Creamy Potato Soup and Philly Cheese Steaks!

I borrowed and LOVE these recipes from my friend Kami Shaw. You can find her here at Everyday Heaven.

Creamy Chicken Potato Soup

lb chicken (breasts or combination)

1 onion, diced

6 slices of bacon

2 handfuls baby carrots (about 2 cups sliced small)

4-5 potatoes, diced small

1 c milk

1/4 c flour

8 oz package cream cheese

1. Put chicken in pot and cover with water; boil until cooked. Take chicken out of water but keep the broth. When chicken is cool, shred. ( just add the onion to the water too and cook them at the same time)

2. Fry bacon in the pot you will be using for the soup. Fry bacon until crispy. Remove bacon and saute' onions in bacon drippings. (I have never added the bacon but really anything with bacon is delicious..) Add carrots and potatoes. Add 3-4 cups of broth or enough to cover vegetables. Add bouillon cubes or soup base for flavor (I add 4 bouillon cubes). Bring to a boil and simmer until veggies are tender.

3. Mix flour with milk and add to soup. Add chicken and cream cheese into the soup mixture. Slightly soften cream cheese in microwave, then add to soup in little pieces.Simmer until melted and well combined. Add in crumbled bacon. Season with salt and pepper.

Philly Cheesesteaks

1 lb. steak frozen slightly (you really can use any cut; since you're going to cut it up and season it heavily, there's really no need to splurge on a filletmignon.)
2 Tbsp. butter
1 green bell pepper
1 medium yellow onion
White cheese (mozzarella or Swiss or provolone)
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Hot sauce -I didn't have hot sauce, and still super yummy!
4-6 Hoagie rolls

Slice bell peppers and onions . Set aside. Slice frozen meat . Set aside. Heat 2 Tbsp. butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add steak and stir-fry. Season heavily with salt and lots of freshly-ground pepper. When meat is about half-cooked, add peppers and onions. Stir occasionally, cooking until most of the liquid is evaporated and meat is cooked through. Season with hot sauce to taste. It's up to you, I didn't use any and I thought they were great. Slice buns and spoon steak mixture inside. Top with cheese and place under broiler (I used my toaster oven) for 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted and bread is slightly toasty. Enjoy

Vegetarian Calzone

So I am going to call this one my own since it varies so much from the original recipe.

It's delicious trust me.

Dough

1 tsp yeast

1 1/2 cup warm water

1/3 cup olive oil

4 cups flour

1 tsp Kosher salt

Filling

tbls olive oil

8 ounces mushroom chopped

2 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp dried oregano

4 cups packed baby spinach

about 5 tbls Parmesan cheese

8 ounces of Cream cheese

Dough

Mix yeast and water. Whisk in Olive Oil. Mix flour and salt and slowly incorporate water mixture. You can do this in your mixer with a dough hook or mix it by hand. Place in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil. Cover with a damp clothe and set in a warm place for an hour or two.

Preheat oven to 400*

Filling

Heat oil over med. Toss in the mushrooms. Cook about two or three min., add garlic and oregano. Cook another minute or two and then add your spinach. Cook long enough to wilt the spinach about a min. Remove from heat and set aside.

Roll out the dough. You can make one big calzone or I made three medium sized guys. Roll it out into a rectangle and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese on one side of your rectangle leaving about an inch around the edge. Spread out about 1-2 ounces of the cream cheese (4 when only making one big guy) add some filling, layer with about 1-2 ounces more of the cream cheese (again 4 for a big one) sprinkle with Parmesan and fold over and curl up your edges. Place on a baking sheet I put mine on a slipat so it wouldn't stick you could also spray your pan or rub Olive oil on it. Brush the calzone with olive oil and place in your oven for about 18 min until lightly browned. Brush with more olive oil I sprinkled mine with a little Kosher salt and let cool a bit before serving they are hot but delicious!

Cinnabon Rolls

This one of those saw it, had the ingredients, made it recipes. Turned out AMAZING! I think the pinch of salt in the frosting makes it sooo good. And I am sure this will not be the last recipe with a photo with part already eaten. I just can't wait taste.

Cinnabon Rolls

1 c. warm milk

2 eggs (room temperature)

1/3 c. margarine, melted

4 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

1/2 c. sugar

1 pkg yeast

Filling

1c. brown sugar

2 1/2 tbspn. ground cinnamon

1/3 cup butter softened

Icing

1/4 c. cream cheese (2 oz.)softened

8 tblspn. butter softened

1 1/2 c. powered sugar

1/2 t. vanilla

1/8 t. salt

dissolve yeast in warm milk in a large bowl. Add sugar, butter ,salt, eggs, and flour. Mix well knead dough into a large ball dust with flour let rise in a warm place 1 hour or until it doubles in size.

