Cooking

Easy Ham and Hashbrown Soup Recipe

Easy Ham and Hashbrown Soup Recipe

Easy Ham and Hashbrown Soup Recipe

Thanksgiving is over and we have some leftover ham. That is how I came up with this Easy Ham and Hashbrown Soup Recipe. There is also a half an onion that needs to be used up, a bit of garlic, a half of a bag of cheese, and some bacon bits. What on earth can I do? That was my thought process yesterday when I made this. I knew I had class for two hours starting at five, so it had to be a crockpot recipe. Also, I have my granddaughter so it was necessary for it to be super quick.

We love potato soup, but frying bacon and cutting potatoes was not on my agenda. I guess it wouldn’t have been on it anyway because I had no bacon and I am out of potatoes. Bart was going to make pizza but then what would the kids eat because there isn’t enough of that to go around. With one child being gluten free, I have to actually think about what I cook now. It can’t just be thrown together. So, here we are with what Bart calls one of the “best soups” he has had in a while.

Ingredients for Ham and Hashbrown Soup

1/2 KY legend ham, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

1 T. minced garlic

Seasoning

1/2 bag bacon bits

2 T. bacon grease (if you don’t have this, just throw in some butter)

6 cubes of chicken bouillon (if you don’t have this, you can use chicken broth and eliminate the water)

32 oz. water

1/8 c. nutritional yeast (you can omit this if you desire. I use it for nutritional value)

32 oz. shredded hashbrown

1/2 c. sour cream

1 c. heavy cream (I did not have this so I used 2% milk and it worked just fine)

3 T. gluten free flour (you can use any)

Cheese (I used a combo of about 1 1/2 c. colby and about a cup of cheddar)

 

Directions for Easy Soup Recipe

In crockpot, I put in the chopped up ham, onion, seasoning, nutritional yeast, bacon grease, bacon bits, hashbrown, and chicken bouillon powder (or cubes if that is what you have). I mixed this up really well and added 32 oz. water. Pop the lid on and cook on high for about 2 hours. I came back and stirred that around and then put it on low until I was about an hour from eating.

When I was about ready to serve, I took the lid off and added the cheese. While the cheese was melting, I got a measuring cup and put in my milk, sour cream, and flour. I whisked that together to get the lumps out. From there, I poured in the liquid and stirred well. You will start to see it thicken up fairly quickly. I put the lid back on for about 35-40 minutes (low) warm it all back up.

Then it was time to eat!  It really was good. You need to try it to see if you need to adjust the seasoning. Remember, you can add seasoning to a soup but you can’t take it back out. The secret to that is start with a little amount and adjust to taste. I was afraid it was going to be too salty with the ham, bacon grease, nutritional yeast, and seasoning. I thought it could use a bit more but didn’t put it in because it might have just been my tastebuds out of whack.

What I Would Do Differently

Hmmm, I would add some sauteed red, yellow, and orange peppers. I could get away with adding finely shredded zucchini. Fresh mushrooms would have been amazing in this soup as well. There was no cream of type of soup. That is good because it is hard to find gluten free, though it can be made. I just didn’t want to do that because of time constraints. It made a big crockpot full, so we will definitely have it for lunch and the boys will eat it tonight for supper.

Related Posts

Reflecting on an Anniversary I Would Rather Ignore

 

Cooking

Brunzi Baseball Casserole

Brunzi Baseball Casserole

Brunzi Baseball Casserole

1 lb. lean ground beef, cooked and drained

1 large onion, cooked

Seasoning

Cream of chicken, 2 cans

Chicken noodle soup, 2 cans (or you could make your own and use it)

2 c. uncooked rice

Brown meat, onion, and seasoning.  Drain.  Add in soups and rice.  Stir.  Bake, uncovered, in a greased 13×9 pan at 350 for 45 minutes.

Additions:

With this recipe, you can add spinach, kale, cheese, chopped-up peppers, or mushrooms; gracious, the world is your oyster. My kids love this recipe. I have been sprinkling a bit of cheese over the top lately, but it isn’t necessary.
With rice there, I choose not to make potatoes or other noodles as a side dish. My kids are happy with a salad and maybe some green beans. We are pretty simple in the side dish department around here. I guess I need to up that game because I know there are ways I can make veggies more fun.
I could make carrot muffins or bread (sugar, I know). There are a thousand and five ways to make zucchini or squash. Anytime I make that, my kids and husband approve. I like doing simple zucchini spears, drizzle some olive oil, seasoning mix, and parmesan. Then, I roast them in the oven until they are fork-tender.

