Easy Crockpot Potato Soup

If you're anything like me you use your crockpot at least once a week during the winter.  Heck maybe in the summer as well.  Anyhow, mine doesn't leave my counter during the winter months.  Most weeks I use it twice.  

This past week I made potato soup. 

It was exactly what I was looking for.  

Rich, creamy and filling.  

Perfect for a cold winter night.  

Ingredients: 

1 30oz. bag of frozen diced hash browns

1 32 oz box of chicken broth

1 can of cream of chicken soup (10 oz)

1 pkg. cream cheese (8 oz, not fat free)

3 oz bacon bits 

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 

salt and pepper to taste 

Directions:

Put the hash browns in the crockpot.  Add in the chicken broth, cream of chicken soup and half of the bacon bits.  Add a pinch of salt and pepper.  

Cook on low for 7-8 hours or until potatoes are tender.  

An hour before serving, cut the cream cheese into small cubes.  Place the cubes in the crock pot.  Mix a few times throughout the hour before serving.  

 Once the cream cheese is completely mixed in, it's ready to serve.  

Top with cheddar cheese and some additional bacon bits.  

Enjoy! 

If you want the printable recipe, go HERE. 

If you're looking for another delicious recipe, check out one of my newest, corn chowder! 

Check out my Pinterest board for more of my favorite recipes! 
Follow Leah's board Simply Made with Love on Pinterest.

*affiliate links used in this post*

Favorite Christmas Cookies

When looking for Christmas cookie recipes this year, I went through all of the recipes I made over the past years.  Some have been a huge hit and others, not so much.  I decided to make a list of all of my favorites to share with you all today.  The best part about these cookies is they are simple and easy.  The only one I would say is more difficult is #5 the White Chocolate Cherry Shortbread.  The reason I included that one is because they are worth the extra time they take to make.  They won best cookie at my cookie exchange two years ago and are  a huge hit on Pinterest! 

1-3 Gingersnap Cookies   / Coconut Crunch Cookies  / Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies 

4-6 Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies  / White Chocolate Cherry Shortbread  / Brown Sugar Cinnamon

7-9 Cowboy Cookies   / Oatmeal Cranberry Chocolate Spice / Peppermint Chocolate Chip 

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Cookies

Cookies, Cookies, Cookies

They're all over my kitchen.  

Many have been boxed and given to friends. 

But many are still hanging around. 

Which means, hubs and I are eating them. 

These are probably one of my new favorites.  

If you love cinnamon (like me), you'll enjoy these. 

Part of me wanted to add chocolate chips to the recipe, but I'm glad I didn't.  

They were perfect (and EASY) just the way they are! 

If you're looking for a recipe to bring to a cookie exchange, these would be a hit!

Enjoy.

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Cookies 

Courtesy of Lemons for Lulu 

Ingredients

1 cup butter softened

1 ½ cup brown sugar

1 egg

2 ¼ cup flour 

2 teaspoons baking soda

½ teaspoon salt 

¾ teaspoon cinnamon *I doubled the cinnamon*

1 10 oz bag Cinnamon Chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375. In a bowl of a mixer, combine butter and sugar and beat until creamy. Add the egg and mix well. Place the four, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a separate bowl. Carefully add flour mixture to butter mixture-scraping bowl as necessary. Continue to mix until well blended. Stir in cinnamon chips.

2. Drop dough by tablespoons onto cookie sheets. Bake just until edges are set, about 8-10 minutes. Let cookies cool for 1 minute on baking sheets before removing to a cooling wrack.

*Makes 48 cookies*

Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Christmas is almost here, which means Christmas baking is in full swing around here.  
I'm off to a bit of a late start this year due to a nice long week of sickness in our house.  Thankfully everyone is on the mend, lets hope it stays that way for the rest of the month!

Each year I try to make a bunch of different Christmas cookies. 
I give them to neighbors, friends and send them to work with hubs. 

This year I searched through my Pinterest board for different recipes.  
I came up with a list of 10 new cookies I want to make.  

First up were these peppermint chocolate chip cookies.  I love peppermint with chocolate, especially over the holidays.  These cookies were the perfect mix of the two.  They weren't too pepperminty, nor did they have too much chocolate. Hubs isn't even a peppermint fan and he enjoyed them. They would pair well with a nice hot peppermint mocha from Starbucks!  Enjoy! 

Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies 

Adapted from Lil' Luna 

INGREDIENTS:

- 1/2 cup butter (softened)

- 1/2 cup oil

- 1 cup brown sugar

- 1 cup sugar

- 2 eggs

- 3 cups flour

- 1 tsp. baking powder

- 1 tsp. baking soda

- 1 tsp. salt

- 1 tsp. vanilla

- 1/2 tsp. almond extract

- 2 cups of chocolate chips 

- 1 cup Andes Peppermint Crunch Pieces

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cream butter, oil and sugars in your mixer.

2. Add eggs and beat until fluffy. Add almond and vanilla extract, mix again.  

3. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt to a separate bowl and mix well. 
Add to wet ingredients and mix well.

4. Add chocolate chips and peppermint crunch pieces.   Mix well.

5. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.

*I used a medium cookie scoop for these cookies*

Caramel Apple Baked Donuts

I took the week off work this week, which means I have some time to catch up on my blogging.  I made these donuts back in October.  Back then, we were doing good with making donuts at home on Saturday mornings.  It's a tradition we've been slacking on the past month!

I picked up this cake mix from Target.  I had never seen it before and knew I could put it to good use, not really having an idea what I would make with it.  Since there was an icing that paired with it, I picked it up too.  

While going through my cake mixes to see which one I was going to use for donuts, I decided to give this one a try.  I was hoping they would be the perfect fall donut.  The baked donuts are so simple to make.  This is the recipe I used as my guide for making these donuts.  I was very pleased with how they came out.  Hubs preferred the chocolate ones, but my mom and I enjoyed these.  Definitely perfect for a cool fall morning. Enjoy! 

Caramel Apple Baked Donuts

Ingredients:

1 box of caramel apple cake mix 

1 cup of milk 

2 large eggs

1 stick of butter (melted) 

1 can of caramel apple frosting 

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350. Grease donut pan.  

Mix eggs, butter, milk and cake mix.  

Stir until smooth. 

Pour batter into donut pan (1/3 filled). 

Bake 11-13 minutes.  

Let them cool completely.  

Put about half of the container of frosting in a microwavable bowl. 

Microwave for about 20 seconds and stir.  Repeat until the frosting is melted enough for you to easily dip and coat the donuts.  

I dipped some of the donuts and drizzled frosting over the others. 

 After I was done with the frosting, I let them cool a bit.  

Store in an air tight container for 3 days.  I also froze the leftover donuts in a freezer bag.  

Pumpkin Pie Snickerdoodle Bars

I've been meaning to post this recipe for weeks now.  I made it for hubs to bring to work for a recent potluck.  I look forward to his potlucks at work.  Now that I am not teaching or living close to family and friends, I don't have as many people to bake for. I don't like to bake just for hubs and I because we end up eating it and we don't need all the sweets I make!  

I found this recipe on one of my favorite bloggers, The Mix and Match Mama.  

She calls this treat Thanksgiving in a bar, and I couldn't agree more.  It tastes just like pumpkin pie, just in a handy dandy bar.  It received 5 star reviews from hubs coworkers and I enjoyed the piece I kept at home for myself.  I will be making this every year from here on out.  Enjoy!! 

Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Bars

Adapted from Mix and Match Mama

Ingredients: 

1 box of spice cake mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs

1 stick of butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar +1 TBS
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice +1TBS
1 cup flour
1 can of canned pumpkin (about 1.5 cups)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a 13x9 inch baking dish with Pam.

In a mixing bowl, combine cake mix, veggie oil, and 2 eggs with an electric mixer.  Spread  mixture across the bottom of your pan.

In a second mixing bowl, cream together your butter and sugar.  Slowly beat in your remaining 2 eggs and vanilla.

In a smaller bowl, combine your baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and flour with fork.  Slowly beat this dry mixture into your butter mixture.  Beat in your pumpkin.

Spread the pumpkin mixture down on top of your cake mix layer in the pan. 

Mix the extra TBS of pumpkin pie spice and sugar together.  

Sprinkle mixture over the top of the pumpkin mixture.  

 Bake 38 to 40 minutes.

Let your bars cool at least one hour before slicing and serving.

