Cheesy Broccoli Corn Potato Chowder with Ham

What do you do when cravings collide? 

Recently, I was enamored by a social media post for ham and potato corn chowder, but I also was longing for a cheddar broccoli soup. Plus, I had some fresh broccoli that wasn’t going to stay that way for much longer.

So, I combined two soups into one. Boy, was it good—even though the name is a little long!

Full of healthy veggies and sharp cheddar, with just enough ham to give it a smoky taste. 

Best of all, this recipe is perfect for the slow cooker. Put in the bulk of the ingredients at the start of the day and by dinnertime, all you have to do is blend the mixture to your desired chunkiness (I used a stick blender), and stir in the cheese, cream (if using), and ham. 

Dinner is ready! 

Yield: 6 to 8

Author: Linda Ditch

Cheesy Broccoli Corn Potato Chowder with Ham

What happens when broccoli-cheddar soup combines with a corn chowder? Add some ham, and this soup is the result.

Ingredients

• 1 16-ounce bag frozen corn
• 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 1/2 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 pound fresh broccoli florets
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
• 1 32-ounce carton low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 4 ounces Velveeta, diced
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces ham, diced

Instructions

1. In a large slow cooker, add all of the ingredients except for the cheeses, cream, and ham. (Add more water if necessary.) Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or until the vegetables are tender.
2. Using an immersion (stick) blender, whizz up the soup in the slow cooker until it reaches your desired consistency. (If you don’t have a hand-held stick blender, ladle 2 to 3 cups of the soup into a blender and blend until smooth. Then pour the blended mixture back into the slow cooker.)
3. Add the ham to the soup, and then the cheeses, a handful at a time, stirring until melted and blended into the soup. Then stir in the cream. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if necessary.
4. Serve and enjoy. (FYI: Like most soups, this one tastes even better the next day!)

Created using The Recipes Generator

"Here we Come a Wassailing..." with Wassail

Have you ever had wassail? I grew up with the smell of my mom's recipe for this holiday drink wafting through the house as Christmas approached and the weather turned colder. A warm mug full of spicy cranberry and apple goodness epitomized the meaning of "comfort and joy." 

In other words, this beverage is perfect for Christmas 2020. 

The word “wassail” comes from the late-21st century English toast “was-hail,” which means “be in good health.” To go wassailing was singing carols from door to door in hopes of a warm beverage and treats. The drink itself was a warm spiced ale or wine garnished with roasted apples.

Mom’s wassail recipe is very simple. Just wrap the whole spices into a cheesecloth pouch and pop it into a pot full of apple cider and cranberry juice. Add a little brown sugar depending on the sweetness of the juices. Mom never spiked hers, but I’ve found adding a bit of brandy to be very tasty. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator. Then, when the wassail craving strikes, just fill up a mug and warm it in the microwave.

Cheers to you and joyous wishes during this unique holiday season! 

Yield: 10 to 12

Author: Linda Ditch

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Wassail

A warm mug full of spicy cranberry and apple goodness epitomized the meaning of "comfort and joy."

Ingredients

• 2 quarts apple cider (or apple juice)
• 1 1/2 quarts cranberry juice
• 8 to 10 whole allspice
• 10 whole cinnamon sticks
• 20 to 25 whole cloves
• 1/2 to 1 cup brandy (optional)

Instructions

1. Cut a piece of cheesecloth and place the whole spices in the center. Pull up the edges to make a pouch and tie with butcher’s twine.
2. Pour the cider and juice into a large pot or slow cooker. Add the spice pouch. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes. (Or heat in the slow cooker on low for 4 to 5 hours.) Before serving, taste for sweetness and add 1/2 cup brown sugar if necessary. Also, add the brandy for a more adult beverage.

Created using The Recipes Generator

Crispy Cheesy Pan Pizza from King Arthur Flour

Weekends were made for pizza.

At the end of a long week, pizza is a tasty and comforting way to start the weekend, even if our workweek is spent in a home office or teaching and entertaining your kids.

 

While takeout from at your favorite local pizzeria is an option—one I take advantage of all the time!—making homemade pizza is also fun and satisfying. An added bonus is you have kitchen clean-up time while the pie bakes, so once dinner is served you can relax.

 

I’ve posted my favorite homemade pizza recipe before, but I think this one is the winner! I first saw it on the Food 52 website, with this great video on how to make it.

 

The original recipe is from the King Arthur Four folks. (Find it here.) What I love most about this pizza is the focaccia-like crust. The dough needs to rest in the refrigerator for 12 to 72 hours, which means you can mix it up when you have a free moment and then let it hang out for a couple of days until you need it. In fact, the longer it’s in the fridge, the more flavor it develops.

                                                                                    

I used a store brand part-skim mozzarella, along with some grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. The sauce was a can of Hunts Tomato Sauce

with Basil, Garlic and Oregano I had in my pantry.

The result was a seriously delicious pizza with a crunchy, browned bottom and a crispy, cheesy edge around the top. 

This is now my number one pizza to make!

 

 

Family Recipe File Crazy Chocolate Cake

(Update March 25, 2020: Who knew when I posted this in 2011 we would be going through a pandemic 9 years later! What's great about this recipe? You don't need eggs or milk, which can be hard to find right now! And we all need chocolate, right?)

