Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup

I have searched high and low for a GOOD ZUPA'S COPYCAT Wisconsin Cauliflower soup recipe. I've tried a bunch. THIS ONE IS EVEN BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL!!

I took ideas from a few different recipes and came up with this. My 14 year old (picky picky eater) claims this is better than the Zupa's soup. I agree!!

Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup (Zupa's copycat)

3 Tbsp butter
2 lbs cauliflower florets, roughly chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 c AP flour
16 oz chicken stock
1 pint heavy cream
1 1/2 c water
8 oz pepper jack cheese, shredded
16 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (keep some for garnish)
1 1/2 t Dijon mustard
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper

In a large pot, melt butter over medium low heat. Add onions and cook about 5 minutes until translucent. Whisk in the flour and let cook for about 1 minute. Add the chicken stock, heavy cream and water. Add cauliflower and heat until boiling. Reduce heat and cook about 15 minutes - until the cauliflower is cooked through.

Transfer to a blender in batches to blend the soup to a luxurious texture.

Transfer back to cooking pot, add salt, pepper, Dijon and cheese a little at a time to let it incorporate into the soup. Cook for about 10 minutes to allow it all to come together. Serve warm!

Jet Tila Quick Ramen

Jet Tila Quick Ramen with Coddled Eggs

Cup O Soup
2 Eggs (more or less depending on your hunger)
Additional ingredients you may want: leftover chicken, steak, green onion, etc.

Put your kettle on the stovetop to come to a boil. 

Pull the top of your ramen about half of the way off - you want to make sure to keep part of it in tact.

When the water comes up to a boil, pour the water in as you usually would do.

Add already cracked (raw) eggs into the ramen (this is also where you would add additional ingredients). 

Without breaking the yolks, use your chopsticks to push the noodles down so the egg will get down in there to coddle.

Put the lid back fully on the Cup O Soup and cover with a plate for 3 minutes.

After 3 minutes, your noodles will be cooked and your eggs will be coddled!

Use your chopsticks to break the yolk and blend them into the soup.

This is freaking delicious. My girls LOVE to make this for a quick snack or double it for a dinner option.  

Sick Soup

This is not a recipe - but as my kids are all capable of cooking themselves - I was asked to share my tricks for this boxed soup I make every time we get sick.

I'm not sure when I started eating this - sometime in my childhood because my younger brother does the same thing when he is sick - AND we both call it Sick Soup...

Lipton Noodle Soup
Chicken Stock
Cholula Sweet Habanero to taste*
Salt and Pepper to taste

I always make it in the microwave - because I'm either the one that is sick - or I'm the one making it for the sick kid in between doing everything else for them! Cook per directions on box. I always add chicken stock, salt and pepper before I microwave it.

*After it comes out of the microwave, I add Cholula - usually if it's a cold - not if it's the flu.

Cornbread Waffles & Chili

I watched this on Studio 5 and my mouth was absolutely watering. I knew my family would LOVE it!! The Cornbread Waffle recipe is from Alex Daynes - you can see her original recipe and her chili recipe HERE

The first picture is how my son made it - waffle on bottom, chili on top. The second picture is how I made it - chili in a bowl with waffle "chips" on the side.

Cornbread Waffles

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs *1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce 
5 cups (1 per serving) homemade chili**

Preheat waffle iron to medium heat.
In a large bowl combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
Add milk, oil, and applesauce and stir until incorporated, but don’t over-mix. Leave it a little lumpy.
Spray waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray. Pour batter onto hot waffle iron and bake in batches.
Serve with chili over top and garnish with shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado and chopped green onion.

*I substitute applesauce for the eggs because of Jack's egg allergy

**See my AWARD WINNING Runnin' Utes Tailgate Chili HERE

Disneyland's Loaded Potato Soup

I saw this recipe on Six Sister's Stuff - I have a lot of potato soup recipes - but why not give this a try?

