bacon cheeseburger chowder

It seems so, so silly to be posting this recipe after what happened in Oklahoma yesterday.  I grew up in that beautiful state, and I passed through Moore just last weekend.  My family and friends live there (so far as I know, everyone is okay, thank goodness).  Possessions have been lost...lives have been lost.  So sad. 

But Oklahoma is a praying state.  They will get through this (they always do), and we can help.  Pray, pray, pray.  Pray for those children who can't find their parents.  Pray for those parents who can't find their children.  Pray for the injured.  Pray for the grieving.  Pray for those whose finances were already tight before losing everything they had.  Pray for wisdom for the leadership, medical teams, and rescuers.  Pray for provisions.  Donate what you can to the Red Cross.  But above all, pray.

So I guess, back to the recipe.  It's perfect comfort food - just like I grew up with in Oklahoma!  It's hearty and filling, cheesy and flavorful, and will warm you to the core.  Even if it's a balmy 90 degrees where you are living, just turn up the AC and have some of this.  It's just what I needed when watching the news last night.

First, you brown hamburger and onion in a large stockpot.  Drain, and then add frozen corn, red bell pepper, chopped potatoes, minced garlic, water, beef bullion, and salt.  If you are tempted to use beef broth instead of bullion, that's okay.  Just notice that the recipe calls for a greater proportion of bullion to water than you'd find in broth, so they flavor might be weaker.

Bring the soup to a boil, then cover and simmer until the potatoes are tender.  At that point, add 2 cups milk.  Mix the remaining milk and flour until smooth, and then add to the soup.  Simmer until slightly thickened (just a few minutes).

Finally, add the cheese, and cook and stir on low until cheese is melted.  Serve each bowl topped with crumbled bacon.

Bacon Cheeseburger Chowder

• 1 lb. hamburger
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup frozen corn
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 3 cubes beef bullion
• 1/2 t. salt
• 2-1/2 cup milk, divided
• 3 T. flour
• 12 oz. Velveeta cheese, cubed
• crisply cooked bacon to garnish

Brown hamburger meat with onion in large stockpot.  Add bell pepper, potatoes, corn, garlic, water, bullion, and salt; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.  Add 2 cups milk.  Mix flour into the remaining milk and stir into the soup; bring to a boil and cook until slightly thickened.  Add cheese and cook on low, stirring until melted.  Top with crisply cooked bacon crumbles just before serving.

butternut chicken

Lately, I've been loving my slow cooker.  There's just something so nice about being able to dump everything in and then just leave it while I go chase my baby girl around the house for hours on end.  And then, to sit down at dinner to something creamy and delicious?  Awesome.

I created this recipe because I just love squash and am always looking for an excuse to eat it.  I know it's typically an "autumn veggie", but I don't care!  It's cheap, it's packed with nutrients, and it's delicious.

First, grease the inside of a large slow cooker and place two frozen chicken breasts in it.  You don't have to thaw the chicken first...I love that.

Slice up one onion and layer the slices on top of the chicken.

Peel and cut a butternut squash and place the chunks over the onion.  This would also work with acorn squash or even pumpkin.

Mix cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, and milk together with seasonings and pour it over the top.  Plop the lid on and cook on high for 5 hours.

The end result is creamy and absolutely flavorful.  It's going to be one of your new favorite ways to eat squash!

Butternut Chicken
Inspired by Autumn Nutmeg Chicken in Gooseberry Patch's Slow-Cooker Recipes

• 4 boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 small butternut squash, cut into chunks
• 2 cans cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 T. parsley
• 1 T. nutmeg
• 1 t. salt
• 1/2 t. rosemary
• 1/2 t. sage
• 1/2 t. thyme
• cooked rice

Spray the inside of a large slow cooker with cooking spray.  Place chicken breasts inside (no need to thaw if frozen).  Layer onion and butternut squash on top of chicken.  Combine soup, sour cream, milk, and seasonings in a separate bowl; pour over top of chicken and vegetables.  Cover and cook on high for 5 hours.  Serve over cooked rice.  Makes 4 servings.

slow-cooker cheesesteak sandwiches

Last week, I hosted a giveaway for Gooseberry Patch's Game-Day Fan Fare.  Well,  winner has been picked - congratulations Tammy Tittle Hiatt!  I'm so excited for you.  I'm sure you'll love this cookbook just as much as I have.

