Cheesy Potato and Venison Soup

This is the girl...

...who killed the deer...

...that provided the meat...

...for this soup:

And since we now have a freezer full of venison, we won't starve to death during the remainder of this harsh Mississippi winter.  AND I won't have to pay $2.99 a pound for beef stew meat.  Isn't that GREAT??!!

FYI...Do you know what is smeared on my daughter's cheeks in the second picture?  Deer blood.  Seems there is an ancient ritual in these parts that the blood of the first deer that a hunter kills is to be smeared on his or her face. 

Is that not just the SWEETEST thing you have ever heard of???!!!!!

Soup anyone?

Cheesy Potato and Venison Soup

2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1-1/2 to 2 pounds venison shoulder or ham, cut into 1-inch pieces (or boneless beef round steak or beef stew meat)

Salt and pepper to season

1 medium onion, chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

6 cups beef broth

1-1/2 pounds Butter gold potatoes, chopped into about 3/4-inch cubes

2 tablespoon all purpose flour

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 cups shredded Colby jack or cheddar cheese

Chopped parsley or green onion

1. Heat olive oil in Dutch oven or medium to high heat.  Season the venison with salt and pepper and brown in hot oil in batches.  Remove with slotted spoon and set aside.
2. Add the onion and celery to the pot and cook until soft; add garlic and cook for about 2 more minutes.  Return beef to pot and add the beef broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer; cover and simmer for 1 to 2 hours or until meat is tender.
3. Add the potatoes and simmer until tender about 20-25 minutes.
4. Stir together the flour and 1/4 cup water until smooth.  Stir into meat mixture and cook for 5 minutes.  Stir in the heavy cream, then the cheese until melted.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Ladle into bowls and top with fresh parsley or green onion.

Marinated Green Beans

This recipe was given to me by my friend Tammy and I just love it.  I seem to struggle with what to serve as side dishes with my meals and this recipe helps solve that problem.  It's super simple and can be made ahead of time, which I love.  I would never, ever make this for my dear sister, though, because she doesn't like her vegetables "sweet"; I, however, like that sweet and savory combination, so this recipe is a real keeper in my book.

Marinated Green Beans

4 (14-ounce) cans French cut green beans, drained

1 cup melted butter

3/4 cup light brown sugar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

4 slices bacon, cut in half

1. Place green beans in a 13 x 9-inch casserole dish.  Whisk together the butter, sugar, and soy sauce.  Pour over green beans.
2. Place the bacon over the green beans and marinate overnight.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until bacon is done.

Crockpot Tamale Pie

First off, let me shout this out...

I PAID $1.91 A GALLON FOR GAS IN MERIDIAN, MISSISSIPPI THE OTHER DAY!!!  WOOHOO!!!!

This makes me especially happy because I am going on a road trip to Missouri this weekend to see my snuggly-wuggly-cutie-patootie little niece who will be three years-old on Saturday.  This is my little precious right here:

  

Aunt Lorie can't wait to see you, sweetie!

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I just can't get enough use out of my crockpot.  I love knowing that I've got an entire meal cooking and I don't have to babysit it, that way I never miss my rigorous workouts that I'm so fond of.  This recipe has been adapted from the Fix-It and Forget-It cookbook.  The ingredients will seem very watery when you mix them up, but that's okay.  In the crockpot, they will bake and form a crust that tastes similar to a tamale.  I found that it only takes about three hours on the low setting for this to be done.  Also, I have a hot spot in my crockpot.  One side cooked a little faster than the other and I would have benefited from rotating the crock.  This is not noticeable in my other crockpot meals that have more juice.

I made some slight changes to the recipe.  I decreased the meat to 3/4 pound and added a can of pinto beans.  I also added chopped onion and taco seasoning instead of chili seasoning, but either would work.

Crockpot Tamale Pie

3/4 cup cornmeal

1-1/2 cups milk

1 egg, beaten

3/4 pound ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

1 envelope taco or chili seasoning

1 (14.25-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes

1 (15.25-ounce) can corn, drained

1 (14.25-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup grated Colby jack or cheddar cheese

Sour cream

Chopped cilantro

1. Combine the cornmeal, milk, and egg in a large mixing bowl.
2. Brown the ground beef with the onion.  Drain well.  Stir into the cornmeal mixture along
   with the taco seasoning, canned tomatoes, corn, and beans.  Transfer mixture to the crock.
3. Cover and cook on low for about 3 hours.  The top will be slightly puffy and dry looking on top.  Sprinkle with cheese and put lid on until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.  Top each serving with a dollop of sour cream and some chopped cilantro.