Minestrone soup or "Junk Soup"

Minestrone Soup or "Junk Soup" 

This minestrone soup is one my mom made for me growing up, and she got it from her mom.  As a kid we always called it "junk soup" because there were so many things in it.  It is a thick Italian type soup perfect for a cold night, which we are still having a lot of here.  My mom would serve this with garlic bread, and it was a total comfort food.  Enjoy!

Minestrone Soup or "Junk Soup"

In a large cooking pot combine the following:

1 lb ground sausage, or turkey sausage, or hamburger, browned and drained

4 cups water

2-3 stalk celery, chopped

1 onion, chopped fine

2-3 large carrots, chopped

2 (8oz) cans tomato sauce

1 can beef broth or 13 oz water and 3 beef bouillon cubes

2 cloves garlic, chopped or 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp basil

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp salt

1 Tab sugar

Simmer for 1 1/2 hours, then add:

2 cups eggs noodles, uncooked, (or noodles of choice)

1/2 can corn, drained (optional--I didn't use it in this one)

1/2 can garbanzo beans, drained (optional--I don't use those either)

2 cups more water

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook another 20-30 minutes until noodles are done and it is all heated through.  Serve with Parmesan cheese on top and garlic bread on the side.  So yummy!

What's up Wednesday--my chicken noodle soup

 I seldom have recipes that are uniquely "mine."  I usually always get them from somewhere else, but this one I am proud to claim is mine!  This is my chicken noodle soup recipe, and it is so good!  My kids really enjoyed it, even my picky boy will eat 2 full bowls of it.  There are usually no leftovers when I make this.  It is perfect for cold evenings and great with yummy rolls and a salad.  This is a pretty thick chicken noodle soup.  Thick and flavorful.  We adjusted the flavors to our tastes,so feel free to adjust to yours!  Enjoy! 

My Chicken Noodle Soup

2 cups cooked chicken, I cook mine ahead of time using this yummy way from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

1 Tab. chicken granules or 3 chicken bouillon cubes

3 cans chicken broth

1 cup chopped carrots, or 1/4 cup dehydrated carrots

1/4 cup chopped onion or 1 Tab dehydrated chopped onions

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup milk

4 Tbls butter

1/4 cup flour

8 oz egg noodles

1 tsp Lawry's garlic salt with parsley

salt and pepper to taste

 Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a large pot and add chicken granules or bouillon cubes.  Add in chicken broth and onions and carrots.  Cook until tender--about 20-30 minutes. Cook your egg noodles separately while this cooks. In a separate bowl which the cream of chicken soup with the mile until smooth.  Whisk in the cream of chicken mix into the broth and veggies.  In a small pot melt the butter and stir in the flour until smooth, then add to soup mixture.  Add in cooked chicken and cooked noodles and Lawry's garlic salt with parsley. Warm and serve.  Yum!

What's up Wednesday--potato cheese soup

 Going along with my last week's Wednesday post, this potato cheese soup was another recipe my DeeDee brought me weekly during my Freshman year of college.  It is such a comfort food to me.  I know soup season is almost gone--hello spring, but this soup is just a classic, and so good!  This is my 'go to' meal whenever I have to take food to someone--- a friend who just had a baby, someone sick, etc.  It is loved by all who have tried it.  Enjoy!

DeeDee's Potato Cheese Soup

Cook in a large pot until tender:

  

5 potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 medium onion chopped fine

1 stalk celery, cut fine (my family omits this because my kids hate celery in soup)

1 carrot sliced 

1 quart water or chicken brother

5 tsp chicken granules if using water or 1 tsp chicken granules is using chicken broth

frozen peas--about half a bag

Cook until veggies are tender

In another pot make a white sauce:

Melt 1/2 cup butter

Add in 1/2 cup flour and mix

Whisk in 1 1/3 cups milk until mixture is smooth.

Cook until smooth and slightly thickened, then stir into cooked veggies.

Add 8 oz of Velveeta cheese, chopped up.  

Warm and stir until cheese is melted.  Serve.

Yum!  Enjoy!

What's up Wednesday--Cream cheese potato soup

This is my girlfriend soup.  I have had it twice over at one of my bestest girlfriend's house, and it is wonderful!  She just made it on the stove top, and it doesn't take long to do it that way, but I made it in the crock pot when I did it because we were leaving in the a.m. one day and weren't going to be home until dinner, and I wanted something that would be ready to eat when we walked into the house starving.  Because my kids are always starving, at least that is what they tell me--are yours?  This recipe worked perfect to do that way.  Perfect for starving kids--and their parents :)  And I had to get a picture of it on my new St. Patrick's Day kitchen table table runner that I made last week.  Cute, huh?  It is called a "10 minute Table runner" but it took me an hour :)  but it is done, and I like it.  Now onto the soup. . .

