Potato Soup

THE BEST potato soup recipe ever!

Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds baby red potatoes, sliced into small bite sized pieces
1/2 regular package uncooked bacon, finely diced
1 medium onion, diced
1/4 bunch celery, diced
8 cups milk
4 cups water
4 chicken bullion cubes (use a cup of the hot potato water to dissolve, then use the cup of hot water in place of one of the above cups of water)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup salted butter
3/4 cup flour
1/4 bunch freshly chopped parsley
1 cup whipping cream

***For garnish:***
Shredded cheese
fried bacon bits
chopped green onions

Directions:
In large pot, boil potatoes in water 10 minutes. Drain and set aside. In sauté pan, cook bacon until crisp. Drain bacon fat and place on paper towel over plate to drain more. Add onion and celery to bacon pan over medium-high heat until celery is tender, about 5 minutes. To the large potato pan, add milk, water, bullion, salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high heat until mixture is very hot, about 8 minutes, stirring often. Do not let mixture boil. In small, heavy saucepan melt butter. Add flour and mix well. Cook over medium-low heat until mixture bubbles, stirring 2 to 3 minutes to make a roux. While constantly stirring soup, add roux slowly until soup is thick and creamy, about 4 minutes. Stir in parsley, reserved potatoes, and cream. Garnish with cheese, bacon bits, onions or all three. Serve hot.

Sweet Potato Cups

Ingredients
6 small sweet potatoes (about 2 3/4 lb.)
4 large navel oranges
1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
3 tablespoons melted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons orange zest
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 cup miniature marshmallows

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425º. Place sweet potatoes on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 425° for 45 minutes or until tender. Let stand 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350º.
2. Meanwhile, cut oranges in half crosswise. Scoop out pulp using a spoon, leaving peel intact. Reserve orange pulp for another use.
3. Peel sweet potatoes, and place potato pulp in a large bowl. Add sweetened condensed milk and next 8 ingredients. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth, stopping occasionally to remove any tough fibers, if necessary. Spoon about 1/2 cup mixture into each orange cup. Place orange cups in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish.
4. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, and top with pecans and then with marshmallows, pressing lightly to adhere. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until marshmallows are melted and golden brown.

Note: Orange cups and sweet potatoes can be made 1 day ahead. Chill scooped orange cups and baked sweet potatoes in separate zip-top plastic bags until ready to assemble.

Yield: Makes 8 servings

Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallow Topping

Ingredients
4 1/4 pounds sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Cooking spray
3 cups miniature marshmallows

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 425°.

2. Place sweet potatoes in a shallow baking pan lined with foil. Bake at 425° for 1 hour or until tender. Reduce oven temperature to 350°.

3. Peel sweet potatoes; place in a large bowl. Add butter and next 3 ingredients (through cinnamon); mash with a potato masher until pureed. Spoon potato mixture into a 2-quart glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray.

4. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Top with marshmallows; bake an additional 10 minutes or until marshmallows are lightly browned.

Yield: Serves 12 (serving size: 1/2 cup)

Bacon Wrapped, Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast

1 boneless skinless chicken breast
2 tablespoons cream cheese
1 tablespoon green onion, Chopped
2 pieces bacon, Partially Cooked

Directions:

Pound out Chicken breast so it is about 1/4" thick.

Mix together cream cheese and green onions and spread cheese mixture over 1 side of chicken breast.

Roll CHicken breast up to conseal cream cheese.

Wrap partially cooked bacon around chicken breast and secure with toothpick.

Place on baking sheet and back for about 30 minutes at 375.

Broil for about 5 minute to crisp bacon.