Potato and Corn Chowder

Hey everyone!  I know it's been a while (since October!) but I'm back, and trying to multitask so I can get back on track with this blog.  My photography has been taking off, and I've been very busy with it, especially through November and December, so I was making a lot of repeat recipes, and any new ones, I forgot to take pictures.  I have challenged myself to a photo a day project, so when I make a new recipe, I'm going to try to make my photo for that day of the recipe I make.  Multitasking at it's best!  Anyway, onto this awesome soup recipe.  I found this one on another blog through Pinterest, and modified it to my liking.

Ingredients:
8 oz (1/2 lb) bacon, cooked until crispy.  I used Turkey Bacon.
2 1/2 lbs Russet Potatoes, rinsed, NOT peeled, and diced into 1/4 inch cubes
8 cups kernel corn (frozen is fine)
1 medium-large yellow onion, finely chopped
6-8 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
32 oz Chicken stock or broth
16 oz half & half or heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
salt & pepper to taste

Vegetarian Substitutions:
Veggie Broth instead of Chicken Broth
Veggie Bacon (yes this does exist, I Googled!)

Method:
This was originally a crock pot recipe but I modified it for the stovetop.  Simmer garlic and onions in a small amount of the chicken broth until tender.  Add in the rest of the broth, potatoes, and corn, and seasoned salt.  Turn up the heat, bring to a boil and let cook until the potatoes start to get tender, 10-15 minutes or so depending on your stove.  While that is cooking, chop up the bacon into whatever size pieces you like.  I like them a bit smaller.  When the potatoes are tender, add in the bacon.  If you have a hand blender, remove soup from the heat and blend about half of it.  If you don't, take out half the soup and blend in a blender.  Return to pot/heat.  Add cream, and salt & pepper to taste.  I added in a little more seasoned salt too.  Cook until blended and heated through, and serve.

The Verdict:
We loved this the first time I made it, and I decided to make it again since it's pretty simple.  Very tasty.  It can be made vegetarian with the substitutions I listed above.  It came out a bit thicker the first time I made, it and it was really good.  I didn't weigh my potatoes this time around, so I think I didn't have as much.  If you like a thicker soup, use more potato.  If you like it a bit thinner, use less.  Simple as that!  Enjoy!

Chicken and Dumplings Soup

I recently picked up another Taste of Home magazine, and this one was all soups.  One of the first ones I noticed was a Chicken and Dumpling recipe.  I've wanted to make one for a while.  It turns out this magazine has 2 recipes in it, so I took the parts I liked from each one and combined them into my own.  It came out great!

Sorry for the low quality photo.  I seem to have forgotten to take a pic, so I had to use one from my phone!

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped

Olive Oil

1/2 cup flour

10 cups water

1/3 cup chicken bouillon granules

1 16oz package of frozen peas and carrots

1 1/2 to 2 lbs chicken breast, chopped or cubed

1 can Cream of Chicken soup, undiluted

1 can Cream of Mushroom soup, undiluted

Black Pepper to taste

All purpose biscuit/baking mix

Method:

In a stock pot, saute onion in olive oil until tender.  Stir in flour until blended.  Add water (or broth if you decide to go that route, see my recommendations), bouillon, chicken, and pepper.  Bring to a boil and let chicken cook a little bit.  Add in the cans of soup and mix well.  Let this mixture cook for a few minutes at a simmer.  While this is cooking, follow the directions on the back of the biscuit mix box to make dumplings.  I honestly just mixed the baking mix and milk until it looked good enough!  As far as an amount, if you want a lot of dumplings, make a double or triple batch of the portion on the box.  The original recipe I pulled this from used 5 cups of mix with 1 1/3 cup milk, but that seemed like a lot, so I used a little more than half that and it was a pretty good amount. Once the mix is blended, drop rounded tablespoonfuls (or whatever size you prefer) into the simmering soup.  Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in a dumpling comes out clean.  Do not lift the cover while simmering!

My Recommendations:

As I said, I pulled this from 2 different Chicken and Dumpling recipes in the magazine.  Next time I think I will just buy chicken broth instead of going with the bouillon.  It will probably be a lot less salty, and therefore, more healthy.  Also, I kind of guessed on the dumplings but they still turned out great, a little bit doughy, just like I like.  Next time I think I will do a little bit smaller pieces of dumpling, but that's all personal preference.