Disneyland's Loaded Potato Soup
1 pound bacon roughly chopped
1 medium yellow onion diced
1 large carrot peeled and diced
¾ cup diced celery
2 bags frozen cubed hashbrowns

¼ cup flour
3-4 cups chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste
4 cups heavy cream
1 can corn drained
Optional garnishes chopped chives, bacon bits, sour cream, shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese

In a 6- to 8-quart stockpot over medium heat, fry bacon until crisp.
Remove bacon and drain on paper towels, reserving half for garnish. In bacon fat, cook onions, carrots, and celery until the onions are translucent. Add potatoes and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Whisk in flour and stir constantly over low heat until the flour is cooked and the mixture has thickened slightly, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add chicken stock and half of the bacon. Season with salt and pepper.
Over medium-high heat, bring the soup to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Mash some of the potatoes for thicker, creamier texture. Add whipping cream and corn and simmer for 5 minutes.
Adjust thickness by adding water or stock. Soup should have a creamy consistency.
Season to taste, and garnish with toppings.

*You REALLY have to season this. Season at every step. 

Ultimate Quick Ramen

Ultimate Quick Ramen

3 qt. stock pot

Ramen noodles

Add 1/8 c better than bouillon (chicken)
1/8 c miso paste
1 T ginger
1 T Gochujang
1 tsp worcestershire
1 T Hoisin sauce

diced green onions - whites and green parts

mint

cilantro

Pot stickers

Fried egg

Fill stock pot 3/4 of the way with water. Add bouillon, miso, ginger, gochujang, Worcestershire and hoisin. Bring to a boil. Whisk ingredients to make sure they are all incorporated. Add Ramen noodles and cook per package directions (3 minutes). 

Add additional toppings. Tonight we had potstickers, fried eggs, green onions, mint and cilantro. 

Italian Wedding Soup

I can't believe I've never posted this recipe! This is my sons ALL TIME FAVORITE soup.

It's also full of cheats - so it's SUPER FAST.

Italian Wedding Soup

Your favorite store bought mini meatballs (cooked per package directions)
2 T Olive Oil (evoo)
1 c minced yellow onion (frozen!)
1 c diced carrots (frozen!)
10 c chicken stock
1 box of Acini de Pepe pasta (or any small pasta will do!)
1/4 c minced fresh dill
12 oz spinach (fresh in the bag)

Heat the evoo over medium-low heat in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery (if using) and saute until softened, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute. Taste for salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is just wilted. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan.

So good - so filling - so satisfying!

*When I made it this time - I couldn't find mini meatballs - so I used regular sized - next time I have to use regular size - I will quarter them before adding to the soup.

Mexican Chicken Lime Soup

I wanted to make soup for dinner - but I also knew that tonights dinner had to include chicken - bc that is what I had and what was quick.

A little searching and I found this! It was really good! The chiles and the adobo sauce really add a smoky depth of flavor without being spicy. The zip of the lime juice and the freshness of cilantro also added unusual and delicious notes. This is a GOODIE!!! The original recipe doesn't include beans - but I added them and I'm glad I did!

Mexican Chicken Lime Soup via Rachael Ray Magazine
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
6 skinless, boneless chicken (rotisserie)
2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, finely chopped, plus 2 tablespoons adobo sauce
4 cans great northern beans, drained

8 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of 2 limes
Salt and pepper
1 haas avocado, thinly sliced lengthwise into 12 pieces
Crushed tortilla chips

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, lower the heat to medium and cook until the onion begins to brown, about 7 minutes. Increase the heat to high, push the vegetables to the side of the pan, add the chicken and cook, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chipotles and adobo sauce, then stir in the chicken broth. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and lime juice; season with salt and pepper.

*One of my BIGGEST beliefs about soup is that after you follow your recipe and you are ready to serve - if you have the time to put it on a low simmer - it just gets better and better. I made this really quickly about an hour before running out the door for carpool. We ate it 3 hours later - seriously. so. good.

Serve with any or all of the following: cilantro, lime wedge, sour cream, avocado slices, tortilla chips.

Halibut Chowder

The day after Thanksgiving - we have a "soup night" Papa makes Turkey chowder, I usually make Tomato Basil Soup and everyone else pitches in with what they feel like.

