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 :)

Garden Bounty

Our family loves having a garden. We've had one for the last 10 years or so. We try a few new things every year. The kids love to help plant and pick our bounty. They also help weed because they know that the weeds are taking the water and nutrients from our garden plants - so they are totally into it. Plus - pulling weeds - SO SATISFYING!!! And Mr. 15 is the till master around here - we don't even have to ask him to till the front and back yards before he has it done once a week.

This year, we planted: one beef steak tomato plant, one jalapeno, one Anaheim, 2 groups of yellow beets and 2 groups of red beets, 2 kinds of watermelon, pumpkin, cucumber, strawberry and hula berry plants. We also planted cilantro, dill, parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, lavender, sage and 3 kinds of mint.

We've been out of town a lot this summer - so our garden hasn't gotten the love it really needs - BUT we are harvesting like crazy.

I'm going to post some of my favorite garden bounty recipes - some may really surprise you!

Summer Squash Gratin
Roasted Summer Veggies
Jack's Favorite Salsa - we sub the canned tomatoes, jalapenos, cumin and garlic for fresh
Watermelon Salsa
Tomato Pie
Spinach Pie
Avocado Salsa
Patty's Beet Salad
Mary's Salsa
Onion Beet Salad

  Enjoy the harvest!!!

Chicken Cordon Bleu

This is another dish I've made forever - but it's so simple it doesn't feel like a "recipe" to me. But my family loves it so much - I thought I'd share.

We're back to school and sports around here - which means our week nights are insane. To save money and tummies - I like to have the 6 of us eat ANYTHING but fast food. It's a challenge - but one I feel I've done a good job at.

I made this last night and it was gone in a flash. I think next time I'll double the recipe by stacking the ingredients - if I do I'll give you an update.

Fastest Chicken Cordon Bleu in the West
1 cup Heavy Cream
1 can Cream of chicken soup
S & P
6 slices Swiss Cheese
12 slices deli ham
6 breaded chicken patties*

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine heavy cream and cream of chicken soup, salt and pepper to taste. Microwave mixture for about 60 seconds to make it easier to incorporate.

Drizzle about 1/4 of the cream sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish - spread it around with a spatula. This just helps anything from sticking.

Place the chicken patties in the casserole dish. Top with 2 slices of ham and 1 slice of swiss cheese each. Pour the remaining cream sauce over the entire dish.

Bake for 30 minutes. DELISH!

*I use Foster Farms frozen chicken patties - you don't even have to thaw them!

UPDATE: I made this again - but this time I made it in my crockpot bc crazy week nights... So I doubled the liquid - put half in the bottom of the crockpot, added 8 chicken patties, a package of diced ham and 8 slices of cheese then added the rest of the liquid on top - set on low for 2 - 3 hours - or high for 1 hour. Everyone gets a nice warm dinner when they have time!

Traeger "No Fuss" Roasted Chicken

This was the first thing we made on our Traeger. Seriously good. You can get a pack of 2 5lb chickens at Costco for $10 

Roasted Chicken:

1 chicken, 4 to 5 lbs
EVOO
Your favorite chicken rub - or just S&P

Remove any giblets from the cavity of the chicken. Wash the chicken inside and out with cold running water. Dry thoroughly with paper towels.

Oil the outside of the chicken and rub with seasoning. Tuck the chicken wings behind the back. Tie the legs together with butcher's string.

Set the temp on the Traeger to 450 degrees and preheat for 10-15 minutes

Place the chicken on the grill grate, breast side up and close the lid. Roast for 70-90 minutes (when the thigh reads 165 degrees). Let rest for 5 minutes and EAT!!!

Breakfast Burritos

It's BACK TO SCHOOL TIME around here!

I've been making these breakfast burritos forever - but my friends were recently asking me how I make them - I never thought to post this because it isn't really a recipe - but for those interested - here's what I did the night before the first day of school...

