2 cups chicken gravy
1 cup shredded cheese
4 pieces bacon

Directions:
Boil chicken breast for 1/2 hour and shred. Meanwhile fry bacon. Cook mashed potatoes, corn, and gravy. Shred cheese. Assemble all ingredients and serve.

*Note: this is a great recipe to use up some extra leftovers. If you have extra mashed potatoes and gravy, just cook up some chicken and serve. I love recipes like this.

French Dip Sandwiches

This recipe is from the wonderful ladies at Our Best Bites. My sister-in-law, Wendy, first introduced us to this delicious dish and we were hooked! I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to shred the roast and how quickly it came together in the morning. I love when we find a new recipe that I can envision myself making it for my children someday. I'm sure they will love it as much as we do.

French Dip Sandwiches

1 2.5-3 lb. beef roast
2 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper
2 packages dry onion soup mix
2 c. water
2 cans beef broth
6-8 large buns
Provolone cheese, sliced


Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and rub roast with salt and pepper.

When very hot, carefully place roast in pan and sear on all sides. You're not cooking the meat, you're just browning it quickly on all sides to add flavor and seal in the juices.

Place in crockpot and sprinkle with onion soup mixes. Pour water and beef broth over roast.

Cook 8-10 hours on low or cook 4-5 hours on high and another 3-4 hours on low. It's hard to screw this part up; basically, the longer it cooks, the more tender it will be. But you know it's done when you pop a fork in it and the meat just falls apart. When meat is ready, shred with a fork.

Place meat in crusty rolls. Top with cheese and broil open-faced in the oven or toaster oven for a few minutes, until bread is golden and cheese is melty.

Ladle juices into small cups for dipping and enjoy!


***

FREEZER DIRECTIONS:

Prepare roast through the searing step; after meat has cooled, place in a plastic freezer-safe container (think Gladware), cover with onion soup mix and boullion, and freeze. When ready to cook, pop it straight into the crockpot (frozen), add 2 cups of water, and set to high until warm or, even better, simmering. Turn to low; cook for a total of 8-10 hours.

Sanpete Turkey (Chicken)

Yum, yum, yum. I can't tell you how much I love this delicious meal. It brings back the sound of thousands of people wandering around excitedly chatting with each other; the smell of grass, and dirt, and delicious food wafting around the crowded food booths. This recipe is somewhat of a local tradition. You can find it towards the end of May, as you spend the day walking through hundreds of booths at the Scandinavian Festival in Ephraim. Several weeks later, it can be found in one of the many booths near the Manti Temple grounds while people are enjoying the summer day waiting for the Mormon Miracle Pageant to start. Of course, it is always made with turkey from one of the several local turkey farms and served with piccadilly chips. It is just as delicious when made with chicken (and I love making some of my very own crisp and tender Picadillies)

(I just came across this backstory of Sanpete Turkey and I loved it: 750lbs of Barbecued Turkey.)

Sanpete Turkey

Ingredients:   
1 part oil
1 part soy sauce
2 parts Sprite or 7-Up
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp horseradish sauce (optional)
8-10 chicken tenders

Directions:
Mix the first 5 ingredients together in a medium sized airtight container. Place the chicken in the marinade and cover. Refrigerate overnight. (12 hours to get it really perfect, but at least 5 hours to let the juices soak.) Pull the meat out and grill it on your barbecue until cooked through.

Serve with picadillies, a salad and some fruit.

Update: If you don't believe me, check out The Friendly Kitchen, I just found that the amazing Camille Phillips (older sister of my best friends, Kayla and Tausha) posted her rendition of this Sanpete Turkey on her food blog. Also, another picadilly recipe from my Ephraim-friend Sarah at High Heels and Grills. Seriously SOO good.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

It seems that everyone has their very own "BEST chocolate chip cookie" recipe. Some like it thick and chewy. Some like it thin and crispy. Some try to dress it up. Some try to make it healthy. Some add random ingredients and call it an improvement. However, I am the kind of person who just likes a good traditional chocolate chip cookie. It's hard to know what recipe will be best. I searched and searched (always making another recipe that I had found) hoping to someday to find the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe. 

I am happy to say, finally, that I have found the perfect recipe! This recipe hails from Dana @ Dana made it, and all I have to say is, Dana - you are my hero and you make the best chocolate chips cookies I've ever had!  I've really wanted to be able to stop looking for a different recipe every time we make chocolate chip cookies and this recipe has made that happen. I love it because it makes the perfect texture of cookie, it's fairly simple, and it's so so good. Also, it makes a TON of dough and I've loved being able to freeze the dough for those nights that we just need some cookies but don't have the time or energy to make them. It's awesome. 

 Chocolate Chip Cookies

Source: Dana Made It (Please check her out - she's fabulous!) 

