Italian Sausage and Brown Rice Soup

If you haven't noticed, I cook A LOT.  I have a family of 6 to feed.  Luckily, I enjoy being in the kitchen (at least most of the time) and I like knowing that my family is eating nutritious, homemade food. 

When I started this recipe blog almost 3 years ago (I can't believe it's been that long!) my main goal was (and still is) to be more adventurous, but still use ingredients that aren't difficult to find at my local grocery stores.  It seemed like we were making the same meals over and over: pizza, tacos, spaghetti, chicken.  I was worried that trying new recipes would mean the kids wouldn't eat their dinner.  But, dinner was getting boring and I decided trying one new recipe each week shouldn't be too bad and we'd eventually find more dishes that everyone liked.  Expanding our dinner options, I hoped.  We have found quite a few family favorite recipes, almost 100!

As I look for new recipes, sometimes I come across recipes that I'm not sure about.  This was one of those recipes.  It's different from our usual soup recipes and I wasn't sure if we'd like the cooked chopped cabbage in it.  I decided to make it anyway because sometimes you just have to give a recipe a chance and be more adventurous!

Ingredients (printable recipe)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 pound Hot Italian sausage links
1 onion (large, chopped)
1 cup celery ( 3 celery ribs, chopped)
4 cups cabbage (chopped green cabbage)
1 can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes
3 cans (14.5 oz.) chicken broth
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1-2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
About 3 cups cooked Brown rice
Directions
1. Heat a bit of olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Remove sausage from it's casings; add to pot and cook through. Remove cooked sausage to a plate or large bowl. Drain any drippings from the pot.
2. Put a little more olive oil in the same pot. Over medium heat, stir in chopped onion, celery and cabbage. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, about 8-10 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes and chicken broth to the pot. Bring to a boil and immediately lower the heat. Stir in Italian seasoning and bay leaf. Simmer, partially covered for 30 minutes.
4. Stir in sausage and black pepper; simmer for about 5 minutes to heat through.
5. Put a scoop (about 1/2 cup) of brown rice in your bowl and ladle hot soup over it.
Serves 6

Inspired by The Kitchen is My Playground
I changed the original recipe because I didn't have white beans. I substituted brown rice and I used Hot Italian sausage, not sweet. 

The Results...
Surprisingly very good!  My husband and I really liked this soup.  He asked me to put the recipe here on our blog, so I wouldn't lose it. :)  He wants me to make it again.  It turned out much more flavorful than I expected and the sausage gave it a nice little kick.  The spice in this soup comes from the sausage.  We used Hot Italian sausage, but it wasn't really that hot.

I didn't get the same reaction from the kids.  They didn't really like this soup.  My two oldest finished their bowls of soup, but not the two little ones.  My 5 year old had just woken up from a nap and was very cranky---didn't want to eat a thing.  Our little toddler threw her bowl of soup.  Yeah, that's just how dinnertime goes sometimes.

My husband told the kids that they didn't like this soup because they have to be mature---like him---to appreciate this soup.  If you know my husband, you're probably smiling, too. :)

This recipe is shared at:

I share recipes at these linky parties.

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Pasta E Fagioli (Slow Cooker)

Olive Garden is one of my husband's favorite restaurants.  There is one not too far from us and we go there occasionally for a treat.  He almost always orders the Calamari and the Chicken Scampi.  I like their soup, salad and breadsticks.  Pasta E Fagioli is my favorite soup at Olive Garden.  I can't wait to try this copycat recipe and see if I can make it at home!

Ingredients (printable recipe)
2 lbs. Ground Beef
1 onion, chopped small
3 carrots, chopped small
4 stalks celery, chopped small
2 (28 oz.) cans diced tomatoes undrained ( I like Hunt's Petite Diced)
1 (15.5 oz.) can red kidney beans, drained
1 (15.5 oz.) can cannellini beans, drained
2 (14.5 oz.) cans low sodium beef stock
3 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons black pepper
5 teaspoons parsley
1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)--I used Franks RedHot Cayenne Pepper sauce
1 (24 oz.) jar spaghetti sauce (I used Ragu Roasted Garlic)
8 ounces ditalini pasta
Directions
1. Brown beef in skillet.
2. Drain fat from beef and add to slow cooker with everything except pasta.
3. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours*.
4. Cook pasta separately on stove, following package directions.
5. Add pasta to each bowl of soup before serving.
*I don't know if it's because my slow cooker is older, but I've found that it takes about an extra 2 hours of cooking time to get the carrots, onion and celery soft.

