Baked Potato Soup

 Easy Homemade Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients:
4 cups of whole milk
4 cups of chicken broth/stock
1 large onion, diced finely
1 package of bacon, fried and chopped, save bacon grease
1 teaspoon of black pepper
1 teaspoon of salt
3/4 cup of butter
3/4 cup of flour
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 lbs of potatoes, scrubbed clean, skins on
8oz bag/block of shredded cheddar cheese
2 stalks of celery, diced
Sour Cream
Green Onions

Directions:
-Bake your potatoes until they are soft, just as if you were making a baked potato. I did mine in the microwave. (Don’t forget to pierce them so they don’t explode) Set them aside to cool so you can peel them.
-Cook your bacon in a large pan, remove grease except for 2-3 tablespoons, on low/med heat.
-Saute your onions in the bacon grease until they become translucent, add in the garlic. celery, salt, and pepper.
-Pour in your chicken stock and bring to a low boil. Stir frequently.
-Pour in 3 cups of milk, stir.
-In a separate sauce pan, melt the butter, add in the flour while whisking to make a roux. Let this cook for a min or so, do not let it burn.
-Whisk in 1 cup of the milk to the sauce pan, don’t stop whisking or it will be lumpy. You are making the thickening agent to the soup. Once this has thickened, pour into large soup pot while whisking in the soup pot.
-In a separate bowl, peel the skins off of your potatoes. Cube your potatoes throw them into the soup pot.
– Once that comes together, pour in the entire 8oz bag of cheese.
-Stir, taste, and add seasoning as needed. I also add in about 1/3 of the chopped, cooked bacon at this point.
-Serve in a bowl with cheese, bacon, green onions, and sour cream.

Classic Chocolate Pie from the movie THE HELP (minus the poop)

Classic Chocolate Pie

Crust:
1 1/4 cups graham crumbs
1/4 cup melted butter

Filling:
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup cocoa
1/4 tsp. salt
4 large egg yolks
3 cups milk
1 cup chopped dark chocolate
2 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla

whipped cream, for serving (optional)

Preheat the oven to 325F. In a small bowl, stir together the graham crumbs and butter; press into the bottom and up the sides of a pie plate. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until pale golden around the edges.

Meanwhile, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, cocoa and salt in a medium saucepan. Set over medium-high heat and whisk in the egg yolks, then the milk. Cook until the mixture thickens and boils. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate chips and vanilla. Let sit a minute or two, then stir until smooth. Pour into the pie shell and chill completely before serving topped with a dollop of whipped cream. Serves 8.

Homemade American Cheese

1 tablespoon water
1½ teaspoons powdered gelatin
12 ounces Colby cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon whole milk powder
1 teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons whole milk

Directions:

1. Line 5-by 4-inch disposable aluminum loaf pan with plastic wrap, allowing excess to hang over sides.

2. Place water in small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over top, and let mixture sit for 5 minutes. Pulse cheese, milk powder, salt, and cream of tartar in food processor until combined, about 3 pulses.

3. Meanwhile, bring milk to boil in small saucepan. Off heat, stir in softened gelatin until dissolved, and transfer mixture to 1-cup liquid measuring cup. With processor running, slowly add hot milk mixture to cheese mixture until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down bowl as needed.

4. Immediately transfer cheese mixture to prepared pan, pressing to compact. Wrap tightly and chill at least 3 hours, or overnight.