Easy Clam Chowder w/bacon (Copycat Sweet Tomatoes Restaurant)

I'm excited to share another copycat recipe with you!

Hubby and I enjoyed the luscious food at Sweet Tomatoes restaurants while we were blessed to spend the winter in Florida this year. 

If you're not familiar with Sweet Tomatoes, (known as Souplantation in other parts of the country) they have very long salad and soup bars, plus wonderful bread selections and desserts too!  

If you'd like to read more about them, read this post sharing

Simple Carrot Raisin Salad , that's another Sweet Tomatoes copycat. 

Anyway...my sweetie's favorite at the soup bar is ALWAYS the Clam Chowder!

So after we got home, I searched for a similar recipe and found the one that is a Sweet Tomatoes copycat.(Thank you Google!) 

It calls for 2 cups of potatoes, cooked.  I simplified the recipe by using a can of small potato cubes, rinsed and drained. 

All I had to do was dice, and fry,  the bacon and onions, warm the milk (per directions), open the can of clams and throw it all together.  

It takes us back to the beloved chowder at Sweet Tomatoes.

We will definitely be having this again and again. 

Do hope you'll give this a try and fall in love with it too. 

EASY CLAM CHOWDER WITH BACON 

3 slices bacon, diced

(I used 4!) 

1/2 c. onion, diced

2 c. milk, divided

1/2 c. half and half

2 c. potatoes, julienne cut

(like long thin strips...not necessary...cubes work well too) 

1/4 tsp. thyme

1/4 tsp. rosemary

1/2 tsp. celery salt

1/4 tsp. sugar

1 can (6-ozs.) minced clams, UNdrained

Optional:

3 - 4 Tb. flour whisked with 1/4 c. milk for thickening, 

if desired

Yield: 4 servings 

Cook potatoes until done, but firm.  Drain water and set aside.  Place 1-1/2 c. milk and the half and half in a saucepan over medium temperature; heat just until it begins to boil. Remove from stove and set aside.  

(Scalding milk with help prevent it from curdling.)

In a large skillet, fry bacon over medium high to brown and release grease. Remove bacon when cooked; place onions in bacon drippings and saute until clear.  Add the scalded milk, cooked potatoes, clams with juice, and seasonings.  Bring to a slow simmer, stirring occasionally; simmer for about 20 - 25 minutes.  

Slowly add flour/milk mixture to chowder, stirring constantly until thick and creamy as desired. 

Serve with cheese and crackers or a sandwich for a filling and satisfying meal. 

Linked up at 
Meal Plan Monday

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Chicken & Corn Chowder

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Scrumptious Sweet 'n' Spicy Baked Beans

      I served this dish to many at a local Bean Days festival this summer and       heard many comments about how they thought they were the best beans in                                                               town. 

               ...And several came back for second...even third helpings! 

I combined and simplified ideas from a couple other bean recipes online, 

and this is what I came up with...MMM!

The BBQ sauce and chili powder add a bit of 'zip' to this tasty recipe!

This is not a HOT dish...just with a little kick-back to them...

(If you prefer to 'tame' this down, use a BBQ sauce with less tang). 

These are great for reunions, BBQ's, picnics or camping!

Hope you'll try them and see for yourself. 

Everything's better with bacon in it, right???? 

SWEET 'N' SPICY BAKED BEANS 

1/2 # bacon, diced and browned, undrained

1 small onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. Sweet 'n' Spicy BBQ sauce

(or your favorite)

2 Tb. white vinegar

2 tsp. worchestershire sauce

1/2 tsp. (fresh) ground pepper

1/4 - 1/2 tsp. chili powder

1 can (15 ozs.) pork and beans, undrained

1 can (15 ozs.) great northern beans, drained

1 can (15 ozs.) chili beans in sauce, undrained

Preheat oven to 350. In a large skillet, cook bacon; remove from pan with slotted spoon when browned, leaving half the grease in pan; (reserve remaining grease) cook onion until transparent and tender in grease; add garlic; cook 2 minutes longer. 

Place onion mixture in a large bowl with remaining ingredients, then add browned bacon and remaining grease. 

Place in lightly sprayed 3 qt. casserole dish; cover and bake 40 minutes; uncover and bake 30 minutes longer. 

Serve hot or at room temperature. 

Other popular bean dishes...

Winning Baked Beans (People's Choice)

Kraut 'n' Beans

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Leader Enterprise - November 22, 2017 - Thanksgiving Side Dishes (& Leftovers)

Besides desserts, my favorite dishes are sides.  Hope you enjoy some of these delicious ideas for your holiday meal. There's one for leftover turkey too. 

HAPPY THANKS-LIVING!!! 