I really should post a better picture that makes your mouth water - but this is the finished product - I get about 30 burritos per batch - you can freeze them as well - but there are 6 of us in the house including 2 growing teenagers - so we go through 30 in about 5 days

Breakfast Burritos

30 Soft taco size tortillas

30 oz bag shredded hash browns 

2 lbs ground sausage

large onion diced 

12 eggs

bag shredded cheese 

I use the same pan for everything - for 2 reasons: easy clean up AND after I've cooked each thing - it has time to dry out a bit bc I place everything to drain on paper towels.

Start with the hashbrowns - they have the most water content so they need the most time to dry out. Cook them per directions on package only adding salt and pepper to taste. 

Then the sausage. I've used mild Italian sausage, Jimmy Dean sausage, this time it was JD maple. Cook until brown - allow to drain on paper towels.

Sautee the onion in a little butter. My favorite hack is to buy frozen diced onion - such a cinch. Set aside.

Lastly, 12 eggs, beaten - if I don't have 12 - I usually add a little milk to help the eggs stretch. Season with salt and pepper to taste (sometimes I even add a little powdered garlic).

Assemble: Soft taco, hashbrowns, sausage, onion, eggs, cheese. Roll up like a burrito and them wrap them in tin foil like a burrito. 

To eat!! Remove foil. (I reuse my foil for the following weeks batch) Wrap in a paper towel and microwave for 45 - 60 seconds. ENJOY!!

*If you are going to freeze these - I still recommend wrapping in foil - but add an additional layer of plastic wrap. You don't have to thaw them, just remove plastic and foil - wrap in a paper towel and microwave for 1 1/2 - 2 minutes.

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!!

Jalapeno Cheese Bread

Man oh man was this GOOOOOOD!!! I got the recipe from my old fave Ree Drummond - aka the Pioneer Woman.

It sounds like it would be really spicy - but remember green chilis are extremely mild - they just add a kick. I actually don't like olives of any kind - but my husband and all 3 girls do. In the spirit of trying new things - I tried these. The olives just add texture and saltiness. The jalapenos add some spice - but not too much to be off putting - me, my husband and all 4 kids (15, 13, 10, 6) ate it up in no time!

I ONLY made this for dinner. No sides, nada. Our week nights are ridiculously busy and we often eat in 2 shifts. I made half for the first shift before running 1/2 the kids and hubs ate, then made the other half for me and the other 1/2 of the kids when we got home for the night. So we all got a nice hot dinner.

Jalapeno Cheese Bread
8 Tbs butter (one stick) softened - NOT MELTED
1/2 cup mayo (I have a child with an egg allergy so I used Veganaise)
4 oz can diced jalapenos
4 oz can diced green chili's
6 oz jar green olives, drained and finely diced (the green olives I found were stuffed with pimento - the red you see - I figured that was a better bet that buying garlic or blue cheese stuffed).
6 oz shredded cheddar (she suggests white cheddar - but I had regular cheddar on hand)
6 oz shredded pepper jack cheese
2 green onions diced (didn't have these so I skipped them)
1 loaf French bread cut in half lengthwise

Mix all ingredients except bread until well incorporated. Spread on bread. Bake at 325 for 20-25 minutes.

Go To Snacks

A friend posted on FB about new snack ideas as she is getting bored with their same old, same old. I started to answer - but then basically couldn't stop typing - so instead of boring her friends - I thought I'd jot my current snacks here.

To be honest, we just got back late last night from vacation and I was up for 21 hours unpacking and repacking my kids for another adventure that they left for this morning - without me! BOO! So. I'm skipping the individual servings this week - just wanted to show you what I have on hand.

Fruit and Veg



















watermelon
honey dew
cantaloupe
grapes
apples
dates
cherries
strawberries
peaches
carrots
cucumbers
broccoli
snap peas
grape tomatoes

I usually put it in individual sized Tupperware and stick them in the large middle drawer on our fridge with individual Tupperwares of ranch or vanilla pudding for dipping. We also usually have individual packs of hummus, guacamole and cream cheese

We also do A TON of cheese - those awesome Tillamoo's they have at Costco are the best - but they also sell lots of different flavors of them at the grocery store. Costco also has individual packs of fresh mozzarella! 













