Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Soup

Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Soup

Ingredients:

2	tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
1	medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
2	teaspoons finely chopped garlic
2	pounds beef boneless chuck, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch pieces
1	teaspoon salt
1/8	teaspoon pepper
2	medium carrots, cut lengthwise in half, then cut into 1/4-inch slices
1	cup uncooked pearl barley
2	cartons (32 ounces each) Progresso® beef flavored broth
1 1/2	cups Green Giant® frozen sweet peas (from 1-pound bag)
1	cup Green Giant® Niblets® frozen whole kernel corn (from 1-pound bag)

 

Directions:

1.	Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onion, garlic, beef, salt and pepper in oil 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is browned.
2.	Spoon beef mixture into 6-quart slow cooker. Stir in carrots, barley and broth.
3.	Cover and cook on Low heat setting 8 to 9 hours.
4.	Increase heat setting to High. Stir in frozen peas and corn. Cover and cook 8 to 10 minutes or until peas and corn are hot.

Chicken and Spinach Tortellini Soup

Chicken and Spinach Tortellini Soup

Ingredients:

1	tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
1/3	cup chopped green onions (about 5 medium)
1/3	cup julienne carrots (1 1/2x1/4x1/4 inch)
1	teaspoon finely chopped garlic
6	cups Progresso® chicken broth (from two 32-oz cartons)
2	cups shredded deli rotisserie chicken (from 2- to 2 1/2-lb chicken)
1	cup frozen small cheese-filled tortellini
1/4	teaspoon ground nutmeg, if desired
1/8	teaspoon pepper
3	cups chopped fresh spinach

 

Directions:

1.	In 4 1/2- to 5-quart Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook onions, carrots and garlic in oil 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until onions are softened.
2.	Stir in broth and chicken. Heat to boiling. Stir in tortellini; reduce heat to medium. Cover; cook 3 to 5 minutes or until tortellini are tender.
3.	Stir in nutmeg, pepper and spinach. Cover; cook 2 to 3 minutes or until spinach is hot.

Slow Cooker Zesty Black Bean Soup

Slow Cooker Zesty Black Bean Soup


Ingredients:

2	cups dried black beans (1 pound), sorted and rinsed
10	cups water
8	cups vegetable broth
2	cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
2	medium carrots, coarsely chopped (1 cup)
2	medium onions, coarsely chopped (1 cup)
1/4	cup chopped fresh cilantro
2	teaspoons finely chopped garlic
1	teaspoon salt
1/4	teaspoon pepper
1/8	teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
	Sour cream, if desired
	Chopped fresh cilantro, if desired

Directions:

1.	Heat beans and water to boiling in 4-quart Dutch oven; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 10 minutes; remove from heat. Cover and let stand 1 hour.
2.	Drain beans. Place beans and remaining ingredients except sour cream and cilantro in 6-quart slow cooker.
3.	Cover and cook on Low heat setting 10 to 12 hours.
4.	Serve soup topped with sour cream and cilantro.

Chunky Tomato Soup

Chunky Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

2	tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
2	medium stalks celery, coarsely chopped (1 cup)
2	medium carrots, coarsely chopped (1 cup)
2	cloves garlic, finely chopped
2	cans (28 oz each) plum (Roma) tomatoes, undrained
2	cups water
1	teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/2	teaspoon pepper
1	carton (32 oz) Progresso® chicken broth (4 cups)

 

Directions:

1.	In 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add celery, carrots and garlic; cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until carrots are crisp-tender.
2.	Stir in tomatoes, breaking up tomatoes coarsely. Stir in water, basil, pepper and broth. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Easy Bread Bowls

Easy Bread Bowls

Ingredients:

1	loaf (1 pound) frozen bread dough, thawed
1	tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
1	teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/2	teaspoon garlic salt

 

Directions:

1.	Lightly grease outsides of six 10-ounce custard cups with shortening (do not use cooking spray). Place cups upside down on large cookie sheet.
2.	Divide dough into 6 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball, then pat into 6- inch round. Place rounds over bottoms of custard cups. Brush dough with oil. Sprinkle with basil and garlic salt. Cover and let rise in warm place 20 minutes.
3.	Heat oven to 350°. Bake 16 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes; remove from cups and place right side up on wire rack. (Interiors of bread bowls may be slightly moist.)
4.	To serve, place warm or cooled bread bowls in individual shallow soup or pasta bowls. Spoon soup, stew or chili into bread bowls.

