How to Make Comfort Food with a Pressure Cooker

My allergies have been bothering me (all this pollen I guess). :/ and that always makes me feel run down and in dire need of some of mom’s home cooked comfort food. But alas, mom is on vacation (and I was not invited! the horror!). So I dropped by her house, rummaged through her recipes and cabinets, borrowed her pressure cooker and headed home.

Honestly, I think I might have made the soup almost as good as she does and on the first try too. Or else my head is so stopped up my taste-buds aren’t operating correctly. Which the 2nd possibility is most likely in this particular situation.

Now for those of you who are suffering from colds, allergies, etc. and need some good comfort food, grab a pressure cooker and try out my mom’s Potato and Cheese Soup:

Mom’s Potato and Cheese Soup

Ingredients:
4 large peeled potatoes, cut into 1” cubes
4 small onions, chopped
1 1/2 cups of water
4 cups of milk
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 tbsp. chopped parsley

Directions:
Put potatoes, onions, salt and water into pressure cooker. Close the cooker. Bring to full pressure on high heat. Reduce your heat and cook for 3 minutes Remove cooker from heat. Allow to cool naturally, till there is no pressure inside cooker Open cooker. Mix the mixture smooth (I use a cake mixer). Return soup to pressure cooker. Add milk and pepper. Place cooker on medium heat and bring to boil, stirring constantly. Add cheese and stir until it melts. Serve immediately and garnish with parsley.



If you try this comfort food recipe I guarantee that you will love it! It’s easy and with all that cheese it’s gotta be bad for you! Yumm!

Pizza Dough Recipe

I think since I have two days off of work that are stretched before me in all their beauty and splendid amounts of free time, that I am going to take the time to make a pizza by scratch. And instead of using the Presto Pizza Pizzazz today, even though I really love that thing! I am going to use my Lodge Pro Logic Pizza Pan. It is a cast iron pizza pan, and it gives pizza a little something extra. I couldn’t quite tell you what that extra is, but I know my pizzas always taste amazing when baked on this thing. Maybe the secret is my recipe I use for the dough, if it is then I cannot be selfish and keep it to myself now can I? (well I guess I could, but I like to help people out). So here is my favorite pizza dough recipe:

Quick Pizza Dough

Ingredients
3 cups bread flour divided
1 packet (1 1/4 ounce) active dry rapid-rise yeast
1tsp salt
1 ½ teaspoons honey
1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
1 tablespoon olive oil

In large mixing bowl, mix half cup of the flour with the yeast and salt. Dissolve honey in lukewarm water and add to mixture. Add olive oil and in the bowl of a mixer or using a wooden spoon mix for 3 minutes. Mix in the remaining flour (dough should be slightly sticky) knead dough on a floured surface until smooth around 5 minutes.

Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap Let rise for 10 minutes in a warm place. Punch down and divide in half. Allow to rise for 10 additional minutes and punch down and spread one of the halves by hand or roller onto your Lodge pizza pan. Add topping of your choice and place in a preheated 450 degree oven for 8-10 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Let cool and serve.


Now I have added a little garlic powder to this in the past. Not a lot just enough to add a tiny tiny hint of flavor. Now I am off to the grocery store to get all my toppings, then I’m getting out my cast iron pizza pan and going to town with the baking. Have fun if ya’ll try to make your own pizza. Trust me it is always better when you do it yourself!