Page's Baked Potato Soup

Looking out the window this morning to another snowy, winter day here in Utah, I decided I would really LOVE some down home southern comfort food.  Nothing describes the ultimate comfort like a warm, cheesy bowl of soup.  That's why I decided it was time to share my Baked Potato soup recipe!  I know what my family is having for dinner tonight, how about you?

Page’s Baked Potato soup

5 large baking potatoes

pinch of salt

1 cup Best Foods or Hellman’s mayonnaise

1-12 oz. can of Evaporated milk

1 1/2 sticks butter

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

2 1/2 cups shredded, cheddar/jack cheese, separated

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup cooked crumbled bacon

chives

sour cream

In large stockpot, fill 3/4 of the way full.  Add a pinch of salt and cook water on medium high heat until boiling.  While water is heating up, prepare your potatoes.  Peel, and wash potatoes.  Cut into thin slices.  

Add cut potatoes slices to the boiling water.  Boil potatoes for 25 minutes until tender.  Drain potatoes in a strainer and then put potatoes back in large stockpot.  Add in the sticks of butter and let butter melt while you mash the potatoes very well.  After potatoes are well mashed, pour in 1 can of evaporated milk, let simmer on low heat, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes.  Stir in mayonnaise, salt, pepper, 2 cups shredded cheese (reserving the 1/2 cup cheese for later), milk, and bacon.  Continue to simmer, stirring frequently for 10 more minutes.  

Serve in bowls, sprinkling with remainder shredded cheese on each bowl.  Garnish with sour cream, and chives.  

Serves 8 to 10

Sassy Sausage Dip, Stars, & Quesadillas? Yes, please!

Sassy Sausage dip has been a huge favorite of my girls for many years.   It has been so much fun experimented and trying "new" ways to eat this yummy filling!  I hope you enjoy these as much as we do!  

Sassy Sausage Dip

Sassy Sausage Dip

16 oz. hot pork sausage, (or mild sausage if you do not like too much spice)

1 cup prepared ranch dressing

1/2 cup finely chopped red pepper

2.25 oz. can ripe sliced olives, drained of all juices

2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar/jack cheese

Cook sausage in skillet on medium-high temperature until no longer pink.  Drain very well and set aside to cool.  

In a large mixing bowl, combine sausage, ranch dressing, red pepper, olives, and cheese.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly spray an 8 X 9 inch casserole dish with Olive oil cooking spray.  Spread sausage mixture out into pan until evenly distributed.  

Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until bubbly in middle.  If needed, blot top of dip with paper towels to soak up any excess grease before serving.

Serve with tortilla chips

Serves 12 to 15

Sassy Sausage Stars

Sassy Sausage Stars


16 oz. hot pork sausage, (or mild sausage if you do not like too much spice)cooked, crumbled, and drained
1 cup prepared ranch dressing
1/2 cup finely chopped red pepper
2.25 oz. can ripe sliced olives, drained of all juices
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar/jack cheese

1 package of wonton wrappers
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In a large bowl, mix together cooked sausage, cheese, ranch dressing, olives, and red pepper.

Lightly spray a mini muffin pan with cooking spray.  Place one wonton wrapper in each muffin cup, shaping the wrapper to look like a star.  Lightly spray shaped stars with cooking spray.

Bake wrappers in preheated oven for 5 minutes.

Remove from muffin tins, and place in cookie sheet.  Fill with sausage mixture and bake for 5 more minutes.  Serve!  

Sassy Sausage Quesadillas

Sassy Sausage Quesadillas 

10 to 12 Medium flour tortillas
Sassy Sausage Dip Mixture

Preheat non-stick skillet or electric griddle to medium high heat.  Spray with Olive oil cooking spray.  Spread  approximately 2/3 cup of sausage mixture onto one tortilla and top with second tortilla.  Place on griddle/skillet for 3 to 4 minutes until bottom tortilla is getting slightly golden and crisp.  Turn quesadilla over cooking the other side until it is getting golden and crisp.  Remove from heat, and cut with pizza cutter into triangles and serve!

Garnish with sour cream, salsa, guacamole, or even an avacado.  Serve while warm!
Serves 5 to 6  

Spinach Artichoke Dip

I have been making Spinach Artichoke Dip for some time now but I never measure any of the ingredients.  It’s always been a little bit of this and a little bit of that.  Of course it turns out a little different every time I make it.  Last night, I finally decided it was time to nail down this recipe and actually get it all perfected!  Here is what I came up with...  It was so yummy!  I hope you enjoy it as much as we all do!  Yum! 

