{Instant Pot} Razorback Soup

{Instant Pot} Razorback Soup

2 pounds Italian sausage (or wild hog, like we used)

2 14.5 oz cans cannellini beans, drained

1 14.5 oz can carrots, drained

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 14.5 oz can collard greens, drained

1 large onion, chopped 

1 clove minced garlic 

4-6 cups chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon each of: salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder

1/4 teaspoon ground thyme 

1. Push the Saute button on the Instant Pot, and cook the sausage and chopped onion together. Cook until sausage is browned. 

2. Add all other ingredients, and stir to combine. 

3. After putting the lid on the Instant Pot, and making sure the valve is on sealing, push the Manual button on the Instant Pot. Set for 5 minutes. 

4. After the Instant Pot has finished cooking, release the pressure, and taste test to make sure you don't want to add any more of the above seasonings. You can also make this ahead of a meal, and leave it sitting on the 'Keep Warm' feature that the Instant Pot automatically goes to after it finishes cooking. 

Southern Style Dumplings

 

Southern Style Dumplings

1 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt 

2 heaping Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup hot water

1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour

1. Using a pastry blender, mix butter into 1 cup of flour and salt. (use grater to add butter)

2. Add 1/2 cup hot water, and 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour. Mix until a soft dough ball forms. (firm enough to roll out)

3. Divide dough into 2 balls, and let rest for 10 minutes. 

4. Flour a work surface. Roll out each dough ball. (thin like a pie crust)

5. Cut dough into strips 1 1/2 inches wide. Cut each strip into pieces approximately 2 - 3 inches long. 

6. Drop dumplings into hot boiling broth, and cook for 10 minutes. 

German Lentils with Sausage

Becca here with a recipe (no photo, sorry, we ate it before I got a picture!) that my family really enjoyed.  I recently did a big freezer cooking session, and adapted this recipe to be both freezer and Instant Pot (electric pressure cooker) ready.  I have used an Instant Pot for many years; I'm actually on my second one, after the first had had an unfortunate incident with the plastic part of the lid coming in contact with the hot stove-top and melting.  When we had to leave our home last year and stay in a hotel for 60 nights, because of a water leak, my Instant Pot was the one thing from our kitchen I took with me to the hotel.  I love the popularity they have gained in the past few years; my newer model Instant Pot has several great features that my original one did not, one of them being the "saute" button.  This was my first time using saute, and I'm wondering why I haven't before.  I was able to brown the sausage, and then cook the meal all quickly, and in the same stainless steel (no toxic chemical non-stick finishes!) pot.  My family all really enjoyed this recipe, and our youngest son that is a new eater even had seconds, as did most of the kids!  The seasonings were delicious, and had just enough of a distinctly different taste, to make the recipe unique.

The recipe makes a generous portion; my family of seven, with several large appetites in the bunch, ate it for a meal once, and had enough to accompany lunch the next day, with the five kids and I each having a small portion.  I will include the directions for making up a double batch to keep in the freezer, as I did, below the recipe.


German Lentils with Sausage

1 pound dried brown lentils
Orrington Farms Chicken Base or 'Better Than Bouillon' (use package instructions, see amount needed for 10 cups of water)
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 bay leaf
2 Tablespoons dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

10 cups water

4 cups grated carrots
2 Tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
21 ounces Kielbasa Sausage or Ham, diced

Place diced Kielbasa Sausage (or Ham) into the instant pot.  Stir on 'saute' setting until browned.

Add remaining ingredients, stir, and cook on meat/stew setting.

Enjoy! -Becca


To make ahead and freeze:
Multiply all ingredients times the number of meals you want to freeze.
Put top ingredient section (lentils, chicken base, and spices) into a quart bag, and label with recipe name.
In order, place the grated carrots, worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, and then diced sausage into a gallon bag, and label with recipe name.
To prepare the dish, follow the recipe above (the sausage needs to be on top of the freezer bag, so it can be browned first, before adding the other ingredients!)

Sausage, Bean, and Spinach Stew

Becca here with a great hearty stew.  It's early Spring in Arkansas here, meaning that some days are really warm, but we still get a few really chilly, damp days from time to time.  I fixed this stew on one of those brisk days, and it was a winner in my book - fairly inexpensive, quick, healthy, and tasty.  With the Italian Sausage and spinach, it reminded me a bit of another of our favorite soups, Tuscan Soup, but the addition of beans and subtraction of milk makes it different also.  My inspiration recipe, that I deviated from quite a bit, was from a Rachael Ray magazine our Grandma had passed on to me after she had read it.  She suggested squeezing fresh lemon juice in at the end, just before serving, which I'm sure would be good, but I didn't try. 