Servings:  10-12

Calories per serving:  220

 

Cooking

Hashbrown Chicken Casserole

Hashbrown Chicken Casserole

Hashbrown Chicken Casserole

As I went through my freezer, fridge, and pantry, I came up with this dish. At the end of this post, I will put what I will do differently the next time I make it. It made a 13×9 dish so that we would have leftovers. Next time, I will put it in a smaller glass dish and then an aluminum pan. From there, I will cover it well and freeze the extra. That way, I will stock up my freezer. By making a big batch and freezing half, over time, you will have enough to feed your family for at least a week. In my case, I usually do this once a month, so I can go a whole month using the food that I cooked. Cook, eat once (leftovers), and freeze the other. You will not regret it.

Ingredients

Chicken (I had frozen Tyson grilled chicken. You can use canned chicken, cook a whole chicken, or buy a rotisserie chicken or chicken breasts. I sound like the guy off of Forrest Gump describing the different types of shrimp.)

Bacon (bits or fry and crumble)

Seasoning

Garlic butter (I used leftover Papa John’s garlic butter)

Minced garlic

Onion, chopped

Portobello mushrooms, chopped

Two c. sour cream

One can of corn, drained

1/3 c. milk

Bread crumbs

Cheddar

Hashbrowns (I bought the cubed southern hashbrowns that have chopped-up peppers)

Directions

Preheat your oven to 400. Grease a 13×9 dish and place your hashbrowns. I sprinkled the top with seasoning and mixed that up to get it all coated. Future me will add the seasoning and then a packet of ranch mix. On top of that, I added my garlic butter. Future me will make a garlic-infused compound butter to put a few pats on top. Oh, Ghee would be good too! I do love me some Ghee.

I cut up my chicken strips in a large bowl and added all the ingredients (including more seasoning and a packet of ranch) except the bread crumbs and a handful of cheddar. I did, however, mix some cheddar in with the chicken. Once that is all mixed, spoon over the top of the potatoes.

I then sprinkled some Italian Bread crumbs (any will do Panko would be good) and used the rest of my cheddar. Cover it will aluminum foil and bake it for about 30 minutes with the foil on tightly. Take the foil off and let it cook for another 10 minutes.

I served it with leftover hotdog buns that I buttered and put garlic on. We are living the dream over here!

What I Will Do Differently

Next time, I will add bigger chunks of chopped peppers. Also, I will probably add a couple of packets of dry Ranch seasoning. The verdict is out on the corn. I liked the sweet pop of flavor, but it was also weird. That’s a mental thing for me. I will probably fry bacon the next time. This time I used bacon bits. Also, I will probably heat my chicken with some bacon grease for added flavor. Oh, chopped spinach would have been great in this!

 

 

Cooking

Chili Cheese Dog Casserole

Chili Cheese Dog Casserole

Chili Cheese Dog Casserole

Chili Cheese Dog Casserole. Here is another easy dinner idea. I love chili, and I love chili cheese dogs. Here is a great combo that my family loved. I served this with chips. Here’s the thing, my downstairs air conditioning is not working well. For example, it’s hot in my downstairs. Add that to the frustration over my pool not being ready. Depending on others has proven that we should only lean on ourselves and teach ourselves. So, our pool is green with frogs, our air is going out, and I had grandbabies and a child(ren) living on the struggle bus.

Now, let’s look at the positive. The upstairs air is working. Then we had the theater room, which was a lovely temperature, so we hung out and watched a show. Most of my kids were home to eat and get haircuts. I had my grandbabies, which is a positive all by itself. After my husband worked some brain magic, the pool got cloudy but cleared up. This recipe was quick and easy, and I could do it in stages to not heat my house to the levels of hell itself.

Ingredients

Hotdogs (I bought bun length)

Crescent rolls (2 packages)

American Cheese Slices

Ground Beef

Onion

Garlic

Seasoning Mix

Chili Mix

Chili Beans – 2 Cans

Cheddar Cheese

Chips

Directions

Take a crescent roll, a slice of cheese (I half it), and a hotdog. Roll your crescent roll out, lay down your cheese, place your hotdog (I slit it down the middle so it doesn’t explode), and roll it up. Please put it in a 13×9 greased dish. Bake at 375 for about 10-12 minutes.

