Cheesy Potato Soup with Mini Ham Sandwiches

This seems like a perfect recipe for a day like today.  The weather forecast calls for day of drenching rain and this is a soup and sandwich pairing that is warm and comforting.  It comes together quick enough for a weeknight and tastes great.  The soup is creamy and cheesy, while still being low fat -- you can't get much better than that!  Definitely use small red potatoes in this dish; they are waxier and won't turn to mush in the soup.  


The mini ham sandwiches that pair with it are cute (who doesn't like a mini sandwich?!?) and tasty.  The chive mayo is the element that really takes them to the next level.  It's a simple step that adds a ton of flavor and makes them not just a typical-thrown-together-with-stuff-in-the-fridge-kind-of sandwich.  I didn't really make any changes to the recipe and the only thing I might change in the future is throwing in a bit of smoked paprika, both in the soup and in the mayo for the sandwiches.  I think it would give a nice smoky hit to both elements and tie them together a bit more. 

Cheesy Potato Soup with Mini Ham Sandwiches
from Cooking Light, January 2012
serves 4


Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter
1 cup chopped onion
2 1/2 tablespoons flour
3 cups chopped red potato (about 1 pound)
1 1/4 cups 1% milk
1 1/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup shredded 2% cheddar cheese
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
1 tablespoon minced chives
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
8 slider rolls
4 ounces thinly sliced ham

Directions:

• Melt butter in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Sprinkle onion with flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. 
• Add potato, milk and broth to pan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. 
• While soup is simmering, start on the sandwiches.  Combine chives, mayo and dijon mustard.  Place the slider rolls, cut sides up, on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes, until toasty and golden brown.  
• When the soup has finished simmering, add the shredded cheese and ground red pepper; cook 2 minutes or until cheese melts, stirring frequently. 
• Once the rolls come out of the ove, spread cut sides with the mayo mixture.  Divide ham even among rolls.
• Top each serving of soup with 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped green onions, serve.  

Salt and Pepper Oven Fries: Secret Recipe Club

Last month I read on one of my favorite blogs, Beantown Baker, about The Secret Recipe Club.  Basically, you join up and at the beginning of the month you are randomly assigned a different blog.  You peruse that blog and pick a recipe from it to make.  Everyone in the Secret Recipe Club posts their chose recipe on the given date and time.  It sounded like a great way to see a few new blogs and try a few new recipes.  So, I joined!

This month I was assigned This Mama Cooks!  There were lots of great recipes to chose from, but I chose something fairly simple, yet I can never get quite right -- oven fries.  Sometimes mine turn out crispy, but sometimes mushy, sometimes burnt even!  I think it's because I don't really rely on a recipe, I just wing it hoping it will turn out okay, but it doesn't always.  So, I figured this was a good chance to follow a recipe, hoping it would give me a foolproof result and it did!  These were crispy and crunchy and delicious!  They would be a great side dish to just about anything -- what doesn't go with fries really??  I cut the recipe in half since there are only two of us, and leftover fries really aren't that great, but otherwise I kept it almost the same.  I did up the amount of pepper, since we like black pepper, and omitted the parsley since we were out of it.

Salt and Pepper Oven Fries
slightly adapted from This Mama Cooks!


Ingredients:

1/2 pound potatoes, cut into wedges
2 Tablespoons oil (canola or olive, I used olive)
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground


Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  On a medium baking sheet, spray cooking spray to coat the bottom surface.
• Cut potatoes into long wedges.  In a medium bowl, toss potato wedges with 1 tablespoon oil.  
• On prepared baking sheet, lay out potato wedges in a single layer.
• Bake for 15 minutes, flip the wedges over and bake for 15 more minutes.  Potatoes should be golden brown and crispy.  
• When you turn the wedges over, heat the remaining tablespoon oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook over medium-low heat until golden, about 4 minutes.
• Pour the garlic oil over the wedges, adding in the salt and pepper.  Toss to coat and serve.  

Potato Salad with Bacon and Balsamic Vinager

I came across this recipe while looking for something to make with the new potatoes from our CSA box.  Cooks Illustrated was the first place I turned since they always have reliable and delicious recipes, not to mention a great amount of knowledge on ingredients.  I read through a "Primer on Potatoes" to see what I could learn about new potatoes.  They recommended using new potatoes as you would any waxy potatoes, and so I decided on potato salad.  I didn't want to make a traditional mayonnaise potato salad since that style has never appealed to me, and Zach doesn't like mayo all that much.  We both love balsamic vinegar though, so we quickly decided on this recipe; plus, it had bacon.  Finding bacon as an ingredient pretty much seals the deal for me.  This was quite tasty.  It had a nice bite from the vinegar, and it paired very well with the new potatoes.  A nice change if you are bored of the same old potato salad.