Sausage, Bean, and Spinach Stew


1 pound dried great northern beans
8 cups chicken broth or stock (I use homemade usually :)
1 onion, peeled & diced (I used purple)
2 carrots, diced (I didn't peel, just coined them)
2 ribs of celery, diced
8 cloves of garlic, diced if you prefer
20 ounces of Italian Sausage, already cooked (I browned in a skillet)
16 ounces of raw spinach leaves


Combine all ingredients, except spinach, in a large slow cooker (mine is 6 quart).  Cook on high about 3 1/2 hours, or until beans are tender.  Just before serving, stir in raw spinach leaves, cover, and let stand until the spinach wilts, about 10 minutes.

Greek-Style Lentil Soup with Crispy Olives

This soup is one we had last winter that I had forgotten about until now.  I wanted to share it again so that my family could enjoy it again and you could too!  It is delicious, filling, and full of flavor.  My favorite combination in a soup.  We ate this topped with Greek Yogurt and crispy olives, but it is also great plain!


Greek-Style Lentil Soup with Crispy Olives
Ingredients:
1 lb. bag dried lentils (I use the Great Value brand bag)
4 and 1/2 cups water
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium carrots, thinly cut
1 onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. dried rosemary
3/4 cup tomato puree
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped green olives
2 tsp. cornstarch
4 TB plain Greek yogurt

Directions:
1.) Combine the lentils, water, garlic, carrots, onions, celery, thyme, pepper, oregano, and rosemary in a large soup pot  and bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce the heat to low and and cover.  Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.  Stir in the tomato puree, salt, and cinnamon.  Simmer for an additional 20 minutes.

2.) While the soup cooks, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Blot the olives with a paper towel to remove any excess water.  Place in a small bowl and sprinkle with the cornstarch.  Mix together to evenly coat the olives.  Bake on a baking sheet for 10 minutes, or until crisp.

3.) Top each bowl of soup with plain Greek yogurt and the roasted olives.

Enjoy!
Sara

DIY Chili Seasoning

Becca here with a cold weather pantry staple!  The chilly air has just started to blow into our area this week, making me want to make all of our favorite soups, stews, and cornbread.  This is a great item to keep mixed up in your spice cabinet to make throwing a pot of chili together a breeze.  It has a great strong traditional chili flavor.  I usually add it to ground meat, lots of beans, and tomatoes.  Best of all, it uses items you likely have in your spice cabinet, and costs less per ounce than the chili seasoning packets.  Plus, it has no unsavory ingredients (like the silicon dioxide that most seasoning packets contain).  The amount that you use will depend on how much chili you're making and the flavor of the ingredients you're adding to it, but I would start with 2 Tablespoons and add more to taste.  You can always add more, but can't take it back out!  Enjoy!

DIY Chili Seasoning

8 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 Tablespoons dried onion powder
2 Tablespoons granulated garlic
4 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons cumin
4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoons ground black pepper

Combine all in airtight container.  Stir (or shake :) to combine.

Start with adding 2 Tablespoons to your chili mixture, add more to taste!  Store in airtight container.

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

Jana here with a slow cooker recipe for a delicious soup! Although some of you may think of soup as a fall or winter meal, I think there are several great reasons to make soup in the spring and summer months!  (especially when it's made in the slow cooker)  Spring in the south has many rainy days, and cloudy rainy weather always puts me in the mood for soup!  Also, your slow cooker won't heat up the kitchen like making a meal in the oven meal, so that helps when it begins to warm up outside!  I also like knowing that dinner is ready in the slow cooker, and my kids and I can play outside and enjoy the beautiful afternoon sun without having to come in early to make dinner.  Having said all of that, this soup is rich, flavorful, and so tasty!  We paired ours with a grilled cheese sandwich, and everyone was happy!  I found the recipe at 365 Days of Slow Cooking.

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced carrots
1 cup finely diced onions
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup flour (I used whole wheat)
1/2 cup butter
1 cup Parmesan cheese
2 cups half and half, warmed (or any type of milk to lower the calories)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1. Add tomatoes, chicken broth, celery, carrots, onions, oregano, and basil to a large slow cooker. 

