Category Archives: Stew/Soup

Easy CrockPot Meatball Soup

This is easy, easy, easy and everyone ate it. Warning: It does take an especially long time to cook, so plan accordingly, as in start it in the morning.

Ingredients:
16 oz. bag frozen fully cooked meatballs
2 (14 oz.) cans condensed broth
1 cup water
2 (14 oz.) cans diced tomatoes with herbs, undrained
16 oz. bag frozen mixed vegetables
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1/8 tsp. pepper
Parmesan, as a garnish

Instructions:
Combine frozen meatballs, broth, water, and tomatoes in a 3-4 quart crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 9-10 hours or until meatballs are tender when pierced with a fork. Stir in the frozen vegetables, thyme, and pepper and mix well. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour. Serve and sprinkle Parmesan on top.

What did the family think? Everyone ate it. The kids mostly ate the meatballs and a stray veggie here and there, but no one freaked out so that’s good.

Where did this recipe come from? BusyCooks

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Stew/Soup, Super Easy to Make

White Bean and Sausage Soup

It has been beautiful here the past couple of days, but the nights are still chilly. I was worried it might be too warm outside to make this soup, but it turned out to be the perfect weather and this soup went beautifully with a green salad and and the yummy baguette I picked up from the bakery.

Ingredients:
15 oz white cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
32 oz chicken broth
15 oz cans Italian style diced tomatoes
1 lb Italian sausage
2 oz fresh basil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
Parmesan, to taste

Instructions:
Cook Italian sausage in a large pot. When cooked through, add all other ingredients. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

What did the family think? Hubby and I thought this was great. Our kids are not soup people unless it’s miso, so I knew they wouldn’t like this.

Where did this recipe come from? The Girl Who Ate Everything

Photo from My Recipes

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Italian, Stew/Soup, Super Easy to Make

Warm Your Soul Tuscan Soup

I have never been to Tuscany, but if this is what people are eating there, then I need to get myself there ASAP.

Ingredients:
1 lb mild Italian sausage
32 oz chicken broth
12 oz evaporated
6-8 red potatoes, diced
1/2 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
3/4 cup frozen chopped spinach

Instructions:
Cook the sausage in the same large stew pot you’ll use to cook the soup, drain excess fat and return sausage to pot.

Add the chicken broth and evaporated milk and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat so soup simmers. Add potatoes, onions, seasoning, salt and pepper.

The soup is done when the potatoes are cooked through, about 20-30 minutes. Add spinach during the last few minutes of cooking.

What did the family think? My husband is not a huge soup-for-dinner fan and he loved this. I loved it too. The kids did not…they like miso, occasionally a little chicken noodle and any kind of soup with meatballs in it, but that’s about it.

Where did this recipe come from? Cozi.com

photo from Cozi.com

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Italian, Stew/Soup

Creamy Green Chile Soup

My husband isn’t always a big soup fan and was complaining just a teensy weensy bit when he realized we were having soup for dinner. I think it was at around the third bite when he said, “Wow, this is really good.”

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
1/2 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 large ribs celery, diced
1-7 oz. can whole fire roasted green chiles, drained & diced
6 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
salt & pepper, to taste
2 large carrots, peeled and finely diced
1 cup frozen sweet corn
2 cups diced, roasted chicken {optional}
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup all purpose flour {optional}
grated cheddar cheese (garnish)
chopped cilantro (garnish)
broken tortilla chips (garnish)

Instructions:
Heat large pot over medium heat. Melt butter and saute onions and celery until onions are translucent, 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and green chiles and saute 3 minutes. Pour in chicken broth, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper and bring to boil. Cover pot with well fitting lid and reduce to simmer. Simmer soup 10-15 minutes and then remove from heat. Using an immersion blender, puree soup and return to heat. Stir in carrots and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in corn and chicken.

Place flour into small bowl and slowly whisk in cream to prevent lumps. {If there seems to be lumps, you can always pour it through a strainer first!} Pour this mixture into hot soup and cook until it thickens slightly. Taste and readjust seasonings adding more salt and pepper, if needed.