Crockpot Bread Dressing (for a crowd)

CROCKPOT BREAD DRESSING (FOR A CROWD)

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. diced celery

1/2 c. diced onion 

12-13 cups dry bread crumbs

1-1/2 c. chicken (or turkey), optional

3 eggs, beaten

2 cans (10.75 ozs.each) cream of chicken soup

2 (15 ozs) chicken broth

(Don't add it all to start) 

1/2 tsp. each pepper and salt

about 1 tsp. sage OR poultry seasoning to taste 

Spray a 4-6 qt. crockpot with cooking spray. In skillet, melt butter; saute celery and onions. Place bread crumbs in very large bowl; add sauteed veggies. In medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients, saving some broth to add if needed before placing in crockpot. (You want the dressing to be moist, but not soaked wet). Pour mixture into crockpot. Cover with lid. Cook on high 3 hours and 45 minutes or on low for 4-6 hours. Let stand a few minutes before serving.  (Don't peek if you can help it=)

ULTIMATE CREAMED CORN

2 (16 ozs) bags frozen whole kernel corn

12 ozs. cream cheese, cut into cubes

3/4 c. milk

6 - 8 Tb. butter or margarine

2 tsp. sugar (or sugar substitute)

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Spray bottom and sides of 3 - 4 qt. slow cooker with cooking spray.  Spread corn over bottom. Top with cream cheese cubes, keeping away from the sides so they don't burn.  In small bowl, stir together remaining ingredients; pour over corn and cream cheese.  Cover; cook on high for 2 - 3 hours. Stir well before serving. Corn will hold on low heat up to 1 hour; stir occasionally.

Best Broccoli Salad

BEST BROCCOLI SALAD

1 medium head of broccoli, chopped into bite-sized pieces

1/2 c. dried cranberries

2 - 3 Tb. red onion, diced

6 - 8 slices bacon, cooked crisp and chopped

Dressing: 

1 c. mayo (not Miracle Whip) 

3 - 4 Tb. sugar

(start with less and add more if desired)

2 Tb. apple cider vinegar

1/3 c. chopped nuts, toasted, optional 

Chop washed broccoli into bite sized pieces. In small bowl combine dressing ingredients: mayo, sugar, and vinegar. Just before serving, mix veggie combo with dressing. Top with nuts or stir in.  

Pineapple Pretzel Salad

PINEAPPLE PRETZEL SALAD 

1-1/2 c. pretzel sticks (broken in half)

1/3  c. sugar  

1/3 c. butter, melted

1 pkg. (8 oz) cream cheese, softened 

1/2  c. powdered sugar

1 (20 oz) crushed pineapple, drained

1 tub (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large mixing bowl add pretzel sticks, melted butter and sugar together. Stir until pretzels are well coated. Pour mixture onto (non-stick) foil-lined baking pan.  Bake the pretzels about 8 minutes, checking to make sure they're not getting over done. (The sugar/butter mixture will bubble up over the pretzels). Remove from oven; pour onto another sheet of foil and spread out to cool, making sure they're not sticking together. Set aside until salad is ready to serve.  

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar together using an electric mixer. Add pineapple and stir until combined. Fold in the whipped topping. Just before serving mix half the candied pretzels into salad; top with remaining pretzels.

TURKEY & WILD RICE SOUP 

1/4 c. butter 

1-1/2 c. carrots, finely chopped 

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 c. flour

4 c. chicken broth

3 c. cooked wild rice {1 box Uncle Bens Is perfect}

2 c. half-and-half

2 c. cubed turkey

1 tsp. dried parsley

salt and pepper, to taste

Cook rice according to package directions. In large pot on stovetop, melt butter, then add carrots, celery and onion. Saute until tender, then stir in flour. Whisk in broth and bring to a boil. Stir until thick, about 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and reduce heat, simmering a few minutes to allow flavors to blend.

Psalm 100:4 - Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

Flashback Friday - Bomin' Bean Dishes

This is a delicious dish and keeps well in the refrigerator. Refreshing! 

Tasty Three Bean Salad

Once you get a taste of these fantastic beans, you'll be craving more for sure!

A mixture of 3 kinds of beans and lots of 'doctoring'...sooo good! 

Craving Beans

An easy 5 or 6 ingredient dish...with bacon & pineapple...what more could

you ask for??? 

Ballpark Baked Beans

Use fresh green beans and taters from the garden...caramelize some onion and

you're gonna want MORE of this fabulous and flavorful dish. 

Caramelized Veggie Trio

Bacon & Cheddar Cheeseball (New Recipe)

This is a simple and quick appetizer that you can make with little fuss. 

Everything's better with bacon right?  *-* 

If you need a little something something to take to your next holiday gathering, go ahead and make this one. It's sure to be eaten up. 

I found the recipe at Chocolate Moosey. I tweaked it a bit by using dry Ranch dressing instead of the spices...and used a little more. 

This will keep well for a few days so feel free to make ahead. 

Enjoy soon!

