Crock Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup

I have searched the internet for the perfect broccoli cheese soup, and I can't seem to find a recipe that I totally love. I think broccoli cheese soup is pretty versatile however. I'm sure there are plenty of awesome ways to make it. I however wanted to make it using fresh broccoli and without the condensed cheddar cheese soup that seems to be in almost every recipe. This is what I came up with. 

Ingredients:

1 bunch of fresh broccoli (cut up)
1/2 lb. of sliced carrots
1 medium onion (chopped)
3 cups of chicken stock/broth
6 tablespoons of butter
6 tablespoons of flour
2 cups of milk
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
salt & pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste

The green pepper is an option.

• Add chicken broth, vegetables, salt & pepper and garlic powder to crock pot. (I left the broccoli on the top for the first couple of hours it was in the crock pot, just so it didn't get too mushy).

• Cook on low for 4-5 hours.

About an hour or so before you want to serve it,

•  Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat.

•  Add flour and whisk until smooth. 

•  Remove from heat; gradually add milk, whisking to keep smooth.  

•  Return to heat and bring to a gentle boil, whisking constantly until thickened. 

•  Add cheese and stir until melted. Add salt to taste if desired.

• Add cheese mixture to crock pot. Stir well.

 

• Cook on high for another hour or so.

Bacon Egg & Cheese Burritos

I had some tortillas leftover from enchilada night... and some bacon and eggs in the fridge. So, I decided to makes some homemade bacon egg & cheese burritos.

NOTE: This recipe will make 4 burritos.

You will need the following ingredients:

4 eggs
8 slices of bacon
4 taco sized tortillas
4 slices of american cheese
3 tablespoons of butter
salt & pepper to taste
a few tablespoons of milk

• First place the bacon on a cookie sheet covered in aluminum foil.

• Turn on oven to 400 and put bacon in the oven. DO NOT preheat the oven. You must place the bacon in a COLD OVEN. Bake for 17-20 minutes. The bake time will depend on the thickness of the bacon, how fast your oven preheats, ect. Also be sure to pull the bacon out just a bit before its fully done. It will continue cooking once you take it out of the oven. 

 

• Immediately move the bacon to a paper towel to drain the grease.

• Melt butter in skillet on medium heat.

• Whisk egg, milk, salt & pepper well.  

•  Turn heat to medium-high and add eggs to butter. Stir continuously until no longer runny. Remove from heat.

 

• Now stack the eggs, cheese and bacon on the burrito.

To fold the burritos:

• Fold one side up.

• Fold the uncovered end over it.

•  Roll up the burrito towards the other side.

•  Continue this until all the burritos are done. You can hold them together with toothpicks.

 You can make these ahead if you choose and freeze them. Just wrap them in paper towels and put in a freezer bag. Microwave for 1 minute to reheat.

2-Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins

I saw this somewhere on Pinterest and decided to try it out.

You will need the following ingredients :

1 box of cake mix
1 15 oz. can of pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie mix)
12 baking cups

 

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Mix cake mix and pumpkin pie mix together. If you choose, you can add a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon.

• Spoon mixture into baking cups.

 

• Bake for 20-25 minutes.

 Delicious!!!

Pasta Salad

I'm sorry I didn't get as many pictures as I usually do, but it was sort of a spur of the moment to make some pasta salad. So using what I had on hand, this is what I made.

You will need the following ingredients :

1/2 lb of Pasta (cooked)
1/2 Sweet Yellow Onion (chopped)
2 celery sticks (chopped)
1 carrot (chopped)
3 hard boiled eggs (chopped)

Dressing:

3/4 Cup of Mayo
2 Tablespoons of Mustard
2-4 Tablespoons of Sugar
1 Tablespoon of Salt

• Once you have all your vegetables and eggs chopped up and pasta cooked, make your dressing by stirring the dressing ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

 

• Add the pasta, veggies and eggs.

• Stir well.

• Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, more if possible. Remember that the longer you refrigerate it the better it will taste. Give it plenty of time for the flavors to mix together. I would even recommend making it a day ahead. 
• Once you are ready to serve it you can garnish it with green onions, if you like.

 

Quick Cinnamon Apples

So I was craving something with apples and cinnamon, but didn't want to go to a ton of work to make something for just me. This is what I came up with. You will need the following ingredients:

1 Apple
2 T. Butter/Margarine
1/4 t. Cinnamon
2 T. Brown Sugar

 

• Melt butter in skillet

• While butter is melting, core and slice apples. You can remove the skins if you choose, but I chose to leave them on.

• Sautee apples in butter on medium-high for 3-4 minutes.

• Add cinnamon and brown sugar. Turn heat down to medium.

• Stir cinnamon and sugar into apples and continue cooking for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. 

You can cook them longer. It just depends on how soft you like your apples. These come out slightly crispy. If you like a softer apple, I would recommend cooking them for another few minutes.

• Pour into bowl and enjoy! :)

Pulled Pork

This is one of my favorite recipes, because its so good, very cheap and so very easy. You can literally throw 3 ingredients in the crock and 8 hours later you have delicious pulled pork.

• So here is how I make mine. First you will need the following ingredients...

2 lb. Pork Ribs or Pork Roast (I recommend pork ribs. Although I did use the roast in the pictures because its cheaper, the ribs come out more tender.)
12 oz. bottle of Barbecue Sauce
1/2 jar of Sweet n' Sour Sauce

 

• Turn crock pot to low.

• Pour about 2/3 of the barbecue sauce and sweet and sour sauce in the crock pot and stir together.

• Add the pork to the crock pot.

• Cover the top of the pork with the sauce.

Now the following steps aren't necessary, but if I happen to be home while this is cooking I like to add them. 

• Every couple of hours, cover the roast with the sauce again to prevent the sides from getting hard. Plus it lets more of those flavors cook into the roast :)

Another thing I like to do... 
 

• About half-way through the cooking process, I will take about a 1/4 cup of brown sugar and sprinkle it on top of the roast.

And now back to the necessary steps...

• About 1-2 hours before you are going to serve it, add the remainder of the barbecue sauce. Using 2 forks, pull the pork apart. Until it looks similar to this...

 

  

•  Once you are ready to serve it you can shred it more if you prefer.

•  Serve on warms buns, rolls or toast of your choice. I like to serve them on toasted hoagie rolls.