Ingredients:
1 cup Shortening
1 cup Butter (don’t use margarine)
1 1/2 cups White Sugar
1 1/2 cups Brown Sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp Vanilla
5 1/4 to 5 1/2 cups Flour *
1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 1/2 tsp Salt
2 bags chocolate chips (12 oz bags) – 1 semi-sweet, 1 milk chocolate (*David and I like to substitute a mixture of butterscotch and chocolate chips into the cookie dough. Mmm... delicious!)

Directions:

Mix the shortening and butter with white and brown sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix the buttery/egg mixture for a full THREE minutes. The time is important for the eggs and butter to become fully whipped and to develop new chemistry. 

In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients together (flour, baking soda, and salt). Add 1/2 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix. Then add the other 1/2 and mix.

Add chocolate chips/butterscotch chips and combine. (The following method for making the cookie balls is one trick that I learned in all of my recipe testing.) Use your fingers/palms to make a ball that is twice the size of what you want the cookies to end up as, then split the ball in half and place on the ungreased cookie sheet with the broken side up. This gives your cookie a nice textured top with a nice shape. Place about 12-15 cookies per sheet (depending on how big you want to make them.)  

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-9 minutes or just until the cookies are (just barely) slightly golden on top. If you wait till the cookies are entirely golden on the outside, it’s too late. They’ll be overcooked. You want them to be soft inside. Allow them to cool for a few minutes and transfer to a cooking rack. 

Enjoy hot! 

Dana includes some key points in this recipe, these are the ones that I think really need reiterating:
1. Use shortening and butter. The shortening is what gives the cookie a slight crispness around the edges while still feeling soft inside.

2. Mix the buttery/egg mixture for a full THREE minutes. 

Freezing Cookie Dough Loaves:

This recipe makes a lot of cookies, you could go ahead and bake them all - or you can freeze the rest of it into cookie dough loaves and then have freshly baked cookies any time you want!

* Divide the dough up into 2 or 3 piles.
* Set a pile onto a sheet of plastic wrap and use it and your hands to shape each pile into a loaf.
* Roll them up inside of the plastic wrap.
* Wrap each loaf with tinfoil. 

* Label your tinfoil package and write the date you made the cookie dough. 

You can choose to place them all in a ziplock bag together, or leave them separate. Then put them in the freezer!

When you’re ready to bake a few cookies, take out a cookie loaf. Defrost it for about 20 seconds. Make dough balls like above and bake them for 8-9 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet. 

Country Pasta with Mozzarella

I had some leftover mozzarella cheese and so I found this recipe online at "Buns in my oven..." to try. I was texting David and I told him that I was thinking of making a new recipe for dinner. He said, "Great, what is it?" I responded that it was bacon chicken broccoli pasta. He replied with something to the effect of, "Fantastic, What could be better than bacon, chicken, and cheese?" And that, my friends, is the true motto of "The Peaden Kitchen." Nothing is better than bacon, chicken, and cheese. Nothing.

recipe from here.

Ingredients:

8 ounces farfalle pasta
8 slices bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 cups broccoli florets
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese


Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to package directions and drain.

2. In large skillet, cook the bacon until almost crisp. To the pan, add broccoli and garlic. Cook until the broccoli is slightly tender, stirring often, about 4 to 5 minutes.

3. Pour in the cooked pasta, mozzarella, parmesan, cayenne and parsley. Stir together over very low heat until the cheese is melted.

Italian Chicken and Potatoes

This is easily one of my very favorite go-to meals. It is delicious, easy, and can be served to company when an impressive and delicious dinner is needed.  Yum, yum, yum.

Italian Chicken and Potatoes
Source: Adapted from Food.com

Ingredients:
5-6 chicken tenders (we love these because they are perfect serving sized portions)
4-5 potatoes
Italian salad dressing (I generally use about 1/4 of a bottle)
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut potatoes into wedges and boil on the stovetop for 5 minutes (just enough to soften them up a tad bit.) While potatoes are boiling, brown the chicken tenders in a little bit of oil on the stovetop. Salt and pepper to taste. Place potatoes and chicken into 9 x 13 pan. Drizzle Italian dressing over chicken and potatoes. Sprinkle garlic salt and Parmesan cheese over chicken and potatoes. Bake for 40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and tops are browned.

Such a yummy meal and SO so easy. (Sometimes I even skip browning the chicken before adding it to the pan.) Happy eating!

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Mmmm... I absolutely love these meatballs. My family used to make them when I was growing up - and I always looked forward to them. David doesn't love this meal, but he humors me when I start craving it and whip up a big batch. Mmmm.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Source: The Walker Family

Ingredients:
1 - 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
3/4 cups rolled oats
3 eggs slightly beaten
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions:
Combine all ingredients; mix well. Form into about 12 balls*, each about 2 inches in diameter. Place in casserole dish. Cover with sauce (below). Add pineapple chunks Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Makes 4-5 servings, 2-3 meatballs each. Serve over rice.
*Meatballs can be made smaller for more.

