From the Farmhouse

For me, nothing is more comforting and soothing than a big bowl of soup. It's the food equivalent of a great, big hug. It warms me, both figuratively and literally.

In the winter, I'll make a pot of soup at least once a week. I still make soup in the summer, but less frequently.

Except this summer.

While we didn't have many rainy days, we did have the cool, mountain summer I have been waiting 9 years for. And those cooler days provided me with a few extra opportunities to make soup for dinner.

I made this soup on what I knew would be a particularly busy day for me. This recipe was ideal because there wasn't a lot of prep work involved, and the slow cooker does all the work. The soup is light, yet comforting. And it was a great opportunity to use the zucchini I had picked from the garden.

So as autumn approaches, add this recipe to your arsenal. It'll warm your soul to walk in the house, the scent of the soup wafting through the air, and filling your belly after a day outside preparing for the winter ahead.

Creamy Farmhouse Chicken and Garden Soup

Recipe slightly modified from Crock-Pot: One-Pot Meals
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1/2 package (16 ounces) frozen pepper stir-fry vegetable mix
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 medium zucchini, sliced
• 2 bone-in chicken thighs, skinned
• 1 14-ounce can chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 ounces uncooked egg noodles
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 2 tablespoons chopped basil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• Parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions:

1. Coat slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Place peppers, corn, zucchini in the bottom. Add chicken, broth, garlic, and thyme. Cover; cook on HIGH 3 to 4 hours or until chicken is no longer pink in center. Remove chicken and set aside to cool slightly.
2. Add noodles to slow cooker. Cover; cook on HIGH 20 minutes or until noodles are heated through.
3. Meanwhile, debone and chop chicken. Return to slow cooker. Stir in half-and-half, peas, basil, butter, salt, and pepper. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on servings, if desired.

Note: To make this a vegetarian dish, simply omit the chicken and substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth.

Julia Child, I Am Not

I am many things. I am a daughter, sister, wife, and mother. And I am a good home cook.

But Julia Child I am not.

So even though I would like to make her French Onion Soup, I just don't have the skill level or the time. So instead I pull out my slow cooker, taking the ultimate shortcut.

And while Julia may have been able to taste the difference, it was excellent to this home cook.

The flavor truly is rich, and the wine adds depth. I know mozzarella is the traditional cheese to top this soup with, but the sharpness of the Provolone is a wonderful compliment to the sweetness of the onions.

So go ahead and make this soup. It may not be fancy or traditional like Julia's, but we don't always need fancy, just down-home good.

Rich French Onion Soup

Recipe modified from Taste of Home
Makes 10 servings

Ingredients:

• 6 large onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 6 cans (10.5 ounces each) condensed beef broth, undiluted
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 3 bay leaves
• 10 slices French bread, toasted
• 10 slices Provolone cheese

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, saut&eatue; onions in butter until crisp-tender. Add wine to pan to deglaze and let reduce. Transfer to an ungreased 5-quart slow cooker. Add broth, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaves.
2. Cover and cook on low 5 - 7 hours or until the onions are tender. Discard bay leaves.
3. Turn on broiler. Ladle soup into oven-proof crock. Add toast and top with slice of Provolone cheese. Broil until cheese is melted and serve.

Potato Heaven

If you couldn't tell by February's theme, I am an avid soup-lover. And here's another bit of not-so-secret information: I haven't met a potato I didn't like. So, what better way to honor two of my favorite foods than by combining then?

Back in the day, whenever friends and I went to Bennigan's I always got a cup of their cream of potato soup. I loved that they topped it with crumbled bacon. But the Bennigan's that was in the area I grew up in closed years ago, and there's not one anywhere in the state of Pennsylvania. What's a girl to do?

Find a recipe and make it at home, but of course!

There's no shortage of potato soup recipes on the Internet. It's the cooking method that makes this recipe my favorite, though. Using the crock-pot frees me to do whatever I feel like. As much as I love to cook, sometimes it's nice not to be tied to the kitchen.

Cream Cheese Potato Soup

Ingredients:

• 5 lbs. potatoes, peeled and diced into 1 to 2-inch cubes
  
• 1 small onion, diced
  
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
  
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper
  
• 2 quarts chicken broth
  
• 2 8-oz. packages cream cheese, cubed
  
• Optional garnishes: Crumbled bacon, green onions, chives, shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Use a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Peel and dice potatoes, and put them into the stoneware. 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. The potatoes should be fork-tender. Use a potato masher or a hand-held immersion blender to mash the potatoes into the soup.
   
