Cream Cheese Potato Soup

This potato soup could not be easier or tastier. Perfect with crusty bread on a cool Fall night.
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 4 cups potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1/4 cup onion, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, cut into chunks
Combine broth, [...]

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Porcini, Caramelized Onion and Sage Risotto

3/4 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
1 cup hot water
5 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 yellow onions, quartered lengthwise and sliced
crosswise
2 cups Arborio or medium-grain rice
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh sage or 1 tsp. dried
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
cheese
Salt and freshly [...]

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Easy Shepherd’s Pie

I found this recipe years ago in Real Simple magazine. It is super easy, fairly cheap, and pleases my meat-and-potatoes loving family. Plus, it is easily freezable in single serving containers!
1 pound ground beef (I mix half ground beef and half TVP)
1/3 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
8 ounces frozen mixed vegetables (such as carrots, peas, [...]

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PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Oh yum. I am definitely going to make these!
1 egg
1tsp. vanilla
1 16 oz. can pumpkin
1 cup chocolate chips
4 cups flour
2 cups quick oats
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 ½ cup butter
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
• Cream butter, sugars, egg, vanilla
• Mix dry ingredients in another bowl
• Alternate adding dry and pumpkin to egg [...]

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Brunswick Stew

This is one of my favorite cool weather meals – a Virginia staple (though there are arguments about the origin of Brunswick stew, we Virginians maintain that the real stuff began in Brunswick County, VA) this recipe is adapted from my Grandmother’s version. It is one of the few recipes I use that I does [...]

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Sweet Potato Gnocchi With Brown Butter and Sage

This is the first time I have ever attempted to make gnocchi, and I must say I was impressed with the results! They were not pretty by any stretch (it must take some practice to form the gnocchi over the tines of a fork – I just could not get the hang of it) but [...]

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Smoky Corn Chowder

I thought this chowder was great – very simple and quick to prepare, but very rich and satisfying served with crusty bread. The kids thought it was too spicy and mostly ate the corn with no broth.
8 ounces sliced bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large sweet onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 [...]

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