Twice Baked Potatoes

Ingredients:

4 large Russet potatoes
4 slices bacon, cooked & crumbled
4 Tbl. butter, softened
1/2 c. sour cream
1/4 c. milk, give or take
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt (I add way more)
freshly grated black pepper, to taste
1 c. grated Cheddar cheese
2 chopped green onions, for garnish, opt.

Directions:

Wash and pat dry the potatoes.  Poke a few holes in each potato, using a fork, and cover tightly with foil.  Bake at 375 degrees for 1 - 1 1/2 hours or until cooked through.  Remove from oven, carefully remove foil and cool slightly.  Cut each potato in half lengthwise and scrape out the insides, with a spoon, into a large bowl, being careful to keep the shells intact. 

Add the butter, sour cream, seasoned salt and pepper.  Mash together using a potato masher.  Add enough milk, as needed, to reach desired creamy consistency and stir in the majority of the cheese, reserving a little for topping.  Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed.  Place the potato shells onto a large baking sheet.  Fill each potato shell with the potato mixture and top with reserved cheese.  Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the potatoes are hot.  Garnish with crumbled bacon and chopped green onions.  

Baked Jalapeño Poppers

Ingredients:

30 jalapeños
2 packages bacon
1 block Colby jack cheese
1 (2 cup) bag shredded Colby jack cheese

Directions:

Slice top and ends off jalapeños. Slice jalapeños, long ways, and remove all the seeds. Place jalapeños in a bowl of water ranging from 1 hour to overnight.

Line baking sheet with foil. Preheat over to 400.

Cut block of cheese into 15 slices and then cut each slice into 4 small chunks.

Drain jalapeños and place 2 chunks of block cheese inside jalapeño and wrap in slice of bacon.

Sprinkle shredded cheese on top of all jalapeños and bake for 20 minutes.

Perfect Potato Soup

Ingredients:

6 slices thin bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 whole medium onion, diced
3 whole carrots, scrubbed, cleaned, and diced
3 stalks celery, diced
6 small potatoes, peeled and diced
8 cups chicken or vegetable broth
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt, more to taste
Black pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon Cajun spice mix
1 teaspoon fresh minced parsley
1 cup grated cheese of your choice

Directions:

Add bacon pieces to a soup pit over medium high heat and cook bacon until crisp and fast is tendered. Remove the bacon from the pot and set aside. Pour off most of the grease, but do NOT clean the pot.

Return pot to medium-high heat and add the onions, carrots, and celery. Stir and cook for 2 minutes or so, then add the diced potatoes. Cook for 5 minutes, seasoning with salt, pepper, and Cajun spice.

Pour in the broth and bring it to a gentle boil. Cook for 10 minutes, or until potatoes are starting to get tender. Whisk together the flour and the milk, then pour until the soup and allow the soup to cook for another 5 minutes.

Remove half to 2/3 the soup and blend in a blender/food processer** until completely smooth. Pour it back into the soup pot and stir to combine. Let it heat back up as you taste for seasonings, adding more of what it needs. Stir in the cream, then stir in the parsley, reserving a little for garnishment.

Serve in bowls garnished with parsley, grated cheese, and crisp bacon pieces.

** This recipe states to BLEND the soup in a blender/food processer. I tried this and with me holding into the lid as I always do it blew the lid off and went all over me leaving some burns on my arm. My suggestion (what I ended up doing) is taking half the soup out and using a masher or hand mixer **

BLT Wraps

Ingredients:

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped

8 (10-inch) flour tortillas

1 large head iceberg lettuce, chopped

1 medium onion, thinly sliced (optional)

16 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Combine mayonnaise and tomatoes in a small bowl. Spread evenly over 1 side of each tortilla, leaving a 1/2-inch border.

Layer lettuce, onions, and bacon evenly over tortillas; sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roll up tortillas; cut in half diagonally, and secure with wooden stick.

Crockpot Breakfast Casserole

6-8 strips of bacon

1 onion, peeled & chopped

1 clove garlic, peeled & minced

1 red or green bell pepper, seeded & chopped

1 (2lb) bag frozen hashbrowns

1 1/2 cups shredded cheese

12 eggs

1 cup milk

1 tsp dried dill

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Spray crock pot with non stick cooking spray. Cook bacon until crisp, cool, and chop into 1/2 inch pieces, set aside. Saute onions, bell peppers, and garlic for 5 minutes. Place 1/3 frozen hashbrowns in the bottom of the crock pot, add 1/3 the bacon, and 1/3 onion, garlic, pepper mixture, and 1/3 cheese. Repeat the layers and end with cheese. 

In large mixing bowl mix eggs, milk, dill, salt & pepper. Pour over ingredients in crock pot, cover and turn on low. Cook for 8-10 hours.

Yields: 8-10 servings.