Snickers Caramel Apple Salad

  A few weeks back we went to a friends house for a BBQ.  I volunteered to bring dessert.  After seeing this recipe floating all over Pinterest, I had been wanting to make it.  This BBQ was the perfect opportunity. How can you go wrong with snickers, cook whip and caramel (oh and apples too!) 

One of my favorite Halloween candy is the Caramel Apple Milky Way's.  I thought they would be perfect to add to this recipe.  If you make this any other time of year, you may not be able to find them.  In that case, add another snickers bar to the recipe.  

I wish I had a better picture of the finished product.  I made it at our friends house, so all I had was my phone when it was finished.  This was the perfect dessert for a BBQ.  It was light, refreshing with the chopped apples and sweet.  The candy pieces were of course my favorite.  I'm glad we left the leftovers at the BBQ or else I would have devoured the rest!  

Enjoy! 

Snickers Caramel Apple Salad

Adapted from The Baking Bride 

Ingredients:

4 Regular Snicker Bars chopped 

10 mini Caramel Apple Milky Way bars chopped 
5 Chopped Apples (I didn't peel mine)
1 Pack Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix (dry)
1/2 Cup Milk
16 oz. Whipped Topping
Caramel Ice Cream Topping

Directions:
Chop apples, milky way and snickers into cubes; set aside. Whisk together pudding mix, milk, and cool whip until creamy and with no clumps. Stir in apples and snickers.  Lastly, drizzle the caramel topping over the entire salad. Chill for an hour in the fridge.  

Serve and Enjoy!

Squash, Zucchini and Onions with Brown Sugar

I find myself making the same side dishes week in and out.  We find one thing we like and make it over and over again.  With zucchini and squash, I usually sauté or bake it with a sprinkle of italian spices, parmesan cheese and a little EVOO.

When I saw this on Pinterest (where else?) I decided to change things up.  This was definitely a sweet side.  It was toddler and hubs approved, but because of the sugar (even though it's not a lot), not something I'll make all the time.  Definitely work making though! 

Squash and Onions with Brown Sugar

Courtesy of The Kitchn

serves 2

1 large yellow squash and 1 large zucchini  (or 2 medium of each)
2 small onions (or one medium)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar

Slice the squash into 1/2-inch rounds, cutting large ones in half. You should end up with roughly 2 cups of cut squash. Cut the onions into similar-sized slices.

Add the butter to a wide sauce pan that has a lid and heat over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the onions and cook until soft, about 4-5 minutes. Add squash, salt, pepper, and brown sugar. Stir, then cover and cook for about 20 minutes, until squash is very soft.

Remove the cover and continue to cook for about 8 minutes, just to give the juices a chance to evaporate slightly. There will be some liquid in the pan, but it should be thicker than water, almost like a glaze. Season with more salt and pepper, if needed, and serve immediately.

Mini Caramel Apple Cupcakes

I made these mini cupcakes for a Halloween playdate.  There were a bunch of little ones in attendance along with their moms.  I wanted to make a treat that was festive, tasty and easy to eat.  One that both the kids and adults could enjoy.  These fit the bill and didn't disappoint.  The hardest part of the recipe was the caramel.  It dried really fast, so I had get my husband to help me put the toppings on before it dried.  These would be great for class parties or even Thanksgiving potlucks.  Enjoy!

MIni Caramel Apple Cupcakes

Courtesy of Taste of Home

Ingredients

• 1 package spice, carrot cake or caramel apple cake mix(regular size)
• 2 cups chopped peeled tart Apples
• 20 caramels
• 3 tablespoons 2% milk
• toppings (sprinkles, toasted pecans, walnuts, mini chocolate chips)
• 48 Popsicle sticks

Directions

1. Prepare cake batter according to package directions; fold in apples.
2. Fill 48 greased or paper-lined mini muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
3. In a small saucepan, cook the caramels and milk over low heat until smooth. Spread over cupcakes. Sprinkle IMMEDIATELY with toppings. Insert a wooden or craft stick into the center of each cupcake.                                    
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Yield: 48 mini cupcakes

Orange Glazed Chicken Wings

Hubs and I made these last night for the Sunday Night Football game. 

We've never made wings at home before.  

I found this recipe in a book I have at home and decided it looked easy enough to try.  

Results:  Happy husband.  He raved about them (of course he added a little wing sauce to his).  He kept saying over and over how good they were.  That was followed by, I didn't think wings would be this easy to make...we need to make them more often.  I would say these are a win.  And the fact that they are baked...even better!  Enjoy! 