Ranch Taco Soup

Ranch Taco Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
2 Tbs. taco seasoning
2 Tbs. Ranch seasoning and salad dressing mix
1 can chicken broth
1 can water
2 cans kidney beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can corn, drained (I used frozen white corn)
1 can green beans, drained (I used frozen green beans)


Directions:

Brown beef and onion.  Add in seasonings and mix well.  Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.  Turn down to low and cook for 30 minutes, covered.  Serve with tortilla chips, grated cheese, sour cream, and other desired toppings.

Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup

Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup

Ingredients:

1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
4 large carrots, diced or 15 baby carrots, diced
1 tsp. minced garlic
5 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1 or 2 cans chicken
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 can corn or 1 cup frozen corn
1 12oz can fat-free evaporated milk
salt and pepper to taste
bay leaf (optional)


Directions:

Put olive oil large pot. Add onion, carrots and celery. Cook on medium heat until tender. Add garlic and stir for 1 minute. Add broth, chicken, rice, corn and seasonings. Cover and cook on medium heat for 20 minutes. Then add evaporated milk. Stir and cook on low until ready to serve.

*She added cornstarch to thicken soup, but I didn't have any and it turned out just fine.

Orange Tortilla Soup

Orange Tortilla Soup



Ingredients:

1 Medium yellow onion, chopped
1 Clove Garlic, minced
4 Celery Stalks, sliced
3 Tbs. Vegetable Oil
2 ½ C. Chicken Broth
1 ½ C. Orange Juice
1 14 oz. Can Tomato Sauce
1 C. Water
1 4 oz. can Diced Green Chilies
1 Tbs. Chopped Cilantro
½ Bag Matchstick Carrots ( I used diced)
2-3 Chicken Breasts

Toppings: Grated Pepper Jack/Cheddar Cheese/ Queso Fresco (mexican crumbling cheese)
Tortilla Strips/Chips
Sour Creams
Avocado


Directions:

1. In large pot sauté onion, garlic, celery, and carrots with oil until onions are translucent.
2. Add broth, orange juice, water, and tomato sauce, cilantro, and chilies and simmer until vegetables are tender.
3. While soup is simmering pan fry or grill the chicken breasts with taco seasoning (optional), then shred or dice (I prefer diced) into small pieces. Add to soup.
4. Add your favorite toppings. Enjoy!

Chicken and Dumplings

Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients:

6 cups chicken broth (1 1/2 boxes or 3 cans) OR 6 c. water + 6 chicken bouillon cubes
1 lb. cooked chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces (I use 1/2 of a fauxtisserie chicken and it's FABULOUS! You could also use leftover rotisserie chicken from the grocery store)
1 c. sliced carrots
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 onion, minced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 bay leaf
1 handful of chopped fresh parsley (or 1 Tbsp. dried parsley)
1/2 tsp. basil
1 14-oz. can evaporated milk (fat free is fine)
1 recipe of Bisquik dumplings (recipe is on the box) or 1 small package of Kluski noodles

Directions:

In a large pot, heat some olive oil over medium heat and add onions and garlic. Saute for a few minutes and then add chicken broth, chicken, bay leaf, and basil. Bring to a boil. Add carrots and celery and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until carrots and celery are tender. When carrots and celery are almost done, add chopped parsley. Add evaporated milk. Increase heat to boiling and add noodles or add prepared Bisquik by small spoonfuls (they'll really puff up while they're cooking). Cook until noodles are tender or until dumplings are cooked through (they should appear moist but feel firm; this is after about 4-5 minutes).

One other thing--if you know you'll have leftovers, only add dumplings or noodles to what you know you'll eat immediately. The noodles/dumplings will soak up all the liquid in the soup when you store it as leftovers, so you'll have overly-mushy noodles and chicken with no broth if you don't. The other thing you can do is add all of the dumplings or all of the noodles, and then store the dumplings or noodles separately from the rest of the soup. That's easy to do with dumplings, not so much with noodles.

Serves 5-6-ish...