2. Cover, and cook on low for 5-7 hours, or until vegetables are soft.

3. About 30 minutes before serving, prepare a roux. Melt butter over low heat in a skillet, and add flour. Stir constantly with a whisk for 5 minutes.  Slowly stir in one cup hot soup.  Add 3 more cups, and stir until smooth. Add all back into the slow cooker.

4. Stir and add the parmesan cheese, half and half, and salt and pepper.  Cover and cook on low for an additional 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Shrimp Enchilada Soup

Jana here with a soup recipe from a Southern Living cookbook!  Sometimes I wish I could capture in the picture I take how good a recipe was!  Usually if I'm not happy with my picture, I won't even post the recipe. But we liked this one too much not to share!  It has a mexican flair, but also shrimp as an ingredient. Such a good combination! 

Shrimp Enchilada Soup

5 cups chicken broth
3 cups tortilla chips
1 pound medium sized shrimp (peeled and tails removed)
2 4.5 ounce cans green chiles, undrained
1 10 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (or 1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro)
shredded cheese

1. Bring chicken broth to a boil in a large dutch oven.  Add chips. Leave them in to boil for about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in chiles and tomatoes.

2. Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add shrimp, onion, and garlic. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly, until shrimp is pink.  Stir shrimp mixture into broth mixture.  Cook on medium heat until thoroughly heated. (do not boil)

3. Stir in sour cream and cilantro. Top with cheese, and serve.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Soup

 

Becca here with a guest post from my 'forever friend' as I like to refer to her, April!  We've been friends since college, when she & her husband and my husband & I together made up about half of the married couples on our college campus!  We used to trade off cooking meals on Tuesday nights then, in our tiny first apartments, and have shared lots of good times since; We now have seven kids all aged eight and under between the two of us now, and are excited to now live in the same general area for the first time since college!  I'll let April take it over from here.....

As a kickoff to fall our neighborhood had a 'Soup Swap' where we each brought a crock pot of soup to share.  My good friend Kim brought this Cheeseburger Soup with ketchup, mustard, and pickles to garnish each person's bowl.  I thought that was "weird,"  so I left off the garnish in my taste test of each soup.  The Cheeseburger Soup was bland and UNimpressive.  But all night everyone kept raving about the Cheeseburger Soup!  "I have to get that recipe!" "Kim's Cheeseburger Soup wins if we are having contest!"  "Did you try the Cheeseburger Soup?"  You get the point...I was thinking seriously?!?!  When I noticed my sweet hubby  was enjoying a bowl of said soup WITH the condiments, I asked to sample it. What a difference!  Everyone was right, this soup is amazing!  I told you all that to say, you have to try this soup and don't skip the "weird" stuff!"

Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Soup

4 Tbsp butter  (I omitted the butter)

1 lb ground beef sirloin (I like to use ground venison with bacon)

1 cup diced onion

3/4 cup diced celery

1/2 cup carrots

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp dried basil

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups milk

3 cups chicken broth (I have used water and chicken bouillon in a pinch)

2 cups peeled and diced russet potatoes

2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

and "weird" stuff like, ketchup, mustard, and pickles (preferably chopped)

 

Melt butter in sauté pan over medium heat.  Add sirloin; cook until meat begins to brown.  Stir in onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and basil.  Cook 5 minutes.

Add flour, stirring to coat meat; cook 1 minute. Stir in milk until mixture is smooth.  Bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes.  Transfer to large slow cooker.

Stir in broth and potatoes.  Cover and cook until potatoes are tender -about 3-4 hours on low.

Add Cheddar cheese just before serving until cheese melts.  Season soup with salt and pepper; garnish each serving with ketchup, mustard, and pickles.

 

I have also made this soup on the stove top with the total prep and cook time being just about an hour.  Also, it's almost impossible to mess it up, so don't worry if you got something out of order- like I did tonight, I forgot the milk and flour until after I added the broth!!!-and it still turned out amazing.  :)

Roasted Tomato Soup

Becca here with a guest post today that I'm so excited about!  My friend Mindy kept posting pictures on Facebook of this Roasted Tomato Soup that looked SO delicious, I asked her if she would mind sharing the recipe with us today, and was excited when she agreed to! 