Orange Glazed Chicken Wings 

Adapted from Taste of Home 

Ingredients: 

2-3 pounds of chicken wings 

1 cup of soy sauce

1 1/2 cup of orange juice

1 tsp garlic powder 

Directions: 

Cut wings into three sections, discard wing tips.  

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine soy sauce, OJ and garlic powder.  

Seal bag and turn to coat. 

Refrigerate overnight. 

Drain and discard marinade. 

Place wings in a large greased foil lined baking pan.  

Bake at 350 for one hour, until glaze is set, turing twice in between.  

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BBQ Chili

I guess I'm on a bit of a BBQ kick lately.  Maybe this Texas living is rubbing off on me...

Chili is a staple in our house during the fall and winter months.  

I make it once a week, usually on Sunday or Monday so that we can enjoy leftovers for lunch throughout the week.  I've been making the same chili recipe lately and was ready for a change.  I pinned this one on Pinterest recently and decided to give it a go. 

Results:  This was exactly what I was looking for.  A recipe that wasn't your typical chili but still hearty enough to fill you up.  It reminded me of a sloppy joe.  Even my one year old ate the beans, meat and corn.  She is super picky so this is definitely a win in our house!  Enjoy! 

BBQ Chili

Adapted from I Heart Eating 

Ingredients

1 lb. lean ground turkey (or beef)

1 onion, finely chopped (optional, we don't use onions)

1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15 oz.) can corn, drained

3 (14 oz.) cans diced tomatoes

1 (16 oz.) bottle of barbecue sauce (sweet baby rays is our go to)

2 tsp. chili powder 

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

1 T. cumin

1 T. brown sugar

Directions

1. Brown the ground meat. Drain.
2. Return the cooked meat to the pot.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients. Stir to combine.
4. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  

BBQ Joes

I'm always on the hunt for new dinner recipes. 

Especially ones that don't take me a long time to cook. 

When I came across this one on the Mix and Match Mama, I added it to my menu. 

Not only did it seem simple, but it is perfect for the cooler rainy weather we had last week.  

Results:  A meal we will be making again.  Hubs exact comment was "with beef, bread, and cheese you can't go wrong".  I didn't add the cheese to mine and it was still good.  The only thing I would change is draining the beef after it's cooked, before you add in the tomatoes and BBQ sauce.  Enjoy! 

BBQ Joes

Courtesy of Mix and Match Mama 

Ingredients:

2 pieces of  frozen Texas Toast per person, toasted in the oven per package directions

1 pound of ground beef 

1 (14 oz) can of diced tomatoes, drained

1 1/2 cups BBQ sauce (your favorite)

1 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded

Pickled jalapenos to garnish, optional

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

Salt and Pepper

Directions: 

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown your ground beef in a splash of EVOO.  Once brown, sprinkle in a little S&P and reduce heat to low and stir in your tomatoes and BBQ sauce.  Simmer uncovered about 8 to 10 minutes.

Take your toasted Texas toast and spoon your Sloppy Joe mixture down over the top.  Sprinkle a little cheese on top and garnish with your jalapenos.

Chocolate Spice Bundt Cake

One of my favorite winter drinks is mexican hot chocolate.  Have you ever had it? 

It's amazing.  Chocolate and cinnamon come together in a warm cup of bliss.   

If it's warm where you are, I recommend the mexican mocha ice storm.  You'll thank me later! My love for the combination of cinnamon and chocolate is the reason I chose to make this cake.  

Results:  Perfection.  It's mexican hot chocolate in a cake.  The only change I made was adding a bag of cinnamon chips to the recipe.  I added half of the bag to the cake batter.  I melted the other half and poured it over the cake (after it had cooled).  Enjoy!

Chocolate Spice Bundt Cake

Courtesy of Mix and Match Mama 

Ingredients: 

1 box of chocolate cake mix

2 small boxes of instant chocolate pudding

1/2 cup of veggie oil

1 1/4 cups of water

4 eggs

4 tablespoons cinnamon, divided

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

4 cups powdered sugar

3-4 splashes milk

 

 Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease a 10 inch bundt pan

In mixing bowl, combine cake mix, puddings, oil, water and eggs with electric mixer.  Mix in 2 tablespoons of cinnamon.  Pour into prepared bundt pan.