This year, my brother in law Jeff brought this halibut chowder - we don't "vote" on the best soup - but someone always declares a winner - and this year - the CLEAR WINNER was Jeff!!

Uncle Jeff's Halibut Chowder
3/4 lb diced halibut 1" chunks
1 c finely chopped onion
1 c finely chopped celery (4 stalks)
3 cups diced potatoes
3/4 c butter
3/4 c flour
1 qt. half and half
1 1/2 t salt
pepper
1/2 t sugar

Put onions, celery and potatoes in a 4 qt. pan and barely cover with water. Simmer over medium heat until potatoes are tender about 20 min. In the mean time melt the butter in a sauce pan add the flour and blend and cook for a minute or two. Add the half and half to cook and stir until thick and smooth using a whisk. When the veg are about done - add the halibut - cook for another minute. If it's going in a crock pot or you are not eating it immediately, wait til the veggies are completely done to add the halibut then stop cooking. Don't over cook it. Combine all the seasonings.

Garnish with Old bay - I might actually add old bay directly to the soup when I make it - I'll let you know.

Texas Style Venison Chili

Yeah - I know.
My husband got a deer in the fall and our garage freezer is PACKED FULL of venison (and halibut from his fishing trip to Alaska last summer) so I'm always looking for ways to use up the venison - so I can put WHAT I WANT to eat in the freezer - LOL
My husband and kids all like venison - but it's a no for me.
I came across this recipe from Tyler Florence on the Food Network - and I gotta tell you - EVEN I liked it!


Chili:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
1 tablespoon chipotle powder
2 tablespoons ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 onions, chopped
1/2 jalapeño, chopped
3 pounds ground venison
Two 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
4 cups (1 quart) chicken stock
2 tablespoons masa harina
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 tablet Mexican chocolate, chopped

Cornbread:
12 tablespoons unsalted butter plus 1 tablespoon for greasing the skillet
1/3 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
6 large eggs

For Serving:
1 cup sour cream

Zest of 1 lime 

Fresh cilantro leaves

For the chili: Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the chili powder, oregano, paprika, chipotle powder, cumin, coriander and cinnamon and stir until toasted and very aromatic, about 1 minute. Add the garlic, onions and jalapeño and cook, stirring, until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the venison and cook, stirring, until slightly brown, about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, masa harina, sugar and chocolate. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, for the cornbread: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with 1 tablespoon of butter.
Stir together the cornmeal and flour in a small bowl.
Combine the buttermilk, water, sugar, the remaining 12 tablespoons of butter and the salt in a medium pot. Heat over medium, stirring occasionally until the butter melts (about 180 degrees F). Add the cornmeal-flour mixture to the pot and cook, stirring constantly, until the bottom of the pot begins to brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer the batter to a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium-high speed until cool to the touch. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until the batter sticks to the side of the bowl. Transfer the batter to the prepared skillet and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs stuck to it, 25 to 30 minutes.
Serve chili and cornbread with dollops of sour cream, lime zest and fresh cilantro leaves.

Chicken Enchilada Chili Soup

Okay folks. This is a copy cat recipe for Café Zupas Chicken Enchilada Chili.

I didn't know if I should title this as a chili or a soup - Café Zupas calls it a chili but I serve it more like a soup...

I often make this soup in my 4.5 quart crock pot because during the week we are in and out and I really want everyone to have a hot meal. However, I LOVE to double the recipe and use my Rachael Ray 8 quart pot.

Chicken Enchilada Chili

2 lbs chicken breast (I use rotisserie chicken)

2 c red enchilada sauce

1 c green enchilada sauce

3 c cream of chicken soup *make your own for the best flavor

1 c heavy cream

2 c chicken stock**

1 10 oz can Rotel

2 c corn (I use frozen - but canned is fine)

1 can black beans, rinsed

1 1/2 c shredded cheese (I use Mexican blend)

3 T chili powder

pinch of paprika

Salt to taste

Add all ingredients to your crock pot or soup pot. Because I use rotisserie chicken (I've also used canned chicken in the past) the soup just needs to come up to temperature and the ingredients need time to marry.

