Broccoli Cheese Soup

This is one of my favorite soups.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup butter , sliced
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
2 cloves garlic , minced
6 Tbsp flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 (12 oz) cans evaporated milk
5 cups chicken broth
5 cups small diced broccoli florets
1/8 tsp dried thyme
1/2 cup heavy cream
12 oz sharp cheddar cheese
2 oz parmesan cheese , freshly & finely shredded

HOW TO PREPARE:
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until they begin to soften, about 3 - 4 minutes. Add garlic, flour and season lightly with salt and pepper then cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. While whisking, slowly pour in evaporated milk (whisk well to smooth).

Cook mixture, stirring constantly until it begins to thicken then pour into a slow cooker along with chicken broth, diced broccoli and thyme. Cover with lid and cook on low heat for 5 - 6 hours.

Turn heat to warm (or off) and stir in heavy cream. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth. Then add in shredded cheddar cheese and parmesan cheese and stir to blend. 

Macaroni and Cheese (Crockpot)

 I love this recipe. It cooks in a crockpot and it tastes amazing. I found it here. 

Macaroni and Cheese (Crockpot)
INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup butter

16 ounces elbow macaroni or any similar pasta
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
2 cans (10-3/4 oz each) condensed cheddar cheese soup, undiluted
1 cup milk
2 large eggs, beaten
1/8 teaspoon paprika

—————

Can of peas, drained (optional)

HOW TO PREPARE:
In a 4 or 5 quart crockpot, spray with nonstick spray and then place the stick of butter. Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain and then add to crockpot. 

In a large bowl, mix 3 cups cheese, evaporated milk, condensed soups, milk and eggs. Pour over macaroni mixture; stir to combine. Cook, covered, on LOW for 2 to 3 hours.

Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cook, covered, on low until cheese is melted, 15-20 minutes longer. Stir in peas, if desired. Sprinkle with paprika.

Spaghetti Bolognese

I grew up eating basic spaghetti with sauce made from a can. I liked it well enough, but my husband grew up with homemade sauce. On my quest to find a homemade sauce that both he and I enjoyed, I found this recipe here. 

Spaghetti Bolognese

2 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves , crushed
2 onions , diced
1 - 2lbs ground beef or Italian sausage
1 cup beef broth
3 cans of 28oz canned crushed tomatoes
4 tbsp tomato paste
3 beef bouillon cubes , crushed
2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
3 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried thyme leaves
3 dried bay leaves
2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

PASTA
1 box of spaghetti, cooked
Frozen corn, optional

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and onion,
and cook for 3 minutes. Add in beef or Italian sausage until cooked. Add to
the crockpot with remaining ingredients, except for cooked pasta and corn.
Cook on low for 5 hours. Add some frozen corn and stir. After one more hour,
stir in cooked pasta.

Cream Cheese Chicken Tacos

 Cream Cheese Chicken Tacos

INGREDIENTS:

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon cumin

salt + pepper

8 ounces cream cheese

1/2 cup water

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corn or flour tortillas

Top with shredded cheese, cilantro, salsa, lettuce, sour cream, or other toppings as desired.

HOW TO PREPARE:

Add chicken, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper to taste, cream cheese, and water to crock pot. Cover and cook on low 8 hours or on high 4 hours.

Minutes before serving, remove chicken from crock pot, shred with two forks, and return to slow cooker. Give it a stir. Let it cook about 15 minutes longer. Spoon into tortillas or make into a taco salad. Serve with desired toppings.

Chicken Rice Soup

Chicken Rice Soup

INGREDIENTS:

3 chicken breasts

1 small onion, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tbsp salt

Pepper to taste

2 tsp parsley

1 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp rosemary

1/2 tsp sage

1 bay leaf

2 tbsp butter (optional)

9 cups chicken broth

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frozen peas

frozen corn

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Cooked rice

HOW TO PREPARE:

Place all ingredients in order in a slow cooker, except rice.

