Slow-Cooker Loaded Baked Potato Soup

8 slices  OSCAR MAYER Bacon, chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

2 Tbsp.  flour

1 carton  (32 oz.) fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided

3 lb.  large baking potatoes (about 6), peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 pkg.  (8 oz.) KRAFT Shredded Triple Cheddar Cheese with a TOUCH OF PHILADELPHIA, divided

1/2 cup  milk

1/2 cup  BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream

1/4 cup  chopped fresh chives

COOK and stir bacon in large skillet on medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from skillet with slotted spoon, reserving 2 Tbsp. drippings in skillet. Drain bacon on paper towels; refrigerate until ready to use. Add onions to drippings in skillet; cook and stir 5 min. or until crisp-tender. Stir in flour; cook and stir 1 min. Add 1 cup broth; cook and stir 2 min. or until sauce comes to boil and thickens. Pour into slow cooker. Stir in remaining broth and potatoes; cover with lid. Cook on LOW 8 to 10 hours (or HIGH 5 to 6 hours).

USE slotted spoon to transfer 4 cups potatoes to medium bowl; mash until smooth. Add 1-1/2 cups cheese to remaining mixture in slow cooker; stir until melted. Stir in mashed potatoes and milk; cook, covered, 5 min. or until heated through.

PLACE bacon on paper towel-covered microwaveable plate. Microwave on HIGH 20 to 30 sec. or until heated through. Serve soup topped with bacon, remaining cheese, sour cream and chives.

Comments:  This recipe came from Kraft and as soon as I saw it I knew I had to give it a try.  I did make a couple of changes to the method but not the ingredients.  First, I didn't cook mine in a slow-cooker.  I used a large pot.  I didn't remove the 4 cups of potatoes after they were cooked but used a potato masher and simply mashed some of them in the pot.  I also added my sour cream at this point instead of serving it as a topping.  Using the large pot cut the cooking time to about 1 hr. total but if you're looking for a dish you can put on before going to work, do follow the slow-cooker directions.  Now for taste.  This has to be one of the best soups I've ever cooked!  And I have to admit that it was even better the next day after the flavors blended.  This is a must try recipe for anyone who loves a good, creamy soup.

Ham Chowder

1 ham steak, cut into bite size pieces (or leftover ham bone with meat)
3 cups water
1 pkg (1 lb.) mixed broccoli and cauliflower
2 potatoes, cubed
1 scallion
salt & pepper to taste
1 - 2 Tbsp. flour (Rice flour)

In a large pot  bring ham and water to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer until ham is tender and starting to fall apart (about 1 hour).  Add broccoli & cauliflower, potatoes and scallion.  Mix flour in 1/4 cup of water until blended.  Add to pot.  Allow to cook until it thickens.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Comment:  This is a soup I made up when cleaning out my freezer.  I had a ham bone with very little meat but had a ham steak that would make up for the lack of meat on the bone.  I cooked the bone and steak for about 1 hour giving a delicious flavor to the water.  I had originally planned on using broccoli only but spotted a bag with broccoli and cauliflower so decided, why not.  The added potatoes gave me just one more texture as well as taste as did the scallion.  I used rice flour to keep this dish gluten free and must say that it works perfectly.  One thing I've noticed about rice flour is that it seems to help keep the flavors of the other ingredients separate.  Don't know why but it does.  You can add more or less flour, and even corn starch to reach the thickness you like best.

I almost didn't add this recipe to the site.  I love the taste of broccoli and cauliflower and both are really strong so I wasn't sure how well these flavors would go over, but... my food testers agreed that this was a recipe that had to be shared.  It was delicious to me as well as to them.  Hope you enjoy as much as we did.

Wild Rice and Ground Beef Soup

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 box Rice a Roni Long Grain & Wild Rice
1 2/3 cup water
1 can Progresso Recipe Starters Creamy Portabella Mushroom

In a large sauce pan brown ground beef.  Add Rice and seasoning packet.  Add water.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, covered about 25 minutes or until rice is done.  Add Starter and heat.  Serves 6-8 depending upon appetite.