Serve hot with any desired toppings.

We had this with some fresh pineapple.

Did I change anything? No, but I was thinking the next time I make this that I could add some lentils instead of chicken. The lentils would thicken it up a little more and add protein.

What did the family think? The boys didn’t eat this, but hubby and I did and we REALLY liked it.

Where did this recipe come from? Lauren’s Latest

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Lent, Mexican, Stew/Soup, Vegetarian

West Caribbean Crock Pot Chicken

Liz, pianist and parent volunteer extraordinaire, was getting her kitchen remodeled and had to come up with some Crock Pot recipes because about the only thing functioning in her kitchen at any given time were the electrical outlets. This is one of her yummy creations…

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, cubed
1 can (15 oz) chickpeas/garbanzo beans, drained
1 cup frozen chopped onions
1 cup frozen chopped green peppers (or frozen tri-color chopped bell peppers)
1/3 cup raisins
1 jar (8 oz) peanut satay sauce
1 can (14 oz) chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons diced garlic
1 can (15 oz) cut sweet potatoes, drained and sliced small (the plain kind, not the candied kind)

Ingredients:
Place cubed chicken breasts into 4-quart slow cooker. Add chickpeas, onions, peppers, and raisins.

In a large bowl, stir together satay sauce, chicken broth, red pepper flakes, and garlic. Pour into slow cooker and stir.

Cover and cook on HIGH setting for 3- 4 hours.

We had this served over couscous. Rice would work, too.

Stir in sweet potatoes. Cover and cook on LOW setting for an additional 1 hour.

Did I change anything? I didn’t have any garlic so I threw in some garlic powder instead.

What did the family think? This was really, really good. Hubby and I loved it. Our oldest was a little leery at first, but it turned out that he liked it. Our youngest protested the moment he saw it (which I knew he would) but quickly changed his tune when he realized that his brother was going to get to play video games after dinner with Dad and he wasn’t going to get to because he was still stuck at the dinner table.

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Filed under Chicken, Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Make Ahead of Time, Stew/Soup, Super Easy to Make

Crockpot Country (Hamburger) Lentil Soup

Hubby found this recipe and thought it would be good on baseball nights since when the boys have a game we don’t get home until pretty late. He was right…it was perfect after we got home from sitting through a pretty chilly baseball game…it was warm and it was ready to eat. This could also easily be made without the hamburger too if you are looking for a vegetarian option.

Ingredients:
1 cup dried lentils
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
8 ounces lean ground beef, turkey or chicken (browned)
3 ounces celery, thinly sliced (3 stalks)
3 ounces baby carrots, thinly slieced (good-sized handful)
1/2 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups broth (I used chicken broth.)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 -2 bay leaves

Instructions:
Brown ground beef.

Combine all ingredients in 4-5qt crock pot.

Cook on low at least 10 hours or high for 6 hours.

Remove bay leaves before serving.

What did the family think? The boys didn’t eat this since I fed them early because of the baseball game (and because I knew they wouldn’t like this…the only soup they like is miso soup and an occasional chicken noodle). Hubby and I liked it though and it was nice after sitting in the cold for two hours.

from food.com

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Filed under Easy, Lent, Make Ahead of Time, Stew/Soup, Super Easy to Make, Vegetarian

Creamy Italian Sausage Chili

This was so super good…hubby kept ooohing and aaahing over it all through dinner.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground Italian sausage
2 Tbsp. olive oil
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 can chicken broth
3 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. paprika
1 Tbsp. parsley
salt and pepper to taste
2 cans diced tomatoes, lightly blended
3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/3 cup ketchup
1 can of each: black beans, pinto beans, chili beans
4 oz. cream cheese
Tortilla chips, crumbled (optional)

Instructions:
In a large pot, cook Italian sausage until no longer pink.

Add the garlic and the olive oil, then add the broth, spices, tomatoes, vinegar, ketchup and beans. Stir well and bring to a boil.