In a skillet, brown your beef, onion, garlic, and seasoning. Once done, drain the grease and place it back in the pan. From there, I add the chili beans and chili mix. Stir it well. Take the chili and scoop it around the hot dogs. Sprinkle with cheddar. Cover and bake until it is all heated. Serve with chips or rice.

Thoughts

Everyone likes this. I made the mistake of cooking it warm to prevent me from turning my oven up too high. I should have kept it covered because I felt the beans got too done and a bit hard. With no liquid in this, nothing can keep everything soft. The aluminum foil keeps the beans good in texture.

However, everyone loved this dish. My husband asked for it to be on our rotation, though we don’t have a rotation. I need to be more diligent about writing down what I cook. There are things that I make that he loves, and I have zero remembrance of how I made them. Shelf-cooking is just a natural part of who I am. Also, leftovers are a thing we don’t usually have lying around. If I have something left over, I use it in another dish. Maybe writing down my recipes will help me have a rotation to make my husband happy! He loves it when I remember how to make something.

 

Cooking

Garlic Pork Chops with Parmesan Sauce

Garlic Pork Chops with Parmesan Sauce

Garlic Pork Chops with Parmesan Sauce

Here is another new recipe that is a winner in our family. Garlic Pork Chops with Parmesan Sauce was easy to make, and newsflash makes an excellent soup for the next day. Watch for tomorrow’s post where I transform this dish into something my crew loves!

Ingredients

Pork Chops (I used boneless)

Seasoning

Bacon grease (or oil)

Butter

Seasoning

Parmesan Sauce

2 c. heavy cream

2 c. parmesan

Garlic

Spinach (chopped)

Fresh mushrooms (chopped)

Onion (chopped)

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

How to Make

In an electric skillet, pour some bacon grease (or oil) and butter. I pounded my chops and seasoned them well with my seasoning mix. Fry them up. Once done, remove them from the pan.

Place all of the parmesan sauce ingredients in the same skillet cooked inside the chops. Stir until thickened. You can either lay your chops back in there and keep it on low (this will prevent the cheese from burning). Instead, you can serve it by laying your chop on a plate and scooping out the sauce to pour over.

I doubled the batch so I could do a recipe for the next day, transforming this into a soup!

 

Cooking

Lipton Onion Soup Thighs with Rice

Lipton Onion Soup Thighs with Rice

 

Lipton Onion Soup Thighs with Rice

 

Oh, this is a good one too! Lipton Onion Soup Thighs with Rice is what is for dinner. The rice was fantastic! This is another “throw-together” kind of recipe. I had lots of Lipton Onion Soup Mix packets. It is finding creative ways to use them without having a roast.  

 

Ingredients

 

Chicken Thighs

 

2 c. rice

 

2 c. chicken broth

 

1 can cream of chicken

 

1 can cream of mushroom

 

1 packet Lipton Onion Soup Mix

 

Garlic Powder

 

Seasoning

 

Shredded Parmesan

 

Panko

 

How to Make Lipton Onion Soup Thighs with Rice

 

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease 13×9 dish. In a large bowl, combine the uncooked rice and chicken broth. Next, add Lipton Onion Soup Mix, cream of mushroom, and cream of chicken. Put in the bottom of the dish. On top, place the uncooked chicken. Sprinkle some garlic over the top, as well as panko. Next, throw on some shredded parmesan. Bake, covered, for an hour. Uncover and bake for 25 minutes.

 

The rice was excellent!

 

 

Cooking

Mexican Lasagna Created From Leftovers

Mexican Lasagna Created From Leftovers

Mexican Lasagna Created From Leftovers

Well, my my my, I had no idea my Mexican Lasagna Created From Leftovers would taste so good. A few days ago, I made Philly Cheesesteaks Sandwiches. I had a lot of the meat leftover, which I used instead of ground beef.

Ingredients

Steak um’s (you can use ground beef)

Salt-free garlic and herb seasoning

Seasoning

Creole Seasoning

Orange, yellow, and red peppers, chopped

Fresh garlic

Onion, chopped

Two cans of diced tomatoes

1/3 white queso Velveeta

Can of drained whole kernel corn

Directions

I placed my meat and veggies in the pan and sauteed them. You can add oil, bacon grease, or butter to keep them from sticking. Once that was done, I seasoned it until it tasted like I wanted it to taste.

