Tony Roma's Baked Potato Soup

Tony Roma's Baked Potato Soup

2 medium potatoes (about 2 cups chopped)
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup diced white onion
2 tablespoons flour
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups instant mashed potatoes
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/8 teaspoon thyme
1 cup half and half

Garnish
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup crumbled cooked bacon
2 green onions, chopped (green part only)


1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake the potatoes or 1 hour or until done. When potatoes have cooked remove them from the oven to cool.

2. As potatoes cool prepare soup by melting butter in a large saucepan, and sauté onion until light brown. Add the flour to the onions and stir to make a roux.

3. Add stock, water, cornstarch, mashed potatoes, and spices to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

4. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out contents with a large spoon. Discard skin. Chop baked potato with a large knife to make chunks that are about 1/2-inch in size.

5. Add chopped baked potato and half-and-half to the saucepan, bring soup back to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer the soup for another 15 minutes or until it is thick.

6. Spoon about 1 1/2 cups of soup into a bowl and top with about a tablespoon of shredded cheddar cheese, a half tablespoon of crumbled bacon and a teaspoon or so of chopped green onion. Repeat for remaining servings.

Crock Pot Potato Soup

5 lbs potatoes, peeled and diced into 1-2" chunks
1 teeny onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp seasoned salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 quarts chicken broth
2- 8oz containers cream cheese (I used reduced fat)
crumbled bacon and green onions or chives for garnish (optional)

directions: use a 6 quart or larger slow cooker. Peel and dice the potatoes, and put them into the crock. Add onion and garlic. Sprinkle in the seasonings, and pour in the broth. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4 hours. (I used high) The potatoes should be intact, but fork tender. I wanted my potatoes to stay in chunks, but you can use a potato masher or a hand held immersible blender to mash the potatoes in the soup.

After mashing potatoes(if you do), crumble both packages of cream cheese, and put lid back on. Cook on high for about 30 more minutes, or until the cream cheese is completely dissolved. Stir a few times during the 30 minutes.

Garnish with crumbled bacon, green onion, or chives. Cheddar cheese would be awesome too!

NOTE: You can add more potatoes to make it thicker.

Tortilla Soup Chicken or Turkey

First this could be chicken tortilla soup just as easy. I made our tortilla soup with leftover turkey breast from our weekend meals.

Shred or dice up turkey
1 can corn
1 quart tomatoes (canned by me)
1 can tomato paste plus 3/4c water
1/2 quart jarred salsa (or small jar)
2 cups beans (I used navy beans but you can use canned ones too)

I put in all ingredients in the slowcooker added some cumin and garlic to taste. Cooked on high for 5 hour.

I served it with shredded cheese, dollop of sour cream on top with tortilla chips (homemade) but you can use store bought.

Meal plans based on this week's sales flyers

There are some good sales on this week. I thought I would put together a healthy meal plan based on the sales flyers this week.

NOTE: Walmart is great for price matching anyone's flyers if it is the exact same product. Just helps make one trip only when shopping or at least cuts down on many shopping trips.

Spaghetti Pie

• 6 oz. spaghetti, cooked and still warm (Food Basics Primo Pasta 0.99)
  
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 well beaten egg
• 1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 c. cottage cheese (Food Basics 2.49)
  
• 1/2 c. Mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 (28 oz.) jar spaghetti sauce (Food Basics Ragu 0.88)
  

Combine hot cooked spaghetti with butter until butter is melted. Add egg and Parmesan cheese. Place in pie dish and form a "crust" with a well in the center. Spread cottage cheese over spaghetti in pie dish. Cover with spaghetti sauce and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake 30 minutes at 350°F or until bubbly. Cut into slices and serve.

Spinach Salad

• Spinach leaves* (baby) or spinach salad mix (RCSS 3.99)*will do 2 meals plus
  
• Croutons
• Sunflower seeds
• grated carrot(A&P 1.00)
  
• salad dressing

Wash greens thoroughly and pat dry. Mix half of spinach and "crunchy" ingredients together just before serving, Add salad dressing to taste just before serving.

