Baked Potato Soup ala ~DKBB~

Baked Potato Soup ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe from www.tasteofhome.com)

original photo from tasteofhome.com

4 large baking potatoes
1 medium (or ½ large) onion, diced

⅔ c. butter

⅔ c. flour

¾ tsp. salt

1 tsp. celery salt (or to taste)

½ tsp. white pepper (or to taste)

6 c. milk

1 c. sour cream

6-10 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled (optional)

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

¼ to ½ c. thinly sliced green onions (optional) 

(Bake potatoes a few hours ahead of time to give them time to cool completely.)

• Preheat oven to 350°F; pierce potatoes several times with a fork; place potatoes on baking sheet and bake until tender, 65-75 minutes. Cool completely.
• Peel and cube cooled potatoes and set aside.
• In a large stock pot, melt butter and sauté onions over medium heat; stir in flour, salt, celery salt, and white pepper until smooth; whisk in milk.
• Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir until thickened (about 2 minutes).
• Stir in potatoes and heat through.
• Remove from heat and stir in sour cream.

Easy Chicken and Dumplings ala ~DKBB~

 Easy Chicken and Dumplings ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe “Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings” from www.thepioneerwoman.com)

photo from www.thepioneerwoman.com

2 Tbsp. butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
1 large onion, sliced (or diced – your preference)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 c. chicken broth
1.5 lbs. chicken (you can use leftover rotisserie chicken or canned shredded chicken)
1 c. frozen peas
Dried basil and thyme to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
1 can buttermilk biscuits
1 c. shredded white cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp. minced chives

• In a stock pot, melt the butter and sauté the celery, carrots, and onions.
• Add soups and broth and mix well, then add the chicken, herbs, and salt and pepper to taste, mixing all in well; cook over medium-low heat for about ½ hour, then add the peas and continue simmering for another ¼ hour.
• Lay out the biscuits on a clean work surface; sprinkle the biscuits with the shredded cheese and minced chives, lightly pressing into the biscuits to adhere; cut biscuits into fourths and place them on the surface of the soup (you might not need all the biscuits, so cut and place biscuits individually so you can leave unused biscuits intact).
• Cover and continuing simmering until the biscuits are cooked through (20 to 30 minutes).
• If you don’t need all the biscuits for the soup, bake the extras according to package directions.

You can cut this recipe in half if desired.

Easy Skillet Scalloped Potatoes Au Gratin ala ~DKBB~

Easy Skillet Scalloped Potatoes Au Gratin ala ~DKBB~

(original recipes from www.thereciperebel.com)

2 Tbsp. butter

½ medium onion, diced
1 tsp. minced garlic
3 Tbsp. flour
1 c. chicken broth
½ c. heavy cream
½ c. milk
1 c. + ½ c. shredded cheese (your preference – I use smoked gouda or gruyere)
2 tsp. chopped chives
Salt and pepper to taste
1.5 lb. potatoes, sliced

• Heat oven to 375°F.
• Peel and slice the potatoes; if you want, you can brine the potato slices, but be sure to drain them well and pat dry before cooking them.
• In a medium cast iron or oven-safe skillet (10 to 12 inches), melt the butter; add onion and cook until softened (2-4 minutes); add garlic and cook 1 minute.
• Stir in flour until smooth and combined; add the chicken broth, heavy cream, and milk and cook, stirring often until the sauce thickens considerably.
• Stir in 1 cup of shredded cheese and the chives until smooth; salt and pepper to taste.
• Stir in the sliced potatoes and coat them all well; place a lid on the skillet and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Remove lid from skillet, sprinkle remaining ½ c. shredded cheese over the top of the potatoes, and cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until it is bubbly and the potatoes are tender.

Weekend Apple Pancake ala ~DKBB~

Weekend Apple Pancake ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe from thekitchn.com)

2 large (or 3 medium) baking apples

4 Tbsp. dark brown sugar, divided
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger
⅓ cup unsalted butter
⅓ cup dark brown sugar
¾ cup unbleached flour
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. nutmeg
1 cup whole milk
½ tsp. vanilla extract
5 large eggs