Makes 12-14 servings

Adapted from   Food.com

I like veggies chopped small when I make soup.

I've made this recipe 3 times now.  One of the times, I tripled this recipe and cooked it in my 22 qt. roaster oven. This gives you approximately 36 servings!  I made this huge batch for my freezer group, but this would also be great for entertaining a big group during the holidays.  Just add a fresh salad and some breadsticks and you have a whole meal.

The Results...
This Pasta E Fagioli did taste like Olive Garden's.  It was warm, hearty and very tasty!  Perfect for the chilly weather we've been having.

This recipe does make A LOT of soup!  It filled my 6 qt. slow cooker up to the very top.  I couldn't have fit another thing in there.  We happily ate this soup for two days.  But, next time I make this just for my family, I will freeze the leftovers for another meal.  Cook once and eat twice is another thing I like about this recipe.  It's a keeper!

Freezing soup is quite easy. After it has cooled, pour into a Gallon sized Ziploc bag.  Make sure it is completely sealed and lay flat on a baking sheet.  Label and put in freezer until solid.  Remove baking sheet and stack soup.  Then, just thaw and reheat.  Cook the pasta separately and add to the soup when it's hot and ready to serve.

This recipe is featured at:
 
I also share recipes at these linky parties.

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Chicken and Tortellini Soup

This weekend has been cool and rainy.  A change from the heat we had last week.  It's starting to feel more like fall although we'll be back to the 80's again in a few days.  With the temporary fall-like weather, I felt like making some soup. 

Ingredients (printable recipe)

8 carrots cut into bite sized pieces

10 cups chicken broth

1~19 oz. bag tortellini (fresh or frozen)

3 1/2 cups chicken, cooked and cut into bite sized pieces*

Freshly ground pepper and salt

Green onion 

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, simmer the carrots in the broth until tender, 12-15 minutes.

2. Add the chicken and heat through, stirring occasionally.

3. Add the tortellini and simmer until tender,  about 2 to 4 minutes.

4. Season with freshly ground pepper and salt as desired and sprinkle with green onion in bowls just before serving. Serves 8-10

*3 1/2 cups chicken is equal to about 2 med. chicken breasts. You could also use a rotisserie chicken.

Adapted from Real Simple

The Results...
This soup comes together quickly, especially if you already have some cooked chicken on hand or use a store bought rotisserie chicken.  This would be an easy and healthy meal on a busy weeknight.

Chicken and Tortellini Soup is good, but not outstanding.  We liked it, but no one raved about it, except my little 4 yr. old.  She loves tortellini and she loved this soup.  My husband thought it needed more flavor.  I would still make this again, but next time I'll experiment with some seasonings and maybe add some celery, too.  It's definitely worth a try!

Like tortellini?  Here's another tortellini recipe, Tortellini with Fresh Vegetables.

I share recipes at these linky parties.
 

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Hamburger Minestrone

It's getting cold outside.  This is a great time of year to sit down to a delicious hot bowl of soup! 

Ingredients (printable recipe)
1 cup shell pasta
1.5 pound ground beef
1 chopped onion
3 (14.5 ounce) cans beef broth
1 (16 ounce) package frozen corn
1 (16 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
3 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt (if needed)
Directions
Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a soup kettle or large saucepan, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.
Stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Drain pasta and add to the pan. Cook 5 minutes longer or until heated through. 

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

The Results...
This soup came together quickly.  It was a quick weeknight meal that we all thought was delicious.  It also reheats nicely for lunch the next day.  I'm happy I have a new soup recipe I can make for the upcoming chilly weather!

This recipe is featured at Mom's Test Meal Mondays @ Mom's Test Kitchen

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Slow Cooker Beef Stew

We usually have a hearty soup or stew for our Halloween dinner before we head outside to trick-or-treat.  This year I decided to try a new recipe, Slow Cooker Beef Stew.  It has great reviews over at allrecipes.com.  I changed it just slightly by leaving out the celery and using smoked Spanish paprika.  I'm hoping this fills the kids tummies and leaves less room for all the candy they'll be bringing home!

Ingredients  (printable recipe)
2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups beef broth
3 potatoes, diced
4 carrots, sliced
Directions
Place meat in slow cooker. In a small bowl mix together the flour, salt, and pepper; pour over meat, and stir to coat meat with flour mixture. Stir in the garlic, bay leaf, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, onion, beef broth, potatoes, carrots. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 10 to 12 hours, or on High setting for 4 to 6 hours. 