In a small bowl combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll dough out to a 16X21 rectangle about 1/4 inch thick spread dough with 1/3 c. butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar mixture. Roll up cut into 12 even tolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 glass baking dish. Cover & let rise until nearly doubled about 30 min.

**Now place them in the refrigerator for the next morning if doing the night before.**

Preheat oven 350* cook 18-20 min or until golden brown mix up Icing spread 1/2 on while hot and again with remaining when cool.

Baguette

This one is from Sister's Cafe.

I have made this a ton and we love it.

It's really easy and is so good when you slice it and put butter and garlic salt on it.

It's hard to ruin this one.

Baguette

1 1/2 cup warm water

1 1/2 tbs yeast (2 packages)

2 tsp sugar

3 1/4 cups Flour

2 tsp salt

In small bowl combine water, yeast and sugar. let stand for about 5 min until foamy.

In large mixing bowl combine the flour and salt. Gradually add the yeast mixture mix until dough becomes a smooth ball and knead for 5 min. You can use your Kitchenaid with the dough hook and it makes this process easier.

Cut in half and shape into 2 baguettes. place on a lightly greased cookie sheet or silpat. cover and let rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450. with a sharp knife (serrated helps) gently make a slash down the length of each baguette. This gives the authentic look. Pour water in a cookie sheet and place on the bottom rack in the oven. Bake the bread for 15 min. half way through brush with melted butter. If you try Olive oil it's less crispy and not as salty. In my opinion that is less appealing.

Grape Salad

This will make you famous.

Grape Salad

4 pounds Red grapes

8 ounces Cream cheese

8 ounces Sour Cream

1/2 cup sugar

1tsp vanilla

Brown sugar, nuts.

Wash dry and de-stem Grapes

Mix Cream cheese sour cream, sugar, and vanilla.

Mix together with grapes and pour onto a platter.

Sprinkle with Brown sugar and chopped nuts (we like almonds).

Thanks to yourhomebasedmom.

Italian Sausage & Spinach Pasta Bake

My husband Chris' favorite! The original recipe calls for chicken instead of Italian sausage. Both are good in the dish but this is how Chris likes it.

Italian Sausage & Spinach Pasta Bake

8 ounces Rigatoni Pasta cooked according to package directions Al dente (or your favorite pasta)

1 tbs Olive Oil

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 10 ounce Package frozen spinach thawed

3 cups Italian sausage ( you can get mild to hot which ever you prefer)

1 14.5 ounce can Italian style diced tomatoes

1 8 ounce container chive and onion cream cheese

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded

Oven 375

Cook onion in the olive oil in pan in the oven for 15 min until tender.

Cook sausage and drain.

Drain and chop spinach. To drain well press between paper towels and wring out over the sink.

Combine everything. and cover with cheese.

Bake covered for 30 min and uncovered for 15 min until bubbly.

Banana Bars

Simple and delicious alternative to banana bread.

Good way to use up those ripe bananas.

from your homebased mom.

Banana Bars

Cream 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1/2 cup butter

Add 1 cup sour cream, 1 tsp vanilla

Combine and add dry ingredients

2 cups flour, 1tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt

Stir in 2 medium sized ripe bananas ( I say the more the merrier so I add up to four)

Pour into a jellyroll pan.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 min

Frosting

Cream together 8 oz of Cream cheese, 1/2 cup butter, 2 tsp vanilla, 4 cups powdered sugar.

Spread over cooled Banana bars.

Stromboli's

Stromboli's

1/3 cup Sugar

2 tbs yeast

1/2 cup oil

1 1/2 cup warm water

1 egg beaten

1/2 tsp Salt

4-5 cups Flour

1-2 packages of Pepperoni ( I like turkey pepperoni)

Package of 12 or more string cheese

Mix Sugar yeast, oil and water and let stand for about 5 minutes. Add egg.

Mix 4 cups of flour with salt and add to yeast mixture. Add enough for soft dough. I usually have to add almost the whole other cup. Use or let rise for 10-15 minutes.

Spread plum size chunks in to about 6 inch in diameter circles. Place 5 pepperonis and 1/2 a piece of string cheese in dough and fold up like an egg roll. Pinch and seal. Allow to rest for 10 min.

Bake 375 for 12-15 minutes until barely golden brown.

Rub hot Stromboli's with butter and sprinkle with Garlic salt.

Make Approximately 24 depending on how big your chunks of dough are. I can usually get up to 30.

This is my blog for recipes my family and I LOVE so i don't loose them and so I can easily share them with friends!