Sauce: (In all honesty - I usually triple this. I really like things saucy.)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 can pineapple chunks (*optional. I don't usually add these because David doesn't like pineapple - but let me tell you - it is delicious if you do.)

Combine top five ingredients in a sauce pan. Heat until boiling, add pineapple (if desired) and pour over meatballs.

Mozzarella Chicken

David and I ate this for dinner tonight. I made too much sauce - so it was a little soupy. But David liked it and so onto the blog it goes!

Recipe from here.

Mozzarella Chicken

6-9 boneless skinless chicken breast
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup butter
1 can tomato sauce
1/2 tsp dried basil
Mozzarella Sauce (see recipe below)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 tsp paprika

Dip chicken into eggs; then coat with bread crumbs. Heat butter in large skillet until melted. Cook chicken over medium heat in skillet until golden brown on all sides. Stir in tomato sauce and basil; reduce heat to low. Cover and cook until done approx. 20-30 minutes.

Prepare Mozzarella Sauce.

Mozzarella Sauce
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne red pepper
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup half-n-half
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat butter in small sauce pan until melted. Blend in flour, salt and red pepper. Cook on low heat, stirring constantly until smooth and bubbly, remove from heat. Stir in broth and half-n-half; then heat to a boil. Boil and stir one minute; then add shredded cheese and stir until melted.

Once chicken is completely cooked arrange pieces into an ungreased baking dish. Spoon mozzarella sauce over chicken pieces, sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese and paprika. Set oven to 550 or broil; place baking dish in oven for 6-7 minutes until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly around edges.

Hot Salad

This is another Peaden family favorite from David's youth. It is fairly healthy, very filling, and definitely delicious. It has all the components of a taco salad, while maintaining it's own unique style and flavor. The best part is that it is so easy to make. The only hard part is that it doesn't make very good leftovers (and we are definitely leftover-lovin' people.)

Hot Salad
Source: Sue Peaden

Ingredients:
1/4 lb ground hamburger
Salt and Pepper (to taste)
Onion Salt and Garlic Salt (to taste) 
1 can chili con carne
1/2 cup salsa
Cheese (about 1 1/2 cups)
Tortilla Chips
Lettuce
Medium Mixing  Bowl

Directions:
Brown the ground beef in a skillet. When almost done, season with salt, pepper, onion salt, and garlic salt to taste. After ground beef is completely cooked through, add can of chili and 1/2 cup salsa. (Sometimes I add more salsa - it just depends on my mood.) Cook until heated through.

Wash and dry lettuce and place in the mixing bowl until it is about 2/3 the way full (it shrinks a lot before the meal is ready to serve). Crush up tortilla chips and mix with lettuce. How many tortilla chips is definitely personal preference - but we like a lot of chips. Grate cheddar cheese and add to chip/salad mixture.

Combine chip/salad/cheese mixture with meat/chili/salsa mixture and serve immediately. You could add toppings like olives, tomatoes, or sour cream - but we eat it like this and we love it.

(One things that we have tried recently is to make our own "hot salads" where you just mix the lettuce, chips, and cheese in a small bowl and then add on your topping. It works for us, where there are just two of us, and it makes for better leftovers. However, when you are feeding a lot of people - it's better to mix it all up before hand because then you don't run out of the meat mixture - it's all mixed up in the right ratios already. Thats just our two cents.)

*I would like to try this with corn in the meat/chili mixture. I think it would be yummy.

Enjoy!

Gooey Chicken Alfredo Bake

Last night David and I needed an easy, filling, delicious comfort food - style dinner. I had seen a "health food" recipe using rotini and a low fat alfredo sauce that looked delicious, but as I said before - we were in the mood for ooey-gooey comfort food, not health food. So, I threw together this little recipe. It was perfect.

Gooey Chicken Alfredo Bake
Source: The Peaden Kitchen

Ingredients:
2 frozen Chicken Breasts (one would be fine if it was a large one)
1/2 bag of rotini noodles
Mozzarella Cheese
Cheddar Cheese
1/2 jar alfredo sauce
Optional: Mushrooms, Green Onions, Bacon Bits, Broccoli etc...

Directions:
Cook the pasta until "al dente". While pasta is cooking defrost chicken, cube and saute chicken in a little bit of oil. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder if desired.

After chicken and pasta is cooked - put it in a small 4x8 pan. Mix in alfredo sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese and shredded cheddar cheese. (And bacon, broccoli or any other delicious tidbits you may have on hand.) Top with cheese and bake at 350 until ooey and gooey inside. (20-30 minutes).

Chicken Pepperoni

This is a delectable dish - especially when you have a bit of pepperoni left over in the fridge and you are all pizza-ed out. (If that ever happens?) I made it for David once when we were engaged and it's been a favorite ever since. Its not something that we eat every other week, but it's delicious to pull out every once in a while.