German-Style Potato Salad with Bacon and Balsamic Vinegar

from Cooks Illustrated, July/August 1994

Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 pounds new potatoes, rinsed and scrubbed

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

6 slices bacon, cut into 1/4 inch strips

1 medium onion, cut into medium dice

1/2 cup beef broth

1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced

Directions:

• Place potatoes in a 4 to 6 quart pot; cover with water.  Bring to a boil, cover and simmer, until tender (15-20 minutes for new potatoes).  Drain, cool potatoes slightly and cut into 1/4 inch slices.
• Layer warm potato slices in a medium bowl; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons vinegar and the salt and pepper as you go.  Let stand at room temperature while preparing dressing.
• Fry bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat until bacon is brown and crisp, 7-10 minutes.  Transfer bacon pieces to bowl of potatoes.
• Add onion to bacon drippings and saute until softened, 4-5 minutes. Add beef broth and bring to a boil, add remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar.
• Remove from heat and pour mixture over potatoes.  Add parsley and toss gently to coat.  Serve warm. 

Buttery Tilapia with Smashed Potatoes

I found this recipe while going through my file of recipes clipped from magazines and newspapers.  I've been a subscriber to EveryDay with Rachael Ray just about since it started.  I love the easy, weeknight meals.  This is one I've had for awhile.  I never really cooked too much with fish before we got married.  Well, except for the occasional fish sticks during lent, and even that was more 're-heating' not cooking.  It always scared me a bit, just because I hadn't really done it before.  Zach is pretty comfortable cooking with fish, so I've definitely learned from him.  

This recipe was quick and easy.  I chose it to use the new red potatoes we got in our CSA box this week, and they were delicious.  The scallion and sun-dried tomato butter that tops the fish was excellent.  We even used some on top of the cauliflower we had with this meal.  It'd also be great as a finishing butter on top of a steak fresh off the grill.  The original recipe calls for halibut, but tilapia is a very similar fish and is what we already had on hand.  The only other change we made was to add a splash of chicken stock and a few tablespoons of parmesan to the potatoes, since after smashing and tasting them, they were a bit on the dry side and needed just a little "something extra" flavor-wise. 

Buttery Tilapia with Smashed Potatoes

adapted from EveryDay with Rachael Ray, May 2008

4 Servings

Prep 15 min

Cook 20 min

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons butter, 3 tablespoons softened

1 sun-dried tomato, finely chopped

1 tablespoon finely chopped scallion

1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic

Salt and pepper

1 pound small new potatoes

Four 6- to 8-ounce tilapia fillets

2 tablespoons flour

2-3 tablespoons chicken stock

2-3 tablespoons parmesan cheese

Directions:

• In a small bowl, combine the softened butter, sun-dried tomato, scallion and garlic; season with salt and pepper.
• In a large saucepan, add the potatoes and enough salted water to cover. Cover and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, then smash the potatoes with 1 tablespoon butter, chicken stock and parmesan cheese; season with salt and pepper.
• Season the fish with salt and pepper, then coat lightly with the flour. In a large nonstick skillet, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the fish and cook, turning once, until golden and firm to the touch, 7 to 8 minutes total.
• Transfer the fish to serving plates and top with the tomato-scallion butter. Serve with the smashed potatoes.

Lumberjack Hash

Just like the Apple Cinnamon Coffeecake, I found this recipe while searching the Cooking Light website in preparation for my parent's weekend visit.  I knew I wanted something that would use hash browns, simply because I was in the mood for them.  The combination of peppers, onion, ham and cheese with the potatoes was delicious.  I thought it was a great morning treat, perfect for a weekend breakfast.  It was great right alongside scrambled eggs and coffee.  I topped mine with hot sauce, but you could also top with ketchup, or they are great as is!

Lumberjack Hash
Cooking Light 
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups)


Ingredients
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed (about 1 pound)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 ounces 33%-less-sodium ham, diced
3/4 cup (3 ounces) reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

• Heat oil and butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook 5 minutes. 
• Add bell pepper and garlic; cook 3 minutes. 
• Add potatoes, salt, pepper, and ham; cook 16 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown, stirring occasionally. 
• Top with cheese; cook 2 minutes or until cheese melts.

Nutritional Information 
Calories: 276 
Fat: 9.1g
Fiber: 3.5g
WW Points: 6 

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

I found this soup while flipping through The Best of Cooking Light and looking for yummy recipes to make over our week of snow days.  I knew we had some bacon to use up and the insides of the baked potatoes we had used to make potato skins for the Super Bowl.  So, it was a perfect way to stay cozy and warm during our snow days and to use up some ingredients.  It was very yummy, both Zach and I liked it a lot.  I found it a little chunkier than I would prefer, but that is easily fixable.  The scallions and sour cream really made it taste like a loaded baked potato and it made great leftovers that we enjoyed all week. 

