My Loaded Potato Soup Recipe

Loaded Potato Soup

1 bag of Ore Ida steam-able frozen mashed potatoes
1/2 cup flour
4 Tbls butter
6 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled
4-5 green onions, sliced thin
1/4 cup sour cream
6 cups of 2% milk
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
2 tsp minced garlic
Salt/Pepper

1. Microwave potatoes according to package.
2. In large pot over medium heat, melt butter and add 1/4 cup of flour to make a roux. Stir constantly for 1-2 minutes.
3. Add milk and remaining flour. Cook 5 minutes until thickened.
4. Mash potatoes and add to pot.  
5. Stir in bacon crumbles, garlic, cheese, onions, and sour cream. Add salt/pepper to taste. Remove from heat.

Serve in bowls topped with dollop of sour cream and sprinkled cheese.

Love Thy Neighbor

When I first moved to West Virginia I was terrified. I was convinced that I wouldn't fit in, would be lonely, and worst of all be completely overwhelmed by graduate school. My apartment complex constantly had students moving in and out so it was hard to establish any type of real friendship. However, I was blessed to have one neighbor move in who truly has made a difference in my life. Her name is Danielle Bray... aka Danny. She was there for all the good and bad times of grad school. She was also very supportive of my cooking and artwork - a great motivator.

One dish that I would often make and share with Danny was my Loaded Potato Soup which was always perfect for cold WV weather (partly why I moved to FL). It includes all the fixings of a baked potato: crumbled bacon, green onions, sour cream, and cheddar cheese.

This week I made it here in FL because believe it or not the Low temp has been in 30's (fooled me!). I discovered a quick/easy trick to making any potato soup recipe:

This was a great substitution for peeling and boiling potatoes after a long day at work! And my recipe still turned out to be delicious.

1st Post Ever

So I'm super excited that this is my 1st post ever on my 1st blog. So just for the occasion and to break the ice I decided to recreate one of my favorite dishes from Chef Gordon Ramsay's show "The F Word" which airs on BBC America. Which makes it ok for me to say..."I f***ing LOVE him!"

On Chef Ramsay's show he does quick recipe segments. One of my favorites is when he prepares escalopes of chicken. Escalopes are pieces of meat that have been thinned out by using a mallet or by butterflying the meat. Escalopes are often popular for cooking quick dishes because the meat takes less time to cook through when thinned out.

The recipe that follows is my own version based on Ramsay's instructions. I tweeked it a bit based on items in my own pantry. For instance, I use Italian seasoned bread crumbs verses panko. I also used a rolling pin to thin the chicken whereas he butterflied his. Because I ran out of fresh basil, I substituted with dried basil. Additionally, I served the escalopes with reheated green beans from Thanksgiving.



Escalopes of Chicken Recipe


2 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/2 cup of flour
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
2 eggs (beaten)
1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes
2 - 3 Tbls of Olive Oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
4 slices of FRESH mozzarella
fresh or dried basil leaves
salt and pepper

Directions:
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

1.  Place chicken breast in a gallon sized freezer bag. Squeeze out extra air and seal tightly. With a rolling pin or heavy skillet, beat chicken until thinned out to about 1/2" thickness. 
2. Heat oil in skillet at medium heat. 
3. Meanwhile, on a plate, season flour lightly with salt and pepper. 
4. Flour chicken and dust off excess flour.  Dip floured chicken into beaten egg and then coat chicken with breadcrumbs. 
5. Cook chicken breasts in oil until browned, about 2 minutes. Turn and cook other side for additional minute until browned. Place chicken on a baking sheet. 
6. In light oil saute tomatoes, garlic, and basil for 1 minute. Salt and pepper to taste. 
7. Top chicken with tomatoes mixture and sliced mozzarella. Bake in oven for 8 - 10 minutes until chicken reaches internal temperature of 165degrees.