**I use the chicken stock to thin out the chili a bit so it's more of a soup

Tomato Basil Soup

I revamped my Tomato Basil Soup recipe - 

just in time for a rainy day that included coaching in the rain!

Tomato Basil Soup

1/2 c (1 stick) butter

1 c all purpose flour

4 c chicken broth

4 c half & half*

24 oz marinara sauce

1 14.5 can diced tomatoes or 8 to 10 small vine ripened tomatoes, diced

1/2 c sundried tomatoes, pureed

1/2 c prepared pesto
1 T sugar (to balance the acid of the tomatoes)

Onion powder and garlic powder to taste

Coarse salt and ground black pepper

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and stir for 5 minutes to slightly brown the mixture and create a roux. Wisk in the broth. Increase the heat and cook and stir until thickened. Decrease the heat to low, stir in the half and half and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in the marinara sauce, tomatoes, sundried tomatoes and pesto and cook until heated through and seasonings.

*I have used both full fat and fat free half & half - since it is used as a thickening agent, the taste is nearly the same using either.

Soup's On!!!

This is something I've done every fall & winter for many years - but as with the breakfast burritos - friends are asking me to publish what I do. These are actual recipes - that I'll link in - but you can use it for many different meals - not just soup.

This came about a few years ago when the older our kids got - the more running around I was doing and the temptation of the drive through was real. Not saying the drive through isn't a life saver - but with a little planning you can give your family more nutritious meals - and stop spending money on fast food - so you can spend money on a pedicure without feeling guilty!! LOL

I've waxed philosophical about my love of soup plenty of times on this blog - so I'll skip it. The only thing I will say is that making a huge pot of soup is CHEAP. It also is generally nutritious. My soups almost always include some form of protein and lots of veggies. I much rather having my kids heating up home made soup as an after school snack, a small pre-practice dinner - or after practice snack - than any alternative (something portable from a box in a bag).

I take one day during the week to buy everything I need for the soups I want to make. I always check what I already have on hand and usually work around those ingredients.

I take another day to make the soups. In this particular instance, my shopping trip and my "cook" day were about 1 1/2 weeks apart - life is busy YO!

It took me about 5 hours to get these soups going from start to finish. Keep in mind - with soups - most of that time is totally hands off - just letting all the ingredients marry - and while that is happening - I'm doing several other different things I've got on my "do it" list - also keep in mind that I ran a few errands and had a full house of people I was engaging with.

Today I asked my 6 yo if she thought she could make one of the soups all by herself. She's used to helping in the kitchen but she was so excited to make a meal all by herself. White Bean Chicken Chili.  The pic you see is of my now 13 & 10 yo girls...

I also recruited my 15 yo to open all the cans I needed opened and to brown the sausage and ground beef for the chili he, his dad, grandpa and Uncle will enjoy on the upcoming hunt. Running Ute Tailgate Chili 
http://breakingthereciperut.blogspot.com/search?q=runnin+ute

My 13 yo spent the day with cousins, but as soon as she walked in the door to see what was going on she asked if she could make her fave soup as well. Tomato Basil Soup the link goes to a deluxe version - which is the only one I can currently find on the blog - but usually we omit the pesto and sundried tomatoes bc we don't have them on hand as often.

I also TOTALLY revamped my Chicken Noodle Soup recipe  AND I took my first stab at Zuppa Toscano.

I separate the soups into 16 oz Tupperware containers for quick snacks/dinners OR bigger containers for a meal for 2 OR one large container when I know we'll be eating it together as a family. A few of the containers go into the fridge - most go into the freezer.

Fast Zuppa Toscana

Oh yeah babe. Zuppa Toscana. 

The great thing about any soup is that if you make it - it is inexpensive, usually has protein and lots of veggies and can be eaten as a lunch, snack, dinner or after practice/game tummy love. So satisfying! 

Apparently it also has incredible healing powers - LOLOL. Great for flu season!

I researched a bunch of recipes and came up with my own - feel free to tweak it according to your taste!!

