Comfort food delivers taste of home

The leaves have made their way to the ground, vegetable gardens lay bare, and there's a thin layer of ice covering the puddles in the farm driveway. Farm families working long hours in the fields will appreciate the appearance of these comfort foods on the kitchen table when they come in from the chilly autumn air. The following recipes are provided by St. Croix County Farm Bureau member Brandi Bell. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Soup

4 t. unsalted butter

1 lb. ground beef

1 c. onion, diced

¾ c. celery, diced

½ c. carrots, diced

1 t. garlic, minced

¼ c. flour

2 c. russet potatoes, peeled and diced

1½ c. milk

3 c. low sodium chicken broth

2 c. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Melt butter in saute pan over medium heat. Add ground beef; cook until meat begins to brown. Stir in onion, celery, carrot and garlic. Cook 5 minutes. Add flour, stirring to coat meat; cook 1 minute. Stir in milk until mixture is smooth. Bring mixture to a boil. Cook 2 minutes. Transfer soup to a 3 to 4 quart slow cooker. Stir in broth and potatoes. Cover soup; cook until potatoes are tender, on low setting for 3 to 4 hours. Add cheddar just before serving, stirring until cheese melts. Season soup with salt and pepper.

Comforting Chicken and Noodles

24 oz. frozen egg noodles

2 - 14.7 oz. cans Cream of Chicken soup

1 stick butter - cut into pieces

1 - 32 oz. container of chicken broth

mixed vegetables

chicken bullion to taste

6 small (or 4 large) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

salt and pepper to taste

Salt and pepper chicken breasts and place in the bottom of crock pot. Spoon soup over the chicken. Cut butter into several pats and place pieces evenly over soup. Whisk the bouillon with the broth and pour over soup. Place lid on pot and turn to low. Cook for 6 hours. Remove chicken and tear into pieces. Return to pot. Add noodles and vegetables. Cook for another 2 hours or until noodles are desired tenderness. Stir occasionally during last 2 hours. (May add more broth to thin out at the end of cooking.) Salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Slow Cooker Apple Crisp

Apple mixture:

8 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into ¼-inch thick slices

½ c. packed light brown sugar

2 T. granulated sugar

2 t. cinnamon

¼ t. nutmeg

¼ t. salt

Crisp topping:

1 c. old-fashioned oats

¾ c. flour

¼ c. packed light brown sugar

1 t. cinnamon

¼ t. salt

½ c. cold unsalted butter, cubed

ice cream, for serving (optional)

Make the apple mixture: Place sliced apples in the slow cooker. Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir. Let sit while preparing the crisp topping. 

Make the crisp topping: Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Stir until well combined. Using your fingertips, work the butter into the oat mixture until the mixture starts to clump together. Stir the apple mixture one more time and then spread apples out into an even layer. Sprinkle on the crisp topping.Cook on high for 2 hours or low for 3-3½ hours, until apples are soft. Turn off heat and let stand for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour before serving (keeping the lid on). Serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Recipes are featured in the October/November 2017 issue of Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation’s Rural Route publication.