Let the chili simmer for about half an hour. Lastly add the cream cheese and stir in until completely dissolved.

We had this with breadsticks, some salad and some grapes.

Did I change anything? The original recipe used two separate pans to make this. I only used one and it was just fine. It was hubby’s idea to crumple up some tortilla chips on top of the soup.

What did the family think? Hubby and I thought it was uber delish. Our oldest ate his…it wasn’t his favorite but not everything can taste like mac and cheese. 🙂 Our youngest choked down some Italian sausage and called it a night.

from Family Favorite Recipes

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Italian, Spicy, Stew/Soup

Spicy Lentil Soup

I got this recipe from my MIL and she got it from a friend of hers. It is spicy and full of all kinds of yummy ingredients. It was perfect for the rainy and chilly night we are having tonight.

Ingredients:
1/3 C water
1 onion, sliced and separated into rings
1 stalk, celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 tsp minced fresh garlic
6 cups vegetable broth
1 14.5 ounce can chopped tomatoes
1 cup canned red lentils
1 cup frozen chopped hash brown potatoes
2 tablespoons chopped canned green chilies
2 tsp chile power
½ teaspoon ground oregano
½ cup uncooked whole wheat spaghetti, broken in 1 inch pieces
¼ cup chopped cilantro

Instructions:
Place the water in a large pot with the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.

Add the broth, tomatoes, lentils, potatoes, green chilies, chili powder, and oregano. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the spaghetti and continue to cook for 10 more minutes. Stir in the cilantro and serve.

We had this with cornbread.

Did I change anything? I added some frozen meatballs. Since I added the meatballs I also added some more broth, green chiles and chili powder. I also only used about 1/2 the onion. I forgot to add the cilantro…and I even had some!

What did the family think? Hubby and I really liked it. Hubby loved the meatballs I added to it and so did the boys.

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Everybody Ate It, Spicy, Stew/Soup, Vegetarian

Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Chili

It’s definitely still the time of year for warm and cozy comfort foods…

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups prepared enchilada sauce
2 chopped celery stalks
2 (14.5 oz) cans olive oil and garlic diced tomatoes (or some other “flavor” if you can’t find those)
2 (15 oz) cans pinto or kidney beans, undrained
1 onion, diced (or 1 tablespoon dried, minced onion flakes)
1-2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
Sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese for garnish

Instructions:
Pour enchilada sauce and canned tomatoes into the bottom of a 6 quart slow cooker. Add beans, celery, onion and spices. Stir to combine. Place chicken on top.

Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or until flavors have combined. Shred chicken and stir back into slow cooker.

Serve with shredded cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream, if desired.

Did I change anything? I didn’t use as much onion, maybe half as much as the recipe called for and I left out the celery.

What did the family think? Hubby and I LOVED this! The boys aren’t huge enchilada fans, but they will pick out the chicken and eat that.

from A Year of Slow Cooking

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Filed under Chicken, Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Make Ahead of Time, Mexican, Spicy, Stew/Soup, Super Easy to Make

French Onion Split Pea Soup

This little creation was the result of our oldest kiddo asking if he could make up his own recipe and make it for dinner. He did a great job and other than me steering him in the right direction in the spice/herb department, it was all his.

Ingredients:
32 oz. chicken broth
olive oil
1 onion, sliced into rings
3/4 dried split peas
1 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp marjoram

We had this with baked chicken, salad and the rest of last night’s baguette.

Instructions:
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and onions. Saute onions until they soften.

Bring chicken broth to a simmer in a large stockpot or Dutch oven. Add onions, split peas, rosemary, bay leaf, basil and marjoram.

Simmer for 30-40 minutes or until peas soften.

Did we change anything? Our oldest said next time he would leave out the peas. I think you need to add about 12 more oz. of broth, too.

What did the family think? Well, since I am the only person in the house that likes peas in any form, I thought it was kind of strange that he would pick peas as an ingredient. So I think I was the only one who actually ate all of their soup. It was good though.

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Filed under Lent, Side Dish, Stew/Soup, Vegetarian