Fast Zuppa Toscana
1 lb ground sausage
2 T red pepper flakes
2 T butter
1 lg onion, diced
1 T garlic, minced
2 qts chicken stock
20 oz fully cooked diced potatoes *
1 c heavy cream
1 c chopped kale
Salt & Pepper to taste
More red pepper flakes if desired

Brown the sausage and red pepper flakes in a large dutch oven. When the sausage is fully browned, remove and drain on paper towels.

Add butter to the dutch oven, add diced onion and cook for about 5 minutes - add minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute more. Add chicken stock, potatoes, kale, sausage, salt and pepper. Bring up to a boil, then simmer for about 15 minutes. Turn down a bit and add the heavy cream. Continue to cook until it comes up to temperature - and ENJOY!!

*I love to get stuff like this to make the cooking process go a million times faster. If you were to peel, cut and add raw potatoes, you would have to add 30 - 45 minutes to your cooking time to ensure the potatoes are cooked.

Vietti Chicken Noodle Soup

I've expressed my feelings on Chicken Noodle Soup on my last post about the recipe I'd been using. Jen's Chicken Noodle Soup. As you probably know, almost every single chicken noodle soup recipe, can, box, etc. uses egg noodles and celery in their recipe - both of which my son is allergic to. SO... this is a different spin on Chicken Noodle Soup - but I can promise you that the flavor and the comfort is alive and well in this version. I'll note where I've made substitutions so you can make it to suit your family.


Vietti Chicken Noodle Soup

2 T butter
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion
Shredded carrots
Bok Choy, diced*
1/2 t chopped garlic
Salt and pepper
3 T flour
4 qts chicken stock
4 bay leaves

Chicken

Pasta

1 c of Kale - stem removed, washed and cut down into small pieces.

1 T lemon pepper

1 T Italian seasoning (basil, oregano, parsley blend)

CHEATS!!!!!: Onions come diced in the frozen section, carrots come shredded in the produce section, BOK CHOY is the perfect sub for celery!!! Egg noodles are the norm. I use 100% semolina spaghetti noodles bc of the allergy issue.  You can buy rotisserie chicken taken off the bone and vacuum sealed everywhere - what an awesome cheat!!

Melt butter in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil, onion, bok choy and carrots and saute until the bok choy/celery and onions are soft. The carrots will still have a little bite in them - but don't worry - they'll be perfectly soft when the soup is done. Add garlic and saute until fragrant (1 min). Stir in the flour one tablespoon at a time and stir frequently until it coats the vegetables and makes a paste and looks blonde. Gradually whisk in the chicken stock, making sure there are no lumps. Add the bay leaves, Italian seasoning, lemon pepper, salt and pepper, chicken and kale. Simmer for at least 10 more minutes - up to service time.

**I like to use kale instead of spinach - bc I feel it holds up better

Cheater Pho

This is one of my go to week night meals. With all the different sports and extracurriculars we have going on during the week, I try really hard for everyone of us to have a hot meal - this soup is perfect for just that.

I've made this several times with many different proteins and then let everyone decide what garnishes to add. This recipe serves a family of 6. My soup pot is a 6.5 Quart cast iron pot - so if you aren't feeding as many people as I am cut the recipe in half - unlike most soups - it just doesn't keep overnight - or at least - I've never tried... 

Cheater Pho
16 oz Rice Noodles (I used 3 packs of ramen on this day - just the noodles - not the flavor packet)
96 oz chicken stock (3 boxes)
4 - 5 Tbsp minced garlic
2 - 3 Tbsp minced ginger
3 Tbsp minced shallot (find all 3 of these next to each other in the produce area)
Salt and Pepper to taste
15 oz can Bean Sprouts
3 - 4 Tbsp Hoisin sauce
2 Tbsp fish sauce (I omit bc of a food allergy)

Protein options:
Costco rotisserie chicken in the vacuum sealed pack - this is a SERIOUS time saver for SO MANY MEALS!
Shrimp
Ling Ling chicken and vegetable pot stickers OR Bigio pot stickers
OR you can just add frozen stir fry veg if you are keeping it meatless

Garnishes:
Green onions
Cilantro
Mint
Jalapeno thinly sliced
Limes

Put a couple of Tbsp of olive oil in the bottom of a large soup pot. Add garlic, ginger and minced shallot and cook until fragrant - 3 -5 minutes. Add chicken stock, salt and pepper, Hoisin sauce and fish sauce.