Judging by everyone's comments, one of the more popular recipes was the Slow-Cooker Cheesesteak Sandwiches.  You all were intrigued when I mentioned how much healthier these were than real cheesesteak sandwiches and how easy they were to put together.  Well, you are in luck!  Today, I'm sharing this delicious recipe with you.  Bust out your slow cookers...you are going to love this one!

Slow-Cooker Cheesesteak Sandwiches
from Gooseberry Patch's Game-Day Fan Fare

• 1 lb. beef round steak, thinly sliced
• 1/2 onion, diced (we thinly sliced ours)
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1-1/2 t. garlic powder
• 1 T. butter
• 1 T. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cube beef bouillon
• 16 oz. package shredded Colby Jack cheese
• 4 hoagie rolls, split

Add all ingredients except cheese and rolls to a lightly greased slow cooker.  Pour in enough water to just cover the ingredients.  Cover and cook on low setting for 6 to 8 hours.  Using a slotted spoon, place a serving of steak mixture on the bottom of each roll; sprinkle with cheese.  Replace tops of roll to make sandwiches.  Makes 4 sandwiches.

corn cakes

Soup and bread is the perfect combo...unless the soup is spicy.  When you add spice to the mix, you've gotta have corn to sweeten things up a bit!

These corn cakes are easy and delicious - the perfect accompaniment to your favorite spicy soup.  I like them with tortilla soup, but this week we had them with a black bean soup.  They contain green onions and cayenne, adding their own level of spice to the meal.  But the natural sweetness of corn rounds everything out.  They are a must for your next night of Mexican food.

Begin by combining an egg, buttermilk, and melted butter.

In a separate bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, and cayenne pepper.

Combine the dry and wet ingredients and then fold in the corn and green pepper.  Heat a cast iron skillet and coat it with light layer of oil.  Fry up the corn cakes like you would pancakes!

Serve with sour cream, a little salsa, and some delicious soup - makes a terrific meal!

Corn Cakes
Adapted from Gooseberry Patch's Celebrate Year Round

• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 t. salt
• 1 t. sugar
• 1/2 t. baking powder
• 1/4 t. cayenne pepper
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 3 T. butter, melted
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 1 cup frozen corn

In a small bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, and cayenne pepper.  In a separate bowl, whisk egg, buttermilk and butter.  Add egg mixture to cornmeal mixture and stir lightly.  Fold in green onions and corn.  In a heated cast iron skillet coated with oil, place heaping tablespoons of batter; brown and flip as you would pancakes.  Top with sour cream and salsa.  Serves 4.

"his" and "hers" strawberry sauces

Cookie Bandit and I had a fun, impromptu date night the other day.  We had some strawberries...we had some pork chops...so we decided to play a little game of Iron Chef and make our own strawberry sauces to spruce up our dinner.

I combined sweet, sassy, and savory to get a strawberry lime sauce.  It goes amazing on both pork and chicken.  Cookie Bandit went a bit more bold and created a hot and savory strawberry sauce.  At first you taste the strawberries, but it leaves some spice and heat lingering on your taste buds.  I couldn't get enough of the stuff!

Be sure to try one next time you need to spruce up grilled chicken or pork chops.  Or better yet, grab some fruit and try making your own!

"His" Hot and Savory Strawberry Sauce

• 6 strawberries
• 3 T. balsamic vinegar
• 1 t. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 T. sugar
• 1/4 t. garlic powder
• 1/8 t. cayenne pepper
• 1/8 t. prepared horseradish

"Hers" Strawberry-Lime Sauce

• 6 strawberries
• 1 T. red wine vinegar
• 1 T. sugar
• 1 t. lime juice
• 1/4 t. basil
• 1/4 t. ground mustard
• 1/4 t. savory

Puree all ingredients and spoon over meat.

gooseberry patch recipes | favorite things friday

Because I'm currently running a Gooseberry Patch giveaway here, I have been reminiscing about all of the Gooseberry Patch cookbooks that I've reviewed on this site...there's been several!  For today's Favorite Things Friday, I thought I would do a recap of our favorite recipes from each. 