The Verdict:

Love this one!  I had actually had the Chicken and Dumplings soup by Campbell's Chunky a while back, and thought about trying to make it. I kind of forgot about it until now.  This soup is exactly what I was looking for, but way better than the canned version!  I will definitely be making this again, especially over the winter.  I'm sure it will be great for freezing too.

Easy Peasy Pulled Pork

The title says it all!  This has been a go to meal the last couple of weeks because I've been pressed for time after moving, and working long hours, and hubby keeps asking for it!  Can't go wrong there.

The ingredients are so simple, I don't even need a list!  All you need is a boneless pork roast, the larger the better (as long as it fits in your slow cooker, I have a large one), and a bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce.  

Method:

If there is some fat on the roast, go ahead and trim it off.  The one I bought this week didn't have much so I didn't bother.  Place the roast in the slow cooker and cover it with the sauce.  I leave a bit left in the bottle for later.  Cook the roast on low for 4-6 hours (for a newer slow cooker, longer for an older one).  Once it has cooked, pull it out and place it on a cutting board.  Take 2 forks and shred the meat.  If there is a gadget for this part, I'd love to find it!  Once it's shredded well, return to the pot and mix in well with the left over BBQ sauce/juices.  Add a bit more of the fresh sauce and cook for a bit longer on low, maybe half an hour to an hour.  If you don't have the time, toss it on high for a half hour.  There's really no rule or set time, so use your judgement.  Serve on hamburger buns or bread of your choice!  It's as simple as that.

Verdict:

This is a staple go to in our house.  It's easy to cook overnight with my programmable slow cooker, or all day while you're at work, and it doesn't require much in the way of prepping.  You can also add your own variations with some chopped onion or peppers, or other veggies, and I've also made a version with an Enchilada Sauce instead of BBQ, from a slow cooker magazine I have, which I'll post the next time I make!

Black Bean Soup

One of my coworkers asked me if I could make a black bean soup.  I decided to give it a try since I'd never really had it before, let alone made it, but since I love black beans, why wouldn't I like black bean soup?  For some reason I thought Hubby didn't like it, but I was wrong.  He was so excited when I told him I was making my coworker's request!  I actually made this once a while back, and had meant to post it, then lost all my info!  I had pulled my ideas from a few recipes I found online.  I searched and found it all again and made the soup for this week, and I think it turned out even better this time.  So it all works out!  You can make this with any broth you like, so it can be vegetarian (possibly vegan) if you use veggie broth.  I don't know much about vegan cooking, but if it counts then, even better!  I think the only thing that's not vegan would be the cheese and sour cream toppings recommended at the end.

Ingredients:

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium to large onion, finely chopped

1 red bell pepper, finely chopped

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

(1) 32 oz carton of your broth of choice (veggie, chicken or beef will work, your preference)

(3) 29 oz cans of black beans (mostly drained, not rinsed, and divided)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder

1 teaspoon oregano
A handful of fresh finely chopped Cilantro
Ground Black Pepper to taste

Juice of 1 Lemon

3 tablespoons cornstarch

3 tablespoons water

Preparation and Cooking Method:

Heat oil in large soup pot over medium-high heat.  Sauté onions for 2-3 minutes until translucent.  Add bell pepper and garlic and sauté 1-2  minutes more.  Add broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and let simmer for 3-4 minutes.  Return heat to medium high.  Add half of the beans, salt, cumin, oregano, and cayenne powder and mix well.  Cook for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat temporarily.  If you have a hand blender, puree the soup mixture right in the pot.  Otherwise you will have to use a blender, and probably do it in a couple separate rounds depending on how much soup you make.  After the mix is pureed, return soup to heat, and add the rest of the beans and cilantro.  Combine the cornstarch and water and mix well.  Add the lemon juice and the cornstarch mixture to the soup, stir, and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes or so.

The Verdict:

I think I changed a few things from the first time I cooked this, but it came out awesome this time!  I will be very happy eating this all week, and so will Hubby.  If you want a little more texture, keep some of the onions and peppers aside and add them after you puree.  I was going to do this, and even had some that I set aside, but not thinking, I threw them in the pot before I pureed everything.  If you want the soup to be thicker, add more beans before pureeing, and vice versa if you don't like it as thick.  Top the soup with some shredded monterey jack cheese, scallions and sour cream if you like as well.