Let it come to a boil and then turn down to a simmer for about 20 minutes. Add noodles and cook as long as the package says. If you are adding frozen stir fry veg - add them now. When the noodles are cooked - now it's time to add your protein. If you are using rotisserie chicken - add now just so it can heat through. If you are adding pot stickers - use the microwave method suggested and then add them to heat through. If you are using shrimp - add very last - they take no time to cook. They are done when they are pink.

My foodie girl and I add all the garnishes - so good. My picky eaters try something new every time to figure out what they really like.

There really isn't anything that compares to authentic Pho - but this is a quick substitute. AND it's something different to add to your recipe rut :)

Beef Stew

My kids and I did lots of odd jobs, yard work for neighbors etc. on the DL before Father's Day. We saved up enough money to buy him a TRAEGER!!

We ALL LOVE everything we have made on it - basically any kind of protein you can think of. We had a family party the other day and he used the Traeger to make the BEST BRISKET we've ever had. It was such a large piece of meat - that we ended up with leftovers - and you can't let meat that good EVER go to waste. So - I made a beef stew with it.

I didn't grow up eating beef stew, pot roast or anything akin to that. It just so happens that my husband has made pot roast the last 2 times I had the flu - so I was much more than skeptical. BUT this changed my mind completely. It was delicious. Even in August.

BEEF STEW
Ingredients:
5-6 c Beef Broth
1/4 tsp ground cloves
8 fresh sprigs of thyme
2 bay leaves
Salt and Pepper to taste
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 pkg frozen pearl onions
1-2 cups of baby carrots, sliced lengthwise or into rounds
1 pkg sliced mushrooms
1 pkg small potatoes
Brisket
1 can beef consumme (I had brisket drippings and gravy I added instead)
1 pkg frozen peas

Add everything EXCEPT the brisket (bc it's already cooked) and the frozen peas.
Cook on Low setting for 2 - 2 1/2 hours. Add Brisket and cook for another hour or so.
Add the peas just before serving. *Don't forget to take out the Thyme and Bay leaves*

Serve soup with a dollup of Horseradish Sour Cream (Tyler Florence) recipe below

Horseradish Sour Cream
1 cup sour cream
1 T prepared horseradish
EVOO
S&P
chives to garnish

*Oops! I forgot to add the peas - lots going on every weeknight!!

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

My love affair with soup has been well documented on this blog. My love affair with chicken wild rice soup started the summer after I graduated HS and would call Einsteins Brother's every Friday to see if their version was being served that day.

I have a good friend that owns a catering business and my kids constantly BEGGED me to get some of her Turkey Wild Rice soup - which isn't always available - but I would stock up when I could. So - our expectations were extremely high.

I've made different recipes over the last few months and asked for comments from the peanut gallery. Mr 15 said it needed more long grains and wild rice. Mr V said more chicken. Girls said more veg. I thought it needed to be just a touch creamier.

I FINALLY perfected Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup. I'm super stoked about it!

As usual - when I make soup I make an absolute ton. Great for freezing and/or sharing. I did both. Shared with a sick neighbor and put 2 quarts in the freezer. It's what I call a "bonus" dinner - same amount of work/time but 3 or 4 dinners out of it! So awesome especially during this crazy sports season. THIS RECIPE MAKES 6 QUARTS! So if you aren't going to share or freeze - make changes accordingly.

I've also included a BUNCH of my *quick cheats* to make this a delicious soup that tastes like it cooked all day - in 20-30 minutes.

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
1/4 c butter
medium onion, diced*
1/4 c flour
1 c carrots (shredded/thinly sliced) I bought pre shredded
5-6 c chicken stock (depending on how thin/thick you want it)
1 1/2 lbs cooked chicken**
2 6.2 oz boxes Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild Rice fast cook w seasonings included -cooked***
2 1/2 c heavy cream
1 can corn
Salt and pepper

Get your rice going in the microwave. Then, get your butter going in your large dutch oven/soup pot on about medium/low.