2. Add cubed cream cheese to the potato mixture and put the lid back on. Cook on HIGH, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes or until the cream cheese is completely dissolved.
   
3. Serve with the garnish of your choice.

A Hearty Favorite

When my husband and I registered for my bridal shower, we put all sorts of appliances and gadgets on our list. We received pretty much all of them, and we use them all to varying degrees. But one that I use regularly -- on a weekly basis during the winter months -- is the slow cooker. This recipe combines the slow cooker combine with one of my favorite meals: soup.

This one is another favorite of ours. Great flavor, satisfying, easy to make, and freezes nicely. No wonder this recipe is heavy in my rotation.

Hearty Pasta Tomato Soup
Recipe from Taste of Home

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. bulk Italian sausage
  
• 6 cups beef broth
  
• 1 28-oz. can stewed tomatoes
  
• 1 15-oz. can tomato sauce
  
• 2 cups sliced zucchini
  
• 1 large onion, chopped
  
• 1 cup sliced carrots
  
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
  
• 1 medium green pepper, chopped
  
• ¼ cup minced fresh parsley
  
• 2 teaspoons sugar
  
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
  
• 1 clove garlic, minced
  
• 2 cups frozen cheese tortellini
  
• Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. In a skillet, cook the sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker; add the next 13 ingredients. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or until the vegetables are tender.
   
2. Cook tortellini according to package directions; drain. Stir into slow cooker; cover and cook 30 minutes longer. Serve with Parmesan cheese if desired.

Notes:

• If your supermarket doesn’t have bulk sausage, buy links. Remove the casings and when you brown in the skillet, break apart with a potato masher. (Much easier than using a fork or wooden spoon.)
  
• 1 14-oz. can of beef broth is approximately 2 cups.
  
• I omitted the mushrooms because I don't care for them, and the fresh parsley because I didn't want to buy a large bunch when the recipe called for so little. I doubt that affected the taste.
  
• I substituted diced tomatoes for the stewed ones. Again, in the interest of doing it the easy way.

Half-Time Show

When you're having company over, it can be hard to strike that balance between time spent in the kitchen and time spent with your guests. That's especially true on Superbowl Sunday, when you also want to send time in front of the TV -- even if it's just to see the commercials.

My solution? Break out the slow cooker!

For last year's game I made this dip, which was a huge hit. It was full of flavor and quite versatile. I served it with veggies, crackers, and breadsticks. Any leftovers? Serve over a short-cut pasta for some zippy macaroni and cheese!

Zippy Sausage Cheese Dip
Recipe from Taste of Home

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. pork sausage, squeezed out of casing and crumbled
  
• 2 lbs. Velveeta cheese, cubed
  
• 2 10.75-oz. cans Rotel tomatoes with chilies, undrained

Directions:

1. Brown sausage in large nonstick skillet. Drain.
   
2. Return browned sausage to skilled and stir in cubed Velveeta cheese.
   
3. Cook over low heat until cheese melts. Stir occasionally.
   
4. Place pork and melted cheese in slow cooker. Stir in tomatoes.
   
5. Cover and cook on LOW 1-2 hours until heated through.
   
6. Serve warm with raw, cut-up veggies or chips.

Variation: For a creamier dish, add 2 10.75-oz. cans cream of mushroom soup to Step 4, stirring soup in with the tomatoes.

First Down

Ahhh .. .January. Winter settles in, resolutions are made, and diet recipes are researched.

Except here at Country Cooking. While all the other blogs dedicate the month to healthy recipes to help you start your new year right, I'm dedicating the month to Superbowl Sunday. This month I'll be posting recipes I've made for Superbowls past, so you have time to try them out and decide what you would like to make for your own party or bring to one you're attending.

This chili recipe is a favorite of mine. And it's great for parties because you dump the ingredients and 4-6 hours later ... Presto! Dinner is served! It's great because you don't have to man the stove; you can enjoy both your guests and the game. I like to serve this recipe over rice. And, truth be told, I make it year-round, too.

Kick'n Chili
Recipe from Rival Crock-Pot Recipe Card Collection

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds 90% lean ground beef
  
• 1 tablespoon each salt, cumin, chili powder, paprika, dried oregano and black pepper
  
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
  
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
  
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  
• 3 cans (10.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes with green chilies
  
• 1 jar (16 ounces) salsa
  
• 1 large onion, chopped

Directions:

1. Combine ground beef, salt, cumin, chili powder, paprika, oregano, black pepper, garlic and ground red pepper in large bowl.
   
2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown beef, stirring to separate meat. Drain and discard fat. Add tomatoes, salsa and onion; mix well. Transfer mixture to a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker.
   