 

Mindy, friend of Becca here.  I used to joke that my mom's idea of cooking was dialing Pizza Hut, but there is truth in that.  I was 23 before I knew what garlic was, and I literally thought adding meat to hamburger helper was cooking "from scratch" (gasp!).  Fast forward a few years, and I'm pleased to say I've figured out REAL food doesn't come in a packaged box, and garlic and I have become fast friends.  In fact, this is one of my favorite recipes with garlic.  When you roast garlic, it gets this robust, almost creamy nutty flavor.   When you roast tomatoes, they take on a rich, sweeter flavor.  Add the two together...pure yumminess!!  It took a few tries to perfect this recipe, inspiration from here, but I think I've finally got it--my 4 year old ate 4 bowls of it (which is high praise, coming from her!).  Add some cheese on top if you'd like (we use a Mexican blend), or serve with a grilled cheese sandwich! It makes 2 meals for us for less than $10, and with Becca's freezer tips she posted on Jan. 24^th, I'm looking forward to making double and freezing it next time for those busy days!  Enjoy!!

Roasted Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

 

3.5 – 4lbs tomatoes

7 (unpeeled) garlic cloves

Olive oil

Salt

2 Tbs. unsalted butter

1 onion, chopped

2 Tbs. sugar

1.5 tsp. dried oregano (or ¾ tsp. if you only have ground oregano)

¼ tsp. pepper

3 cups chicken broth

½ cup cream

Cheese for topping, if desired

1)  Cut the tomatoes in half, and arrange them on a baking sheet with the unpeeled garlic.  Drizzle generously with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt.  Roast them for an hour in a 350 oven, then let them cool while you do the next step.

2) Melt 2T butter over in a pot over medium heat, then add onions and cook until tender or translucent—about 4-5 minutes.  Add sugar, oregano and pepper and cook 1-2 more minutes.  Unpeel the garlic, then add garlic, tomatoes and chicken broth to the onion mixture.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 45 minutes and let the flavors meld for a bit.  The longer it sits, the more time the flavors get to mingle.  Mingling is good J 

3) Take the contents of the pot and pour into a blender or juicer, or use an immersion blender to puree.  I pour mine into our Vitamix (those things are fantastic!) and it pulverizes all the seeds and skin. If your device does not puree things like that, then when you’re done blending, pour the mixture through a strainer to remove extra bits of skin or seeds.   

4) Once the tomatoes are pureed, pour into the pot over medium low, and add ½ cup of cream, and stir until heated through (do not let it boil), then serve.

Chicken Paprikash Stoup

Jana here with a soup that I found while browsing through a Rachael Ray magazine!  I love to flip through cookbooks and food magazines, but don't always follow through with making any of the recipes I find!  I have made it my goal this month to cook one recipe from a magazine or cookbook (as opposed to recipes I find online) a week.  Do any of you make cooking goals?  Share in the comments if you do!  Oh, and the name of the recipe really is 'stoup'.  A combination of soup and stew, I suppose? This recipe comes together really quickly, and is delicious!

Chicken Paprikash Stoup

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 onion, chopped (or 1 tablespoon dried onion flakes)
1 tablespooon flour
1 can (14.5 ounces) crushed tomatoes
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 cups chicken broth
2-3 cups chopped cooked chicken
3/4 cup sour cream
salt and pepper
parsley

1. In a large saucepan, melt the butter with the paprika over medium heat.  Add onion and cook for 3 minutes, stirring continuously. 

2. Sprinkle in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring.  Add in the tomatoes.  Stir and cook until the mixture begins to simmer and thicken. (approximately 2 minutes)

3. Add the bell pepper and broth.  Cover and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the pepper is tender. (15 minutes)

4. Add the chicken and cook just to heat through.  Stir in the sour cream, 1/4 cup at a time.  Season with salt and pepper.  Top with parsley before serving.

Enjoy!

Italian Wedding Soup

Jana here with a delicious soup that your whole family will love!  Winter is perfect soup weather....cloudy, cool, windy weather makes me start searching for new soup recipes!  I came across this recipe for Italian Wedding Soup, and changed a few things to suit our family's tastes.  Even though you have to take a few minutes to form the meatballs, you drop them in the broth to cook, so the soup isn't very time consuming to make.