Comment:  I found a box of Rice a Roni in my pantry and spotted the can of Progresso Starter and decided why not.  I had originally planned on this being a casserole type dish but the Starter is thinner than I thought so I made it into a soup.  To make this into a casserole, omit the water and use the Starter for your liquid to cook the rice.  This is one yummy dish.  I'm actually glad it turned out as a soup.  The ground beef and Portabellas along with the wild rice made a perfect blend.

Potato & Ham Soup

1/2 lb. bacon, chopped
1/2 pkg. onion soup mix
1 1/2 cup water
4 med. potatoes, chopped
1 to 1 1/2 cups cooked, cubed ham
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups milk
1/2 to 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded


In a large sauce pan fry bacon until crispy.  Drain grease.  Add water to bacon and bring to a simmer.  Stir in onion soup mix, potatoes and ham.  Simmer until potatoes are tender.  Stir in sour cream, milk and cheese.  Bring to a simmer.  Serves 6-8.

Comments:  The idea for this recipe came form a 1967 cookbook for English Clam Chowder.  The original recipe didn't use ham, sour cream nor cheese but did include 2 cans of minced, drained clams.  I eliminated the clams and added the ham, cheese and sour cream.  The flavor form the onion soup mix and ham gives this soup a smokey taste that is so good.  If you don't like cheese, you can use a couple Tbsp. of corn starch and thicken the soup just a little.  No matter what, this soup is so good.  This would also be good garnished with a sprinkle of cheese and a little chives.

Broccoli Chowder (1984 cookbook)

2 lbs. fresh broccoli
2 (13 3/4-oz.) cans chicken broth
3 cups milk
1 cup cooked, chopped ham
1 cup half & half
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese (I used cheddar)
1/4 cup butter
salt & pepper to taste
(3 Tbsp. corn starch - my addition)

In a large pot combine broccoli and 1 can of broth.  Cover and cook 7 minutes or until they are crisp tender.  Remove broccoli; col and chop coarsely.  Add other can of broth, milk, half & half, ham, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Stir in broccoli, cheese and butter.  Stir constantly but don't allow to boil.

Comments:  This recipe came from a cookbook dating 1984 called The Enlightened Gourmet.  I love broccoli cheese soup and this one had the addition of ham that I hadn't tried before.  It is delicious!  I added the corn starch to thicken it just a little and that worked good too.  Also this called for Swiss cheese but I'm a cheddar lover so I did make that change too.  I'm sure the Swiss is delicious but I also have problems getting Swiss to melt smoothly so that was another reason for my using cheddar.  The flavor of this soup is so good.  The only other change I might make would be to add a few chopped leeks to the broccoli.  I don't think it could get much better than that.

Comment from Carol:  My mother is a great fan of broccoli soup and has been quite an authority on it over the years.  Today she pronounced this is the best broccoli soup she has ever had!  She especially liked the addition of the ham to an already solid friendship between broccoli and cheddar.  Martha has told us how to thicken the soup according to our tastes (by adding a little corn starch) and it allows us to choose degrees of thickness.  This is a delicious soup and now I know that it is the recipe we will follow form here on out!

15 Bean Soup with Tortellini

1 bag 15 Bean mix
6 cups water
1 pkg Campbell's Slow Cooker Sauce Tavern Style Pot Roast
1 can diced fire roasted tomatoes
1 cup shredded cabbage
1 pkg. Tortellini
Salt & pepper to taste

In a slow cooker add beans and water.  Allow to soak at least 1 hr.  Add Campbell's sauce and turn to high.  Cook 6-7 hrs. or until beans are tender.  If possible, stir now and then.  Add cabbage, tomatoes, Tortellini, salt & pepper.  Cook another 2 hrs.  Serves 6-8.

