Restaurant-Style Mashed Potatoes

I have always struggled with making mashed potatoes from scratch. I usually mash the potatoes and mix it with milk and tons of seasoning and it always tastes incredibly bland. So I hunted for a recipe to try, and these potatoes were amazing and super easy to make!

Ingredients
5 red potatoes (about 1.5 lbs)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened

Chicken and Gravy

Easy, easy, easy!! Aside from just putting chicken by itself into the slow cooker, this is the easiest recipe I've used.

Ingredients

1 pound boneless and skinless chicken breasts

2 packets dry chicken gravy mix

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 3/4 cups water

1 dash freshly ground black pepper

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

This is a great one to use if you have lots of potatoes to get rid of. I've modified the original recipe to make it a bit heartier - if you're anything like me, sometimes a baked potato (even a loaded one) just doesn't fill me up. The original recipe didn't call for corn, but I like having my main veggie in the slow cooker with everything else, so I literally don't have to do anything else with the meal once it's cooked.

Aside from the potatoes, this doesn't require a lot of prep (unless you want to cook the bacon beforehand, but you can also wait until the meal is done before you do that). I like to peel and cut the potatoes the night before and soak them in water in the fridge overnight so they don't brown.

Chicken Stew

This is definitely in my top 3 favorite meals. While it requires some prep, it's delicious and very healthy. It's also a great way to get rid of any extra veggies you have on hand. Regardless of what this recipe calls for, I just use whatever I have (sometimes, only onion and carrots).

Ingredients

1 - 1.5 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast, chopped into chunks (I don't bother chopping it - it tears so easily once it's been cooked)

1 cup baby carrots, chopped

1 stalk of celery, chopped

3 medium sized red potatoes (or several baby red potatoes), chopped into chunks (I just use russet potatoes - the giant bags are so cheap)

½ onion, chopped

1 clove of garlic, minced or pressed (I never have garlic on hand, so I omit this - or just use garlic powder instead)

1½ tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

1 tsp dried parsley (also omitted)

1 cup water

2 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

½ cup milk (2% or whole preferably)

This recipe offers lots of flexibility. I don't think I've ever made it with every single ingredient, and it still turns out delicious every time.