Bake 40-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Let cake rest on counter in pan 10 minutes. Then, invert cake onto serving plate to finish cooling.

To make the frosting, beat cream cheese with powdered sugar and milk until creamy.  Beat in remaining 2 tablespoons of cinnamon.  Spread on cooled cake.

 

Easy Pumpkin Centerpiece

I've been in search of the perfect fall centerpiece for our kitchen table.  

I wanted to make something but didn't really know where to start.  

Then a friend texted me a picture of a pumpkin centerpiece she made.  

It looked so simple.  I ran to Hobby Lobby that afternoon picked up supplies. 

I bought everything for under $10, thankfully they had 40% off all of their fall decor.  

The centerpiece took 10 minutes to make.  It's the perfect addition to our kitchen table. 

Materials: 

Craft pumpkin (any size)

Twine

Decorative fillers (floral stems)

Knife 

Marbles (1 small bag) 

Directions: 

Cut the top off the pumpkin (I would cut the circle smaller next time).  

I used a regular kitchen knife, doing a little at a time. 

I poured the marbles into the bottom of the pumpkin.  

I used marbles for the weight and to hold the stems in place.  

After that, I added the floral/ fall stems.  

It took a few minutes to get them arranged the way I wanted.  

I finished off by tying a bow using twine I already had around it.  

Simple as that.

Ranch Breaded Chicken

The night I made this meal, chicken was not on the menu. 

It was a pork chop kind of night, problem was I didn't take the pork out of the freezer. 

Of course I didn't realize it until 4pm. 

What I did have was a package of chicken in the fridge I hadn't separated into freezer bags yet. 

I  jumped on the computer in search of a quick chicken recipe I could throw together. 

Without having a chance to run to the store and only having about an hour before dinnertime.  

I had all of the ingredients for this recipe and it didn't take a lot of time. 

Win win.  

Results: One of the most flavorful chicken recipes I've ever made.  Each bite was full of flavor.  My only complaint is how long it took my chicken to cook.  I should have butterflied the chicken to make it thinner because my pieces were too think to cook in a matter of minutes.  I also think I will try to bake this next time.  Maybe brown it on the stove and then throw it in the over.  I'll keep you posted on that one but nonetheless, still a recipe you won't be sorry you made! 

Ranch Breaded Chicken

Courtesy of Love, Pomegranate House 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 envelope Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Seasoning Mix
• 5 tbsp butter divided
• 6 boneless chicken breasts

Instructions

1. Melt 1 tbsp butter in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, combine Panko, cheese, garlic powder, and Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Seasoning Mix.
2. Dip chicken in butter, then roll in breading mixture to coat, pressing the breading into the chicken breast.
3. Melt remaining 4 tbsp butter in a large frying pan. Once melted, place breaded chicken into pan. Cook for about 5 minutes or until golden brown. Turn and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes. Chicken is cooked thoroughly when the center is no longer pink. 
   
   

One Pot Italian Pasta

If you're looking for a quick and easy dinner recipe, look no further! 

My favorite part of this dinner is the clean up!  

Everything (except meat if you include it) is cooked in ONE POT! 

I was a little skeptical about this meal but it did not disappoint.  

My parents were in town when I made it and everyone enjoyed it.  

I now keep all these ingredients on hand for those days I forget to plan dinner or don't have lots of time.  

Italian Wonderpot

Adapted from A Tasteful Texan 

Ingredients: 

4 cups vegetable broth

2 Tbsp olive oil

12-16 oz whole wheat fettuccini,  linguini or spaghetti 

8 oz chopped frozen spinach 

1 can diced italian tomatoes (28 oz)

4 cloves of garlic (minced)

1 tbsp italian seasoning 

salt and pepper to taste 

*optional- 1 package of italian sausage*

Directions: 

Pour vegetable broth into the pot.  

Break pasta in half and add it to the pot.  

Next, add tomatoes, spinach, garlic and seasoning.  

Make sure all ingredients are under the liquid.  

Place the lid on the pot and bring the broth to a boil. 

Once the broth is at a full boil, remove the lid, bring it down to medium heat and continue to cook for an additional 15 minutes.  Stir every few minutes to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom.  After pasta is cooked, it's ready to serve.  You can add cheese if you wish.  We opted not to add the cheese but did all grilled italian sausage.