Hot Sausage Potato Soup (dairy free)
2 links of turkey Italian hot sausage (I prefer Dirusso's brand)
2 cans chicken broth
1 red onion, diced
1/2 bag baby carrots, sliced
4 stalks celery, sliced
3 pounds red potatoes, peeled and diced (about 1/2 inch cubes)
Salt and pepper to taste
~ Remove the sausage from the casing. Brown and crumble the meat in a large pot.
~ Add the broth, onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Simmer approximately 10 minutes or until carrots are about halfway cooked.
~ Add potatoes, salt, and pepper, and simmer until all veggies are cooked through, approximately 15 minutes.
~ Use the back of a spoon to smash some of the potatoes into the soup to thicken it to the desired consistency.
(I use turkey sausage because I don't eat red meat. Pork sausage would work just as well. You could also add diced ham.)
Pudding Shots
1 small box instant pudding mix
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup liquor
1 tub Cool Whip, thawed
Whisk together the pudding mix, milk, and liquor for 2 minutes. Fold in the Cool Whip.
Place in small plastic cups (Jello shot cups) and freeze. The easiest way to fill the cups is to put the shot mixture in a Ziplock bag, cut off the corner, and pipe the shots into the cups. Or, if you're classy, you can put the shot mixture into the Ziplock bags (one batch fits into two quart bags), freeze them in the bags, and then cut off the corner of the bag and squeeze shots into your friends' mouths. Lots of fun at parties!
Favorite flavor combos:
~ Chocolate pudding mix + Kahlua
~ Chocolate pudding mix + Buttershots
~ Chocolate pudding mix + creme de menthe
~ Vanilla pudding mix + green creme de menthe (Shamrock shake!)
~ Banana pudding mix + cream de banana (take a vanilla wafer, put a slice of banana on top, then top with a dollop of this flavor! YUM!)
~ Butterscotch pudding mix + Buttershots
~ Butterscotch pudding mix + Apple Pucker (Fall Flavor!)
~ Cheesecake pudding mix + Tequila Rose (Strawberry Cheesecake!)
Spinach Dip
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 cup Miracle Whip
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
dash black pepper
2 boxes chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 medium red onion, diced small (I microwave the diced onion for 2 minutes before adding it.)
Stir ingredients together. Spread in an oven safe bowl. Top with additional mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Bake at 350 degrees until hot and the cheese browns around the edges, approximately 20 minutes. Serve with chunks of pumpernickel bread or tortilla chips.
*Dip can be made ahead and refrigerated. It will take longer to bake.
*Large batches can be baked in the crock pot insert and then placed in a crock pot on low to keep warm for an extended period of time.