Jalapeno Beef Stew

Jalapeno Beef Stew

Ingredients:

6 whole shallots
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter or vegetable oil
1 lb. beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes (or pre-cut stew meat)
1/3 cup flour
3-4 jalapeños, seeded and minced
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 large potato, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 red onion, peeled and diced
1 cup port or red wine
2 cup beef stock (fresh or canned)
1 tablespoon rubbed sage
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Toss shallots with olive oil and roast in a 350 degree for 35 minutes or until soft and brown.  Set aside.  Heat butter or vegetable oil in a large deep saucepan/dutch oven over medium heat.  Toss beef with flour to coat and place in hot butter or oil.  Increase heat and sauté for 5-10 minutes.  (Don’t crowd the meat.)  Transfer meat to a bowl, cover it loosely with aluminum foil, and set aside. Using the same large saucepan/dutch oven, sauté jalapeños, carrots, potato, and red onion in meat drippings over medium heat, tossing to prevent burning, until onion turns translucent.  Stir in wine, beef stock, sage, and oregano.  Cook over low heat, with lid slightly ajar, for 30-40 minutes.  Stir in reserved beef and shallots, and continue cooking for 30 more minutes or until meat and vegetables are done.  Season with salt and pepper.   Serve hot.

Ravioli & Vegetable Soup

Ravioli & Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups frozen bell pepper and onion mix, thawed and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed crushed red pepper, or to taste (optional)
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted
1 15-ounce can vegetable broth or reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups hot water
1 teaspoon dried basil or marjoram
1 6- to 9-ounce package fresh or frozen cheese (or meat) ravioli, preferably whole-wheat
2 cups diced zucchini, (about 2 medium)
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add pepper-onion mix, garlic and crushed red pepper (if using) and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, broth, water and basil (or marjoram); bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Add ravioli and cook for 3 minutes less than the package directions. Add zucchini; return to a boil. Cook until the zucchini is crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Season with pepper.4 servings, about 2 cups each

Beef 'N' Bean Chili

Beef 'N' Bean Chili

Ingredients:

4 cups Beef 'N' Bean Starter, thawed
1 jar (16 ounces) picante sauce
1/2 cup sliced green onions
2 teaspoons chili powder
Sour cream, optional

Directions:

In a large saucepan, combine the first four ingredients. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat until heated through. Serve with sour cream if desired. Yield: 5 servings.

Beef 'N' Bean Tortellini Soup

Beef & Bean Tortellini Soup

 Ingredients:

4 cups Beef 'N' Bean Starter, thawed
2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) beef broth
2 cups frozen broccoli stir-fry vegetable blend
1 cup frozen cheese tortellini
3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Shredded Parmesan cheese, optional

Directions:

In a large saucepan, combine the first five ingredients. Bring to a boil. reduce heat; cook and stir for 6-8 minutes or until vegetables and tortellini are tender. Garnish with Parmesan cheese if desired. Yield: 8 servings.

Zuppa Toscana Soup

Zuppa Toscana Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb ground italian sausage

2 large potatoes, thinly sliced

1 onion, chopped

1/2 C crumbled bacon 

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups of kale, torn

32 oz chieken broth

1 quart water

1 C whipping cream (we used skim milk)

Directions:

Cook sausage on stovetop and set aside. In large stockpot, add potatoes, onion, garlic, water & chicken broth. Cook until potatoes are done. Add bacon bits & sausage. Simmer 10 min. Add cream & kale. Cook 2 minutes. Salt & pepper to taste.

Mimi's Cafe Corn Chowder

Mimi's Cafe Corn Chowder

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter (1/2 a stick)
6 tablespoons chopped onions
3/4 cup diced celery
2 1/2 cups hot water
2 cups cubed potatoes (1/2 inch pieces)
3 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 dash white pepper
3 tablespoons flour
1 quart half-and-half cream


Directions:

Melt butter in large saucepan. Once melted add celery and onion and saute for 5 minutes (not til brown, just til soft).

Add water, potatoes, corn, sugar, salt and pepper, making sure water covers everything, adding more if not covered completely. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, usually about 30 minutes.

Whisk flour into 1 cup of the half and half and then stir into soup.

Add remaining half and half and simmer until soup is thickened to a creamy consistency (usually about 15 minutes).

Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if wanted. If the chowder is too thick, add some milk, if it is too thin, simmer for 5-10 minutes more.

Black Bean Chowder with Yogurt-Cilantro Relish

Black Bean Chowder with Yogurt-Cilantro Relish

Ingredients:

1 (32 oz) package dried black beans
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, pressed
Olive oil
1 small ham hock
1 4-oz can diced green chilies
6 cups chicken stock
6 cups milk
2 tablespoons butter
3 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese
4 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon mild curry powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
Relish
1 cup plain yogurt
2 cups chopped cucumber (peeled and seeded)
1 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Place beans in a colander and rinse the beans well. Place in an 8-quart Dutch oven and cover with water (about an inch over the top of the beans) and soak overnight.

The next morning, prepare the relish by mixing all the ingredients together, then place in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Then drain the beans and rinse them well.

