Cheesy Potato Soup

2 Red Potatoes, diced
2 Carrots, diced
2 Celery ribs, diced
1/2 Onion, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 Tablespoons Butter
3 Tablespoons Cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoon Salt
3/4 teaspoon Pepper (pure ground)
3 Cups Milk
2 1/2 Cups Mild Cheddar
4-8 oz. Diced Ham

Add potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, salt and pepper to a pot. Fill half way with water. Cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Make cheesy sauce while veggies cook.
In a sauce pan melt butter over medium heat (level 6-7).

When the butter has melted completely remove the pan from heat.  Using a spoon, not a whisk, vigorously stir in cornstarch, salt, and pepper till combined.  It should look smooth.

Gradually stir in milk while constantly stirring.  I stir in 2-4 Tablespoons at a time to combine the cornstarch mixture into a smooth creamy sauce.  After you have added about 1/2 cup of milk return to heat, level 6.  Then keep adding up to 1/4 cup and to slowly incorporate the milk into the sauce.  Keep stirring constantly.  After all the milk is poured keep stirring and every 15 seconds lift spoon out of sauce for a second or two to see if bubbles start to form when not stirring.  When this happens immediately remove from heat.


Gradually add cheese to the sauce, about 1/4 cup at a time, while vigorously stirring to incorporate the cheese.  You have added too much cheese if it strings when you pull the spoon away from the sauce.  

When veggies are done cooking, add cheesy sauce and diced ham to the pot.  Stir to combine.  

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 Large onion, minced
6 Garlic cloves, minced

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil 
2 Tablespoons Butter
7 oz Diced Green Chilies
2-14 oz cans Diced Tomatoes
1 Tablespoon Cumin
1Tablespoon Chili Powder
2 teaspoons Salt
3 Dried Bay Leaves
6 cups Chicken broth
16 oz Frozen Corn

2 cups Rotisserie Chicken, shredded
I Bunch of Cilantro, minced

2 Limes, juiced
1 bag Tortilla Chips
16 oz Sour Cream
2 cups Shredded Cheese

3 Avocadoes, sliced

Saute onion and garlic in oil for 3-4 minutes to bring out flavor.

Add the green chilies and canned tomatoes. Sauté for an additional 2-3 minutes.

Add the cumin, chili powder, salt and bay leaves and stir.

Pour in the chicken broth. Bring to a boil then simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove from heat and immediately add the frozen corn, stir.

Add the chicken, cilantro, and lime juice, stir again.

Serve soup with a handful of crushed tortilla chips, a dollop of sour cream, a sprinkle of cheese, and some sliced avocadoes in each bowl.  

Note:  You can make your own crispy tortilla strips.

12 flour tortillas

Fill a large frying pan with approximately 3/8 inch of vegetable oil. Heat the oil on medium high. The oil is ready when a small piece of tortilla placed in the oil bubbles immediately and browns quickly, in less than 30 seconds.  

While the oil in heating, cut tortillas in half, and then cut each half into 3/8 inch wide strips.  

Once the oil is hot, place as many tortilla strips as possible into the pan to form a single layer. They will brown quickly.  Flip strips as needed and remove from oil onto a plate lined with paper towels once browned. Repeat until all the strips are fried.

Nacho Bar

2 bags Tortilla Chips

1 head Lettuce, chopped
Rice

     Suggestion:  Rice

                            Cafe Rio Rice

Left over meat
     Suggestion:  Taco Salad
                            Chicken Fajita
                            Mexican Shredded Meat Mixture
                           Taco Salad - Mex Mess
Beans
     Suggestion:  Cafe Rio Black Beans
                            1 can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
                            1 can Rfried Beans, stirred
                            1 can Ranch Style Beans, heated
2 Tomatoes, diced

Cheese

     Suggestion: Rotel and Cheese Sauce

                           Texas Cheese Dip

                            Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese

Sour Cream

Salsa

     Suggestion: Tomatillos Sauce

                           Pace Pecante Salsa

Layer ingredients on individual plates according to desired amounts.  

Note: I arrange bar in order appeared in ingredients section.

Rotel and Cheese Sauce

16 oz Velveeta
1 can Rotel

Cut up Velveeta into little chunks.  Put into a blender.

Pour can of Rotel over cheese chunks.

Blend till all tomato chunks have chopped up completely.

Note: You can warm up in microwave.  Be careful to only heat for 20 seconds at a time and then stir.  You want a soupy consistency.  Too much heating will make it burn.

Homemade Mac and Cheese

4 Tablespoons Butter
1 Tablespoon Salt Kosher Salt
16 oz bag Tinkyada, Brown Rice Pasta 
4 Tablespoons Cornstarch
2 teaspoons Table Salt
1/2 teaspoon Pepper (pure ground)
4 Cups Milk
4 Cups Mild Cheddar, divided

In a sauce pan melt butter over medium heat (level 6-7).

