Welcome to My Kitchen

Are the tulips coming up? Is it snowing again? Eastern Washington weather keeps us guessing. Shelly Hauge’s recipe for “Ultimate Potato Soup” is a favorite at area soup suppers and with her family members. Easy to prepare and ready in under an hour, this soup will take the chill off any late winter or early spring day.

Ultimate Potato Soup

6 cups peeled, diced potato

3 stalks celery, diced

1 cup chopped onion

3 can (14.5 ounces each) chicken broth

4 cups half and half

6 Tbsp butter, melted

6 Tbsp all-purpose flour

4 cubes chicken bouillon

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

In a large kettle combine all ingredients except, half and half, flour and butter. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until potatoes are tender.

In a small saucepan combine melted butter and flour and place over low heat. Stir in about a cup of half and half to form a roux. Stir roux into cooked potato mixture along with remaining half and half. Heat through and serve. Yield: about 1 gallon soup.

Bonnie Campbell shared a recipe for Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan. She found the recipe on Pinterest from The Typical Mom website. This recipe is easy to prepare and place in a slow cooker to simmer while you go about your day.

Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan

4 chicken breasts or 8 chicken thighs

1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs

1 1/5 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp crushed parsley

1 tsp salt

1 tsp garlic powder

1 jar (24 ounces) spaghetti sauce

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

In a shallow bowl combine 1 tsp of the Italian seasoning, salt, garlic powder, parsley and bread crumbs. Roll each chicken piece in bread-crumb mixture until well coated.

Place coated chicken in a slow cooker crock that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Pour the spaghetti sauce over the top of the coated chicken. Sprinkle with the parmesan cheese.

Cook on low for about 6 hours (timing will depend on how thick the chicken pieces are). Fifteen minutes before ready to serve, lift the lid and sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese and remaining Italian seasoning and cover with lid.

Once cheese is melted serve immediately. Yield: 6 servings.

Note: if using chicken breasts, cut breasts in half to speed up cooking time. Dinner rolls or steamed rice make a good accompaniment to soak up the savory juices. A green salad or vegetable would round out the meal.

Most kids love hotdogs. Pigs in a blanket are a fun cooking project for kids to make and help prepare family meals. Toddlers who haven’t developed the finger dexterity to wrap the hotdogs in strips of dough might enjoy making “Pigs in Bed.” This recipe uses a no-knead, quick-rise yeast dough. The dough is spread in the pan, then hotdogs pressed into the dough. The dough rises around the hotdogs while the dish rests, then bakes.

Pigs in Bed

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast or one pre-measured packet

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 Tbsp granulated sugar

1 cup warm water

2 Tbsp vegetable or olive oil

1 package (8) bun-length hotdogs

In a large mixing bowl combine yeast, flour, salt and sugar. Stir in warm water and vegetable oil. Mix well until a “shaggy” dough forms. Dough will be slightly sticky. Scoop into a ball in the center of the bowl, cover with a paper towel or cloth towel and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until double in size.

Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan and spread dough with a spoon into the bottom of the pan. Drain liquid from hot dogs and place hotdogs about 3/4 inch apart in a row the length of the pan. Press the hotdogs firmly into the dough so it puffs up between the hotdogs. Cover with paper towel or cloth to rest while you pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Place “Pigs in Bed” in preheated oven and bake 15 to 20 minutes or until the dough is golden brown. Remove from oven and serve by cutting between the hotdogs into strips. Serve with ketchup and mustard or other favorite hotdog toppings. They make great chili dogs as well. Yield: 8 servings.

French Cabbage Soup is a savory soup featuring ground beef, cabbage and Lima beans. Onions, carrots and corn round out the mixture simmered in a tomato broth in this slow-cooker friendly soup.

French Cabbage Soup

1 1/2 pounds ground beef, browned and drained

1/2 a medium head cabbage, chopped

2 cups chopped celery

46 ounces tomato juice or 1 can (15 ounce) tomato sauce diluted with 2 cans water

1 package onion soup mix

2 cups sliced carrots

1 can (15 ounces) or 1 package frozen Lima beans, drained

1 can (15 ounces) kernel corn

Ground black pepper and smoked paprika to taste

Combine all ingredients in crock of slow cooker. Cook on low 8-10 hours. Yield: 6-8 servings. Serve with crusty bread or rolls.

Note: any variety of canned beans may be substituted in this recipe.

Conversation at a recent dinner with friends revealed a desire for a recipe that may have come from one of the area Hutterite Colonies’ kitchens. The recipe is for a yeast sweet roll, somewhat like a cream cheese Danish. If you have such a recipe and are willing to share, please send to the address below. Also, share your favorite soup recipes and spring menu recipes by sending them to: Welcome to My Kitchen, c/o The Odessa Record, P.O. Box 458, Odessa WA 99159, email therecord@odessaoffice.com or drop them in Welcome to My Kitchen mail tin in The Odessa Record office.

Don’t be in a hurry to remove mulch from flowerbeds. Winter isn’t done with us yet. The longer the mulch stays in place, the more nutrients enrich the ground.