Travel down memory lane with me, will you?  :)

We just loved this Creamy Corn Pudding from Slow Cooking All Year Round.  The fact that it was a slow cooker recipe made it even better!

Weeknight Dinners had a recipe for hands-down the BEST burgers we have ever made.  Oh my word.  I'm drooling just remembering how these Chicken-Apple Sliders tasted!

 

We love a good breakfast casserole, so it was a no-brainer to try this recipe for Wilderness Breakfast from The Harvest Table.  Chock full of bacon, sausage, and cheese...it was delicious!

 

I can still remember when we made this Quick Brown Bread from Rush-Hour Recipes.  Haha!  For some reason, we always kissed each other whenever we made it.  Such a romantic recipe!

We reviewed 101 Hearty Recipes when I was pregnant with Pebbles but hadn't told anyone yet.  These 4-Layer Cookie Bars were a perfect remedy for morning sickness!

One of our favorite recipes of all-time (seriously, we make it at least once a month) has to be this Buttermilk Syrup from Quick and Easy Christmas.  So easy and sooooo good.

We aren't normally into cookies that don't have chocolate in them, but these ANZAC Biscuits from Best-Ever Cookies were winners in every sense of the word.  Moist, chewy, delicious - yeah...I think I'm going to have to go in the kitchen and make some right now.

And speaking of something I need to make right now...this Chocolate Chess Pie from Mom's Very Best Recipes is seriously one of the best pies I've ever had.  And it's so pretty!  I like busting this recipe out whenever we have company.

And finally, Cookie Bandit's most requested recipe.  It's what we served at Pebbles' first birthday party...it's what we brought to all of our holiday gatherings...it's what we make at home just for fun...Heavenly Warm Corn Dip from Homestyle in a Hurry.  There's no other word for this stuff than amazing.

That was fun.  I'm drooling now...are you?

game-day fan fare - review and giveaway!

It's that time of year again!  Gooseberry Patch has a brand new cookbook out, and my goodness is it amazing.  Game-Day Fan Fare is full of those perfect recipes for a night at home watching the football game on TV or for the best party you'll ever throw.  I just love it for its versatility in that sense.  It's got recipes for brunch, munchies, soups, salads, sandwiches, main dishes, sides, dessert treats, and for those times when you are feeding the whole football team!  

Like I do with most cookbooks, I immediately read it straight through to see what caught my eye.  For the first time, there was so much that I had to make a list!  Our breakfasts in the near future are going to definitely include the Blueberry Coffee Cake, Pumpkin Waffles, and Beer Bread Pancakes.  The Touchdown Toss looks amazing - a white chocolate covered snack mix that sounds perfect for movie night!  I can't wait to try making my own Pimento Cheese to go alongside Beer-Cheese Soup, some All-Season Coleslaw, and Creamy Bacon Corn-Fetti.  Next time I have a crowd coming over, I'll be whipping up some Chicken Strata and Mini Cheesecakes.  And I can't wait to try the Caramel Corn, Ooey-Gooey Popcorn, Banana Pudding Fudge, Coconutty Macaroons, and Skillet Cookies.  Phew!  I think I'm going to need to up my exercise with all of these recipes on my menu!

We did finally narrow down which recipes we wanted to try for this review.  We loved all of them and gave them all "awards"!

Most Likely to Be an Ice Cream Topping

Peanut Butter Pancake Syrup from the chapter Kick-off Brunches

We were excited to try this peanut butter syrup because we both love peanut butter and because it was so stinkin' easy...only two ingredients!  It did not disappoint.  It took me just minutes to whip up and provided a delicious topping for our Saturday morning waffles.  It's so rich that you really don't need much and probably wouldn't want it for every breakfast...although we could see putting it on vanilla ice cream in a heartbeat!  We'll be making it as an occasional treat.  This diner-style topping definitely appeals to the southerner in me. 

Most Unique

Sweet Chipotle Pretzels from the chapter Major League Munchies

These pretzels are definitely unique.  They're covered in a mixture of brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, and...yes...chipotle chili powder.  My taste buds really didn't know what to do with themselves!  Because of their interesting flavors, they definitely aren't the kind of snack you could over-indulge on.  They are, however, quick and easy to make...perfect for your next party or gathering.

