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Reader Recipe: Potato Soup

YumSugar — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:00:47 -0800

Soup is one of my favorite meals to enjoy year-round, so when I caught this shot of homemade bacon and potato soup, I started salivating. All Mansionmogul did was free-form this recipe, and I dreamt of a steaming hot bowl of this velvety, chunky soup sitting in front of me, the grated cheese topping already in a blissful state of melted gooeyness.

Make this soup - perfect for a cold Winter night - when you read more.
Submitted by TeamSugar member Mansionmogul

Potato Soup
Original Recipe

So I made Potato Soup this week, and it turned out really awesome. I totally improvised and used basically just what we had around. The base is mostly mashed potatoes + water + dairy (of some sort). Add your accoutrements as desired.

Ingredients

6 slices bacon, baked or fried and crumbled
2 medium onions, chopped
2 carrots, chopped (if desired)
2 stalks celery, chopped (if desired)
1 cup corn (if desired)
3 pound (about 5 large) potatoes
3 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream + 2 cup whole milk
(I didn't have sour cream on-had so ended up using 2 cups heavy cream and some extra milk to thin it out)
1/4 pound (1 stick) butter
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp smoked paprika
4 scallions, thinly sliced (if you have them)
3/4 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (for garnish)

Directions
I started with a basic recipe for potato soup and then improvised and changed it to what I wanted - you can change it up however you want.

Start by browning your onions, in the bottom of a large pot. Then add the celery and carrots and heat through. I peeled and cut half of the potatoes into thirds, and chopped up the second half into smaller pieces, leaving the skins on. Place all the potatoes in a large pot with water to cover, add 2 teaspoons salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the smaller potatoes are cooked but not too soft. I then separated the smaller potato chunks out to go into the pot (if you can think of a better way of doing this, let me know!). I cooked the remaining potatoes until they were very soft -- about 45 minutes. Drain the potatoes, discarding all but a tablespoon or two of the water, and return them to the pot. Mash them with a potato masher until smooth. Add the sour cream and butter and stir until melted. Add the mashed potatoes to the large pot with the milk, pepper, bacon, corn, and remaining salt and smoked paprika and bring the soup back to a simmer. Divide among 8 bowls and serve the soup hot, garnished with scallions, cheese, and bacon.

Makes 4 Servings

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Reader Recipe: Chicken Salad in Celery Ribs

YumSugar — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:00:08 -0800

Whenever I find myself in need of creative inspiration, I simply look to the Kitchen Goddess group. This week, I came across a killer app - mini celery boats stuffed with chicken salad and peas. I'm thinking these would make a great appetizer to bring to my next book club, since they're bite sized and not too messy. Apparently, I'm spot on: Jenious says they're such a big hit at gatherings that she always doubles the recipe. To make these for your next get-together, read more.

Submitted by TeamSugar member Jenious

Chicken Salad with Peas in Celery Ribs
Adapted from a recipe by Mary Barber and Sara Corpening for Food & Wine.

Easy to make, can be made ahead and assembled upon arrival or the day of the event. Adjust to your preferences by swapping herbs like dried Italian herbs or dill. Depending on desired consistency you can also adjust the amounts of chicken, mayo, and cream cheese. A toothpick in each helps guests serve themselves. Pulse in a food processor prior to adding peas and, talk about easy! I double the recipe since it's always a hit at gatherings.

Ingredients

8 wide celery ribs, trimmed
1/3 cup cream cheese (2 ounces), softened
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped basil
2 teaspoons finely chopped tarragon
2 teaspoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 pound cooked chicken breast, finely chopped or shredded
1/2 cup frozen baby peas, thawed
3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions
Using a vegetable peeler, peel the celery ribs so they sit flat, then cut them on the diagonal into 1-inch lengths. In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese with the mayonnaise, lemon juice, basil, tarragon, parsley and lemon zest. Add the chicken, peas, and onion and stir gently until just combined. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon 1 teaspoon of the chicken salad onto each piece of celery.

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Thanksgiving Tip: What Are You Waiting For? Cook Now!

partysugar — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 12:13:33 -0800

Don't wait until Thanksgiving day to do all the cooking; start today and reduce tomorrow's stress. Here's how you can get the prep work for Thanksgiving dinner done in advance:

Make desserts one to two days before Thanksgiving. Or break it up over the course of two days. Make the pie dough on Tuesday and the filling on Wednesday. Be sure to bake the dessert the day before Thanksgiving. Everything bakes at different temperatures so this will free up the oven. Also the dessert will have plenty of time to set.
Make rolls, breads, or cornbread for stuffing/dressing the day before. These can be reheated last minute while the turkey is resting.
Peel potatoes on Wednesday. To prevent oxidization, place in a bowl of water in the fridge.
Thaw the turkey. Take it out of the freezer now; the last thing you want is for the bird to be half frozen when you stick it in the oven.
Chop the vegetables the day before. This will give you lots of free time on Thanksgiving. Place in bowls covered with plastic wrap or sealed plastic baggies in the vegetable drawer of your fridge.
Depending on the appetizers you are serving, prep or make these the day before as well.

Got a great tip about how to prepare a dish before Thursday? Please share with us below!

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