BACON & CHEDDAR CHEESEBALL

1 - (8 ozs.) box cream cheese, softened

1-1/2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

(or substitute 1/2 pkg. dry ranch dressing for spices)

1/2 c. crumbled cooked bacon (about 5-6 cooked slices)

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt. Form the mixture into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

In a small bowl, add the bacon. Unwrap the cheese ball and roll into the bacon until completely covered. Refrigerate until ready to serve on crackers. For easier spreading, remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.



You might also enjoy...

Bacon Wrapped Tater Tots

Ranch Mexican Dip (4 Ingredients)

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Winning Baked Beans!!

Here ya go....I've been asked a few times, to share the recipe I used to win 

PEOPLE'S CHOICE at a recent local Bean Days festival. 

It took me a few days to get this around because that same evening, my dear hubby was admitted to the hospital for ICU and I spent most of my hours there. 

(Scroll down if you don't want to read the 'chatter' and just want the recipe=) 

This was the 5th time we'd gone to ER for this problem...that always happens in the evening.  

Thank the good Lord, he can feel it and knows.  We know oftentimes folks don't even know when their BP is too high.

Dr. has adjusted some meds...but really believes this continues to recur because my hubby needs to be on Dialysis!

We've known his kidney function has been at 10% for several months now...and that we would be facing this issue.  He sees the kidney specialist in August. 

Sure appreciate your prayers for my Sweetie - who has dealt with many health issues because of exposure to Agent Orange.  He's a trooper and a hero to so many people!

OK - on to the recipe....

I will share the basic recipe that I saw at Mary's Sweet Little Bluebird. 

It's her sister's 'famous' recipe for ANASTASIA'S BEST-EVER BAKED BEANS. 

And Mary says her sis is always asked for the recipe.  So I HAD to try them.

Especially after they received MOST CLICKS at our 

Weekend Potluck party!!

I giggled because this was just about the simplest recipe I've made in the many years I've been baking beans for this festival. I've had raves over my

 Kraut 'n' Beans ...folks loved Ballpark Baked Beans (with bacon and pineapple) Country Baked Beans (with chili sauce and bacon) and 

German Baked Beans (with kraut, applesauce & smoked sausage)...and so when I decided to go S-I-M-P-L-E this year, I got a real charge hearing that my beans won People's Choice.  Yehaw!

(Especially love this because my hubby's nickname is Bean...one friend commented that now I really was MRS. BEAN...ha!)

(The apron I'm wearing was made by a dear friend, from my

beloved dad's shirt..pockets and ruffle made from one of mine!

So special to wear this keepsake apron!) 

Since I was filling an 18 qt. roaster to serve to folks on the street for a local Bean Days festival, I had to multiply it about 6 times.  (It's not always easy for me to figure how many beans will fill the roaster)...so I had some beans left over that didn't fit in the roaster, but these are the changes I made...

Because these beans were not simply going to bake in an oven...I diced the bacon, browned it and added all the grease.  I'm sure that added a ton of flavor!  I used 3# bacon.

BUT I do know baking the beans with the bacon on top makes an awesome and wonderful glaze!

I LOVE that this recipe starts with simple canned pork and beans! 

I also added 1 jar of drained northern beans to fill the roaster, so that can be an option if you desire.  (But of course, they're not sweet like the pork & beans are, so you'll want more brown sugar!) 

I could really taste the mustard when I first mixed them up, but it cooked in very nicely and was not a prominent taste in the finished product. 

WINNING BAKED BEANS

5 (15 ozs. each) cans pork and beans

1 lg. onion chopped

(Anastasia suggest NOT vidalia, but yellow or sweet)

1 - 2 Tb. butter (to saute onions)

3/4 c. ketchup 

3 Tb. yellow mustard

1/2 c. molasses

(I used a little less)

1/4 - 1/2 c. brown sugar, to taste

6 - 8 slices bacon, cut into half or 1/3's (to fit your pan) 

(I used 1/2# - diced, then browned, all the fat added)

Preheat oven to 325. Spray 9" X 13" baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. 

Saute onions in butter until tender. 

In large bowl, combine beans, onions, ketchup, mustard, molasses and brown sugar until blended.  Pour into prepared baking pan.  Top with uncooked bacon slices to cover beans. {I would add most of the bacon, (cooked) then top with a few raw slices to make a lovely glaze} 

Bake on middle rack of the oven uncovered for 2 - 3 hours. Beans will be dark and have a beautiful glaze when done. 

Serve warm.  

You're welcome!  =D 

Linked to Meal Plan Monday

TIP from the author of these beans...

These can also be thrown together and cooked in the slow cooker set on low for 6 to 8 hours as well. It won't get that nice caramelize top, but it will still be delicious if you're in a pinch for time. Be sure to saute the onions first.

Linked to 

              Full Plate Thursday
            Meal Plan Monday
            Weekend Potluck

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