This has to be the easiest chocolate cake to make—ever! As I was looking through my Mamaw’s recipe box to find another recipe to share with you, I came across this Crazy Chocolate Cake recipe. I remember making it growing up, so my mom must have the recipe too, though I don’t know if Mamaw gave the recipe to Mom or vice versa. This is one of the few times Mamaw didn't write where she got the recipe on the card.

What is great about this cake is you mix it together in the same pan in which you bake it. No mixer. No bowl. Just the baking dish and a fork. And no eggs or milk, either! The vinegar in the mix helps the cake rise. From what I’ve read, this recipe (and many others similar to it) was developed during the Great Depression as a cost-effective way to make a chocolate cake without expensive ingredients.

The cake is tasty without frosting—moist, rich and chocolaty. I just dust it with powdered sugar. But feel free to top it with your favorite frosting. Enjoy!

Author: Linda Ditch

Crazy Chocolate Cake

A Great Depression-era cake made without eggs and milk, mixed and baked in one pan.

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar
• 1/2 cup cooking oil
• 1 1/2 cups water

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift the dry ingredients into a 12 x 7 1/2 x 2-inch baking pan.
2. Mix together and make 3 indentations in the dry ingredients. Into one hole, put vanilla, into another put vinegar, and into third put cooking oil. Pour water over all and mix batter well with a fork.
3. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the center springs back to the touch. After cooling, dust the top with powdered sugar. (optional.)

Aunt Mable’s Vegetable Beef Soup

This week we said goodbye to my Great-Aunt Mable. She was 103 years old when she passed!

I wrote about Aunt Mable in the past, when I shared her Honey Fruit Salad Dressing. She was a go-getter! She reminded me of the Energizer bunny. I guess her batteries finally wore out.

At the gathering before the funeral, I asked her daughter, Sue, if there was a recipe Aunt Mable made that was her favorite. She instantly replied, “Homemade vegetable beef soup. When I came home from college, she would have it waiting for me on the stove. Even though it was late, the soup was waiting, nice and hot. It tasted wonderful, but I don’t remember just the taste. I remember the comfort eating the soup gave me.”

I know what she means. I feel that way every time I make my Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Soup. It was inspired by one my mom made and it gives me a lot of comfort, too

Here is Aunt Mable’s version. Give it a try and let me know what you think! I can’t wait to give it a go!

Goodbye Aunt Mable. You were a wonderful lady. It feels like the world has lost a little of its energy without you.

Aunt Mable’s Vegetable Beef Soup

This recipe is shown just how she made it. Feel free to adjust it to your taste. I’m sure she did through the years!

Beef shanks, approximately 2 pounds

1 to 2 carrots, shredded or chopped small

1 large onion, chopped small

3 to 4 stalks of celery, chopped small

1 can tomatoes, diced with juice

1 teaspoon sugar

3 to 4 potatoes, chopped

1/2 cup alphabet macaroni

Salt, pepper, Accent, to taste

3 to 4 drops Tabasco sauce

1 can beef broth

Brown beef shanks in a little oil in a large heavy pan. Cover fully with hot water. Cook on low til tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Watch water to make sure it does not evaporate. Remove meat to mixing bowl and cover.

Add the carrots, onion, and celery to the broth and cook til partly done. Add tomatoes sugar, potatoes, and macaroni. Add some salt, pepper, and Accent. Cook til done. Add a can of beef broth, then add more water if needed.

Chop meat on a board, sprinkle with salt and pepper and add to the soup. You can also add any leftover peas, corn, etc. Important: Add 3 to 4 drops Tabasco sauce. (It warms the tummy and adds flavor.)

Grandma’s Noodles with Chicken

I've written many times about Mamaw, my mom’s mom, who was a wonderful cook but hated the process. On the flip side is Grandma, my dad’s mom, who loved to cook. She passed that love on to my dad, who also loves to cook, and she's where my cooking gene originated.

If Grandma knew you were coming to visit, she always had something for you to eat, such as cookies, pie, or cake. If she didn't know you were coming, one of the first things she would say was, “Let me make you something to eat.”

Grandma loved feeding people. And since my dad is the oldest of six, there were always a lot of people to feed. This sign that was in her kitchen offers the perfect explanation.

Grandma was a country cook. I remember the tub of lard that sat in her kitchen. Most of the meals featured fried chicken or pork chops…sometimes both…mashed potatoes and pan gravy, and lots of desserts.

But Grandma was best known for her homemade noodles. They were similar to the frozen noodles found in the grocery store, which my research suggests is thanks to her German ancestry. They were a staple at every family meal. To this day family members will close their eyes in reverence at the memory of those delicious noodles cooked in chicken broth. The noodles were coated in so much flour the chicken broth became a thick gravy while they cooked. 

    

 

I watched Grandma make them from time to time, but of course, I never wrote down her recipe. When she died years ago, the recipe went with her. My Aunt Mary told me she had one particular spoon she used to measure the flour, and the only ingredients were flour, eggs, and water.

A few years ago, my sister challenged me to recreate the noodles for Thanksgiving. I did! When I bit into the noodles, all of the memories of Grandma’s kitchen came flooding back.

This time I decided to add chicken and vegetables to the mix to make a complete meal. The Picky Eater liked it, and even ate the leftovers!

I think Grandma would be happy.