Chicken Pepperoni
Source: Adapted from About.com

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts/tenders
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 (16-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 ounces pepperoni, sliced in thin rounds (8 slices)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Flatten the chicken breasts to about 1/2-inch thickness. In a shallow skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs with the oregano and garlic powder. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Coat the chicken breasts with the bread crumbs. Saute in the olive oil until browned, about 4 minutes each side. Remove the chicken cutlets to a baking dish. Set aside.

In a saucepan, combine the tomato, sugar, oregano, basil, and garlic powder. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Pour the sauce over the chicken in the baking pan. Place the slices of pepperoni on top of each cutlet. Sprinkle the tops with mozzarella cheese. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees F. or until the cheese melts and just begins to brown.

*Sometimes I supplement the sauce with a can of Hunts Spaghetti sauce - we like to serve the chicken over spaghetti or fettucini and so we like there to be a little more sauce available. 

Menu Plan {4/18/2011}

M-Chicken Pepperoni
T- Hamburger Helper

W- Meat and Bean Burrito

Th- Pasta
F- Pizza


S- Baked Macaroni and Cheese
S- Crockpot Lasagna

California Club Pizza

This pizza is a knock off of the California Pizza Kitchen's California Club. In fact, most of the time I refer to it as "California Pizza Kitchen's California Club Pizza of Deliciousness." But... lets be honest, that title is quite the mouthful, and you are going to want to save all of your mouthfuls for this delicious recipe. Thus, from now on, we will refer to this meal as "The California Club." (p.s. The recipe may look a little daunting, but it's really easy and so worth it!)

California Club Pizza

Source: Insipration from California Pizza Kitchen

Ingredients:
Pizza Crust (recipe below)
1 large chicken breast
5 strips bacon
3-4 cups Iceburg lettuce
3-4 cups Romaine lettuce
Avacado, sliced
3 cups cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons Miracle Whip
Lemon Juice
Garlic Powder

Directions:
First things first, make the pizza dough: 

Pizza Dough (adapted from here)
1 1/2 c. warm water
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
3-4 1/2 c. flour

In mixing bowl, combine water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes or until yeast is bubbly. 

Add salt and stir. Add about half of the flour and mix well. Gradually add more flour (usually between 3-4 cups) until dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Pull dough out of mixing bowl, spray with cooking spray and place dough back in. Cover and allow to rise for 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 425 and place bacon inside for 10-15 minutes or until brown and slightly crispy. 

Move onto making the toppings for the pizza:
Defrost chicken slightly so that it is still frozen but easier to cut. Cube chicken and grill in a tiny bit of oil until brown. Crumble bacon into little bits.

Remove pizza dough from bowl and place on a lightly-floured surface. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and roll/stretch dough to fit pan. Place dough onto pan, poke a couple of holes with a fork and then bake for 10 minutes or until dough starts to slightly brown. 

Chiffonade lettuce. Mix iceberg lettuce and romaine lettuce together in large bowl. Add a dash of lemon juice and the miracle whip. Mix until lettuce is well coated. Slice avocado. Set aside.

Remove crust from oven and add cheese to the top of the pizza. (The more cheese the better.) Sprinkle a little bit of garlic powder over the entire thing. Spread cubed chicken and crumbled bacon over the entire crust. (Then throw a little bit more cheese on top of that.) Put crust (with cheese, chicken, and bacon) back into the oven until cheese is melted and chicken is warm.

Top with lettuce mixture and avocado.  Serve immediately.

Seriously, the very first time we ate this at the California Pizza Kitchen I was blown away. I am pretty sure I described it as "a party in my mouth".  This recipe may not be exactly the same, but it sure was just as delicious. One warning though, it doesn't make great leftovers, so it's better to try to make exactly the right amount.

*Note: As a variation, you can toss the bacon and chicken in with the lettuce. This way you see more of the meat without it all being covered in lettuce. We like to put it with the cheese because it sticks a little bit better, but when I make it for guests I put it in with the lettuce because it looks better.

Chicken Veggie Skewers

These little skewers are yum-yummy! We don't have a grill, so we just bake them in our oven. They turn out really well. However, I'm sure they would be even better on the grill.  (If using bamboo skewers, soak in water for about 30 minutes.)

Skewer Stuff: 

Cubed Chicken (5 tenders-ish, we like our skewers chicken-y)

5 Cubed Potatoes (we also like out skewers potato-y. Boil them for five minutes to tender them up a little bit)

Small Whole Mushrooms (stems removed)

1/2 Small Red Onion - cubed (try to keep as much of the pieces in tact as possible, but don’t stress it if they start to fall apart)

1 can chunked pineapple

Marinade:

1/4 c. white vinegar

1/4 c. lemon juice

2 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. dry mustard

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. seasoning salt

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (this really doesn’t add much heat; it’s better with it!)