While butter is melting bring 4.5 quarts of water and kosher salt to a boil in a large pot.  Add Tinkyada Noodles and cook for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Drain, do not rinse with water.

While water is coming to a boil make the creamy sauce with the pan of melted butter. 

When the butter has melted completely remove the pan from heat.  Using a spoon, not a whisk, vigorously stir in cornstarch, table salt, and pepper till combined.  It should look smooth.

Gradually stir in milk while constantly stirring.  I stir in 2-4 Tablespoons at a time to combine the cornstarch mixture into a smooth creamy sauce.  After you have added about 1/2 cup of milk return to heat, level 6.  Then keep adding up to 1/4 cup and to slowly incorporate the milk into the sauce.  Keep stirring constantly.  After all the milk is poured keep stirring and every 15 seconds lift spoon out of sauce for a second or two to see if bubbles start to form when not stirring.  When this happens immediately remove from heat.

Gradually add 3 cups of cheese to the sauce, about 1/4 cup at a time, while vigorously stirring to incorporate the cheese.  You have added too much cheese if it strings when you pull the spoon away from the sauce.  

The best way to do this is to cook both the noodles and the sauce at the same time.  The sauce should finish right before it is time to drain the noodles.  

When noodles are drained pour a small amount of cheese sauce into the bottom of your 13x9 baking dish.  Layer half the noodles on top of the cheese sauce and spread a little to fill out pan.  Then pour half the sauce over noodles.  Layer the rest of the noodles on top of the sauce.  Then Pour the the final amount of sauce on top of noodles.  Do not stir noodles and sauce together.  Use a rubber scrapper to get all the sauce out of the pan.  Using the rubber scrapper you can gently push the sauce around to cover the top layer of noodles.  

Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese on top.

Bake for 5-10 minutes.  The longer you bake the less creamy it will be.  

Note:  Making the recipes smaller is a great way to have this for lunch for fewer people.  Since it is all in quantities of 4 you can do 4 oz, 8 oz, 12 oz, or the whole 16 oz bag of noodles.  Just reduce the other ingredients respectively!

Pressure Cooker Chicken

2 teaspoons Paprika
2 teaspoons Thyme Leaves
1 teaspoons Salt
1/2 teaspoons Pepper
1 Whole Chicken
1 Tablespoons Oil
1 cup Chicken Broth
1/4 cup Lemon Juice
6 cloves Garlic

Press Brown/Sear on pressure cooker and press START.  While preheating mix paprika, thyme, salt and pepper in a little dish.  Spread 3/4 of seasoning mix over top (breast side) and sides of chicken.

Add oil to cooker and place chicken breast side down in cooker.  Cook for 3 minutes.  While cooking sprinkle rest of seasoning on the bottom side of the chicken that is now face up.  Using tongs, flip chicken and cook 3 more minutes.  While cooking place chicken broth and lemon juice in a coffee cup and heat for 1 min and 30 sec in microwave.  

Add garlic and chicken broth mixture to cooker, try to not pour on chicken or seasoning will come off.  Press STOP.  Secure lid.  Press Poultry setting and adjust time depending on size of chicken (see note below), make sure pressure valve is closed.  Press START.  When cooking time is done leave it alone for 20 minutes while it cools and releases pressure.  Remove chicken.  

Note:  Cook your chicken for 6 minutes per pound (3 minutes per half pound) and let cool after cooking for pressure to release for at least 20 minutes.  

2 lb bird = 12 min                        2.5 lb bird = 15 min
3 lb bird = 18 min                        3.5 lb bird = 21 min
4 lb bird = 24 min                        4.5 lb bird = 27 min
5 lb bird = 30 min

Ribs - June Willson

6-7 lb St Louis Style Spare Ribs

Rub:
2 Tablespoons Paprika
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons Pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Cumin
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Dry Mustard
1/4 teaspoon Celery Seed
1/4 teaspoon Oregano
1 bottle Bbq Sauce

Preheat oven to 350

Pat ribs down with paper towel to dry off.  Take membrane off of the bottom of ribs by holding onto with a paper towel and pulling hard.  If there is any excess fat on the top cut off with knife.

Lay meat side up on a double layer of foil

Mix rub ingredients together. 

Sprinkle 3 Tablespoons on top of ribs and rub into the meat.

Flip so bone side is up and sprinkle 1 Tablespoon on bone side.  You should be out of rub, if not sprinkle rest on bone side.

Wrap ribs in foil making sure it is sealed up tight.  I roll down then roll in sides.

Bake in oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

I like to let it sit in foil for 30 min to an hour after taking it out of the oven to steam it a bit.

Heat Grill to about 350.

Pour Bbq sauce into a bowl for basting.

Grill ribs, bone side down first.  Brush with Bbq sauce.  Flip after about 5 minutes.  Brush with rest of Bbq sauce.

Serve with mashed potatoes, salad, and rolls!

Note:  For Bbq sauce we use Open Pit - Thick N Tangy, Brown Sugar & Spice