Baked Potato Soup

4 or 5 Large Baking Potatoes
6 cups milk (I use 2%)
2/3 cups butter
2/3 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 cup Sour Cream
1 cup Milk Cheddar Cheese
1/2 cup g. onion
10 slices bacon, cook and broken in small pieces

Pierce skin of potatoes and bake at 400 for 1 hour. Remove and let cool completely. Once cooled remove from skins and break into bite size pieces in a bowl. Set aside.

In a large pot melt butter and add flour, stirring well with a whisk. Gradually add milk. making sure to combine well, add salt and pepper. Over medium/high heat bring to a low boil, stirring constantly let boil for 2 minutes. Stir constantly and watch so it doesn't burn (milk can curdle!).

Add potatoes, cheese, stir until cheese melts. Stir in sour cream and then the onions. Cook over low heat until soup is heated all the way through or put into crock pot and put on low heat. If you don't eat right away stir every 20 minutes or so or the cream may start to separate.

Top with Bacon, more green onions and cheese to taste.

Taco Soup

1 lb of ground hamburger –browned or you can use some cooked chicken.
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes- the one’s with Green Chile’s in them.
1 15 oz can of tomato sauce
1 can of corn- drained
2 can of kidney beans- rinsed
1/4th onion- chopped
2 Tbs. chili powder
1- 1 1/2 cup water
V8 juice (however much to get it to a consistency of where you want it)

Brown hamburger, when almost done add chopped onion (as much as you like) and some chili powder (about a tsp). Add rest of ingredients to a big pot or crock pot. Add meat when done cooking, add a little more chili powder if you want it spicier. If cooking on stove top bring to a boil then simmer for 20 minutes. If crock pot, you can cook on low for at least 4 hours. You can then top with cheese and sour cream if you like. I usually serve cornbread with this.

Southwest Chicken

I found this on a blog, not sure where and made it tonight. It was a HUGE hit! Super easy and CHEAP, just the way we like it!

8-10 frozen tenderloins
1 jar of salsa (approx 16 oz)
1 can of Corn (drained)
1 can of Kidney beans (drained and rinsed, or you can use black beans)

Throw all that in the crock pot and cook on low for about 6 hours, then you can eat it just like it is with some tortilla chips, make a salad out of it and throw it on some lettuce with some sour cream and guac, or tonight I put it in some tortillas with cheese and lettuce and made soft tacos. It made up a TON and took all of 5 minutes tops to make.