1/4 tsp. black pepper

4 cloves garlic

1 c. canola oil

1/3 c. Parmesan cheese (either fresh or from a can)

3/4 tsp. Italian seasoning (add more if needed)

In a blender, combine vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, mustard, salt, seasoning salt, black pepper, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Blend. While blender is running, slowly add oil in a steady stream. Turn off blender and add Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese. Pulse blender 2-3 times to combine herbs and cheese. Remove 1/2 c. of dressing for basting during grilling and set aside.

Place cut-up chicken in a shallow dish and pour a little less than half of the remaining dressing over the chicken. Place in refrigerator for 2-3 hours or until ready to use.

Place chopped veggies in a dish (a 9×13 pan works great) and pour remaining dressing (except for reserved 1/2 c.) over the veggies. Toss gently to combine. Set aside.

When chicken is done marinating, skewer veggies and chicken. Then bake in the oven about 30 minutes or until chicken is done and potatoes are tender. 

p.s. When we made them, we actually used chicken and steak. We browned it a little bit in a frying pan first because we were a little worried that it would be completely cooked. It was delicious. Yum Yum Yum. 

Menu for 3/21/2011

M- Potato Supreme
T- Corn Chowder from Our Best Bites

W- Leftovers/Nachos 
Th- Pasta
F- Chefs Salad 

Menu Plan

{4/2/2011}

S- Shish Kabobs

M- Steak and Potatoes
T- Free Burger King

W- Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Th- Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup

F-Ultimate Chicken Bacon Ranch Bites

S- Spring Break Celebration Dinner

S-  California Club Pizza

Ultimate Chicken Bacon Ranch Bites

Yum, yum, yum. These really are the ultimate. Take a Chicken Bacon Ranch pizza. Now make it bite sized. Can this dish get any more delicious? I submit that it cannot!

Chicken Bacon Ranch Bites
Source: Adapted from Our Best Bites. (These two wonderful ladies offer amazing recipes paired with happiness and humor that makes me excited to get into the kitchen.)

Ingredients:
12 Rhodes rolls (I use half of my pizza dough recipe and divide it into 12)
5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 large chicken breast
2-3 cups cheddar cheese
1 T oil
1 tsp Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix
2 T grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Take your ranch dressing mix and combine it with 1 1/2 T parmesan cheese. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350. Rip the first roll in half, stretch it out so it's flat and place cheese and desired toppings on each square. Pile it on. No really - even if you think it won't all fit - just put it in there. It will be better that way. Next stretch the sides of the flattened roll to cover all of your fillings.

Place seam side down in half of a muffin pan section. Repeat the filling process with the second half of the roll. Scootch the second tasty bite next to the first in the same muffin section. Continue these steps until all 12 rolls have been split in half and filled. Each muffin section should have two pizza bites. We like a lot of filling so our motto is "It will fit if you make it!"

Brush with oil and then top with cheese/ranch mixture. Bake for 11-14 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve hot with Ranch for dipping. Mmm... Mmmmm ... Delicious!

Beef Stroganoff

This is one of the first meals I ever remember eating at my in-laws house. It's definitely a family favorite. It says to use round steak, but I use pretty much whatever steak is on sale (price-matching at Walmart is the key to getting a good deal.) Fry the meat, throw everything in the crockpot and enjoy!

Beef Stroganoff
Source: Sue Peaden

Ingredients:
1 lb round steak (thin)
3-4 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 to 2/3 milk per can of soup
1/2 to 1 tub sour cream (to taste)
1 1/2 tsp worchestershire sauce
 Garlic Salt
Onion Salt
Salt
Pepper
Rice

Directions:
Combine cream of chicken soup, sour cream and Worcestershire sauce in large crock pot. (David combines it in a bowl, then transfers it to the crock pot.) Cut up steak into small pieces and brown in frying pan. Season with garlic salt, onion salt, salt and pepper to taste. Pour steak and all juices into crock pot with soup mixture. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours. (Sometimes we add a little bit of milk to make it a little more saucy.)

1/2 hour before stroganoff is done, cook rice. (We make 8 servings and then use this stroganoff for leftovers for the rest of the week.) Serve immediately.

{5/14/2011}

M- Chicken and Twice Baked Potatoes
T- Thyme Pasta from Howe to Cook
W- Crispy Chicken Wraps
Th- BYU/USU Basketball Game Party (maybe this, this, or this?)
F- Chicken and Potatoes with Mrs. Dash seasoning
S- Chicken Sandwiches
S- Beef Stroganoff
M- Corn Chowder from Our Best Bites
T- Chefs Salad

Chicken Nachos

I found this yummy recipe from one of my most favorite real-life family food sites, Howe to Cook. It originally is meant to be put on rice or in a tortilla but we love to eat it on chips as a dinner version of nachos. Pop it in the crock pot in the morning or afternoon and then dinner comes together in minutes.  

  

Chicken Nachos

Source: Adapted from Howe to Cook. 