Comment:  I've used one of these sauces to make Korean BBQ and loved it so I decided to give the Tavern Style Pot Roast a try.  I'm not a big beef eater so after having it sit in the pantry for a couple weeks I came up with the idea for using it to flavor a bean soup.... a Healthy Bean Soup.  The flavor is perfect!  A touch of heat but not much.  The roasted tomato flavor comes through as well as the flavor of the beans.  And the tortellini is just an additional addition that worked perfectly.  So as I always say... Think With Your Taste Buds.  You don't always have to use that product as it was originally created for.

Comments from Carol:  This hardy broth (really a sauce that Martha has expanded into a soup base) infuses the bean mixture with the rich flavor of beef without the beef.  I say rich because it's so distinctive in its flavor but no fats - a very healthy meal.  The bean mix has such a deeper, broader taste than our usual one-bean soups, I really prefer it and the tortellinis just add the finishing touch of interest.  A well balanced meal!

Leek, Broccoli, Potato Soup

2 leeks, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
1 pkg. (1 lb.) frozen broccoli florets, thawed
2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. butter
6 cups water
4 chicken bouillon cubes
1 Tbsp. corn starch
½ cup evaporated milk
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot over med. high melt olive oil and butter.  Add leeks and sauté 3-4 minutes.  Add broccoli, potatoes, garlic, water and bouillon cubes.  Cook covered until potatoes, broccoli and leeks are soft.  Using a potato masher, mash all veggies.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Mix corn starch in evaporated milk until completely blended.  Stir into soup.  Bring to a boil for about 2 minutes stirring constantly.  Serves 6-8. 

Comments:  I went looking for a soup recipe using leeks and broccoli.  I found several but neither was completely what I wanted so this recipe was developed by pulling from 2 others plus my own additions.   Both called for 1 small potato but I increased it to 2 large.  One used veggie broth, one used chicken broth.  I used the bouillon cubes adding one at a time until I got the taste where I wanted it.  One called for ¼ cup of half and half.  I changed that to ½ cup of evaporated milk.  Both called for the soup to be run through a food processor but I changed that to the masher and added the corn starch for a very slight thickness.  With all my changes I came out with a really delicious soup!

Comment from Carol:  This is a soup full of character.  Each ingredient has a character of its own and what I think gives it dynamic taste is the fact that the ingredients are mashed, or smashed, not pureed into one blended flavor.  The distinctive taste of each morsel is recognizable as broccoli or leek with the results being a lively soup with complex flavor.  This is not a soup that tastes simple; it is substantial.  This soup positively shouts out "I am healthy!" to the estent that my 95 year old mother wants to add it to the list of soups we make to give to friends and family when they need cheering up: 1) fresh chicken-vegetable; 2) potato leek; 3) AND NOW broccoli, leek potato

Lentil Soup

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 tsp. Creole seasoning
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. garlic, minced
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes in sauce
1/2 pound lentils
1 lb. ground beef, cooked and drained
6 cups water
4 beef bouillon cubes

In a 6 quart pot, heat olive oil.  Add onions, celery, and carrots.  Cook 5-6 minutes or until onions are translucent.  Add all other ingredients stirring well.  Cook 1 1/2 hrs. over med. heat or until lentils are tender.

Comments:  This was pulled from 2 recipes giving me the measurements of lentils and liquid.  I also used the ingredients of onion, celery and carrots but used my own measurements.  The cumin was also an ingredient in both recipes.  I did add the garlic, Creole seasoning, ground beef and beef bouillon.  I had no idea how this would turn out but I have to admit that it is delicious!  It doesn't taste like any lentil soup I've ever eaten since most include some form of pork and call for coriander.  Well my pork was frozen and I had no coriander.  No matter - this worked beautifully.  I didn't add salt due to the salt in the bouillon.  This does give you just a bit of heat form the Creole but not too much.  Think With Your Taste Buds and create your own recipes.