Click here for the printable PDF recipe page!

Chicken and Brown Rice Soup

Here's a great easy recipe I based off a recipe I found on the Whole Foods website.  It's easy to prep and fast to cook.  We had it for dinner tonight and it was hubby approved.  It's also very light and low calorie.  Also, don't be confused by the tags for this soup.  A couple easy changes will make this a vegetarian dish.

Ingredients:

8 cups chicken broth, (or vegetable broth for vegetarian) divided

1 medium onion, chopped 

3 medium carrots, chopped 

2 stalks celery, chopped 

2 cups water 

1 cup long grain brown rice 

½ lb chicken breast, diced into 1/2 inch cubes (tofu or quartered button mushrooms for vegetarian) 

1 bay leaf 

1 bunch kale, thick stems removed and leaves thinly sliced 

salt and pepper to taste 

oregano to taste 

Method:

In a large pot over medium-high heat, bring ½ cup broth to a simmer. Add onion, carrots and celery and cook until onion is translucent, stirring occasionally. Add remaining broth, water, rice, chicken and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook about 35 minutes or until rice is tender and chicken is cooked through. Remove bay leaf and stir in kale. Continue cooking just until kale is wilted and tender.

The Verdict:

As I said above, this was hubby approved and very easy to make.  It made a pretty decent amount so we should get a few days of meals out of it.  You can also make 2 easy changes to make this a vegetarian meal.  The original recipe didn't call for the salt, pepper, or oregano.  I added the oregano, but I would like a little more flavor, so I will add a tiny bit of salt and some pepper next time.  Over all, it was very tasty and light and I look forward to the left overs!

Click here to download the PDF page for this recipe!

Dad's Jambalaya!

This recipe comes to you courtesy of my Dad, Phil Morris.  He's made it many times and I finally got him to give it to me so I could share it on my blog.  It's a delicious, easy, and quick one pot, stovetop recipe.  There weren't exact measurements on most of the ingredients, so bear with me, I'm guessing.  This will give you a chance to eye it yourself and put in the amounts you want!

Ingredients:

1 lb or so Chicken breasts or tenders diced into small pieces

1 package Andouille Sausage (or Kielbasa, a cheaper alternative)

1 Large or 2 Medium Green Bell Peppers

1 Medium-Large Onion

2 cups chopped Celery

Fresh Garlic (optional)

28 oz. can Diced Tomatoes with the juice

2 32 oz. cartons Chicken Stock

1- 1.5 cups Long Grain White Rice (not instant)

Tobasco/Hot Sauce to taste

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

Olive Oil

1-2 dried Bay Leaves

Cajun or Creole seasoning

Preparation and Cooking:

Dice the chicken (raw) and slice up the sausage or kielbasa.  Put in a large mixing bowl and coat well and evenly with the cajun or creole seasoning.  Set aside.  Chop up the peppers, onion, celery.  Mince garlic if you're using it.  Heat the oil on medium in the stock pot.  Add the vegetables and simmer until they are tender, and the onions are transparent.  Add tomatoes with their juice.  Add in Tobasco and Worcestershire sauces, bay leaves, and rice and stir.  Slowly add the broth a bit at a time, allowing it to warm in the pot each time.  Bring the soup mix to a simmer, then add the meat.  Bring back to a simmer and cook until the meat and rice are done.  Remove Bay leaves if you can find them.

My Recommendations:

I don't really have any changes for this one.  I don't feel I used enough of the meat so I'll definitely use more next time.  I only used one pepper, and I should have used the second one I bought.  I also used a bit more than one cup of rice, because as usual, I felt like 1 cup wasn't enough, and I wanted to get rid of the few remnants in the bag that I had.  It came out a little thick but it's still tasty.  I'd rather fill it out with more veggies and meat, so I'll plan accordingly next time.  My Dad recommended buying chicken tenders because they cut up a lot quicker than trying to dice raw chicken breasts.  I will fully agree with him on that one, and will now use tenders in any recipe I do involving diced chicken.  You can also add shrimp to the recipe if you like, probably in place of the chicken.  I don't like seafood, so there won't be any shrimp in my recipe.