Ingredients:

2 cans corn, drained

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 can diced green chilis

1 pkg. taco seasoning

1/2 jar salsa (1-2 cups)

{Tortilla Chips}

Directions:

Layer it in the order of the ingredients. Cook on low 3-7 hours (the greatest thing about this meal is that you can put it in three hours before dinner or in the morning before you leave. It won't hurt it to sit in the crock pot all day - it just makes the chicken even more tender.  Stir everything together, shred chicken using a fork, and serve on top of tortilla chips. 

We halved the recipe (just used one can of corn and beans) and added about 1/3 can of diced green chilis and it was perfect for the two of us. Yum!

Sugar Cookies

If you want a delicious, melt in your mouth sugar cookie - then this is the recipe for you!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup sour cream

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

3 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Frosting, sprinkles, colored sugar, decorations

Beat together butter and sugar. Add sour cream, eggs, and vanilla; beat well. Stir
in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate at
least one hour.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F

Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness. Dip cookie
cutters in flour then cut dough into desired shapes. Place cookies 1-inch apart
on un-greased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes (cookie will be a very light
tan on bottom - tops will still be pale). Remove to wire cooling rack. Frost when cooled.



---------
Butter Cream Frosting

1 cup butter, room temperature

5 cups powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract

4-6 tablespoons cream or milk

gel or paste food coloring (optional)

Method:
Beat together butter, sugar, salt, vanilla and 1/4 cup cream or milk. Add
additional cream, 1-2 teaspoons at a time and continue to beat until frosting is
smooth, creamy and is desired spreading consistency. Beat in food color, one
drop at a time, as desired.

Meat and Bean Burritos

This is the perfect meal to use up that leftover hamburger you have sitting in the fridge. Whenever I make my meal plans and we have tacos on one night, you are probably going to find these meat and bean burritos two nights later. We really love them, and I love that I am usually able to pull two meals out of one pound of hamburger.

Meat and Bean Burritos
Source: The Peaden Kitchen

Ingredients:
1/2 lb leftover hamburger
1 cup leftover rice
1 can refried beans
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 packet taco seasoning
Tortillas
Cheese

Directions:
Mix hamburger, rice, refried beans, salsa, taco seasoning and cheese in a sauce pan. Heat thoroughly. Fill tortillas and wrap up burrito style. Cook on George Forman for 2-4 minutes until crispy and golden brown. Top with cheese and salsa. Delicious!

Chicken and Rice Casserole

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked rice
• 1 can cream of chicken soup, or cream of mushroom
• 2 1/2 pounds cut up chicken or chicken breasts
• 1 cup of frozen broccoli
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Cook rice. Cube and cook chicken. Mix soup, broccoli, chicken, and rice; season with salt and pepper. Spread in 9 x 9 inch baking dish. Top with cheese and bake for 15-25 minutes at 350°.  Put casserole under broiler for a few seconds to brown.

Tacos

This is a classic. You know... one of those "I need something delicious, filling, easy and happy" meals.

Tacos make us happy.

Tacos
Source: The Peden Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 lb hamburger
Chili Powder
Garlic Salt
Onion Salt
Tortillas
Toppings: Salsa, Cheese, Cheese, Cheese, Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing, Lettuce

Directions:
Brown hamburger in a skillet. When hamburger is almost done, coat it in chili powder, with liberal amounts of garlic salt and onion salt. Mmmm.....

Wrap in tortillas and top with many delicious toppings.


p.s. whatever you do.... check the Chili Powder bottle. Cinnamon is not on the ingredient list.

Menu Plan - 5/7/2011

M- Tacos
T-Leftovers
W- Chicken and Rice Casserole
Th- Meat and Bean Burritos
F- Pizza
S- Thyme Pasta
S- Mexican Crock Pot

Chocolate Waffle Cookies

Ingredients:
1 c. butter
4 sp. unsweetened chocolate
4 eggs beaten
1 3/4 cup sugar
3 c. flour
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Melt together butter and chocolate and mix that with sugar. Add eggs, flour, vanilla, baking powder, salt. Heat waffle iron and drop one scoop of batter in each section. Be careful not to burn.

Frost with chocolate frosting.

Shantel's Dad's Special Frosting: (His amounts are approximate and were full of hand gestures paired with statements of "about this much." If you get it right - it is divine.)

1 c powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbs melted butter
4 capfuls of milk
Cocoa to taste.

Mix

Oven Grilled Pizzas

These are a quick and easy dinner, so long as you have the supplies on hand and you remember to pull out the Rhodes rolls before leaving for work in the morning. I've also started making my own dough (saves on money as long as you have the time). You can make these pizza's on the grill outside, but we usually just make them in our oven. Delish!

