More than soup!

Here are a few more of my family favourites.

Cheesy Baked Potatoes 

They're not low calorie but very tasty.  You can cut back on the amount of cheese but it needs all the butter.  For each medium sized potato you need 25g butter and 50g of mature cheddar (grated)

Bake potato(es) for about 1 hour and 15 mins.  Cut each potato in half and scoop out the soft stuff leaving the shell intact.  Mash the potato with the butter and cheese then put back into the shells.  They can be stored at this stage in the fridge for several days.  Reheat for 15 mins or until top is golden and bubbly.

Venison and chestnut casserole

Venison is healthier than beef and depending on where you buy it can be cheaper too.

700g diced venison (2 packs)
2 carrots
2 onions
500ml beer, ale or red wine
50ml Lea & Perrins Worcester sauce
1 tbsp flour
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
100g cooked and peeled chestnuts
boiling water

Chop carrots and onions into pieces roughly the same size as the venison pieces. 
Fry onions and carrots in a little oil until they start to colour round the edges.
Put in a large casserole.
Toss the venison into the flour and fry in batches until browned and add to casserole.
Add the beer/ale/wine, Lea & Perrins and ketchup to the last batch scraping up all the sticky bits on the bottom of the pan.
Bring to the boil and add to the casserole.
Make sure all the meat and veg are covered, add some boiling water if needed.
Put a lid on the casserole and put in the oven for 1 hr 30 mins at 175C or 4-5 hours in a slow cooker on High.
Add the chestnuts and stir.
Put back in the oven for 15mins.

Good with rice, pasta and mashed potatoes.  Also nice with dumplings which can be added when you've stirred in the chestnuts.

Butternut squash and apple soup

1 butternut squash chopped into chunks, skin left on
4 eating apples, cored and chopped, skin left on
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp runny honey
good pinch of chili flakes
about 1/2 litre vegetable stock

Put everything except the stock in a roasting tin and give it a good toss.
Roast in a hot oven for about 40 mins until edges start to brown.
Scrape everything into a pan and add stock. 
Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 mins.
Blitz until smooth.
Add more stock if you prefer a runnier soup.

Tasty with croutons!