As I said above, the recipe usually calls for Andouille sausage, which is usually more expensive.  I found Johnsonville's New Orleans Spicy Andouille Sausage for a good price.  You can also use your  choice of kielbasa if you like.  I also used Zatarain's Creole Seasoning in place of the Cajun mix my Dad usually uses, because I ran out of our favorite Bayou Cajun that we had.  I couldn't find Cajun at the grocery store I was in, and the Creole was actually fairly cheap and perfect for this recipe.

The Verdict:

The Hubby loved this recipe when he had it at my Dad's house, so there was no question he would like it when I made it.  He did give me his approval anyway, so that makes me happy.  This one makes a lot and my Dad says it freezes well too.  It's also a one pot recipe, so it's fast and easy.  The veggies and meat take a little prep work, but that's about it.

Click here to download a printable page for this recipe! (PDF)

Hearty Minestrone Soup

Here is another recipe I got from the Whole Foods website many months ago.  I finally decided to try it.  Once again it was rave reviews all around.  I love it, and my husband and coworkers did too!  It's also one of a very few vegetarian recipes I have, which I'd like to find more of.  Here it is on the stove, still cooking in my new stock pot.  I don't have a picture of the finished product, I forgot!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil 

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 

1 medium yellow onion, chopped 

6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth 

1/4 cup tomato paste 

1/4 cup chopped parsley 

1 tablespoon chopped basil 

2 large stalks of celery, sliced 

2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped 

1 dried bay leaf 

1 (28-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, with their liquid 

1 cup canned chickpeas, drained 

1 cup dried fusilli (rotini) pasta 

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini or white beans, drained 

Salt and pepper to taste 

3/4 to 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional for topping soup when serving)

Preparation and Cooking:

In a large stockpot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and onions and cook until translucent. Add broth, tomato paste, parsley, basil, celery, carrots, bay leaf, and tomatoes with their juice and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Add chickpeas, pasta, and beans and simmer for another 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

My Recommendations:

The recipe originally called for cabbage, but hubby and I aren't fans so I left it out.  I also didn't read once again, and just used the whole can of chickpeas but it actually worked out because I made a little bit more than the recipe calls for.  The only size containers of broth I could find at the store were 32 oz each.  They were really low on broth that day.  I didn't feel like having left over veggie broth that would just sit in the fridge and go bad,  so I used it all.  It was only an extra 2 cups of broth.  I just added in a little more of each of the veggies.  Of course, being part Sicilian, I didn't think 1 cup of dry noodles was enough.  I was wrong.  I went overboard and put way too many in and it soaked up a lot of the broth.  It was still good, but next time I make this, I will stick to the recipe on the noodle amount!  I also used whole grain rotini.  I couldn't tell the difference.  It tasted great!  Other than that, I just had a little fun with spices from the spice rack, tossing in a little Oregano, Basil, and whatever else smelled like it would go well!

The Verdict:

All around good reviews.  I'll definitely be making it again, with less pasta so it's more soupy.  It's a very filling and tasty soup!  This recipe makes a lot, and I'm sure it would be great for freezing as well.

Click here to download this recipe page!

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

No weekend is complete around our house without a yummy Sunday dinner.  On this week's menu, it was Campbell's Kitchen's Chicken and Dumplings.  I have been wanting to try this one for a while, and finally got around to it.  I was under time constraints so I feel like I need to try it again to really get it just right, but it came out great, and I can't wait to eat my leftovers for dinner after I finish this post!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 - 2 lbs boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups)

2 cups baby-cut carrots

2 stalks celery, sliced (about 1 cup)

2 cans (10 3/4 ounces each) Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup

1 cup water or chicken broth

1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 cups all-purpose baking mix

2/3 cup milk

Preparation and Method:

Stir the chicken, potatoes, carrots and celery in a 6-quart slow cooker.  Stir the soup, water, thyme and black pepper in a medium bowl. Pour the soup mixture over the chicken and vegetables. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours (or high 4 to 5 hours), or until the chicken is cooked through. Stir the baking mix and milk in a medium bowl. Drop the batter by spoonfuls onto the chicken mixture. Increase the heat to HIGH (if not already cooking on high). Tilt the lid to vent and cook for 30 minutes or until the dumplings are cooked in the center.