Gently sauté the onion and garlic in the stock pot with 2 -3 TBSP of olive oil, then add diced green chiles. Place beans back in the Dutch oven and add chicken stock, chili powder, cumin, curry powder, cayenne and salt and pepper. Stir well and bring to a boil. Boil for one minute, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally. After one hour is up, add the milk and 2 TBSP butter and simmer another 30 minutes. While the chowder is simmering, place the shredded cheese in a large bowl and add the flour, toss to coat the cheese with the flour. Bring the chowder to a boil and stir in the cheese. Boil while stirring constantly until the chowder thickens to your desired consistency. Ladle chowder into bowls and top with one or two TBSP of yogurt-cilantro relish placed in the center. Serve with warm tortillas.

Chile Verde

Chile Verde

Ingredients:

10-12 tomatillos
5 garlic cloves, not peeled
1 jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed, chopped
1 Pasilla chile, cored, seeded and flattened
1 bunch cilantro leaves, cleaned and chopped
1 1/2 to 2 lbs of pork loin (or shoulder), trimmed of excess fat and cut into to 2-inch cubes
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Olive oil
2 yellow onions
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
2 Tbsp of chopped fresh oregano or 1 Tbsp of dried oregano
2 1/2 cups chicken stock

Directions:

Position the oven rack close to the broiler. Cover a baking sheet with tin foil (for easier clean up). Remove papery husks from tomatillos and rinse well. Cut in half and place cut side down, along with 5 unpeeled garlic cloves and the cored, seeded and flattened chile pepper, skin side up on a baking sheet.

Broil in the oven until the tomatillos, garlic and chile are blackened - about 5-7 minutes.

Transfer the chile pepper to a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let cool for 7-10 minutes. Once the pepper is cool enough to handle, carefully remove the blackened skin. Place tomatillos, skins included, into food processor or blender. Remove the now roasted garlic cloves from their skins then add them to the processor. Add the chopped jalapeno pepper, the chile, any extra juice from the roasting tray and cilantro then pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped and mixed.

Season the pork cubes generously with sea salt, freshly cracked pepper and oregano, to taste. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat then brown pork chunks on all sides. Remove pork from Dutch oven and set aside. I had just a little grease in the pan so I didn't add olive oil but if you have no grease, add a bit of olive oil. Place the onions in the Dutch oven and cook until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 60 seconds. Add the pork to the onion mixture then pour your chile verde sauce on top. Add enough chicken stock to cover the meat. Taste and re-season with salt, pepper and oregano to taste. Be careful not to add too much because the chile verde will continue to cook down and concentrate a bit. Bring to a boil and reduce to a slight simmer. Cook for 2-3 hours uncovered or until the pork is fork tender.

Other ingredients:

Flour or corn tortillas
Cilantro and Lime Sour Cream
Cotija cheese
Fresh cilantro, chopped finely (garnish)

Pasta Bean Soup

Pasta Bean Soup

Ingredients:

1 (28 oz) stewed tomatoes
1 tsp oregano
1 TBS oil
½ tsp salt
1 small onion chopped
¼ tsp pepper
1 carrot chopped
1 cup macaroni or other pasta
1 ½ cup water
½ tsp garlic powder
1 (15 oz) can navy beans, drained & rinsed

Directions:

Puree tomatoes with their liquid in blender. Heat oil in pan to medium. Saute onion and carrots 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, water, spices; bring to a boil. Reduce heat & simmer for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cook pasta and drain. Add pasta and beans to soup mixture and heat through 5-10 minutes. Makes 6 servings.

Taco Soup

Taco Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef or turkey
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 chopped onion
1-½ cup water
3 (16 oz) can chili beans
1 (4 oz)can chpd green chilis
1 (16 oz) can corn
1 pkg taco seasoning mix
1 (16 oz) can stewed tomatoes
1 pkg Ranch dressing mix

Directions:

Cook meat and onion; drain. Put in crock pot or large pot. Stir in beans and rest of ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Serve with desired toppings” tortilla chips, sour cream, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, etc.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken
cumin
1 (28oz) can green chili enchilada sauce
garlic salt
2 small cans tomato sauce
corn starch
Chicken boullion to taste
grated cheese

Garnish:
Tortilla chips
grated cheese
Diced tomatoes

Directions:

Cook whole chicken in crock pot. Debone chicken and return to crock pot with stock. Add green chili enchilada sauce, tomato sauce, chicken boullion, cumin and garlic salt. Thicken with corn starch mixture. Add grated cheese.