Bacon, Cheddar and Potato Chowder

All I can say is yum yum! This is so simple and easy to make and it tastes homemade! Thank you Food and Family for this delicious recipe!

3 cups fat-free milk
10 ¾ ounces condensed cream of potato soup
2 cups frozen hash browns or boiled cut up potatoes
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 green onions, thinly sliced

Mix milk and soup in saucepan. Stir in hash browns. Bring to boil on high, stirring occasionally; simmer on medium-low for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Serve topped with cheese, bacon and onions.

Taken from Food and Family, Best Loved Recipes, p. 5

Simple Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

I have always made my chicken noodle from scratch.  I keep my eye peeled at the sales for4 whole chickens and buy when on sale and store in the freezer till I need them.  I usually have 4 or 5 chickens in the freezer before winter starts so I can be prepared for those days the weather wont allow us out.  If the kids are stir crazy then I have them make homemade noodles and I don't use the noodles listed.  Otherwise I take the ingredients that my family will eat and leave the rest out.

Ingredients

1 (3 to 4-pound) whole chicken 
1 quart chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth 
2 quarts water 
2 medium onions, quartered 
2 carrots, roughly chopped 
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped 
2 sprigs fresh thyme 
5 or 6 parsley stems 
1 bay leaf 
2 tablespoons unsalted butter 
4 ounces whole button mushrooms, quartered 
1/2 cup diced onions 
1/2 cup sliced carrots 
1/2 cup small-diced celery 
2 1/4 teaspoons salt 
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
1/4 pound dried vermicelli noodles 
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Place the chicken in a large stockpot 
or Dutch oven and cover with the chicken stock and 2 quarts water. Add the onion quarters, roughly chopped 
carrots and celery, thyme, parsley stems, and the bay leaf. Bring mixture to a boil, partially cover and 
reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 1 hour. The chicken should easily pull away from the bones. 
  
Using tongs, remove the chicken from the broth and set aside until cool enough to handle. Strain the cooking 
liquid through a fine-meshed sieve, lined with cheesecloth, discarding the vegetables and reserving the stock. 
Pull the chicken meat off the bones, discarding the bones, skin, and any fat. Shred and reserve meat. 
  
Melt the butter in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook until browned, about 3 
minutes. Add the diced onions, carrots, and celery and cook until the vegetables are softened, about 2 
minutes. Stir in reserved cooked chicken. Add reserved chicken stock and bring to a boil over high heat. 
  
Season the soup with salt and pepper. Add vermicelli and simmer until noodles are cooked through, 10 to 12 
minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in parsley. Serve hot. 

This recipe came from Food Network.com.  Thank You Emeril Lagasse for showing me how on TV one night!

Potato Soup

My mom sent me a chain letter to share recipes... so I thought I would post the ones I received on here. 

The author added this little tidbit, "I do this recipe by eye and taste so depending on the size of your family you can adjust this. This is a great hardy soup and taste really good in a bread bowl. Really easy and my kids love it!"

1 can Campbell's Cheese soup
potatoes
bacon bites
shredded cheese
chives (optional)
milk
salt

Dice up and boil potatoes (about 3 to 4 potatoes for one can of soup & that feeds about 4 adults). In another pan heat up can of soup with 1 can full of milk, whisk to make smooth. Once potatoes are soft, add them to cheese soup with whatever else you like... bacon bites or ham, chives etc. If it is too thick, just add more milk and shredded cheese to thin it out. I also add some salt, let everything mix together then serve.

Easy Hamburger Soup

Make your own variation with vegetables... corn, peas, etc!

64 ounces tomato juice
1 pound lean ground beef
16 ounces medium pasta shells

Cook lean ground beef; drain juices. Boil shells according to package directions; drain water. Combine all ingredients; heat through.

Taco Soup

This is quite the hearty meal and only takes 20 minutes to prepare! My husband loves it... which says a lot about this dish!

Fritos

Sour Cream

Grated Cheese

64 ounces tomato juice

11 1/2 ounces corn

11 1/2 ounces Bushs Chili Beans, mild

5 ounces green chile, mild

14 1/2 ounces kidney beans

14 1/2 ounces tomatoes, canned, diced

1/2 jar salsa, chunky, mild or medium

2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon cilantro

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

1/2 onion, chopped

Brown meat and onion together. Add other ingredients. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Top with first 3 ingredients.