My Recommendations:

I didn't vary much from the recipe on this one.  I think I misread and used too much Thyme, but not the end of the world.  I added a tiny bit of Cumin, but probably could have added some more.  It definitely needs a little bit more spice and flavor, so feel free to add a little salt and pepper, and your other favorite spices or seasonings.  I also made the spoonfuls of dumpling batter pretty large and they didn't want to cook in the center of the pot, so I would make them smaller.  They kind of turn into biscuits on top instead of dough-balls in the batter, but they are still good.  I just think mine were too big.  Like I said, it was a little rushed so I probably could have let them sit a little longer.  Other than that, I'd say feel free to add other veggies if you like.  I may add peas next time.  From reading the reviews, one of the people added chicken broth instead of water, hence why I added it in the ingredient list.  I had bought some to do this, but I forgot.  The amount of food is good, but if you need more, you can definitely make 1/2 recipe extra if you have the 6 qt slow cooker.  There was plenty of room.  

The Verdict:

Me, my husband, and his brother all loved it.  I will keep this one in my arsenal, and try a few more additions to vary it up a little bit.  What I really liked about this recipe is that I didn't have to pre-cook the chicken.  It's kind of gross and difficult cutting up raw chicken, but once it was done, I threw everything else in the pot and called it good.  I think it also helped the chicken soak up more of the flavor.  Finally I am done, and now I can go enjoy my left overs!

Click here to download a printable recipe page for this recipe!

Chicken and White Bean Soup

Hello All, I hope you had a good Christmas!  I was on vacation, and therefore, not motivated to do much of anything computer related, aside from playing the Sims.  But that doesn't mean I wasn't cooking!

I adapted this recipe from a couple I had, and it turned out fabulous!  It was originally supposed to be a white chicken chili, but ended up as a soup, and I was not disappointed.  I've learned if I want something to thicken, I need to get a good stock pot and cook on the stove.

I had all the ingredients, and kind of winged it as far as amounts go, so I will try to guestimate, but use your judgement depending on pot size and amount you actually want to make.  This filled a 6 qt slow cooker nearly to the brim, and it took a while, and me bringing some to work for my coworkers for us to get rid of it all!

Ingredients:

6-8 cups Chicken stock or broth

2-3 16 oz cans of White Kidney (Cannellini) Beans (I used 3)

5-6 cups diced cooked (or boiled) chicken

2 cans Cream of Chicken condensed soup

1-2 cups Salsa of your choice

1 cup water

1-1.5 cups chopped onion (I use sweet onions in everything)

1-2 Tablespoons Chili Powder

1-2 Tablespoons Oregano

2-3 Garlic cloves, minced

1/4-1/2 teaspoon Cayenne powder

1-2 tablespoons Cumin (my new favorite spice!)

If you like other spices, or some salt and pepper, feel free to add those in if you like

Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese - for serving on top of soup (optional)

Preparation:

There's really not much to it.  I boiled a few large chicken breasts and diced them up.  Then everything went into the crock pot and was mixed well.  Set the crock pot for 6-8 hours on low and you're done!  You oculd also cook on high 3-4 hours.  When it's done, stir, and serve topped with the shredded cheese or even a little sour cream, or let cool and store/refrigerate!

The Verdict:

No modifications for this one since it was somewhat my own.  Like I said, this was a combo of two recipes, and it came out way better than I ever expected!  We definitely ended up with a lot so if you don't want or need a whole lot, cut the recipe in half, or you can make the whole batch, then freeze the rest.  It was very flavorful and tasty.  Hubby and I both had quite a bit over the week our portion lasted, and 2 of my coworkers had some that I brought to work, and all I heard was rave reviews, especially since one of them ate 3 or 4 bowls over 2 days, then handed me the empty container with a big smile on his face.  It helps to have a husband and guy coworkers that are garbage disposals I suppose :)

Edited to Add:
I have also cooked this in the soup pot on top of the stove.  If you need it more quickly than in the slow cooker, go this route.  You can just toss everything in, and since it will be boiling, you can put the chicken in raw after you dice!

Click here to download a printable page for this recipe!