Next, I added corn and diced tomatoes. My husband doesn’t like tomatoes like that, so I covered my pot and let them stew down. Then, I added the white queso Velveeta. Taste to adjust the seasoning.

Rice

2 c. of water

2 c. of rice

Place on “rice” mode in your instant pot. Let naturally release.

Layering

Put a small amount of sauce in a greased 13×9 dish. Then, place in flour tortillas; next, sauce. Then, rice. Finally, I had some Colby/jack cheese cubes. I broke those over the rice and added a bit of cheddar. Repeat layers ending with cheese.

Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes and serve.

Cooking

Sav’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Sav’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Sav's Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup salted butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 tsps. vanilla

2 eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. sea salt (can use kosher or regular salt)

2 cups chocolate chips (we use the mini, but any will do)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or spray with nonstick spray. Mix the flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder in a separate bowl. Set aside.

Cream together the butter and sugars until combined. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until fluffy. Then, mix in the dry ingredients until combined well. Add the 12 oz. of chocolate chips and mix well.

Rolling Rolling Rolling

Roll 2-3 Tbsp of dough, at a time, into balls. Place them evenly spaced on your prepared cookie sheets. You can also use a small cookie scoop to do this. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 8-10 minutes.

Take them out when they are just BARELY starting to turn brown. Remember, the bottoms will brown quicker than the top.

You could slather your naked body with the dough. Just a thought cause the dough is FANTASTIC. Also, you can bake the cookies until they are crispier. My father-in-law loved burnt cookies. These cookies remind me of the Soft Batch Cookies from back in the day.

 

 

Cooking

Cinnamon Roll Cake

Cinnamon Roll Cake

Cinnamon Roll Cake

Oh my, is this Cinnamon Roll Cake the best thing ever. I hope you find it as good as my family does. It is so easy to make. This cake is good hot or the next day. It usually doesn’t last too long after that, at my house.

My parents are coming over for dinner and have chosen the menu. I’m unnaturally excited about them coming for no reason. Typically, when they come to my house, it is either a celebration or a crisis. This time is neither.

Technically, Thursdays are reserved for pizza night, but I am gladly rescheduling that for Friday night. I’m thankful that my parents can still get up and go whenever they want. It is a blessing.

I love cinnamon rolls probably more than my waistline does. We do not make this often, but tonight was a special occasion.

Cake

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups milk

2 eggs

4 tsps. vanilla

4 tsps. baking powder

1 stick butter, melted

Directions

Place ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Pour into a 13×9 greased dish.

Next Up

1 cup brown sugar

1 T. Cinnamon

3/4 cup melted butter

Directions

Mix in a small bowl and pour over top of the cake.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Icing

3 c. powdered sugar (for those who might not know, the symbol XXX is for powdered sugar as well).

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

5-8 tsps milk (you want it thin enough to pour quickly)

Directions

Allow sitting for 10 minutes. Pour over hot cake. If you get wild, poke some holes in the cake and let that yumminess seep into it.

THEN EAT!

 

Cooking

Tater Tot Casserole with Cheese

Tater Tot Casserole with Cheese

Tater Tot Casserole with Cheese

My OCD dictated my Tater Tot Casserole with Cheese. On a good day, I’d sling them on there. They each had a place tonight, and frankly, that makes me happy. I do believe I’m going insane. Insane, people. It’s fine. I am fine. We are all fine.

Tater Tot Casserole with Cheese

2# ground beef

Lipton onion soup mix

Worcestershire sauce

1 can cream of celery (I usually use cream of mushroom, but that’s what I had)

Sour cream, 1 c.

Seasoning

Cheddar

Spinach

Tater Tots

Directions

Brown beef with seasoning. Drain if necessary. Add in some Worcestershire sauce and the Lipton onion soup mix. I have a gluten-free, copycat Lipton onion soup mix recipe. Once that is done, add your chopped spinach and mix well.

In greased 13×9 dish, place the meat/spinach mixture on the bottom. Next, mix the sour cream and cream of celery. Pour that over the meat. Then add a layer of cheddar. End with the tater tots and be sure and season the tots.

Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes. You might want to add a few minutes if you put frozen tots on there. Mine were already thawed out. Again, it was good. My crew gobbled it up.