Baked Potato Soup

10 bacon strips, diced
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tsp salt (omit if chicken broth is salty)
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp pepper
6 cups chicken broth
4 large baked potatoes, peeled and cubed (I used raw and just cooked it longer)
2 cups half-and-half cream
1 tsp hot pepper sauce
Shredded Cheddar cheese
Minced fresh parsley

In a large saucepan, cook bacon until crisp.  Drain, reserving 2 Tbsp drippings.  Set bacon aside.  Saute onion and garlic in the drippings until tender.  Stir in flour, salt, basil, and pepper; mix well.  Gradually add broth.  Bring to a boil and stir for 2 minutes.  Add the potatoes, cream, and hot pepper sauce.  Heat through, but do not boil. 

(An alternate method that I tried was to throw everything except the garnishes into a crock pot and let it cook all day.  This still made a great soup, but I found it didn't thicken up in the crock pot.  I just poured the soup into a large pan just before serving and brought to a boil for several minutes to thicken up the soup.)

Garnish with bacon, cheese, and parsley.

Potato Soup with Sausage

1 lbs pork sausage links, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 cup sliced celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth
1/2 cup water
4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced (about 4 cups)
1 cup milk
1 cup sliced green beans, partially cooked
Chopped fresh parsley

In a heavy skillet, brown sausage over medium heat.  Remove sausage and set aside.  Drain all but 1 Tbsp drippings; saute celery, onion, thyme and salt until onion is tender.  Stir in flour; cook 1 minute.  Gradually add broth and water, stirring until the mixture comes to a boil.  Add potatoes; cover and simmer 25 minutes or until potatoes are tender.  Allow soup to cool.  Puree 2 cups in blender or food processor; return to kettle.  Add milk, beans, and sausage; heat through.  Garnish with parsley.

Cream of Cauliflower Soup

1 large head cauliflower, broken into florets
2 cups chicken broth
2 Tbsp chicken bouillon granules
2 cups half and half cream
2 cups milk
1 medium carrot, shredded
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup mashed potato flakes
2 cups (8oz) shredded cheddar cheese
Paprika

In a large saucepan, combine the cauliflower, broth and bouillon.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and cook for 20 mins or until tender.

Mash cauliflower.  Transfer to a 3 qt slow cooker.  Stir in the cream, milk, carrot, bay leaves, and garlic powder.  Cover and cook on low for 3 hours.  Stir in potato flakes; cook 30 mins longer or until thickened.  Discard bay leaves.  Cool slightly.

In a blender, process soup in batches until smooth.  Return to the slow cooker; stir in cheese.  Cook until soup is heated through and cheese is melted.  Garnish with paprika.

Broccoli Chowder

4 cups fresh small broccoli florets
2 medium potatoes, diced
1 1/2 cups water
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
1 large onion, chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
4 cups milk, divided
2 tsp chicken bouillon granules
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cubed process cheese (Velveeta)
(1 cup chunky salsa- add at end for a Southwestern variation.)

In a large saucepan, combine the first six ingredients.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 8-10 mins or until vegetables are tender.  Add 3 cups milk and the bouillon, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, combine flour, and remaining milk until smooth; gradually stir into soup.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 mins or until thickened.  Remove from heat; stir in cheese just until melted.

8 Layer Dip

1 can (15oz) refried beans
1 envelope taco seasoning
3 medium ripe avocados, halved, seeded, and peeled
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup sour cream
1 can (2 1/4 oz) sliced ripe olives, drained
1 can (4oz) chopped green chillies, drained
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
6 green onions, sliced
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Tortilla chips

Combine beans and taco seasoning; spread onto a round 12 inch serving platter.  Mash avocados with lemon juice; spread over beans.  Top with sour cream.  Sprinkle with olives, chillies, tomatoes, onions, and cheese.  Serve with tortilla chips.

Warm Broccoli Cheese Spread

1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese, cubed
1 cup (8oz) sour cream
1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix
1 pkg (10oz) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed, drained, and patted dry
2 cups (8oz) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
Wheat snack crackers

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, and salad dressing mix until blended.  Fold in broccoli and 1 1/2 cups cheese.  Spoon into a shallow 1 qt baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 20 mins.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake 5 mins longer or until cheese is melted.  Serve warm with crackers.

Itallian Stuffed Mushrooms

4 bacon strips, diced
24 to 30 large fresh mushrooms
1/4 lbs ground fully cooked ham
1 medium tomato, finely chopped
1 cup onion and garlic salad croutons, crushed
1 cup (4oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
1 1/2 tsp minced fresh oregano or 1/2 tsp dried oregano

In a skillet, cook the bacon until crisp.  Meanwhile, remove mushroom stems from caps; set caps aside.  Mince half the stems and discard the rest.  Add minced stems to bacon and drippings, saute for 2-3 mins.  Remove from the heat and stir in remaining ingredients.  Firmly stuff into mushroom caps.  Place in a greased 10x15 baking sheet.  Bake at 425 degrees for 12-15 mins or until the mushrooms are tender.