Other Dairy/refrigerated items
hard boiled eggs (seen above with fruit and veg)
Go-go squeeze - both applesauce and the new yogurt flavors
Greek yogurt
Diced peaches

*Obviously - we also eat a lot of sandwiches!!*





Pantry items: blue smoked almonds, cashews, trail mix, pine nuts, sliced almonds, granola, craisins, Nutella (for sandwiches or fruit dip) - also dried fruit - mango, coconut, etc.

English muffin + peanut butter (or butter or Nutella) + sliced apples + cinnamon and sugar - broil for a couple minutes - SO GOOD!

This bowl is constantly brimming with fruit. My kids can go through a bulk bag of Cuties in 2 or 3 days. I like to switch it up so they don't get sick of one particular fruit. Also, if I see something we've never tried before - or haven't had for a while in the produce section - I'll pick it up just to keep us on our toes.
We eat avocado on toast, just with salt and pepper, with salad dressing, with eggs, lots of options.

I buy bulk muffins, English muffins and croissants... I have an amazing tip for you!!

I FREEZE them!! They never go bad before they get eaten! The croissants only take about 10 minutes to thaw on the counter - and the kids love to heat the muffins in the microwave for about 30 seconds. I throw those bagels straight from the freezer to the toaster. See those hamburger buns, dinner bread and mini pizzas? Brilliant...

AND I didn't even take a picture of our cracker selection!!! Which - is pretty impressive - I just counted 14 different kinds - I may have a problem...

So there you have it!! What are your "GO TO SNACKS?"

Baked Ham and Cheese Sliders

So this recipe has been all over the internet and with leftover ham and swiss cheese - this recipe fit the bill!! These were so much better than I even imagined. Definitely making these again.

Baked Ham and Cheese Sliders
For the sauce:
3/4 c melted butter
2 T dijon mustard
1-2 t worcestershire
1-2 t poppy seeds
1-2 t onion powder
salt and pepper to taste

For the sammy:
12 rolls
ham
swiss cheese

Preheat the oven to 350. Cut the rolls in half and set in a 9x13 greased casserole dish. Put the bottom half of the rolls in the pan. Top with ham and cheese and then the top of the buns.

Add all the sauce ingredients together and pour over sandwiches. Bake for 20 minutes.

Roasted Carrots

I saw these rainbow carrots at my local grocery store and HAD to have them. My kids love roasted carrots - but these make this simple side dish special...

Roasted Carrots
Carrots (cut into match sticks)
Kosher Salt
Fresh cracked black pepper
EVOO

Cut carrots and drizzle with EVOO, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Place in a 400 degree oven and bake for 20 minutes.

Simple. Delicious.

Citrus Berry Salad

My sister told me about this salad she always gets at a restaurant called "Zupa's" and my mouth started watering! I HAD to make it tonight for dinner - it was so delicious - and even my kids and husband loved it!

The original has a house made dressing, pistachios instead of candied pecans and doesn't have chicken - I just went with what I had on hand.

Citrus Berry Salad
Spinach
Romaine
Blackberries
Mandarin oranges
Craisins
Candied pecans
Goat cheese
Grilled chicken
Brianna's Blush Wine Vinaigrette

OMGee. My son also added pomegranate seeds to his.

Cinnamon French Toast Casserole

This was another dish I made for a brunch I hosted for 30 people. Everyone raved about it!!

I found a basic recipe and then completely changed it - it was better than I even imagined!



Cinnamon French Toast Casserole
Great Harvest Cinnamon Burst Loaf *if you don't have a GH near you - any cinnamon bread will work
3 large eggs
1 1/2 c whole milk
1 T vanilla
1/4 t nutmeg

Grease a 9 x 13 casserole pan. Cut the loaf into squares approx 1" x 1" and lay them on the bottom of the pan.