Oven Grilled Pizza
Source: The Peaden Kitchen

Ingredients:
5 Rhodes Rolls
Pizza sauce (lets be realistic, we use the jar of spaghetti sauce that is always in our fridge from eating so much spaghetti.)
Pepperoni
Lots of Cheese (we buy a 5 pound brick of cheese at Sams Club for just about $10.00 - it's a great deal and then we don't feel like we have to skimp on our cheese.)
Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing (See here for more details)

Pre-preparation directions:
Take rolls out of freezer before leaving for work in the morning. Place them on a plate covered in plastic wrap in the refrigerator.

Preparation directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Take two rolls and mush them together then stretch them out to create a little personal pizza. We use five rolls total. Two pizzas for David and one and a half for me. (Today we had an extra roll due to me being really tired this morning when I pulled out the rolls, so I turned one into a breadstick and put it right in with the pizzas and it turned out great.)

One all of the pizzas have been stretched out, place them directly onto the oven rack. Let them bake for about five minutes or until the bottoms have turned golden brown. Take them out, flip them over and put the sauce and toppings on the browned side of the pizza. Then lay a piece of tin foil on the bottom rack and place the pizzas back into the oven directly onto the top rack (so that any drippings fall through onto the tin foil below.) Bake until cheese is melted and gooey.

Remove from oven carefully. Serve immediately with Hidden Valley Ranch and Dr. Pepper. (Don't judge us.)

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches & Tomato Soup

David is the most amazing grilled cheese sandwich maker this side of the Mississippi. (And he could probably give those East coasters a run for their money!) I have the tendency to "char" my attempts - or at very least turn them into flat, tough cheese 'n bread bricks. David's grilled cheese sandwiches come out flaky and buttery with gooey cheese in the middle. One word: Perfect.

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Source: David Peaden

Shantel's Directions:
Heat campbells tomato soup and one can of milk in small sauce pan. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and a tiny bit of pepper. Watch David make the grilled cheese sandwiches. (Some people are above tomato soup from a can, but this is so easy and we really like it.Although, next time I am going to try THIS recipe.)

David's Directions:
Butter bread. Carefully place thinly sliced pieces of cheese on un-buttered sides of bread. Grill until a delicious shade of golden brown. Enjoy the buttery crispness with a nice hot bowl of tomato soup.

We ate this tonight with a side of mozzarella sticks. It was exactly what we needed after a busy day. Yum!

Chicken, Bacon, and Ranch Sandwiches

We love pretty much anything with chicken, bacon, and ranch. And a good Chicken Bacon Ranch sandwich is at the top of our list! Typically David makes the bacon while I grill the chicken on our George Forman and everything comes together really quickly. Another tip I have, that I've just started doing recently, is to buy the marked down bags of hard rolls at the store and stick them in the freezer. They won't go bad if they are in the freezer and then on the day that you want to make the sandwiches just pull the rolls out and let them sit on the counter. (Or stick them in the microwave on defrost.) The rolls taste delicious and you can just use them as you need. I've found that this saves us lots of money and is super convenient!

Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwiches
Source: The Peaden Kitchen

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts or strips
4 pieces of bacon
4 slices cheese
Ranch
4 Slices of bread or 2 rolls

Directions:
Cook bacon until crisp. Grill chicken on George Forman. After chicken is cooked through, take a fork and knife and slice each piece in half again to make your chicken thinner and cover more area on the sandwich. Toast bread or roll in toaster or on stove. Put bacon, chicken, and cheese on bread and add ranch. Enjoy! This meal is great with French Fries or Mozzarella sticks. (Makes 2 sandwiches)

White Chicken Chili

So, here is the deal - I love white chicken chili. I have been searching for "the" recipe for years. About 7 years to be exact. (We went to an event when we were engaged and had the most incredible white chicken chili. I've been trying to recreate it ever since.) For a while we used the McCormick White Chicken Chili Mix as a crutch, but I wanted something better and from scratch.

this. recipe. is. it.

Technically the original recipe was called green chili enchilada soup. But it fits the bill for what I want my white chicken chili to be. I guess it doesn't have beans. I'll add some great northern beans and then it will be legit.

White Chicken Chili
Source: Lil Luna

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts (cooked and shredded)
2 - 14.5 oz cans chicken broth
2 - 15 oz. cans mild green enchilada sauce
2 - 4 oz. cans diced green chiles
⅔ cup water
1½ TB cumin
1 TB chili powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
⅔ cup corn (if frozen, thaw out)
⅔ cup instant rice
1 - 8 oz. bar cream cheese (cubed)
salt and pepper
Monterrey Jack Cheese

Instructions

Place chicken broth, enchilada sauce, green chiles, water, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder in a large pot. Heat through, add shredded chicken, corn, rice, and cubed cream cheese. Simmer about 10 minutes or until cream cheese has melted and rice is done.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with Monterrey Jack cheese and assorted toppings (ie. avocado). 

(Crock Pot Instructions)

Place chicken broth, enchilada sauce, green chiles, water, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder and shredded chicken in crock pot on HIGH. Cook for 3.5 hours.
After cooking for 3.5 hours add corn, rice and cubed cream cheese. Stir and cook for half hour.
Add salt and pepper to taste and top with Monterrey Jack Cheese.

