Italian Sausage and Potato Soup

Italian Sausage and Potato Soup

1 lb Italian sausage browned

1 onion diced

1 cup diced celery

1 c diced carrots

3 cloves garlic minced

1 bag baby red or Yukon gold potatoes (1 1/4 lbs cut into quarters)

12 oz frozen corn

6 c chicken broth    

1 tsp basil

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp parsley

1/2 tsp ground mustard

1/2 tsp black pepper 

1 Tbs soy sauce

1 Tbs hot sauce (like Franks red hot or Tabasco)

1 cup cream

2 cups sharp cheddar

Brown sausage in large pan. Halfway through browning add carrots, celery, onions and garlic. Cook until meat is completely cooked through and vegetables are tender. 

Add all ingredients to crock pot and cook on low 6-8 hours or high 4-5 hours. 

During last 45 minutes add a bag of frozen corn. Bring back to temp and slowly add cream while stirring. Add cheese and stir until melted. 

 

 Easy No Knead Bread

The base recipe is below. Makes 2 large loaves or 3 smaller ones. Dough can be refrigerated for up to a week.

3 c. warm water

2 packets (1 1/2 T) instant yeast

1 T kosher or sea salt (less if you're using iodized table salt)

1 1 /2 T sugar

Mix together and let yeast start to bloom..

in a large mixing bowl or mixer add

6-7 cups flour. 

Mix until a shaggy dough forms and the flour is fully incorporated. Cover and let rest 3-5 hours. It should roughly double in size and kind of bubble on the surface. (It can actually sit on the counter overnight if you forget and it will be fine.)

When you're ready to bake. Preheat oven to 450. I usually preheat my dutch oven while I'm shaping the loaves.

On a floured surface dump 1/2 of the dough. Flatten out into a rectangle adding a bit more flour as needed. DON'T KNEAD!

Fold gently over onto itself 4 times. Tuck the edges under and form a ball. Place on a sheet of parchment paper and set into preheated dutch oven. If you feel fancy flour surface and slice design into top with sharp knife.  Cover with lid and bake for 30 (ish) minutes and then remove the lid and bake an additional 12-15 minutes depending on the size of your loaf. Cool on wire rack.

Variations:

Add cheese or herbs or both to base recipe for cheesy herb bread.

Sub part of the flour for rye or whole wheat

Use for Foccacia or pizza dough

White Sandwich Bread

Sub 2 T honey for the sugar

Add 1 stick melted butter to wet ingredients

Divide into 3 and put into loaf pans instead of a dutch oven. Let raise 40 minutes.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes

If using refrigerated dough the last raise is more like an hour and 40 minutes. 

Freezer Breakfast Burritos

Somehow I've managed to get myself involved in a monthly freezer meal group. I start out thinking that I'm going to be a supportive friend and then wonder how I got myself into these kinds of things. But...it's been a good thing and I've thoroughly enjoyed it....when I'm not panicking because I don't have a plan for what my meal is going to be.

This time I decided to do Breakfast Burritos, because who DOESN'T like a good burrito filled with eggs and cheese and other good things? I made mine with sausage, bacon, and ham because I love the mixed breakfast burritos at Betos. These aren't as big but that's probably a good thing.

Breakfast Burritos

Jill Hansen

1 dozen eggs

¼ c. cream or milk

Your choice of protein (sausage, bacon, ham)

Tater tots or hash browns

Cheese

Enchilada sauce

Burrito sized tortillas

1.      Bake tater tots according to package directions.

2.      Break eggs into blender, add milk or cream. Whip together.

3.      Scramble eggs in skillet. I like to make them a little more “dry” than I would normally.

4.      In tortilla assemble burrito. I add approx. 1 egg, 4 tater tots, 2-3 T enchilada sauce, meat according to your taste or not at all, and ¼ c. cheese.

5.      Roll into tortilla. Wrap in foil

6.      Freeze in a single layer in the freezer. Add to freezer bags when frozen.

7.      To eat: Unwrap foil. Wrap in a damp paper towel and microwave 1-2 minutes, until warmed through, or heat in regular oven at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Instant Pot Beef Stew

The instant pot experiments continue...This was a do again. The meat was not as tender as I would have liked so maybe a couple minutes longer on the meat but overall it was really good. Note to self: remember to shut the pressure valve when you put the vegetables in...

Instant Pot Beef Stew
servings: 8-10
Time: Start to finish about 1 1/2 hours

2 lb chuck roast cut into 1 inch pieces or stew meat
1/3 c. flour with salt, pepper mixed in
3 cups beef stock
3 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves garlic minced
1 lg onion chopped
2 lbs potatoes (I used 3 large russets)
1 lb carrots, chopped
3 stalks celery cut into chunks
1 bag peas
2 cans tomato sauce
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 T. dried parsley
2 T. beef boullion

1. dredge beef in flour and turn instant pot to saute. Using a few T. butter or olive oil, brown the meat until all edges are no longer white.
2. add garlic and beef stock
3. turn instant pot to manual and cook meat for 35-37 minutes. Let the pot naturally release pressure for 15 minutes and then open the pressure valve.
4. Add all remaining ingredients, no need to stir. Put lid back on pot, shut the pressure valve and cook on steam for 7 minutes.
5. Quick release the pressure when timer is done.
6. If the stew isn't the right consistency, take about a cup of liquid from the pot and make a slurry with 1 T cornstarch. Leaving pot on warm, with the lid off let simmer until it's thickened. (I didn't do this part)