Slow Cooker Potato and Corn Soup

We have a "wintery mix" in the forecast. Which means the weatherman pretty much doesn't know if it's going to snow, ice, sleet, rain, or a little of all. Really?

I know weather is unpredictable because Mother Nature likes to change her mind, after all, she is a woman. But with all the technology we have available today, you would think they could figure out if it was going to rain, sleet, ice, or snow.

All I know is, it's cold outside. Not just cold, but bitter cold where it rips through your clothes no matter how many layers you've bundled on. I'm so bundled up, I feel like the little brother in the movie, "A Christmas Story". You know the scene where his mom is getting him dressed for school and his arms stick straight out. That's what I've been feeling like.

That's not really bacon, its my vegan version of bacon. Hopefully, recipe coming soon!

So what's a Cali girl to do when an Arctic Polar front is headed towards the South? That's right, start making a soup to help warm me up from the inside out.

And for some reason, this Potato and Corn Soup was calling my name. Maybe it's because I've been eating a lot of potatoes here lately or maybe it just sounded good. It really does sound good, doesn't it? Whatever the reason, I made it!

As usual, I added my own little twist by using coconut milk instead of half and half or heavy cream. I also used yellow potatoes instead of Russet potatoes because they work better in soups and chowders.

Just look how yummy this soup is!

Talking about chowders, this soup isn’t going to be thick like a chowder and it’s not going to be thin like a bouillon based soup. It’s somewhere in between. The results, a creamy potato and corn soup that not only satisfies your hunger, but warms you up from the inside out.

Just what I've been needing!

Loaded version with shredded cheese, sour cream, & (vegan) bacon.

So whether you're in an area that will be getting rain, sleet, ice, or snow this Monday, this Potato and Corn Soup will be your new best friend to snuggle up with.

Slow Cooker Potato and Corn Soup

Recipe by Julie Murphy @ Sweet and Spicy Monkey

An easy, slow cooker Potato & Corn soup to help warm you up on cold winter days.

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 8 hours
Total time: 8 hours and 30 minutes
Yield: A whole lotta soup
Ingredients

• 5 yellow potatoes, cut into bite size cubes
• 3-12 ounces frozen sweet corn
• 1 medium sweet yellow onion, diced
• 4 stalks celery, diced
• 6 to 8 garlic cloves, mashed
• 32 ounces vegetable broth
• 32 ounces chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 16 ounces full fat coconut milk
• sea salt & pepper to taste

Cooking Directions

1. Add all ingredients into slow cooker EXCEPT coconut milk.
2. Cook on Low setting for 8 to 10 hours or High setting for 6 hours.
3. After potatoes have softened, place half the soup into a bowl and let cool to room temperature. For a blender, let contents cool before blending to prevent your blender from exploding the contents. Follow your blenders instructions for blending hot liquids. If you have an immersion blender, you can puree while soup is hot.
4. Pour pureed soup back into crockpot and continue cooking.
5. About 20 minutes before cooking time is up, stir in coconut milk and continue cooking for remaining 20 minutes.
6. Salt & pepper to taste.
7. Can serve topped with shredded cheese, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, chopped green onions, and/or bacon.

Inspired by: April at Momma Loves Food.

All content and images are property of Sweet and Spicy Monkey. Please do not reprint this content without my permission. If you wish to include this recipe on your site, please re-write in your own words and use your own photographs and link back to this post for original recipe.

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Coconut Sweet Potatoes

I know I'm a little late for Thanksgiving with this recipe but sweet potatoes are still in season. And I'm hoping Thanksgiving isn't the only time you eat these awkwardly shaped orange delights because they are so good and good for you.

Remember over the summer when I couldn't get enough coconut? Well, I still love the stuff and I've found a way to bring the taste of the tropics to my Fall and Winter menu. I've added coconut to my sweet potatoes! Oh. Yes. I. Did!

When I saw FOOD52 making mashed sweet potatoes using coconut milk, it gave me an idea. On Thanksgiving, I added shredded coconut to my sweet potato and liked it. But it needed a little something else to moisten it up, which is when I remembered the coconut milk.

So the next time I cooked a couple sweet potatoes, I removed the skin, whipped them up, added brown sugar, coconut milk to help make them creamy and add a little coconut flavor, just a dab of butter, cinnamon, and shredded coconut flakes. The result was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

If you love coconut, then you'll absolutely flip for these sweet potatoes! They're sweet and creamy, and I love the texture the coconut flakes bring to them. It's like a little taste of the islands brought to your table during these long cold winter months.

Watch me make this recipe on Simmer here.

Coconut Sweet Potatoes

Serves 4


Ingredients

2 medium sweet potatoes - cooked, skinned, and quartered

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter (can also use margarine)

½ cup + 1 Tablespoon coconut milk, canned

6 Tablespoons brown sugar, packed

1 cup flaked coconut, unsweetened

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Dash of cinnamon for topping

Coconut strips for topping
 

Directions

If cooking in the oven, preheat oven to 325F degrees.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Clean sweet potatoes under running water and scrub with a vegetable brush until clean. Dry.

Make a few holes in potatoes with a sharp knife and wrap in aluminum foil.

Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and cook for about 1 hour and 20 minutes or until sweet potato is tender. You should be able to easily insert a sharp knife or fork into the middle of the sweet potato flesh.

Remove from oven and unwrap to cool.

