Baked Potatoes - in a crockpot

I love potatoes. I'm Irish, so...yeah. Hubby's German, so he's on board with the whole "potatoes at every meal" thing. Okay, not EVERY meal...but a lot of meals. Ha!

Anyway, while I love baked potatoes in the oven, I really like the convenience of baked potatoes in a crockpot. I can stick them in there, then head off to whatever meeting or event we have planned, and when I return - voila! Dinner!

Be creative when you top these - chili, ham & cheese, broccoli & cheese, "loaded" - cheese, sour cream, bacon, chives, left over salmon and sauce...whatever!!!

Baked Potatoes in a Crockpot

Russet potatoes (I would make two per person - if they don't get eaten, you can always make hash the next morning! Keep in mind that if you need to make more than 6 or so, you might need another crockpot)
Olive oil
Salt (I like kosher, but use what you like)

Water

Foil

Scrub your potatoes. Well. Unless you LIKE dirt while you're chewing. Your call. Dry well. Poke the potato with a fork all over (you're giving the steam a place to go - this is a teachable moment for all you homeschoolers!). Rub with a little oil, sprinkle with some salt, and wrap in a piece of foil. Put into your crockpot, pour in about 1/2 cup of water, and cook 4-5 hours on high, 6-8 hours on low. I like to rotate them halfway through cooking (put the ones from the bottom on top and vice versa), but that's because my crockpots have hot spots. When you're ready to eat, pull them out (carefully - there's a reason they call them hot potatoes!), unwrap, and enjoy. 

If you find they're not QUITE ready, remove the foil and microwave for a minute or two. Next time you make them in the crockpot, adjust the time. Different sized potatoes and different crockpots make the timing slightly different for everyone.

New Season and the Meals to Match

Ecclesiastes says that for everything there is a season (did you just sing, "turn, turn, turn" in your head? me too!). Right now, that season for me has a curious dearth of kids in my house. I have four kids, but now, only one left in high school. One has moved to New England and the other two "olders" are busy with work, school, and friends, so are hardly ever home.

This is a challenge for me for a couple of reasons. One, I apparently do not know how to cook for only three of us! My recipes are for six family members, with at least two teens, planning on perhaps a friend (or two, or three) stopping by for dinner, and having leftovers for hubby to take to work. Oh, did I mention that hubby has retired? So, yes, cooking looks much different now. 

Now, track season is upon us and hubby (who's volunteering as a coach) and kid will be gone for at least 3 hours a day. I'm also a helper for track, and track practice overlaps my usual dinner prep time. And, as many of you know, we will still need to eat on those days!! Can you believe it?? Craziness, I know.

All this background to say - I'm trying to think of easy meals that aren't feeding an army that don't require my usual prep time right before dinner. Here are my thoughts. I would LOVE your comments. I will be putting up recipes over the next few day/weeks. 

Baked potatoes (crock-pot, with various toppings)
Chili (crock-pot) - beef, chicken

Sandwiches - meatball, Reubens, grilled cheese, roast beef, etc.

Wraps - veggie (hummus, tabbouleh, feta, veggies), chicken salad, tuna, etc.

Quesadillas

Falafel

Beef stew (crock-pot)

Curried chicken & potatoes (crock-pot)

"Tuscan" chicken, potatoes, & sun-dried tomatoes

Soups! Loaded baked potato, clam chowder, broccoli & cheese, pasta e fagioli, Zuppa Toscana, black bean, etc.

Tarragon chicken (crock-pot)

Tacos - chicken, beef, shrimp, fish, etc.

Roasts (crock-pot or oven)

Enough brainstorming - let's get cooking!

Here's my version of Broccoli & Cheese soup. If I had to give you some advice, I would say, play with the recipe!! If it's not cheesy enough, add more cheese. If it's too cheesy for you, add more broth. Make it the way YOUR family will like it the best. 

Broccoli and Cheese Soup

1 - 2 heads broccoli (depends on how big they are and how much broccoli you like!)
½ cup butter
1 medium onion, chopped
½ cup flour
2 cups milk
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
2 cans chicken broth (5 cups or so)
salt and pepper
8-16 ounces Velveeta cheese (depends on how cheesy you like it!)

Cook broccoli until tender and drain (you can either steam it or microwave it). Mash ½ cup of the broccoli with a fork. Cut the rest of the broccoli into pieces. 

Cook onions in butter over medium heat in a pot until tender and transparent.  Stir in flour and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Turn down to low. Whisk in milk slowly, stirring constantly and making sure to get in the corners of the pot. Stir in grated cheese until smooth. Slowly whisk broth into sauce. Add Velveeta cheese and stir until melted.  Add all the broccoli to the soup.  Simmer 15 minutes.  You can add more Velveeta for a cheesier flavor.