Italian Wedding Soup

1/2 pound extra lean ground meat (beef, turkey, venison)
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
6 cups chicken broth
1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and liquid squeezed out (or 2 cups fresh)
1/2 cup orzo pasta
1/3 cup chopped carrot

1. In a medium bowl, combine the meat, egg, bread crumbs, cheese, basil, onion powder, and garlic.

2. Shape mixture into 3/4 inch meatballs. (place on wax paper)

3. Cook orzo according to package directions.

4. In a large saucepan, heat broth to boiling.  Add spinach, meatballs, and carrots.  Return to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Stir frequently to avoid sticking.  Cook at this slow boil for approximately 10 minutes.  Add cooked orzo pasta in, stirring to combine.

Enjoy!

Slow-Cooker Sweet Potato and Lentil Soup

Hi everyone!  I'm excited to share another soup recipe with you today.  I know there's a popular tagline of "Meatless Mondays" or other catchy titles floating around the web for meat-free recipes.  While I don't cook meatless on certain days we do go without meat once or twice a week, as I've stated on the blog before.  Mostly for cost reasons, and it also benefits our health too! Plus, we really like the meatless meals we've had so far, furthering our interest in continuing!
Keep in mind that I always serve other things on the side, such as cheese and crackers, olives, baby carrots, or celery with peanut butter.

Slow-Cooker Sweet Potato and Lentil Soup
Ingredients:
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 and 1/2 cup baby carrots, cut in half
3 stalks celery, diced
1 small white onion, diced
3/4 cups lentils (I used what was available at Wal-Mart)
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. curry powder
salt
1 TB unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic

*Lemon juice
*Parsley or cilantro

Directions: 
1.) Combine the sweet potato, carrots, celery, onion, lentils, ginger, curry powder, and 1 teaspoon salt in a 4-6 quart slow cooker.  Add 6 cups water and stir, then cover and cook on low for around 8 hours. You don't need to stir the soup during this time!

2.) After the 8 hours (or close to it), stir the soup quickly with a whisk to make a rough puree.

3.) Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic and cook about 1 minute.  Stir the mixture into the soup and add your desired amount of lemon juice, parsley, or cilantro.

*I made several modifications to a recipe I originally found in a Food Network magazine.  The original recipe called for cilantro, but I used parsley instead.  Also, I just squirted some lemon juice in the soup, stirred and then tasted.  The soup was delicious with some additional lemon juice added on top in each individual bowl before serving!

Happy Eating!
Sara :)

Baked Potato Soup {freezer friendly - 24+ Servings}

Becca here with another recipe of a "freezer friendly" series I'm going to be continuing the next few weeks on Tuesdays & Thursdays.  Baked Potato Soup is always a crowd pleaser, and my family is no exception to this rule!  The great thing about this warm & hearty recipe is that it is really economical, even using organic potatoes, and very tasty.  It is also meatless, but I don't think anyone will ever miss it, the soup is very, very rich and makes a great main dish on its own.  In fact, I often serve it with carrot sticks, sugar snap peas, or something else similar & light to balance out the richness of the soup.  I find that it takes far less in quantity to fill everyone up when the recipe is more filling, which is definitely the case here.  Be sure and save the (mostly) hollowed out potato skins, don't throw them away, to make stuffed potato skins, or potato "boats" as my boys like to call then, recipe coming next!  Since the recipe (I based mine on a chowder in this cookbook but made several changes) calls for ten pounds of potatoes, and standing there scrubbing them didn't sound like a fun chore at all, I decided to try out a much quicker (and more fun) method for washing them that I'd seen on a blog recently.  

Yes, I placed them all into my clean and empty dishwasher and ran it on the rinse cycle.  I actually ran it through twice just to be double sure, although they did look nice & scrubbed clean after the first time.  Our Mom happened to be at my house while I was doing this and seemed to think it was a bit (or more) odd that I was loading the dishwasher with potatoes, but I was really happy with the results, and my poor eight-month pregnant feet were too, since I didn't have to stand there scrubbing potatoes!

Baked Potato Soup {Freezer Friendly - 24+ Servings)

10 pounds russet potatoes
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
2 medium/large onions, chopped (about 2 cups)
2 Tablespoons granulated garlic (minced would be fine too)
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
2 cups flour (I use whole wheat)
12 cups chicken broth (I use easy homemade) OR water and bouillon to measure 12 cups
4 cups half & half OR cream
1 pound sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1" chunks, or grated
storage containers for freezing, if desired (I use 4 gallon freezer ziploc bags for this recipe)
Optional toppings for serving:  shredded cheese, green onions or chives, bacon bits, etc.