After cooling for about 10 minutes, move sweet potatoes to a cutting board and cut in half. Be careful as sweet potato will still be hot. You should be able to gently remove the skin with a knife and fork without touching the flesh with your fingers.

Cut into quarters and toss into a large mixing bowl. 

Whip potatoes for about 1-2 minutes, or until potatoes are no longer solid.

Blend in butter and coconut milk until potatoes become creamier in texture.

Mix in brown sugar, flaked coconut, and cinnamon until all ingredients are blended.

Pour into a serving bowl. May have to heat in the microwave for a minute or two before serving if they have cooled off too much.  

Top with a dash of cinnamon and a few coconut strips on top and serve.

*Helpful Hints*

- I prefer sweet potatoes cooked in the oven as to boiled in water since they retain more of their nutrients when cooked in the oven.

- I found parchment paper helped in not burning the bottom of my sweet potatoes as they cooked. If you don't have parchment paper, you can always turn them over through half of the cooking time.

- You can always add a little more coconut milk if you like a thinner texture to your potatoes.

 All content and images are property of Sweet and Spicy Monkey. Please do not reprint this content without my permission. If you wish to include this recipe on your site, please re-write in your own words and use your own photographs and link back to this post for original recipe.

Follow Julie's board Sweet and Spicy Monkey on Pinterest.

Shared with: On Display Thursday #22 , Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party, Freedom Fridays with All My Bloggy Friends #58, Skip the Housework #45 Link Party, Mix it Up Monday!, Crafty and Delicious Party

Seasoned Roasted Potatoes

The potato. It’s a staple vegetable in diets all over the world and can be prepared in many ways. You can bake it, boil it, fry it, grill it, mash it, steam it, microwave it, and roast it. You can top them with butter, sour cream, ketchup, chili, cheese, bacon, onions, or anything you desire. You can eat it as a meal or as a side dish. The options are endless as this little oblong vegetable is just that versatile. 

Potatoes are one of the most nutritious vegetables available. One plain medium potato (5.3 ounces) contains:

• 620mg of potassium which is more than bananas, broccoli, or spinach
• Trace amounts of essential thiamine, riboflavin, folate, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc
• Vitamin B6 and vitamin C
• They contain antioxidants
• And with no fat, sodium, or cholesterol and a total of 110 calories.*

 

They have their own unique savory flavoring of mild earthiness, sometimes a little sweet and buttery, combined in a light and fluffy fleshy meat-like middle. It’s no wonder we make them a part of our everyday diets.

 

I love potatoes! Sometimes I will have a baked potato for dinner when I don’t feel like cooking. I love to season and roast potatoes in the fall and winter months. But for some reason, I got to craving roasted potatoes this week. I guess I’m just wishing fall would hurry up and get here and by cooking fall meals, it will be here faster. Talk about wishful thinking, especially since it’s supposed to be high 80’s to 90’s this week, ugh!

 

Well, if I can’t have my fall weather, I’m going to have my favorite fall side dish, Seasoned Roasted potatoes. These are lightly seasoned and roasted in the oven with fresh rosemary from my garden. I love using fresh rosemary in homemade soups, stews, and sprinkled over my roasted potatoes.

 

 

I planted my rosemary plant when I moved into this house and its one heck of a hardy little herb. It’s also the only one that I can grow! I haven’t bothered with it since I planted it six years ago and it just keeps on growing. I don’t have to water it and it has survived snow storms, ice storms, and the Georgia heat. It is my favorite plant and I love the way it smells when you rub your fingers over the leaves. I finally pruned it this year as it was starting to look in need of some TLC.



My hardy rosemary plant



Anywho, back to the recipe. This is a delicious and easy recipe to make that compliments any meal without all the heavy, creamy toppings that usually accompany a potato dish. These lightly seasoned roasted potatoes will soon become a favorite in your home during the fall and winter months ahead.

 

 

 

Seasoned Roasted Potatoes

 

Ingredients

 

2 lbs. potatoes, washed, rinsed, and diced into small square bites

 

1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, chopped

 

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

 

¼ teaspoon sea salt

 

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper (can use more if you like it a little spicier)

 

¼ teaspoon paprika

 

1 garlic clove, minced

 

3-4 Tablespoons olive oil

 

Directions

 

Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Lightly spray a cookie sheet, 17 ½” x 12”, with non-stick spray. You can also use olive oil spray or lightly wipe down the cookie sheet with olive oil if you don’t have spray. Wipe off any excess with a clean paper towel. Set aside.

 

In a large mixing bowl, combine potatoes, spices, and olive oil. Mix together well so all potatoes are covered with olive oil and spice mix.

 

Spread out evenly on prepared cookie sheet so potatoes don't overlap. Place in oven for 45 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown.

Halfway during cooking, about 20 minutes, remove pan from oven and flip potatoes over so they get crunchy on both sides.

 

Remove from oven and let cool for at least 5 minutes as potatoes will be HOT.

 

Serve and enjoy!

*Nutritional facts about potatoes obtained from ~ Potatoes Goodness Unearthed, Inc.

 

*Helpful Hints*

 

- you can use any variety of potatoes to make these.

 

- All measurements are US

 

All content and images are property of Sweet and Spicy Monkey. Please do not reprint this content without my permission. If you wish to include this recipe on your site, please re-write in your own words and use your own photographs and link back to this post for original recipe.

Follow Julie's board Sweet and Spicy Monkey on Pinterest.

Featured at ~ Sweet and Savoury Sundays #82 and On Display Thursday Linky Party #12

 

 

 

 

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