Most Surprisingly Healthy

Slow-Cooker Cheesesteak Sandwiches from the chapter Souper-Bowl Soups, Salads and Sandwiches

The minute Cookie Bandit saw the name of this recipe, he requested that I make it instantly.  The man loves his cheeseteak sandwiches!  We decided that in the end, these really weren't much like the real Philly cheesesteaks - they aren't greasy at all.  In fact, these are kind of the healthier twin.  Great flavor, still a mess, but lighter on the calories.  They were definitely a nice change from cold sandwiches and burgers.

Creamiest Baked Mac and Cheese We've Ever Tried

Super-Easy Mac and Cheese from the chapter Slam-Dunk Mains and Sides

I almost didn't make this recipe because...I'll be honest...I'm usually not a fan of the baked mac and cheese.  I like creamy, and most baked mac and cheese recipes that we've tried are anything but.  Fortunately for me, I did try it and was pleasantly surprised - this was the creamiest baked mac and cheese ever!  It was also incredibly easy to make - you don't even have to cook the noodles first.  The one downside is that it didn't make great leftovers.  It tended to lose the creaminess, and the cracker topping got a little soggy by the second day.  That's okay, though...Pebbles loved it!

The Cookie That Just Gets Better

Pig-Out Cookies from the chapter Touchdown Treats

Oh my word, these cookies are something else!  We picked them because of their ingredient list - chocolate chips, peanut butter, chili powder, bacon, bacon grease!  I couldn't even imagine what all of those flavors would taste like together, but the answer is, "Magnificent!"  They actually taste better and better the longer they sit - by day 4, Cookie Bandit was just going nuts over them.  They are both sweet and salty, with a subtle touch of bacon flavor.  And one of my favorite things about them - they are seriously some of the prettiest cookies I have ever made, and I wasn't even trying.  They come out looking beautifully, with a texture like those Soft Batch cookies I grew up loving.  These are definitely cookies we'll be making again and again.

Heartiest

Bacon-Potato Chowder from the chapter Stadium-Sized Recipes for a Crowd

This was a nice hearty soup, excellent for a chilly day.  We particularly liked the addition of bacon.  As Cookie Bandit put it, bacon added that element that potato soup generally lacks. This really was a recipe for a crowd - it made 12 huge servings!

So that's the line up!  And it's probably no surprise that Cookie Bandit picked Pig-Out Cookies as his absolute favorites...so that's what we're sharing with you today!

First, you start with the pig!  Cook up some bacon in a skillet, reserving the drippings.

In a mixing bowl, combine butter and bacon drippings until smooth.

Beat in peanut butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until creamy.

Add eggs and vanilla and beat until fluffy.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, chili powder, and salt.  Combine with rest of batter and then fold in chocolate chips and bacon.

Roll dough into balls.  The recipe says roll into 12 balls - that makes some huge cookies!  We opted to make smaller cookies so that we could enjoy them for longer.  Place balls of dough on parchment paper and flatten slightly.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes or until golden.  Cool for 2 minutes on cookie sheet before transferring to a wire rack.

Pig-Out Cookies
from Gooseberry Patch's Game-Day Fan Fare

• 5 slices bacon
• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 t. baking soda
• 1/4 t. baking powder
• 1/8 t. cinnamon
• 1/8 t. chili powder
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 egg
• 1 t. vanilla
• 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cook bacon until crisp in a skillet over medium heat.  Crumble and drain, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings; set aside.  In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, chili powder, and salt; set aside.  In a separate bowl, beat together butter and reserved drippings with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.  Beat in peanut butter and sugars until creamy, about 4 minutes.  Add egg and vanilla; beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Reduce mixer setting to low; slowly beat in flour mixture until just combined.  Fold in chocolate chips and bacon.  Roll dough into 12 balls; arrange 2 inches apart on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.  Flatten balls slightly.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes, until golden.  Cool cookies on sheet for about 2 minutes; transfer to wire racks to cool completely.  Makes one dozen.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Below are some of my friends who are also participating in the Early Bird Reviews by Gooseberry Patch. Check out their recipes & more entries to the giveaway!

Old House Homestead
The Country Cook
Goodeness Gracious
Well Seasoned Life
Girl with Blog
Two Maids a Milking
A Recipe A Day
SusieQTpies Cafe