Food Tester Carol:  Lentil soup can sometimes be bland and the delicious earthen flavor of the lentils is lost, but not so with this soup.  The lentil base is enhanced by Cajun spices and cumin, just enough to give it some muscle, but not over-powering.  Ground beef and tomatoes in the soup act as if they are happily singing (or harmonizing) as part of this hearty, satisfying dish.  It's a meal in itself and just a few crackers will complete the meal.

Bacon-Cheddar Cauliflower Chowder

8 slices center-cut bacon, chopped
1/2 small onion, chopped or 1 tsp. onion powder
1 celery stalk,  chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt & pepper
4 cups shredded or grated cauliflower (1/2 large head)
2 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. flour
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
3-4 dashes hot sauce (or more or less)
2 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 green onions, chopped (optional)

Whisk together flour and 1/4 cup of the chicken broth in a small bowl and set aside.  In a large pot saute bacon over medium heat until crisp.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a paper towel.  Remove all but 1 Tbsp. of drippings from the pot.  Add chopped onions (if using), celery and garlic to the pot then season with salt and pepper.  Saute until vegetables are tender, about 4-5 minutes.  Add cauliflower and onion powder if not using onions, to the pot then stir to combine.  Add water then place a lid on top and steam cauliflower until tender, stirring a couple times, about 5-7 minutes.  Add remaining chicken broth and milk then turn up heat and bring to a boil.  Slowly whisk in flour/chicken broth mixture while stirring, then turn down heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes, or until chowder has thickened.  Turn off heat then stir in 2 cups cheddar cheese until smooth.  Stir in half the cooked bacon.  Taste and adjust salt, pepper and hot sauce.  Serve topped with remaining shredded cheese, cooked bacon and green onions, if desired.

Comments:  This is one dish that I did not change even one ingredient!  It is perfect as is.  Now I can think of some drastic changes that will change the flavor completely that I intend to try.  #1 use broccoli instead of cauliflower.  #2 use hashbrown potatoes instead of cauliflower.  This might even be a good one to add clams to if using the potatoes.  One other thing that I found useful was using a food processor to grate my cauliflower.  It makes it so much easier.  I also used precooked bacon, heating it in my pot to crisp up and to give me the drippings called for in the pot. 

Comments from Food Tester Carol:  Cauliflower has many friends and some of its best friends are in this soup!  This smooth soup is surprisingly light, and tastes creamy and  cheese-y.  Sprinkled on top are pieces of bacon and scallion.  What I loved about it is that the cauliflower flavor is not masked by its companions.  In fact, that edgy sweetness of cauliflower is very much alive in this soup.  You might think of this as a hearty soup for winter, but its lightness makes it a soup for any season!

Broccoli Chicken with Cheese Tortellini Soup

1 pkg. (11.2 oz.) Cheddar Broccoli Soup Mix (Bear Creek)
1 pkg (12 oz.) Three Cheese Tortellini (Bartilla)
2 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into bite size pieces
6 cups of water
2 cups half & half

Cook tortellini according to package.  Drain and set aside.  In a large pot bring water to a boil.  Add soup mix.  Whisk until smooth.  Add milk and continue to whisk until soup starts to thicken.  Stir in chicken and tortellini.  Serves 8 - 10.

Martha:  I love broccoli cheese soup.  I love chicken.  And I love tortellini.  So why not put them all together to create one really great soup?  It worked out beautifully.  Plus, its easy and so quick to make.  You could actually make this with leftover chicken.  If you want a little lighter soup, use 2% milk instead of the half & half.  Or use all water.  This soup was so good that one of my food testers, Dusty, emailed me her praises. 

Dusty:  As soon as I took the first bite I was transported back to my Grandma Rose's kitchen !! Just as creamy and delicious as hers used to be!! But it wasn't till I saw the NAME of the dish that I started racing down memory lane....Martha & my grandma cook AND think alike!! I didn't see or taste one bit of broccolli in that dish....Grandma's either!!