Potato Supreme

This is David's very favorite meal. If you even compare it to another dish similar to it (i.e. funeral potatoes) he gets pretty grumpy. We have making it down to a two-part science. I love that we each have our own jobs and that we finish perfectly on time, every time. Try this out. It's warm, gooey, and delicious.

Potato Supreme
Source: Sue Peaden

Ingredients:
8-10 Medium Potatoes
1 Pint Sour Cream
2 Cans Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can of milk
2 tablespoons onion flakes
2 cups of corn flakes
3-5 cups of cheese
2 Tablespoons butter

Directions:
Boil potatoes 45 minutes until soft. Let cool. Peel and grate potatoes and put in 9X13 pan. In a medium size bowl mix sour cream and cream of chicken soup. Mix in 1 can of milk and then add cheese. In small frying pan saute onion flakes until brown and add to soup mix. Mix the majority of the soup mix with the potatoes. Use remaining soup mix to put a very thin layer of sauce on top of potato and soup mixture. Put the corn flakes in a ziplock baggie and crush into smaller pieces. Melt the butter, add to the baggie and mix together. Sprinkle corn flakes on the top. Cook at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. This meal can also be saved in the fridge and cooked the next day at 350 for 1 hour.

Creamy Italian Chicken

This is a Peaden Family Favorite. Warm, creamy, tasty, and oh-so easy! This is the perfect Sunday dinner and we really love it. 

Creamy Italian Chicken
Source: Sue Peaden

Ingredients:

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 cans cream of chicken soup
1 pkg. dry italian dressing mix
1/4 c. water

1 pkg. cream cheese

1 c. milk (to consistency)

Directions:

Mix italian dressing with water. Place chicken in crock pot and cover with water/dressing mix. Cook on low for 3 hours. After those three hours are up, soften the cream cheese and mix with cream of chicken soup. Add milk to until you have reached a good consistency. (David and I like it a little thin - you don't have to add any milk if you don't want to.) Cook for one hour. Serve over rice.

Chicken Enchiladas {my favorite}

My mom made this for us all growing up. This is the recipe that I would always request for my birthday dinner. I love it. I can't think of a meal that is a better feel good - comfort food. Once, my little sister tried to ruin this creamy goodness by putting enchilada sauce on the top. Just the thought of it makes me squirm. Apparently, she said it was good - but I like the combination of the flavors and textures here.

Chicken Enchiladas
Source: Lori Walker

Ingredients:
1 large chicken breast
3 cans cream of chicken soup
1 pint sour cream
1 - 8oz can chopped green chilies
1/2 onion, diced
3-5 cups cheddar cheese, grated
Flour Tortillas - about 12 depending on their fullness

Directions:
Boil chicken until done. Mix soups and sour cream and divide in half. To one half of the mixture: add chilies, onion, 1/2 of the cheese and all of the chicken. Roll chicken mixture in tortillas and place seam side down in baking pan that has been lightly sprayed with Pam. Cover with remainder of sauce and then grated cheese. Cover with tinfoil and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove tinfoil and bake for 15 additional minutes.

Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup

We got this recipe from and we absolutely LOVE it.  Seriously, this is a new family favorite.

Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Source: Howe to Cook

Ingredients:
1 can cream of potato soup
1 can chicken broth
1 jar Fiesta Nacho Cheese (Campbells)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 shredded chicken breast (I boil it for about 30 minutes)
1/4 packet taco seasoning
1/2 can diced chilies
1 can corn (drained)

Directions:
Put everything into a pot, stir together, bring to a boil, and serve with tortilla chips.

Cheesy Potato Soup

This is one of my favorite soups ever. So delicious and makes great leftovers.

Cheesy Potato Soup
Source: Lori Walker

Ingredients:
What the recipe Says: 
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely shredded
1can chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
dash of pepper
2 cups potato, cubed
1 12 oz can evaporated milk
2 cups shredded cheese (at least)

What we actually DO:

1 medium onion, diced
1 cups celery, finely chopped (3-4 stalks) 
1.5 cups carrot, finely shredded (3-4 medium carrots) 
1can chicken broth + enough water to cover the potatoes
1 teaspoon salt
dash of pepper
5 cups potato, cubed (3-5 russet potatoes) 
1 12 oz can evaporated milk 
2 cups shredded cheese (at least)

Directions:
Saute onion, celery and carrot in 2 tablespoons butter until transparent. Combine broth, salt, pepper, and potato in a large soup pan. Add the sauteed vegetables. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and boil gently until potatoes are tender. Add evaporated milk and heat thoroughly. Thicken with roux (2 Tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup cold water.) Stir in cheese (cheese can be added to taste).

Serve hot, with cheese on top.

****We also like to add 1 can whole kernel corn to this soup.