Cook on low for 4-6 hours. An hour before serving, remove the chicken from slow cooker and shred or cut into cubes.

Return chicken to the slow cooker. Add frozen peas and corn. Cook for another hour.

Put cooked rice in individual bowls and top with chicken soup. Enjoy.

For my children who are underweight, I stir in a tbsp of whipping cream and a tiny bit of butter into each individual bowl, unless they are lactose intolerant. I serve this soup with French bread. 

Frito Pie

My best friend, Nichole, made a casserole dish of this recipe and I adapted it for in the crockpot. It is simple and delicious.

Frito Pie

Ingredients:

1lb ground beef 

1 onion, minced

2 cans pork and beans

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup ketchup

Fritos

Shredded cheese

 

How to prepare:

In a large skillet, brown beef with onion. When cooked through, stir into a 4 quart crockpot. Stir in pork and beans, brown sugar, and ketchup. Turn on high for two hours or on low for four hours.  Serve over Fritos and top with shredded cheese, if desired. We usually double this recipe and put it in a five or six quart crockpot. 

Refried Beans

I found the recipe here.

Photo found here.

Refried Beans

3 cups of Pinto beans 

5 cups water

4 cups chicken broth

1 onion, diced finely 

3 cloves of minced garlic

1 Tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup salted butter

HOW TO PREPARE

Photo found here.

1.) Rinse your beans. Spread them out on a cookie sheet and pull out all the discolored ones. You might find rocks and other random stuff in your beans (especially if you buy the cheaper beans) – so don’t skip this step.

2.) Combine everything (except butter) in the crockpot. Cook on HIGH for 8 hours. Add more water if you need (I didn’t need to add additional water).

3.) When beans have popped open and are soft, they are done. Put butter in the crockpot and let sit until melted.

4.) You can either mash them with a potato masher, use a food processor or use an immersion blender. I used the immersion blender, right in the slow cooker crock and it was a cinch! Add extra water if you need to get the consistency you want.

Photo found here.

5.) Eat! We usually make these with quesadillas, but they are great alone or with any Mexican dish.

Tangy Beef and Vegetable Stew

My sweet friend, Nichole, made this recipe for me when I was recovering from surgery. I asked for the recipe because it was SO good. Then I also found the recipe online here.

Taken from my iPhone.

Tangy Beef and Vegetable Stew

INGREDIENTS:

6 cups cubed peeled potatoes (1/2-inch pieces)

8 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 medium onions, cubed

4 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/3 cup canola oil

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons beef bouillon granules

3 cups boiling water

1/3 cup white vinegar

1/3 cup ketchup

3 tablespoons prepared horseradish

3 tablespoons prepared mustard

2 tablespoons sugar

2 cups each frozen peas and corn

2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

Place the potatoes, carrots and onions in a 6-qt. slow cooker. In a large skillet, brown beef in oil in batches; place over the vegetables. Sprinkle with flour.

Dissolve bouillon in boiling water. Stir in the vinegar, ketchup, horseradish, mustard and sugar; pour over meat and vegetables. Cover and cook on high for 5 hours.

Add the peas, corn and mushrooms. Cover and cook on high for 45 minutes longer or until meat and vegetables are tender. Yield: 12-16 servings.

Tiny French Beans with Smoked Sausage

I like recipes that involve new ingredients for me. With regards to this recipe that involves the "shallot". To be perfectly honest with you - I had no idea what a shallot was and I thought it sounded like a name of a fish. When I found this recipe, I knew that all the other ingredients looked good - so I googled "shallot" and found out that it's a type of onion (I think) and was able to find it in my local grocery store. This recipe is definitely a keeper recipe. It's hearty, smells fabulous, and the taste is unbeatable! There, now that I've talked it up - make it and see for yourself.

Photo found here.

