Recipes

Potato Soup

1 lb bacon
5 lbs potatoes (Russet or Idaho Gold)
2 large white onions
2 bunches Green Onion
5 stalks celery
5 carrots (sliced, diced or julienne)
4-8 cups of chicken broth + water to cover
3 ½ tsp salt
2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 spoonfuls minced garlic
3 ½ tsp basil
1 tsp crushed red pepper
5 tsp Franks Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce
3/4 -1 stick butter
1 pint heavy whipping cream

Order of cooking:

Cut the bacon into 1” pieces. Fry the bacon in the stock pot until very crispy. Remove the bacon, and drain grease from stock pot (leave bacon “residue” in the pot). Peel the potatoes and cut into 1” cubes. Larger cubes will result in “chunkier” soup. Cut onions into fairly small chunks. Slice Green Onions. Slice celery stalks. Slice/Dice/Juilienne the carrots (if purchased whole). Put all in the pot, cover with water, and bring to a roiling boil.

Add the following: broth, salt, black pepper, minced garlic, basil, red pepper, and hot sauce.

Stir. Bring the soup to a rolling boil uncovered, then turn it down a bit to just a steady low boil, covered for 1.5-3 hrs. It does not have to be a heavy boil the whole time. Keep an eye on the soup, if it starts getting too thick, add some water right away and reduce it to a simmer. After boiling a few hours, it will thicken nicely. If short on time, the soup can be thickened by adding flour (flavor will not be as full though). Reduce the heat to a simmer. It typically takes me about 2.5 hours for me.

Stir in the bacon, butter, and whipping cream. Let simmer for ~1/2 hour. Serve with bread/butter, and favorite local brew.

Ham or 2 to 3 smoked ham hocks may be substituted for bacon. Up to 2 lbs of bacon has been used. Cheese may be added or used as topping.

I’ve taken to making batches with half russet potatoes, half yellow or yukon gold. The russets end up dissolving and thickening up the soup nicely, while the yellow potatoes hold their shape so you still have something to bite into.

Biscuits and gravy

1 lb Sausage 1/4Cup Flour – 2 Cups milk – Black Pepper

With the sausage and grease still in the skillet, sprinkle the 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour right over the sausage and grease right in the pan.
At this point I like to add a good amount of black pepper
Stir, stir, stir. We need to cook the flour a bit without letting it brown. This usually takes 2 to 3 minutes.
Next, you’ll gradually add in the milk, stirring well after each addition. Some folks like a thick gravy, so using about 2 cups of milk will be enough. Others like it thinner, so you can add up to 1/2 cup (or more) to the gravy to get it thinner. I like to use whole milk here, but 2% or skim milk will work in a pinch.
Reduce the heat to a simmer and allow the gravy to thicken.
The gravy will thicken even more as it sits, so feel free to stir in a little more milk to thin it out if it starts getting too thick for your liking.

Bretts Cafe-D Salsa

8oz chiles
16 oz water
1 TableSpoon garlic

Boil and set for 3 hours

14 oz diced tomatoes
1/2 onion
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper
1 tablespoon Apple cider vinegar

Tin Meals

  • Enchiladas
  • Mac and Cheese + Burgers
  • Lasagna
  • Potato Soup
  • Beef in Auju for Sandwiches