Whisk all other ingredients together and pour over the top of the bread.

Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Take out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you put it in the oven. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

Serve with maple syrup or powdered sugar - or both!!

Bayou Bend Brunch Casserole

My awesome foodie friend, Elizabeth, suggested this for a brunch I was hosting for about 30 people. It was a big hit!! I made a few changes to the original recipe - which was featured on Good Morning America. I will most definitely be making this many many more times!!

It's not the greatest picture - but…

Bayou Bend Brunch Casserole

3/4 large loaf day old french bread, torn into small pieces

6 tbs. butter, melted

1 lb. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

1/2 lb. Genoa salami, julienned 

10 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk (whole)

3 large green onions, minced

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp. coarse ground black pepper 

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes 

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

In a well greased 9x13-inch casserole dish, spread bread pieces over bottom and drizzle with butter. Sprinkle with Montery jack cheese and salami pieces.

2. Beat together eggs,milk,wine,green onions,mustard and black and red pepper until mixture is frothy. Pour mixture over bread mixture. Cover casserole with foil and refrigerate overnight.

3. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake covered, at 325 degrees for 1 hour.

4. Uncover, spread with sour cream and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered an additional 10 minutes, until lightly browned.

Monterey Chicken

Once again, I forgot to take a picture with all the craziness going on around here. It isn't that attractive anyway - but man oh man does it taste delicious!

ALL my kids had seconds - ages 4 - 12 - rave reviews!!

Monterey Chicken
1/2 c cottage cheese
1/2 c sour cream
1/2 c cream cheese
1 c Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (I've also made it with Mozzarella)
4 cooked chicken breasts (I use 2 large cans of chicken chunks)
4 oz diced chilies
3 c cooked rice
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 t garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Tortilla chips, crushed

Blend all ingredients except chips, adding chicken and rice last. Make sure to break up the chicken chunks. Transfer into a 9x13 casserole dish and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Take out of the oven and sprinkle with tortilla chips.

Beef Stroganoff

I knew I had to make dinner tonight with ground beef - and I've sorta over done all my go to ground beef recipes lately. Then I remembered that my Mom used to make us a ghetto beef stroganoff - so I looked up a bunch of recipes and came up with this based on what I like and what I had on hand.

It's a weeknight (tons of running the kids to and from activities) and I was painting our family room - so we ate it all (in 2 shifts) so - as with most meals lately - I didn't take a picture and usually I forget to even blog the recipe - but tonight's recipe was just that good that I had to write it down!

The 3 big kids had TWO servings and I kept sneaking back to the beef sauce for more samples. Hubs liked his plate clean. Baby even ate her big kid size portion! Definitely making this again and again!

Beef Stroganoff(ish)
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 lg white onion big slices
1 container mushrooms pre sliced
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 T flour
12 oz stock (beef would be best - but I ALWAYS have chicken)
1 cup sour cream
Salt, Pepper & Garlic Powder
Pasta (usually this recipe uses egg noodles - but we have an egg allergy - so I just used penne)

Brown beef in skillet - drain on plate with paper towels. Sautee onion and mushrooms in butter and evoo until the onion is soft. Sprinkle flour over veg and stir to incorporate. Add beef back in, add cream of mushroom and stock, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Stir to incorporate. Cover and cook on low for 20-30 minutes - as long as it takes to boil the pasta water and cook the pasta.

Drain the pasta - drizzle in a little evoo and cover the pot. To the meat mixture add the sour cream and turn off the heat. Put the lid back on for a minute or two - then stir to incorporate. Taste and re-season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.

In my house - we always serve the pasta separate from the sauce - because I have 4 kids. If I was serving adults - I would add the pasta in to the meat mixture and then serve.

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.

Green Chili Frittata

This could also be named "Kitchen Sink Frittata" because you can use any leftover ingredients you have in your kitchen. The main components in this dish are the eggs and the milk - add whatever else you have on hand and WAHOO!! No wasted food!