Cream Cheese Potato Soup

6 cups water

7 tsp chicken bouillon granules

12 oz cream cheese, cubed

1 (30-32 oz) pkg frozen cubed hash brown potatoes

1 1/2 cups fully cooked ham, cubed

1/2 cup chopped onion or use 1/4 cup dried onion (which is what I use)

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dill weed or less to taste

For crock pot--put all ingredients in the crock pot except dill weed and give a little stir.  Cook on low 6-7 hours or until potatoes are tender.  Before you serve, stir soup and make sure cream cheese cubes are all melted and stir in dill weed.  Serve with yummy rolls.

If you are going to just make this on the stove top, then your frozen hash brown potatoes need to be thawed.  In a large pot combine water and bouillon.  Add the cream cheese, cook and stir until the cheese is melted.  Mix in the potatoes, ham, onion, garlic powder and dill weed.  Simmer uncovered for 18-20 minutes or until veggies are tender.  

Either way is good .  Enjoy!

What's up Wednesday--crock pot potato soup

I made this soup for the first time last week, and it was soooo good!  For lunch the next day I was lamenting there were no leftovers because I wanted some more!!!  I found it on the web here a few months ago and finally got around to making it.  I wish I had made it sooner!  Easy crock pot recipes are my favorite, and this is definitely joining our family's lists of favorites!  We had company over for dinner when I made it, and one of our guests said it tasted like Panera Bread's baked potato soup.  Yum!

Crock Pot Potato Soup

10 red potatoes, washed and cubed

1 large onion, diced and sauted in butter

5 cups water

3 Tbsp chicken bouillon

1 tsp minced garlic

1 Tbsp dry ranch dressing mix

2 tsp dried parsley

salt and pepper to taste

1 package or real bacon bits

1 cup half and half

1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

1 cup lights sour cream

1/4 cup chives or green onions, chopped fine

Place the first 9 ingredients in the crock pot.  Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.  The potatoes should be tender.  Stir in half and half, cheese, sour cream, and green onions.  Heat through and serve.

Yum!  Perfect for a cold winter evening meal!

2013 Daily December 18--chicken chip soup

I have posted this recipe before, but December is the perfect time to make Chicken Chip soup because it is such a crazy month with activties almost every night, so you need a quick, easy, yummy dinner.  This fits the bill perfectly.

You just need these 6 cans, some grated cheese and tortilla chips and you are set.  I seriously make this once a month and everyone in my house loves it.  My 8 year old even requested it for his birthday dinner, so that should tell you something :)  You don't have to use canned chicken.  If you have already cooked chicken, use it, but I always keep the canned chicken on hand for this recipe because it makes it so super fast.

Chicken Chip Soup

1 can chicken broth

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can black beans--do not drain

1 can diced tomatoes, drain slightly and then blend up

1 can corn, drained

1 can diced chicken, drained or not, your choice since it is just more chicken broth you are adding.

In a large pan mix chicken broth and cream of chicken soup, add the 4 other cans and heat.  Serve with cheese and tortilla chips.  Easy, yummy, enjoy!

Mouth-watering Wednesday--DeeDee's chili

This is my DeeDee and Grum.  They are my maternal grandparents and my kids' great grandparents.  They live 1150 miles away (give or take a few), and we miss them a lot.  DeeDee is an amazing lady.  She is also an amazing cook.  Anything and everything DeeDee makes is so good!  She is most well-known for her chocolate chip cookies of which she has made literally thousands and given away.  This is her chili recipe.  It is a sweet chili which is why I like it.  I don't like anything spicy, but there is chili powder in it, and if you want it more spicy, add more. 

DeeDee's Sweet Chili

1 lb ground beef

2 cans stewed tomatoes, don't drain, but blend up

2 cans red kidney beans with juice

1/3 cup ketchup

1/2-1 tes chili powder

1 small chopped onion

1 small chopped green pepper

Cook the ground beef with the onion and green pepper.  Drain if needed.  Put meat in crock pot with other ingredients and put on low for several hours.  You can also just cook this on the stove top and simmer a couple of hours.  Enjoy!