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

The Results...
I really liked how easy this was to put together.  There's no browning the meat first, just throw it in the slow cooker and it turns out delicious!  It tasted like pot roast in a bowl and the kids did fill their tummies because they all liked it!  It was hearty, satisfying and I didn't feel as bad about them eating candy since they had a good dinner.  Between trick-or-treating, school parties, church party, and all the extra candy we couldn't get rid of (it was raining here and we had a lot less trick-or-treaters this year) we have enough candy to last until next Halloween!  Maybe I can find some recipes for all this leftover candy....

We hope you had a happy and safe Halloween!

This recipe is shared at:

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David's 4-Bean Cajun Stew

 

Our littlest one was especially fussy late one afternoon into the evening.  I was planning on making Red Beans and Rice for dinner that night, but when my husband came home from work, I still had not been able to get it started.  He offered to take care of dinner and give me a much needed break.  He's my hero!  He went to work gathering up all kinds of things from food storage, the refrigerator and the spice cupboard.  He doesn't like to use recipes.  (Is this how most men cook?  Is it related to how men don't like to ask for directions?)  This is his creation, David's 4-Bean Cajun Stew.    

Ingredients

1 1/2 large yellow onions diced

1 large red onion diced

2 large jalapenos diced (seeds removed)

3 Tbs. butter

3/4 tsp. celery salt

1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper

1/2 tsp fresh ground sea salt

3/4 tsp. garlic powder (substitute fresh if you have it)

3/4 tsp. smoked Spanish paprika

1/4 tsp Cajun seasoning

1 quart chicken broth

Melt butter in large pan.  Add seasonings to butter.  Saute vegetables in seasoned butter.  Pour in chicken broth.  Set aside.

1 (15 oz) can black beans with liquid

1 (15 oz) can kidney beans with liquid

1 (15 oz) can red beans with liquid

1 (15 oz) can Cannellini beans with liquid

1 (14 oz) can tomato sauce

6 large fresh tomatoes (blanched, peeled and chopped)

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. chipotle powder

1/2 tsp. Cajun seasoning

2 (16 oz each) links of Kielbasa sausage

Combine all ingredients in a large stock pot.  Add the vegetable-chicken stock mixture.  Simmer 2 hours.  Add 1 lb. cooked crawfish tails (optional) during the final 15 minutes.  Serve over rice.  Makes 10-12 servings.

The Results...
This was quite good!  After we ate this we decided to write down how it was made, so we can make it again.  It has a little kick to it.  Our 3 yr. old thought it was too spicy, but our older kids didn't.  It was kind of a mixture of Red Beans and Rice and Gumbo.  Thank you David for saving dinner!

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Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Stew

It's a snow day.  The kids are home from school.  Not only is it snowing, it's freezing cold AND windy.  My son and I are taking turns shoveling the driveway.  I'm not planning on going anywhere today.  I'm thinking we really need some warm, comfort food for this chilly, snowy day.  Maybe a soup or stew?  But, I need to find a recipe that I can make with what's in my cupboards.  After a little internet searching, I found this recipe on food.com.  It looks yummy and I have everything on hand!  Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Stew, you are what's for dinner tonight...

Ingredients (Printable Recipe)

1 onion, chopped

1 (16 ounce) can black beans (rinsed and drained)

1 (16 ounce) can kidney beans (rinsed and drained)

1 (16 ounce) can corn (drained)

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans diced tomatoes and green chilies (Rotel)

1 packet taco seasoning

2 boneless skinless chicken breast

Directions:

Prep Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 6 1/4 hrs

1. Mix everything together in a slow cooker except chicken.

2. Lay chicken on top and cover.

3. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

4. 30 minutes before serving, remove chicken and shred.

5. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir together.

6. Top with cheese, sour cream, or tortilla chips, if desired.

 

I used 3 (10 oz.) cans of diced tomatoes and green chilies (Rotel).  My chicken breasts were frozen.  I slightly defrosted them before putting them in the slow cooker. 

I mixed everything in the slow cooker and put the chicken on top.  I'm cooking this on low and it should be ready just in time for dinner.  It's all up to the slow cooker now.  My work is done, for dinner anyway.  Now, it's my turn to go shovel the driveway.  I've got to go bundle up.  I'll post results after dinner tonight...

The Results...

