Foody Friday - Crockpot Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

I found this soup Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

 recipe on Pinterest back during the summer and only recently felt like trying it out. I'm so glad I did. On a cool winter day it was the perfect meal. 

I also really love it when I find a photo of a recipe and after I make the said recipe, my food looks like the original photo. It gives me faith in my abilities as a cook! 

Of course being that it was soup DR refused to try it. Where as I could live on soup all winter long he won't touch it. Of course my kids saw the green sprinkled herbs in the soup and immediately decided it was disgusting and they would surely die if consuming such a horrendous dish...all without tasting it mind you. 

Since I was the only one in the house smart enough to enjoy the soup I decided to try freezing some pint jars with the leftovers. I've never done this before and only read on another blog about freezing soup in jars. So far so good, I mean nothing has exploded in my freezer yet or anything. I haven't thawed it out yet to try it but I'm confident it will be great. 

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup
2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced carrots
1 cup finely diced onions
1 tsp dried oregano or 1 T fresh oregano
1 T dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh basil
4 cups chicken broth
½ bay leaf (didn't have any)
½ cup flour
1 cup Parmesan cheese
½ cup butter

1 1/2 cups of half and half, warmed 

(I used cold milk...worked fine but only used about a cup.) 

1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper

1. Add tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken broth, onions, oregano, basil, and bay leaf to a large slow cooker.

2. Cover and cook on LOW for 5-7 hours, until flavors are blended and vegetables are soft.

3. About 30 minutes before serving prepare a roux. Melt butter over low heat in a skillet and add flour. Stir constantly with a whisk for 5-7 minutes. Slowly stir in 1 cup hot soup. Add another 3 cups and stir until smooth. Add all back into the slow cooker. Stir and add the Parmesan cheese, warmed half and half, salt and pepper. Add additional basil and oregano if needed (the slow cooker does a number on spices and they get bland over time, so don't be afraid to always season to taste at the end). 

4. Cover and cook on LOW for another 30 minutes or so until ready to serve.

Foody Friday - Cheesy Sliced Crockpot Potatoes

I love crockpots. I've probably already said that but it doesn't hurt saying it again.

"I love crockpots!"

 

Cheesy Sliced Crockpot Potatoes

Slice up a BUNCH of potatoes, 6-7. Spray your crockpot with cooking spray and arrange a single layer of potato slices on the bottom. Brush the potatoes generously with melted butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Repeat these layers; potatoes, butter, salt and pepper, potatoes, butter, salt and pepper...until your crockpot is filled to desired fullness. Sprinkle about 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese on top and turn on your crockpot. High for 4-5 hours or Low for 6-8.

Now experiment! Maybe put Parmesan in the middle of every layer or use different seasonings. How about mixing different potatoes together? Red, white and sweet potatoes together? Hmmmm.... I need to eat more potatoes!

Foody Friday - Drip Beef

I'm not very confident when it comes to fixing any sort of meat dish. I've learned the simpler, the better and if I can fix meat in a crockpot that's one more advantage I have for a successful dinner. But because I have a brother that thinks I eat too many vegetables and has begged me to feed his nephews and neices more meat...this recipe is for him. (Okay, okay brother, you don't have to add the onions if you don't want to!)

I've modified this recipe from Pioneer Woman's Drip Beef Recipe and seriously I always eat way too much of it. It's just that good.

Prairie Mother's Drip Beef

1 roast (any will work)
salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme
butter
1 onion, diced
mushrooms, sliced and/or diced
soy sauce

Trim the fat off the roast. Sprinkle salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme over the surface of the meat and rub in well. Set aside.

Melt a couple tablespoons of butter in a skillet on high heat. Add the mushrooms. The mushrooms will absorb the butter fairly quickly so stir constantly for a couple minutes until beginning to brown. Remove from skillet and place in crockpot. Melt more butter and add onions, cook until translucent. Remove onions from skillet and add the the crockpot. Add more butter (or olive oil if you feel the need to be healthy) to melt in the skillet on high heat. Sear the outside of the roast on both sides until golden brown. Place roast on top of vegetables in the crockpot. Now, everything that's left in your skillet pour onto the roast. Yummy! Pour soy sauce into crockpot until it's about halfway up the roast. Don't cover with soy sauce! I usually only use about 5 oz. (1/2 bottle). Cook on high setting for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. With two forks shred meat and then stir up to combine the onions and mushrooms. Serve over bread, as a sandwich, on mashed potatoes or eat it with your fingers out of the crockpot. Not that I would ever eat it that way!