Baked Potato Soup
Yield: 8 servings (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups soup, 1 1/2 teaspoons cheese, 1 1/2 teaspoons onions)


Ingredients
4 baking potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds)
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1 cup (4 ounces) reduced-fat shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
3/4 cup chopped green onions, divided
6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

 
 Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400°.

• Pierce potatoes with a fork; bake at 400° for 1 hour or until tender. Cool. Peel potatoes; coarsely mash. Discard skins.

• Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Place flour in a large Dutch oven; gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly (about 8 minutes). Add mashed potatoes, 3/4 cup cheese, salt, and pepper, stirring until cheese melts. Remove from heat.

• Stir in sour cream and 1/2 cup onions. Cook over low heat 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated (do not boil). Sprinkle each serving with cheese, onions, and bacon.

Nutritional Information 
Calories: 329
Fat: 10.8g
Fiber: 2.8g
WW Points per serving: 7 

Chipotle Potato Skins

This was a recipe that took some searching to find.  As the Super Bowl approached I knew I wanted to make some yummy appetizers for us to snack on.  But, since we recently started Weight Watchers, I knew they had to be recipes that would be fairly low in points and still make us feel like we were indulging.  This fit perfectly.  I thought I had a recipe in my files for baked potato skins from Weight Watchers, but after looking through my shoebox of recipes I couldn't find it.  So, off to the Weight Watchers website I went.  Their search function is not really user-friendly, but I found this recipe eventually.  It had a great spiciness and I did use regular bacon instead of canadian bacon.  Mostly since I already had some in the freezer, and partly because, well, it's just better!  It was the Super Bowl after all, and a planned indulgence, so it was worth it!  

 

Chipotle Potato Skins

from WeightWatchers.com

Serves 8 (serving size is 2 potato skins)

WW Points per serving: 4

Ingredients

4 large potato(es), baking-variety, cooked, cooled and quartered lengthwise
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp chili powder, or chipotle chili powder
1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce
6 slice(s) cooked Canadian-style bacon, finely chopped
3/4 cup(s) low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
2 medium tomato(es), diced (We omitted these as the quality of tomatoes when we were grocery shopping left much to be desired.)
3 medium scallion(s), finely chopped
1/2 cup(s) reduced-fat sour cream

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Scoop out flesh of potatoes, leaving a thin layer of potato flesh in potato. (Reserve remaining potato flesh for another use such as mashed potatoes, or use in this soup.)

• In a small bowl, combine oil, chili powder and hot pepper sauce. Using a pastry brush, brush insides of potato wedges with oil mixture. Place potato wedges in a single layer on a large nonstick baking sheet; sprinkle with bacon and cheese.

• Bake until cheese melts and potatoes are heated through, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with tomatoes and scallions; serve with sour cream on the side. Yields 2 potato skins and about 2 tablespoons sour cream per serving.

Lighter Scalloped Potatoes

This is another selection from the Cookbook of the Month, The Best Light Recipe.  I mainly picked this one since I knew we had an abundance of potatoes sitting in our pantry, and some fresh thyme leftover from a previous dish.  When it comes to fresh herbs, I like to be able to use every last sprig, especially in the winter when we have to buy them at the store and they tend to be on the expensive side.  Zach was excited for a chance to use our mandolin, which made awesomely thin, uniform potato slices.  I know, I know, that's the point of a mandolin, but it's one of those kitchen gadgets that sits way in the back of the cupboard above the fridge and we forget we have.  So, it was nice to break it out and use it.  We also added ham to the dish.  We just cubed up a ham steak and threw it into the sauce when we added the potatoes.

INGREDIENTS

1 Medium onion . minced

1 teaspoon Vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon Table salt

1 Medium garlic clove , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)

1 teaspoon Minced fresh thyme leaves

1/4 teaspoon Ground black pepper

2 1/2 pounds Russet potatoes (about 5 medium), peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick

2 cups 2% milk

2 Bay leaves

2 teaspoons Cornstarch

1 tablespoon Water

3 tablespoons Light cream cheese

2 ounces Grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 cup)

Preparation

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 450 degrees.

2. Combine the onion, oil, and salt in a Dutch oven. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, thyme, and pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. Add the potatoes, milk, and bay leaves and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until partially tender, and a fork can be slipped into a potato slice with some resistance, about 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. Whisk the cornstarch and water together, then add to the pot and bring to a simmer. Off the heat, stir in the cream cheese and 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan, being careful not to break up the potatoes.

4. Transfer the mixture to an 8-inch-square baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until the potatoes are completely tender, a fork can be slipped into the center of the dish without resistance, and the top is golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.