It was one of those days that were extremely busy and I decided to purchase a rotisserie chicken at Sam’s Club for our supper. When I got home with it, I wanted to take that chicken breast and turn it into something really savory. The search I did on Pinterest led me to a favorite site – Sally’s Baking Addiction. She has some incredible recipes that I’ve tried in the past and this one did not disappoint, either! My pictures don’t give this soup an accurate representation. Why not? Because it was so good, I ate half of my portion and THEN remembered to snap a photo! (Any other bloggers relate?)
Cornbread…ahhh, yes. When I go to Cracker Barrel and they ask, “Biscuits or Cornbread?” I usually always opt for the second choice – the crispy, corn meal version!
Holiday meals are creeping up on us, believe it or not! Last weekend I baked a Smithfield Brown sugar glazed ham (it’s one of the best I’ve ever bought!). After I sliced all the meat off, I tucked the bone into a freezer bag and put it in the fridge. I knew that bone had all kinds of possibilities! I usually always make Senate Bean Soup with our Christmas ham bone, but I wanted to venture out and try a new recipe.
I found this a recipe for Creamy Ham and Potato Soup and it sounded savory and delicious. It also didn’t take hours to make! The recipe suggested making ham stock with the bone and using that as the base of the soup. That’s exactly what I did. All that took was popping the bone into a stock pot with water to cover and simmering it for an hour. Easy peasy.
Heat the butter in a pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion, carrots, celery until beginning to soften (about 4 minutes).
Add the potatoes, cook for 2 minutes, then add the garlic and sauté until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
Mix the flour through and cook for 2 minutes.
Stir in stock and bouillon and ham, mixing all ingredients together. Increase heat and bring to a boil until potatoes are ‘just’ fork tender, about 10-12 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium-low, add the milk and stir over the heat until thickened (about 5 minutes).
Add more and salt and pepper, as needed
Serve warm.
This was so savory! I was so happy to make such good use of that flavorful ham bone! It made a whole pot of ham stock, so now I also have more frozen for a couple more recipes of this wonderful soup!
To make your own ham stock, place the ham bone in a stock pot and cover with water. Bring it to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for one hour. Discard bone. How easy is that?!
If you don’t have a ham bone on hand, you can purchase a bone at Honey Bake Ham! But I’d also encourage you to save this for those holiday hams in your future!
Savory soups that simmer on the stove create two things –
An aroma that’s irresistible
A meal that satisfies both appetites and hearts
Last week I had the blessing of spending time with my parents and helping out during a time of hardship. Fixing meals each day was one responsibility I took on with great delight. A sampling of my menu included things like, Pinto Beans like Cracker Barrel’s, traditional Rump Roast dinner with all the trimmings, Baked Potatoes topped with broccoli cheese sauce – all recipe I’ve made many times.
But then my mom requested I make her recipe for Vegetable Beef Soup. She had this recipe in her head and verbally shared it with me one morning. I realized it would pull together very quickly, and would also use up some of the little bits of this and that in the freezer. Always a good thing, right?
During the fall and winter we eat lots of homemade soups. Some of my favorites are Senate Bean Soup, and Cream of Wild Rice Soup but both of these recipes are a little labor-intensive and take some time to prepare (but so worth it!). I love having a delicious soup recipe that’s a snap to pull together, and my mom’s Vegetable Beef Soup definitely fits the bill! You can use whatever vegetables you like/have on hand. This soup is a great way to use up those little bit of leftovers hiding in the fridge or stored in your freezer!
Here’s her simple recipe…
Vegetable Beef Soup
1/2 lb ground beef 1 onion, diced 4 cups chicken broth 1 large can diced tomatoes 1/3 cup frozen corn 1/3 cup frozen peas 1/3 cup lima beans 1 potato, diced 1 carrot, diced 1 can Bush’s northern beans 1/3 cup barley 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper 1/2 tsp thyme 1/2 tsp Greek seasoning A couple dashes Worcestershire sauce Salt and pepper to taste
In a large stock pot, brown ground beef and onion. Drain any fat. Add the chicken broth and then all the vegetables, spices,seasonings and barley. Simmer over medium-low heat for 30-45 minutes.
I like to serve a soup like this with a crusty bread and a side salad.
Yum! This is a perfect winter meal that will:
Wisely use up leftover veggies in your freezer
Warm bodies
Win the hearts of those that sit at your table!
Open up your freezer, grab those veggies and throw them in a pot for this delicious soup this week!
Honey Fried Chicken Strips, drizzled with honey on top.
One day just recently my daughter sent me a text and asked me for my recipe for Honey Fried chicken Strips. Oh my goodness! I hadn’t thought of that dish in a long time! I used to make this recipe when my girls were growing up, and quite frankly, I hadn’t made it in years! The reason is because it’s not exactly healthy. It is in complete contrast to some of my recent low calorie posts, but it’s simply too good not to share with you all!
Sweet Alli made up this recipe after getting it from me, then she invited her dad and me for supper. It was worth the little splurge to indulge in a couple chicken strips! You gotta live a little, right?!
Why is this recipe so good? In my opinion it’s due to the batter including honey. It gives it a slightly sweet flavor. I also always serve honey alongside for dipping. Wow, her meal turned out amazingly delicious! When you need a little something special and want to splurge on a not-so-healthy recipe, I’d encourage you to try this family favorite!
Honey Fried Chicken Strips 2 large chicken breasts 1 bunch parsley 3/4 cup self-rising flour 1/2 cup milk 2 tbl honey 1 tsp lemon-pepper seasoning 1 1/2 tsp. salt Salad oil
1. Cut chicken lengthwise into 1-inch strips. Chop enough parsley to make 1/3 cup. 2. In large bowl, mix flour, milk, honey, lemon-pepper seasoning, salt, and chopped parsley. Stir in chicken; set aside. 3. In 5 quart Dutch oven over high heat, heat 1 inch salad oil to 325 degrees on deep fat thermometer (or, heat oil in deep fat fryer set at 325 degrees. 4. Fry chicken strips, a few at a time, about 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and outside is golden. With slotted spoon, remove chicken to paper towels to drain.
This is fried chicken with a twist…a sweet and delicious one! I hope you’ll give this a try. I don’t think you’ll be sad you did!
Here’s another version of fried chicken that’s healthier
RefreshHer 