Sloppy Joes

• 1 Lb lean ground beef (RCSS 2.00)
  
• 1/4 cup onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup green bell pepper, chopped (Food Basics 0.99lb)
• 1/2 Tsp garlic powder
• 1 Tsp prepared yellow mustard
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup water
  
• 3 Tsp brown sugar
• salt and pepper to taste

1. In a medium skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef, onion, and green pepper; drain off liquids.
2. Stir in the garlic powder, mustard, ketchup, and brown sugar; mix thoroughly. Reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper
3. Save 2 cups from this for Sloppy Joe pizza later in the week.
   

I make my buns from scratch to go with this.

Steamed Broccoli (A&P 1.00)

Sloppy Joe Pizza

• 2 cups Sloppy Joe sauce (from few nights before)
  
• 3/4 cup frozen corn, thawed
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions
• 1-1/2 cups colby-jack or Mexican blend* cheese
• 1 recipe bread machine pizza dough, prepared and baked until almost done

In a skillet, combine Sloppy Joe sauce, corn, and green onions. Heat through. Spread mixture on top of baked pizza crust and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 425° for 12 to 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

**Serve spinach salad with this **

Chicken Noodle Soup

• 2 1/2 cups wide egg noodles (No Yolk Egg Noodles 1.49-Food Basics)
  
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 container chicken broth (1.99 - RCSS)
  
• 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1 cup chopped celery or Carrots or both
  
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 3 cups diced, cooked chicken meat (chicken thighs 2.00lb - RCSS)

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil chicken. Add egg noodles and oil, and boil for 8 minutes, or until tender. Drain, and rinse under cool running water.
2. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, combine broth, salt, and poultry seasoning. Bring to a boil. Stir in celery and onion. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water together until cornstarch is completely dissolved. Gradually add to soup, stirring constantly. Stir in noodles and chicken, and heat through.

**I have to be honest this is just the base I use pretty much for my recipe... I season as I feel like depending on the day. Always tastes different at my house but still very yummy!**

Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin

• 5 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon honey
  
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
• 2 (1 pound) pork tenderloins (2.00lb - RCSS or 1.49 - Food Basics)
  

1. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first seven ingredients; add pork. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
2. Drain and discard marinade. Place the tenderloins in an 11-in. x 7-in. x 2-in. baking pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 425 degrees F for 25-35 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees F. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with pan drippings.

** tastes great served with rice and glazed carrots **

Glazed Carrots

• 1 bag baby carrots
• 2/3 c. honey
• 6 tbsp. butter

Cook carrots in a small amount of water until tender crisp. Drain water, add honey and butter. Cook on med. low until carrots are glazed, turning carrots once or twice.

Put some quick meals into the mix with this not to mention the turkey on sale at Foodland for only 0.99/lb... think of all the meals you can get out of that... turkey dinner ... turkey wraps (A&P has wraps on for 1.99) and then maybe a turkey pot pie or just hot turkey sandwiches.

Other things that caught my eye...

Price Chopper
Yams - 0.79
Seedless Cucumbers 0.99 (couple this with tomatoes on sale at RCSS for 1.00/lb it would make a great tomato & Cucumber salad a favourite at our house)
Tortilla wraps 1.99

Real Canadian Superstore
Oasis Orange Juice 1.00
Shredded lettuce 1.00
Watermelon 2.99

A&P
Apple Juice 1.00
Baby Carrots 1.00
Broccoli 1.00
Granny Smith Apples 1.49/lb (cooked apples good desert one night as a treat)

Cream of "whatever" Soup

This equals 9 cans of cream soup when mixed and used as directed.

2 cups non fat powdered milk
3/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup instant chicken bouillon
2 tbsps dried onion flakes
1 tsp Basil
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp pepper

Mix all ingredients together adn store in an air tight container.
When you need soup combine 1/3 cup of this mix with 1 1/4 cup cold water to equal one can of soup.
Heat over medium heat stirring constantly until it thickens.
You need to add this to make waht flavour you need to make

Mushroom - 1/2 cup finely chopped mushrooms
Celery - 1/2 cup minced celery
Potato - 1 cup cooked diced potatoes
Chicken - 1/2 cup cooked diced chicken
Veggie - 3/4 cup cooked veggies
Broccoli - 1 cup cooked chopped Broccoli

Note: you can leave out the bouillon and add 1 1/4cup broth instead of 1 1/4 cup water.