Bake clean potatoes on a large baking sheet in the oven at 350 for one hour, or until tender.  Let cool for about 15 minutes.  Cut into half, and scoop flesh out into a large bowl.  I do this carefully and leave a bit of potato on the skin so that I can make stuffed potato skins also (recipe coming Thursday). 

In a large pot (the biggest one you have!), melt butter.  Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic, salt, pepper, and flour and cook, stirring constantly, for another minute or two.  The mixture will be thick and like a paste, don't panic!

Gradually stir in broth, half & half, and then potatoes, and continue to heat, stirring ever few minutes, until mixture has thickened, about 30 minutes.  I turn the heat on medium, you don't want it to turn or boil. 

Add cheese, and stir until melted.  Taste and add more salt & pepper, as desired (this will largely depend on the type of broth or bouillon you have used).  Serve immediately, or let cool to room temperature, and freeze into desired portions. 

Pasta Fagioli Soup

As most of you know we have two girls under two!  When my youngest daughter was born my sweet grandparents came to visit.  My grandma brought this soup and it tasted so, so good.  I requested the recipe and recently attempted to make it myself.  It turned out great and I thought I'd share!  This also freezes well, and in place of the ground beef or turkey you can also use deer meat. That's what we used and it worked great!

Pasta Fagioli Soup
Ingredients:
One11.5 oz. can V-8 juice (or you can substitute plain tomato juice)
1 lb. ground turkey or beef
Two 15 oz. cans white cannellini beans, drained
2 carrots chopped, 1 stalk celery chopped, 1 small onion chopped
One 14.5 oz. diced tomatoes, undrained
One 8 oz. can tomato sauce
4 cups water
1 tsp. sugar
1 clove minced garlic
1 T. chili powder
1/2 cup elbow pasta, uncooked (You can also use a different variety of pasta and I always recommend whole wheat!)
1 and 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Few shakes of Tabasco sauce

Directions:
Brown ground meat, celery, and onion.  Drain off fat.  Add everything else and simmer about 1 and 1/2 hours.  Stir often to keep pasta from sticking.

Happy eating!
Sara

{Light} Corn Potato Chowder

Jana here with a recipe I found on Pinterest, that originates from Weight Watchers.  I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of flavor and richness this soup offered, even being a lower calorie version!  The potato is mashed and mixed in as part of the broth rather than being diced as you would normally think.  This adds a thickness and creaminess to the soup that is really yummy!

{Light} Corn Potato Chowder

1 medium potato
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 cups frozen corn
1 cup sweet red peppers, diced (I used red and green bell peppers)
Canadian bacon, diced (6 ounces)
2 cups skim milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon hot sauce

1. Pierce potato several times with a fork. Microwave to cook until tender, turning every 2 minutes. It should take approximately 6-8 minutes to cook.  After it has cooled, peel and mash.

2. In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, corn, and red peppers and saute over medium heat for 5 minutes.

3. Stir bacon and milk into saucepan. Add mashed potato, and mix in. Season with salt and pepper, and hot sauce. Cover and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes. (do not allow to boil)

Makes 4 servings.  Enjoy!

15 Bean Soup

Hi everyone!  Today's recipe is really a super quick dinner idea that simply requires some stove time.  You might not even consider this a "recipe", but let me at least put the idea in your winter food ideas to try!  I am a busy mom to two baby girls so dinner prep often needs to be quick.  With that said, we also try to eat filling, low-fat meals that my older girl will like.  This meal definitely fits all those requirements!

I encourage you to check out the dry beans/rice aisle at your local Wal-Mart or grocery store because that is where I found this 15 bean soup mix.  To make the beans you simply put them in a pot of water and cook them for about an hour and a half.  There is a recipe on the back that includes ham, onion, etc.  if you wish to make the beans a bit more tasty.  However, we eat them as is and are always pleased!  If we have any ham in the fridge we add this to the soup as well.  Overall this is a healthy, filling meal that is also inexpensive!  It would go great with Becca's Sweet Homemade Cornbread, found here!

Happy Eating!
Sara

Crock-pot White Chicken Chili (Cream of Chicken Soup FREE)

 Recently I came across a popular recipe on Pinterest for crock-pot white chicken chili.  Although I was excited to try the recipe because it sounded delicious, I wasn't excited about the cream of chicken soup it called for.  As a personal choice, I don't typically buy "cream of" anything soups.  However, I bought the rest of the soup ingredients anyway, and decided I would figure out an alternative.  After doing some research, I ended up with a soup I was very happy with, and that included NO cream of chicken soup!