I made Green Chili Enchiladas the other day and had leftovers of what went inside the enchiladas - minus the chicken - basically a bunch of veg… so I turned it into this!

Green Chili Frittata
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
6 eggs
1 c heavy cream or milk
1 c frozen corn
1 c diced tomatoes
1 c black beans (drained)
Roasted green chilis!!!!*
Cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Add the eggs and the milk together and whisk until incorporated.

If you are starting from scratch - and not with leftovers: sautee onions until translucent. Add all other ingredients except cheese - bring to a simmer.

Add the chili mixture to the egg mixture, add shredded cheese - stir until incorporated.

Butter an oven safe skillet (I use a 10" cast iron skillet) - pour mixture in - add extra cheese on top if you are totally crazy for cheese like I am and bake it at 375 for 40-45 minutes. You want the edges to be nice and brown. Let it sit for 5 - 10 minutes before serving.

* HUGE TIP ALERT!! I lived in New Mexico for 7 years - yes - the home of the Hatch Green Chili. When I don't have freshly roasted Hatch Green Chili (or freshly roasted and flash frozen by yours truly) I either buy the Hatch brand OR a brand called "505 Southwestern" which is roasted green chili peppers with lime juice - oh. so. delicioso. We moved out of New Mexico state a few months ago and the ONE THING my husband insisted on was that I would buy a new (large bottle 2 pack) of 505 every time I went to Costco before we moved. We moved out of state 3 1/2 months ago and we are on our last of 10 bottles!!!! I actually did a post on our tradition of picking up a 25 lb box of chili's, having them roasted, peeling them and dividing them into serving sized baggies and also into homemade green chili sauce - but it was on my family blog that has been outdated forever.

Sausage & Bow Tie Pasta with Vodka Sauce

Sausage & Bow Tie Pasta with Vodka Sauce
1 - 1 1/2 lbs sausage
3/4 - 1 lb pasta (I use bow ties a lot but anything will do)
1 c heavy cream
1 c tomato sauce (I've even used pre made marinara in it's place)
1 T EVOO
1 T Butter
2 cloves garlic
1/2 - 3/4 c chicken stock
Parsley, basil, salt & pepper to taste* Fresh Parsley and basil are the best - use it if you can.

In a deep pan (like my large Creuset) crumble and brown the sausage until it is no longer pink. When you are finished - set the sausage on a separate plate covered with a paper towel to soak up some of the grease.

Using the same large pot you used for the sausage, fill with water and set to boil for the pasta.

Meanwhile, dice your onion, garlic, parsley & basil.

Sautee your onion and garlic in butter and EVOO. When the onion is nice and translucent, add the chicken stock. Now, it's probably time to add your pasta to the boiling water - do that.

Then add tomato sauce and slowly add the heavy cream. When it is all incorporated add the cooked sausage to the sauce and incorporate that. The pasta should be ready to drain. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water just in case the sauce is too thick for your preference.

After the pasta is drained, add the sauce (now including the sausage) into the large stock pot with the noodles. Add parsley, basil, salt and pepper. Serve!

*I hope this recipe makes sense - I make it all the time so it might seem all over the place - and sorry about the picture! I grabbed my sons lunch bowl with some leftovers the next day for the pic.

Breakfast Bake

Boy howdy do I love a good breakfast. My husband it the breakfast KING - when he is home he spoils us with omelets, waffles, pancakes, fried eggs, scrambled eggs - THE WORKS!

BUT - when he's not home we usually settle for cereal and once in a while I'll bust something delicious out - like this little number… I didn't have a recipe just whipped it up and DANG!

Breakfast Bake
1/2 - 3/4 bag frozen hash browns (diced or shredded)
Deli ham diced in bite sized pieces
7 Eggs
1 c Milk
1/2 t mustard powder
Salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste
Cheese - I used shredded cheddar

Mix eggs, milk and seasonings together - set aside.

In a 9x13" casserole dish, spray with PAM and line with hash browns. Sprinkle with ham and cheese then pour egg mixture over the top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.