Potato, Ham, and Spinach Soup

If you ask any of my friends whether or not I have an adventurous personality, they would most likely say no, but that ended as of this weekend. This is the second time in as many days that I'm trying out a brand new recipe. This one is even crazier than the Jambalaya recipe from yesterday. At least with that I had previous experience making Jambalaya, I had just never made it in a microwave before. But I can honestly say I've never made any kind of potato soup, much less heard of one with these specific ingredients. This was definitely a risk, and while it might not be for everyone, it actually turned out pretty stinking awesome!

I think if I make this again I would probably use diced potatoes instead of sliced potatoes. The sliced potatoes were kind of thick and didn't break down very well. I'm thinking diced potatoes would have broken down a little better. Maybe I didn't cook it long enough? Not sure. I really can't complain too much though, I originally planned to use the potatoes and spinach as a side dish, but I started rethinking it before I made it. It turned out fine as it is though, please feel free to play with the recipe and let us know how it goes.

Ingredients:
- 2 cups of Fat Free Milk [$0.60]
- Cream of Chicken Soup (11oz can) [$0.82]
- Whole Leaf Spinach (13.5oz can) [$0.54]
- Sliced Potatoes (15oz can) [$0.58]
- Three large slices of Deli Ham [$1.00]
- 2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Salt
- Large tupperware dish (8-14 cup/ 2x 6-8 cup)

Optional/Substitute Ingredients
- 2 cups of any kind of milk
- Cream of Mushroom
- Diced potatoes instead of sliced
- You can cut your own potatoes as well if you'd like
- Any kind of turkey or ham would probably go well with this, doesn't have to be deli slices

Ingredients

This recipe will make around 4 servings depending how much you eat. Total cost comes out to about $0.71 per serving and you really can't beat that. This is about 1/4th of the price of similar soups (I'm looking at you Chunky soup!)

Step 1: Get out a plate and shred the ham with a fork and a knife. I basically did this by folding the ham a bunch of times and then sticking it in the middle with the fork. Take your knife and stick it between each set of prongs on the fork and cut it horizontally. Now cut vertically on either side of the fork. Your ham should be in pretty small sized chunks now, which is what we're shooting for. Throw the sliced ham into your tupperware dish

Chopped up ham

Step 2: Open and drain both the spinach and potatoes. Throw both into your tupperware dish. When I made it a little while ago, I stopped here, but I'm thinking it would have been a good idea to try and chop the potatoes into smaller pieces. If you got the diced potatoes, don't worry about it though.

Potato, spinach, and ham in the dish

Step 3: Open your cream of chicken soup and pour it in the dish.

Step 4: Add your two cups of milk to the dish.

Step 5: Now add all of your seasonings and stir to spread out everything evenly.

Step 6: Put the dish in the microwave for 10 minutes. Take it out and stir every 2 or 3 minutes.

Step 7: Take out and let the dish cool down for about 5-10 minutes. Now pour into a bowl and enjoy!

This picture doesn't do it justice

Like I said earlier, I think this dish is pretty flexible. You can try cooking it longer if you want, maybe that will result in the potatoes being more mushy, making the soup thicker. I think it turned out fine as it is though, but it's all up to you in the end. Since this one turned out pretty well I think in the future I'll experiment with potato soups using other ingredients like cheese, bacon, chives, sour cream, crab, crawfish, ground beef, etc (not all at once of course). I'm thinking I've really got something with this one.

Cajun Pork Loin with Herb and Butter Rice and a side of Green Beans and Potatoes

Ingredients:
-3 strips of 6-8oz pork loin
-Knorr's Herb and Butter Rice
-Can of no salt added green beans
-Can of diced potatoes
-Seasoning (salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, chili powder, tony chacheres, hot sauce, worcestershire sauce)

This recipe will make three hefty servings. I usually make this much at one time and save it for later in the week. It usually takes about an hour to cook, and being in college I don't have an hour to cook every night, so adjust the ingredients if you need.

Step 1: Season the meat as you see fit. I used all of the seasonings listed above. I never really measure the amounts I use, so I don't really know what to tell you other than I pretty much had equal parts of everything. if you want me to measure the amounts I use from now on, just let me know

Step 2: Throw the three strips of pork onto the already hot GF grill. Allow to cook for probably 12-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of your meat. Always check your thickest piece of meat to see if it's cooked inside.

Step 3: Use the microwavable instructions on the package of the Knorr's Herb and Butter Rice. I basically just pour it into a microwavable tupperware dish and cover it with water. Just stick in in the microwave for about 15 minutes I believe and let it cook.

Optional step 1: I always try to add protein and fiber to my diet, so I always add a package of starkist herb and garlic tuna and a small can of no salt added peas to my herb and butter rice. It taste awesome to me and my roommate, but I know most people probably wouldn't like it.

Step 4: Open and drain your green beans and potatoes, place in microwavable dish, season with salt and pepper, and let microwave for about 2 and a half minutes. I like to mash it all together once it comes out, but that is a personal preference.

Optional Step 2: I split up the rice into three separate containers and place one piece of pork on top of each dish of rice. I then split the green beans and potatoes into three separate dishes as well. I then put two of each of the dishes in the fridge and save for later. Obviously this step is unnecessary if you only made enough for one serving. I find this is a great way to make lunch/dinner for two-three days.