3. Cover; cook on LOW 4 to 6 hours.

Note: If you prefer your chili with beans, simply add two 15-oz. cans of kidney beans, drained and rinsed, into the slow cooker.

Low and slow

The holiday season is upon us. And in the hustle and bustle of it all, the last thing you may want to do at the end of your day is cook dinner. I feel that way in particular on the weekends, which are always chock full activities. At the end of the day I just want to sit, not make dinner, even if it only takes 30 minutes.

So I break out the crock pot and cook it low and slow.

It's wonderful. I dump all the ingredients into my crock pot and come 5 o'clock, presto! Dinner is served! Perfect for those busy weekends of shopping, decorating, and visiting Santa.

Sausage & Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
  
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  
• 1 1/4 lb. Italian sausage
  
• 2 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
  
• 1 large zucchini, halved lengthwise, cut into 1-inch half moons
  
• 1 medium-sized onion, cut into wedges
  
• 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
  
• grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Add tomatoes and juice to crock pot. Stir in Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and red pepper.
   
2. Tuck in sausages. Add potatoes, zucchini, and onion. Cover. Cook on HIGH heat for 4 hours or LOW heat for 8 hours.
   
3. Uncover pot and remove sausages. Slice into 1-inch thick coins, and return to crock pot, stirring gently along with bread crumbs.
   
4. Serve in bowls, sprinkling each serving with Parmesan cheese.

Just like Grandma's ... I Think

Believe it or not, I've never had chicken and dumplings. It was just something my mom never made, for whatever reason. But on a visit to my parents' house a month ago, I flipped through my mom's slow cooker cookbook. In there was a recipe for chicken and dumplings. It looked super simple, and I knew I had to give it a try.

Now, seeing as how I've never had chicken and dumplings before I can't say whether or not this recipe was "just like Grandma's." But I can say it was absolutely delicious, and I can't wait to make it again.

Like Grandma's Chicken & Dumplings

Recipe from Best-Loved Slow Cooker Recipes
Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked chicken
  
• 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
  
• 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
  
• 2 soup cans water
  
• 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
  
• 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
  
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  
• 1 can buttermilk biscuits

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients, except biscuits, in crock pot.
   
2. Cut biscuits into quarters and gently stir into mixture. Cover; cook on low 4 to 6 hours.

Notes from the Chef:
1. If you don't have leftover cooked chicken on hand, poach some. Dark meat works best for this dish.
2. I used one envelope of low-sodium chicken bouillon granules. It's a little less than 2 teaspoons, but the dish still works.

Get Your German On

Today marks the start of Oktoberfest, which, for some, is a great excuse to drink beer. Lots of beer. But for me, it's a great reason to make meals involving sauerkraut. Sauerkraut is definitely a food that is an acquired taste, and I've loved it ever since I was a toddler. And when you love a food as much as that, you look for other ways to eat -- besides just on hot dogs.

One year for our anniversary, my parents gave me a slow cooker cookbook. I found this recipe in there and rejoiced. An easy to way to prepare a meal, and it included sauerkraut. Bonus! It doesn't hurt that this meal is delicious, either. It freezes well, too. So do yourself a favor: make a double-batch and freeze half. The only thing easier than making a meal in the slow cooker is reheating a meal from the freezer.

Potatoes, Kraut, & Sausage Supper

Recipe from Simple Slow Cooker Recipes
Makes: 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 20-ounce package refrigerated diced potatoes with onions
  
• 1 cup chopped green sweet pepper *
  
• 1 cup chopped carrots
  
• 1 1/2 pounds cooked smoked Polish sausage, halved lengthwise and bias-sliced **
  
• 2/3 cup apple cider or apple juice ***
  
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
  
• 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  
• 1 14- to 16-ounce can sauerkraut, drained ****
  
• 2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley

Directions:

1. In a 4 1/2- to 5 1/2-quart slow cooker combine potatoes, sweet pepper, and carrots. Add sausage.
   
2. In a small bowl stir together apple cider, vinegar, caraway seeds, salt, and black pepper. Pour over mixture in cooker.
   
3. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours or on high-heat setting for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. If using low-heat setting, turn to high-heat setting. Stir in sauerkraut. Cover and cook for 30 minutes more.
   
4. To serve, transfer sausage mixture to a serving dish. Sprinkle with fresh parsley.

Notes from the Chef:
* I use cubanelle peppers.
** I use beer brats.
*** I've used both apple juice and apple cider. Both are good, but if you have cider on hand, use it. It makes a difference.
**** I use fresh sauerkraut instead of canned.