• Heat oven to 400°F; peel, core, and quarter apples, then cut them into medium slices (1/4 inch thick) and cut those slices into thirds.
• In a small bowl, combine 3 Tbsp. of dark brown sugar with the cinnamon and ginger and set aside.
• Cut the butter into chunks and place them in a your choice of a baking pan (cast iron skillet or 8x8 baking dish); put the baking pan in the oven for 3 to 4 minutes or until butter is melted.
• Take the pan out of the oven and sprinkle the ⅓ cup dark brown sugar over the melted butter, then carefully spread the apples on top of that, then sprinkle the dark brown sugar/cinnamon/ginger mix over all that; put the pan back in the oven to caramelize the apples and sugar.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour with the remaining Tbsp. of dark brown sugar, salt, and nutmeg; gradually add in the milk, whisking constantly with a large wire whisk to beat out any lumps.
• Once the flour has been smoothly incorporated in the milk, meat in the vanilla, then the eggs one at a time. Beat this mixture for about 2 minutes, either by hand or using the whisk attachment to a mixer on the lowest setting, until the mixture is foamy; let the batter rest for 5 minutes.
• Take the pan out of the oven and carefully pour the mixture over the apples; bake for about 20 minutes more, or until the center sets and the sides are lightly browned. The pancake may puff up dramatically but will fall after a few minutes out of the oven.

If desired, you can serve it with powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar, but really it’s sweet enough plain.

Pasta Carbonara ala ~DKBB~

Pasta Carbonara ala ~DKBB~

2 egg yolks at room temperature
1 whole egg at room temperature
Freshly cracked pepper
1.5 oz. grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz. spaghetti
1 tsp. salt
5 oz. pancetta OR 5-6 slices thick-cut bacon

Egg Mixture:

·       In a 2-cup or larger liquid measuring cup, whisk together the egg and egg yolks, grated cheese, and plenty of freshly-cracked pepper; set aside.

Cook Pork:

·       If using bacon, cut into small pieces before cooking.

·       Cook the pork in a large sauté pan over medium heat until browned and crispy (use a pan large enough to eventually hold all of the pasta); remove pan from heat; using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked pork to a paper-towel-lined plate. Do not clean out the pan.

Cook Pasta:

·       Add water to a large Dutch oven or stockpot; the water should be shallow because it needs to be very starchy; bring water to a boil; add 1 tsp. salt and then add spaghetti.

·       Cook pasta uncovered just a bit shy of al dente, stirring often so spaghetti does not stick.

·       Using tongs, transfer the spaghetti to the sauté pan with the pork drippings; mix in the minced garlic, set aside.

 Temper the Eggs:

·       While vigorously whisking the egg mixture with one hand, slowly drizzle ½ cup starchy pasta water into the egg mixture 2 Tbsp. at a time until incorporated (never stopping the whisking); set aside.

 Combine:

·       While continuously tossing the spaghetti, very slowly drizzle the egg mixture into the pasta; continue tossing until the cheese melts and the eggs thicken to form a glossy sauce.

·       Thin sauce with additional pasta water if needed.

·       Add the pork and toss to combine.

·       Transfer to a serving bowl (to remove from pan so eggs do not continue to cook); season to taste with more freshly cracked pepper and red pepper flakes if desired. Serve immediately.

Spring Pea and Radish Salad ala ~DKBB~

Spring Pea and Radish Salad ala ~DKBB~
(original recipe from www.tasteofhome.com)

original photo from tasteofhome.com 

½ lb. fresh wax or green beans

½ lb. fresh sugar snap peas
2 cups water
6 large radishes, thinly sliced (you can use sliced daikon radish)
2 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. dried tarragon
¼ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. coarsely ground pepper

• Snip ends off beans and sugar snap peas; remove strings from snap peas; cut beans into 1-inch pieces.
• In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil over high heat; add beans and reduce heat; simmer, covered, 4-5 minutes; add sugar snap peas; simmer, covered, until both beans and peas are crisp-tender, another 2-3 minutes; drain.
• Toss beans and peas with radishes; stir together honey, tarragon, salt and pepper and drizzle over vegetables.
• Serve salad warm/room temperature; heat the dressing just a tiny bit in the microwave so the honey flows freely and drizzles well.

 Balsamic Green Bean Salad ala ~DKBB~
(original recipe from www.tasteofhome.com)

photo from tasteofhome.com

2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1½ inch pieces
¼ cup olive oil
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. ground mustard
½ tsp. white pepper
1 large red onion, chopped
cherry tomatoes, halved
crumbled feta cheese

• Place beans in a 6-qt. stockpot; add water to cover; bring to a boil; cook, covered, 8-10 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain and immediately place in ice water; drain and pat dry.
• In a small bowl, whisk oil, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, garlic powder, mustard and pepper; drizzle over beans; add onion; toss to coat.
• Refrigerate, covered, at least 1 hour (but the longer, the better).
• Mix tomatoes, feta cheese, salt, and cracked black pepper to taste into individual servings to taste.