This cooked for 7 hours on low.  I shredded the chicken during the last 30 minutes of cooking time.  So, what did we think?  We thought this was delicious!  My husband liked it so much that he said, "make this again and don't change a thing!"  I also liked this stew, although it was at the top of my spice tolerance.  I added a little sour cream to help "cool it off."  My son didn't think it was too spicy, but my 6 yr. old also needed some sour cream in hers.  I'm pretty sure this will be too spicy for my 3 yr. old (she was asleep when dinner was ready).  I'll need to make her something else when she wakes up.  I'm thinking I could add half the Rotel and then add plain diced tomatoes if I want to make a milder version in the future.  Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Stew did hit the spot on this chilly, winter day!

This recipe is shared at:

Foodie Friends Friday 

Slow Cooker Thursday @ Addicted to Recipes 

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Creamy Ham and Potato Soup

This soup looks delicious on thegirlwhoateeverything.blogspot.com.  She adapted this recipe from Allrecipes.com where over 4500 people reviewed it and it received 5 stars.  Some warm, creamy soup is just what we needed on this chilly evening.  We had this for dinner tonight before we headed out into the cold for basketball practice.  

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes

1/3 cup diced celery

1/3 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup carrot, diced (optional)

1 cup diced cooked ham (buy a ham steak in the deli section)

3 1/4 chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper, or to taste

5 tablespoons butter

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups milk

Directions:

1.Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, carrot, ham and chicken broth in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the salt and pepper.

2.In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk so that lumps don't form and until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.

3.Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through.

4. Top with cheddar cheese, chives, and bacon if desired. Serve immediately.

 

5. Makes 6 servings 

Step 1:  All the veggies, ham and chicken stock are in the stockpot.

Step 2 and 3:  Here's the separate saucepan after the milk mixture had been combined and thickened.  I added this to the stockpot and heated it through.

The Results...
We all enjoyed this soup.  It was warm, creamy and hearty enough to serve for dinner with some fresh bread.  It also had a good balance of ham and potatoes.  I was given the approval to add this to our Family Favorites list.  I'm sure we'll be making this again this winter.

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Award Winning Chili

I made a batch of this chili for our Chili Cook-off at church last weekend.  Even though I hadn't made this recipe before, I thought it might be a winner based on it's 5-star rating and all the excellent reviews it has received.  Could over 800 people really be wrong?  I hoped not.

Ingredients (printable recipe)

2 pounds ground beef

1/2 onion, chopped

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

2 1/2 cups tomato sauce (I used 2 (15 oz.) cans of tomato sauce)

1 (8 ounce) jar salsa

4 tablespoons chili seasoning mix (I used one packet of McCormick chili seasoning)

1 (15 ounce) can light red kidney beans

1 (15 ounce) can dark red kidney beans
1/2 tsp chipotle powder (optional)

Directions

In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the ground beef and the onion and saute for 10 minutes, or until meat is browned and onion is tender. Drain grease, if desired.

Add the ground black pepper, garlic powder, tomato sauce, salsa, chili seasoning mix and kidney beans. Mix well, reduce heat to low and simmer for at least an hour. Transfer to a slow cooker to keep warm for taking to potlucks and parties.

Source allrecipes.com

1/2 tsp Chipotle powder adds a slight smokey and spicy flavor. 

I let it simmer covered on the stove for an extra hour before I transferred it to a crock-pot to take to the party/cook-off.

The Results...
This chili is a winner, really.  We won best chili and brought home the trophy!  There were a lot of delicious, different kinds of chili at the cook-off.  We did think this chili was good, but I was surprised that we won!  The only thing we would change next time is to add a can of diced tomatoes or some extra tomato sauce.  It was a little thicker than we're used to.  But maybe that's because it cooked longer than the one hour suggested in the recipe?  You can still add us to the 800+ that love this chili.  It's a winner!

Updated Sept. 28, 2012
This chili freezes really well, too. I like to make a double batch and freeze the extra chili in a gallon sized Ziploc freezer bag.  Fill it about 2/3 to 3/4 full, squeeze out extra air the best you can and make sure the top is securely zipped.  Lay the bag flat on a baking sheet. Label, date and place in the freezer until solid and stackable.  When ready to use, thaw bag enough to get the chili out.  It's OK if it still slightly frozen.  Heat until boiling, stirring often in a pot on the stovetop.  You could probably reheat in the microwave, but I've always reheated on the stovetop.

This chili is great to have on hand for baked potatoes, hot dogs, chili-cheese fries, Navajo Tacos, etc...  You'll be happy you made an extra batch!

This recipe is shared at:
Foodie Friends Friday
The weekend Potluck @ Sunflower Supper Club
Show & Share Wednesday @ Semi Homemade Mom

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