Add diced onion and let cook for a couple minutes - not translucent. Add shredded (or thinly sliced) carrots and cook until the onions are finally translucent. Add flour and let the uncooked flour taste cook out - stir frequently to make sure the onions and carrots are coated in that roux - just a couple minutes. Add chicken stock a cup at a time to marry the roux with the stock.

Add cooked chicken. Add salt and pepper. I recently heard on some food show that you need to season with S&P through every step of the cooking process - if you wait until the end everything just tastes overly salty and peppery. I love salt - but I'm taking baby steps to see if this method can work for me.

Let simmer for about 10 minutes. If you are in a hurry - 5 minutes with the lid on - that will trap the heat and create steam warming things up more quickly.

Add rice. This will bring the temperature of the soup down a bit. So simmer for another 2-3 minutes before adding the heavy cream 1/2 c at a time. You just don't want to introduce the cold cream to the hot pot too quickly.

Traditionally, this soup has all the ingredients listed above - but is heavier on the carrots and includes celery (which I LOVE). BUT - I have a child that is allergic to celery (I know!) so I omit it. If I were going to include celery - I would add it at the same time I added the onion so it would have enough time to get soft. I added corn and peas to bump up the veg - but next time I make it I'll omit the peas - although a couple of my kids really liked it with the peas. Personal preference I guess.

*You can find onions already diced in your grocery store. It costs more than an onion - but if you're in a hurry!

**Costco rotisserie chicken already pulled off the bone for you. A million great meals just waiting to happen!

***Uncle Ben's bless you! Microwave one packet for 90 seconds (x2) winner!!

Turkey Chowder

We made our favorite Turkey once again this year *Alton Brown's Super-Tasty, No-Fuss, Time-Tested, Totally Fool Proof Bird*  if you scroll down to the bottom of the recipe it gives you Bobby Flay's carving tips - which we are die hard fans of and even when everyone balks at our method - one taste changes their minds! And we had left over turkey. We saved the breast meat for future stars of dinner - and used the pieces both white and dark meat for this delicious chowder.

My husband searched recipes online and was craving something like this and set his mind to making it happen. We tweaked the recipe (of course) and it was AMAZING. What we came up with was (in his words) "the most delicious way I've ever eaten the pieces of turkey no one wants"

Turkey Chowder
2 T EVOO
1 medium yellow onion
1 1/2 c diced carrots
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 oz diced green chiles
24 oz chicken broth
1 1/2 c corn kernels
1/4 c flour
2 c half and half (or heavy cream)
3 c turkey

Heat EVOO in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots and bell pepper until the veg begin to soften. Add green chiles and garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Pour in the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the corn and simmer for about 4 minutes.

Put flour in a medium mixing bowl and slowly whisk half and half in - making sure there are no lumps. If you use half and half - don't over whisk - you will get whip cream! This is your roux.

Add the half and half/flour mix slowly into the soup pot whisking to incorporate. Stir the pot often to encourage the roux to mix in with the soup while it thickens. Salt and pepper to taste.

Add the turkey last and cook just long enough to bring it up to temperature.

Serve with rolls and garnish with shredded cheddar if desired.

Soup in a Bread Bowl

Isn't this so cute? I picked up these pumpkin looking bread bowls at the grocery store and made a quick potato corn chowder for a festive fall dinner.

I used scissors to cut the tops off the bread bowls, then hollowed out the delicious bread inside and set it aside to be shared and dunked at the dinner table, then filled the hollowed out bowls with delicious soup!!

I made the soup in less than 30 minutes - and with these fun bowls - this is a meal the family will remember!

The soup isn't really a recipe - it's just Bear Creek potato soup (dry mix) and then anything you have around. I fried up some southern style hash browns in it's own pan, then in the soup pot, sautéed some onions, followed the directions on the package then added the cooked hash browns, corn, ham and cheese that was left over from a party tray the night before and voila!

My husband isn't really a soup enthusiast and he was the first one done! The kids thought it was so fun that you could eat the bowl… I'll definitely be doing this again.