Spinach Artichoke Dip
1 stick butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1- 8oz. cream cheese, softened
1 pint Heavy whipping cream
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1- 14 oz. can small artichoke hearts, drained and chopped finely
1/2 of a box of frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheddar/jack cheese

In a saucepan, heat butter over medium heat until thoroughly melted.  Stir in garlic and heat for another few minutes.  Add cream cheese and keep stirring until cream cheese is melted.  Pour in whipping cream and keep cooking until it gets a little bubbly. Make sure to keep stirring so it does not burn on the bottom.  Take off heat and stir in parmesan cheese.  Set aside until later.

In a large bowl, mix in chopped artichoke hearts, spinach, garlic salt, black pepper, and mozzarella cheese.  Pour cream sauce over all ingredients and mix well.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a 9x13 inch casserole dish with cooking spray.  Pour dip into casserole dish.  Sprinkle on top the 1/2 cup of cheddar/jack cheese.

Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until lightly golden and bubbly.  

Serve with baguette bread, crostinis, and celery.

Enjoy!  

The Style Sisters: DIY country wedding - Centerpiece Wednesday

The Style Sisters: DIY country wedding - Centerpiece Wednesday

I love this blog!  It is beautiful and so creative!

Best breakfast in Salt Lake City

The Benedict Omelet w homefries & toast

A couple of weeks ago I was watching a show I love called, “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” on the Food Network.  I was watching them make all this yummy food from all of these different cities and I thought, “where are some places like this in Utah?”  All of a sudden, they spot lighted a restaurant named The Blue Plate Diner located here in Salt Lake City.  So, it will not surprise most of you that on Saturday morning, Nathan and I drove on over to The Blue Plate Diner to see if it was as good as it looked on TV.  WOW!  It was AMAZING!  I recommend everyone who lives close by to give it a try!  It will not disappoint!  Breakfast is served all day. Yum!  

Corned Beef and Hash w eggs & toast

The Blue Plate Diner
2041 South 2100 East Salt Lake City, UT 84108
801.463.1151
The Blue Plate Diner is a restaurant serving breakfast all day, lunch and dinner, open 7 days a week, from 7 am until 9 pm every day!

Diners, Drive-ins and Dives : Guy Fieri : Food Network

Juicing is fun & DELICIOUS!

It’s a new year and I am determined once again to get my family to eat more fruits and vegetables!  I was thinking about how I can accomplish this feat, and thought,  “they love juice, we’ll start with juicing”.  So I dusted off my juicer and got it ready to make some delicious, healthy concoctions!  

Here is one of my favorites I came up with!  My girls have no idea they are “drinking” yams and carrots!  It’s been fun sneaking in some “healthy” into their diet!  :-)  Enjoy!  

Page’s Sunshine Medley

1 large pear

1 apple

1 small yam

15 baby carrots

4 clementines -peeled

1 lime wedge -peeled

Slice your fruits and vegetables (make sure to leave the peel on everything except the clementines and lime).  Throw it all into your juicer and enjoy!  

Alabama Layered Bean Dip

Alabama Layered Bean Dip

2- 16 oz cans of refried beans

½  cup plus 1 tbs. of (Best Foods or Hellmann’s) mayonnaise

1 cup of sour cream

2 Tbsp of taco seasoning

2 - 7 oz trays of guacamole (found in the produce department of the grocery store)

2 to 3 cups of grated cheddar cheese

1-  6 oz can of black olives (drained and sliced)

1/3 cup of chopped green onions

½  cup of chopped tomatoes (with seeds removed)

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream and taco seasoning.   Mix well and set-aside until ready to use. Spread the refried beans in the bottom of a casserole dish. Layer the guacamole on top of the beans. Spread the sour cream mixture on top of the guacamole layer. The next thing will be your cheddar cheese, black olives and last, the tomatoes.

Delicious served with your favorite tortilla or corn chips.

Hint: Spreading the sour cream mixture on top of the guacamole layer helps it stay fresher longer.

ROLL TIDE ROLL BABY!

Roll Tide Roll!  

I was looking out the window this morning at the snow and my Alabama football
flag thinking of the big game tonight and my Dad. It may be cold as heck here in
Utah, but we’re still yelling ROLL TIDE, BABY!!!

My Dad, John Paul Poole, played football under Paul Bear Bryant, the most famous
Alabama coach, so Alabama football is like breathing in my family. Regardless
if Alabama was playing in a bowl game, SEC championship or for the National
Championship, the day of the game was like a holiday so we always fixed yummy
“football” food. One of our favorites was our Alabama bean dip.

So for all of you Alabama fans and “wanna-be” fans, here’re the recipe. Eat your
heart out and enjoy the game. As my Dad would say " ROLL TIDE, ROLL!!!!!!!!!!!"

John Paul Poole

ALABAMA VS NOTRE DAME TONIGHT @ 8 PM Eastern
http://espn.go.com/college-football/bowls/_/game/bcs-championship