At Grandma Rose's - Once I saw the recipe card on the counter entitled Broccolli Tortelini & flipped out! Broccolli in my favorite pasta supper? This was espionage of the highest order!!!

Grandma just smiled.....she knew that if she'd even MENTIONED the "B" word, my sister and I wouldn't have gone NEAR the table no matter how great it smelled! Which of course, caused me to question how many different veggies she'd been hiding in other seemingly innocent plates of yummy food!

They say longevity is the best test of any idea & this one passes--- I used it many times on my own kids who totally never knew that they got at least 3 servings of veggies in every plate of spaghetti they wolfed down cause I would take a page from Grandma's book & puree any leafy green I could get my hands on before adding it to the homemade spaghetti sauce they loved so much!! LOL!

 

Martha:  Dusty, that is one of the best endorsements for a dish I've ever had.  Thank you and I'm so glad I was able to take you back to a comfortable time in your life.

Broccoli-Cauliflower Soup

1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup butter
1 pkg. (1 lb) broccoli-cauliflower mix, thawed and chopped
2 Tbsp. flour
4 cups half & half
1 pkg (8 oz.) cream cheese, cubed
1/2 lb Velveeta cheese, cubed
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg (add more to taste)
pepper to taste

In a large frying pan melt butter on med. high and saute onions 3-4 minutes or until they start becoming transparent.  Add broccoli and cauliflower and saute until they are just beginning to become tender.  Add flour and stir to blend well with vegetables.  In a large pot on med. high heat add half & half, cream cheese and velveeta.  Stir VERY frequently until melted.  Add vegetable mix, nutmeg and pepper.  Serves 6-8.

Comments:  The sweetness of the sauteed onions and the nutmeg give this soup a taste that can't be described.  The nutmeg can be adjusted to your own taste by starting with the 1/2 tsp. and adding more if you like.  I like my broccoli to have just a slight crunch so I saute it for 5-6 minutes, depending upon how finely I chopped it.  You can use fresh broccoli and cauliflower or the frozen type.  Both work but you'll get a stronger flavor from fresh.  The base of this soup is also great for Mushroom Soup and even Cream of Chicken Soup.  Simply replace the vegetables with the mushrooms or cooked chicken which would eliminate the need to saute.  This is also GREAT using Imitation Crab or fresh if you can afford it.  For the Imitation I use 1 lb.  For fresh, which is stronger I would use maybe half a pound.

Cheddar Chicken Broccoli Soup

1 pkg. Bear Creek Cheddar Broccoli Soup Mix (11.2 oz.)
8 cups chicken stock/water
2 chicken breasts
1/2 tsp. sage
1 cube granulated onion
1 cup shredded cheese
seasoned stuffing mix

Boil the chicken breasts until completely done.  Remove meat from bone.  Strain the broth and measure broth adding enough water to make 8 cups of stock/water.  In a large pot, bring to a boil.  Add onion cube and sage.  Whisk in soup mix and cook on low uncovered 10 minutes.  Add chicken and cheese.  Heat, stirring constantly until cheese melts.  Serve with seasoned stuffing mix. 

Comments:  This soup comes out a little thick but oh so good.  I decided to use the stuffing mix instead of crackers giving it just a little more of that heart warming sage taste.  This is a great recipe to have on hand using leftover turkey in place of the chicken.

For my review of Bear Creek Cheddar Broccoli Soup Mix, visit my site The Good, The Bad, The Maybe.

Lima Bean Soup

1 bag (16 oz.) Baby Lima Beans
8 cups water
1 med. onion, chopped
1 lb. ham, cubed
1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste (with Italian Herbs, optional)
4 garlic cloves
hot sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Place everything in a slow cooker.  Cook on med. 6-8 hrs.


Note:  I used the Italian Herb tomato paste for added flavor.  You can change the ham to turkey ham if you want.