On a good dinner prep night (meaning-time and my baby allow for it) I like to make things look pretty or arrange them differently at least, for the table.  This night I fixed onion, green onion, black olives, avocado, sour cream, and cheese to put on top of the chili.  It added such a nice layer of flavor! And for honesty sakes...we also had ranch-flavored Doritoes on the side as well. Let's keep it real folks! These aren't a normal item in our kitchen, no worries.

Crock-pot White Chicken Chili
Ingredients:
1 and 1/2 lbs. uncooked chicken breast, cut into chunks
2 (15 oz.) cans of white cannelini beans
1 (15 oz.) can of white corn
1 sweet onion chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
1 package taco seasoning (Or you could make your own, using this recipe from Thrice the Spice!)
1 (7 oz.) can of chopped green chilies
1 (14 oz.) can of chicken broth
1 batch of homemade cream of chicken soup (recipe below)

Cream of Chicken Soup

2  Tablespoons butter
3/4 cup all purpose flour (you can substitute a gluten free baking mix if needed)
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Heat a sauce pan over medium heat and melt butter.  Whisk in flour and continue cooking until thick and golden brown – but not too brown – about 1 minute, whisking constantly.  Slowly pour in milk and chicken stock and whisk again.  Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until flour has been incorporated and mixture is lightly bubbling.  Add salt, pepper, parsley, and oregano.  Stir, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook until thickened.   Then use in place of cream of chicken soup called for in recipe!

Chili directions:
First-prepare homemade cream of chicken soup and set aside. Next, place chicken chunks into the bottom of your crock-pot.  Add beans, corn, and onion.  Mix the next five ingredients and pour over the top.  Cover and cook on low in the crock-pot for 8-10 hours.
Top with items of your choice and enjoy!

Happy Eating,
Sara

Creamy Chicken Chili

Jana here with a recipe that I wanted to share again!  My whole family absolutely loved this!  This is so flavorful, and great for a winter recipe!  Add a garden salad, and some whole wheat bread, and you have a delicious meal! This is also made in the slow cooker, so it is very low maintenance, and easy to prep! I found the recipe that I based this on here. For a quick meal on a busy day, you will definitely want to try this!

Creamy Chicken Chili

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can corn, undrained

1 can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 package ranch dressing mix

1 teaspoon cumin

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon cilantro

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

2 chicken breast halves, or 1 cup shredded chicken

1. Place the chicken in the bottom of your slow cooker. Add beans, corn, and tomatoes on top.

2. Add ranch mix and seasonings on top, and stir with the beans, corn, and tomatoes to combine.

3. Put the block of cream cheese on top of the mixture, and cover.

4. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

5. Stir cream cheese in, and shred the chicken. (if you have used chicken breast halves) Mix together, and serve.

Enjoy!

Hearty Chicken Stew with Quinoa and Butternut Squash

Jana here with a really delicious fall and winter stew!  When I first saw this recipe, I was really curious about it!  It sounded like a lot of ingredients that we really like, but was a combination that I wouldn't have come up with on my own.  I decided to venture outside of my 'cooking comfort zone' (something I highly suggest doing sometimes!), and my family and I loved this stew!  It makes approximately 6-8 servings.  My famiily had just enough to eat it two nights, and we have two adults and 2 children that are eating table food currently! :)

Hearty Chicken Stew with Quinoa and Butternut Squash

1 1/2 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes (see my tutorial here!)
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried onion
1 teaspoon salt
4 cloves minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1 can diced tomatoes (14 ounces)
2/3 cup uncooked quinoa

1. Steam the butternut squash until barely tender, about 6-8 minutes.  Remove half of the squash cubes, and set aside. Steam the remaining squash for an additional 4-6 minutes, until very tender. Mash this squash with a fork, and set aside.

2. Add olive oil to a large saucepan, and warm to medium heat.  Add onion and cook, until desired softness.  Next, add garlic and cook for another minute.

3. Next, add the tomatoes, butternut squash cubes, and mashed squash.  Stir to combine.

4. Add the chicken broth, quinoa, salt, paprika, oregano, and parsley.  Bring to a simmer.  Cover and cook until the quinoa is translucent, about 15-20 minutes. 

Enjoy!