Tiny French Beans with Smoked Sausage
INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds smoked sausage, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces (I use just 1 pound and it's less salty that way)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/3 cup minced shallots
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups dried flageolets or other dried white beans
2 cups water
1/4 cup minced fresh or 1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon celery seeds
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
29 oz GF* chicken broth

HOW TO PREPARE:
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add sausage; sauté 5 minutes or until browned. Remove from pan, and place in an electric slow cooker (it called for a 5 quart, but I used a 4 quart and it worked perfectly). Heat the oil in pan over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Sort and wash beans. Add beans, shallot mixture, water, and the remaining ingredients to slow cooker. Cover and cook on high 8 hours or until beans are tender. Yield: 8 servings.

Nutritional Information - Calories: 397; Calories from fat: 30%; Fat: 13.1g; Saturated fat: 3.7g; Monounsaturated fat: 4.3g; Polyunsaturated fat: 3.7g; Protein: 29.7g; Carbohydrate: 41.4g; Fiber: 8.6g; Cholesterol: 75mg; Iron: 5.2mg; Sodium: 1105mg; Calcium: 143mg

GF* = Gluten Free

White Chicken Bean Chili

My sister and my family went crazy for this recipe when I made it over winter break. It's fabulous!

White Chicken Bean Chili

INGREDIENTS:

3 cans (15oz each) great northern beans, rinsed and drained

3 cups cubed cooked chicken breast

1 jar (15oz) Classico (It is gluten free) Alfredo sauce

2 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 cups frozen corn

2 cups shredded cheese

1 cup sour cream

2 tbsp minced onion

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp cayenne pepper - or to taste, I put less...

HOW TO PREPARE:

In a 5 or 6 quart crockpot, combine all ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or until heated through. Serve with bread.

Beef Chili

We ate this with fritos chips. It makes a LOT of chili. My kids were thrilled to have it for leftovers. That tells you how good this is. I found this recipe here.

Beef Chili:
3 lbs stew beef
1 tbsp oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cans (16oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
3 cans (15oz) tomato sauce
1 can (14 1/2oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup water
1 can (6oz) tomato paste
3/4 cup salsa verde (in the Mexican isle at the store - it's a green salsa in a jar)
1 envelope chili seasoning
2 tsp dried minced onion
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin

In a skillet, brown beef in oil. Add garlic to the pan. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Pour into a 6 quart crockpot. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until meat is tender. Serve with fritos chips and shredded cheese. Yummy!

12 Servings

Prep: 20 min. Cook: 6 hours

Nutrition Facts: 1-1/3 cups (calculated without cheese) equals 334 calories, 9 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 70 mg cholesterol, 1,030 mg sodium, 31 g carbohydrate, 8 g fiber, 32 g protein.

This recipe is a huge winner with my family. There is never any left! It goes really well with homemade rolls. I like to dip the bread in the soup...yum!

Corn Chowder

INGREDIENTS:

2 ½ cups milk

1 can (14 ¾ oz) cream style corn

1 can (10 ¾ oz) cream of chicken soup

1 ¾ cups frozen corn

2-3 cups frozen shredded hash browns

1 cup cubed fully cooked ham (or sausage)

1 large onion, chopped, or 1 tbsp onion powder

2 tbsp butter

2 tsp dried parsley flakes

Salt & pepper to taste

HOW TO PREPARE:

In a slow cooker, combine all ingredients. Cover & cook on low for 6 hours.

Taco Soup

There are so many variations with taco soup. Take this recipe and have fun with it!

Taco Soup

INGREDIENTS:

2lbs ground beef

1 medium onion, diced

1 pkg taco seasoning mix

1 large can tomato juice

1 8oz can tomato sauce

1 can black beans, drained

1 can kidney beans, drained

1 can chili beans, not drained

1 can corn, drained

HOW TO PREPARE:

Sauté onion in some oil until soft. Brown meat until cooked and then put in crockpot. Add taco seasoning mix & stir well. Add tomato juice, tomato sauce, beans, and corn. Cook on low for several hours. Serve with tortilla chips, cheese, & sour cream.