Chunky Chicken Soup

Here's the recipe of the day:

Chunky Chicken Soup

1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed

1 can of chicken broth

2 cups of water

2 cups assorted vegetables (such as sliced carrots, bell peppers, broccoli florets etc. You can use fresh, frozen or canned vegetables. I used Broccoli florets, red bell pepper, yellow squash and asparagus)

1 envelope of Italian dressing mix

1 cup MINUTE rice or small shell pasta

2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped 

Stir together all ingredients except the parsley in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover; Simmer until pasta is tender. Stir in parsley. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. 

This soup was tasty though not as good as chicken soup that you cook all day. When you're short on time it's a great dinner fix.

Last week's recipes

Wow it's been a crazy week and again I am behind. I haven't had a chance to get my recipes on here until now so here they are:

Brats and Sauerkraut 

This recipe is so easy. You take a package of Brats and you line them in the bottom of a crock pot. Then you take a jar of  Sauerkraut and you dump it on top of the Brats, juice and all. Then you let it cook on low for 7-8 hours. Season with some pepper. You can eat it on a toasted  bun or just as is.

Country Style Pork Ribs with Mashed Potatoes and Corn

1 cup Ketchup

1 onion, diced

2 cups water

1 cup brown sugar

1-2 tsp liquid smoke

1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce

 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice

  1 tsp chili powder

   1 can coke

In a crock pot pour coke over the ribs. Bake 6-7 hours. Pour off excess juices. Mix above ingredients and pour over ribs. Bake 45-60 minutes more.

Manicotti with Green Beans

Red Sauce (recipe below)

2 packages (10 oz each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed (optional)

2 cups small curd creamed cottage cheese

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (optional, I don't use this)

1/4 tsp pepper

14 uncooked manicotti shells

2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Make red sauce. Heat oven to 350 F. Squeeze spinach to drain, spread on paper towels and pat to dry. Mix spinach, cottage cheese, 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, nutmeg and pepper. Spread about one-third of the sauce in ungreased 9x13 baking dish. Fill uncooked manicotti shells with spinach mixture (I just use my hands and pack the mixture down into the shells with my finger.....it's the easiest way I have found to fill the shells). Place shells in sauce in dish. Pour remaining sauce evenly over shells, covering the shells completely. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese. Cover and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes or until shells are tender.

Red Sauce

My family loves this sauce. Josh has always hated any type of red sauce since he was younger. I made this sauce one night and substituted cooked Italian sausage chunks and he loved it and couldn't get enough. You can use this sauce for any of your pasta dishes.

1 lb ground beef (you could substitute Italian sausage cut into chunks and browned)

1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

2 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped

2 (14oz) cans of diced tomatoes Italian style, undrained

1 (8 oz) can mushroom pieces and stems, drained (optional, I don't use this)

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 Tbsp chopped fresh or 1 tsp dried basil leaves

1 tsp salt

Cook beef, onion and garlic in a skillet over med heat until beef is brown; drain. Stir in remaining ingredients. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 10 minutes.

Crock Pot Cabbage Soup

1 lb ground beef

3 1/2 cups water

2 cups coarsely chopped green cabbage

1 cup sliced carrot

1/2 cup sliced celery

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 tsp dried dill

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp pepper

3 (10.5oz) cans beef consomme, undiluted

2 (14.5oz) cans diced tomatoes (I like the Italian style ones)

1/2 cup uncooked white rice

salt and pepper to taste

Beef Consume: Beef consomme is not the same as Beef broth. I have found that Campbell's makes a beef consomme and that's the brand I usually use. However check with your grocery store to see if they carry it, not all of them do. For instance I for mine at Macey's but Walmart didn't carry it.

Brown meat; drain well. Place meat in a 4 quart slow cooker; stir in water the remaining ingredients except the rice. Cover and cook on low heat for 8 hours. Increase heat to high setting; stir in rice. Cover and cook an additional 30 minutes or until rice is tender.

Iowa BBQ Pork Chops with Baked Potatoes and Peas

4 pork chops, 3/4 to 1 inch thick (I think we had 8 thin pork chops and had enough sauce for it)

1/2 packet Amazing Taste for Pork (seasoning packet found at the fresh meat counter at Macey's)

Sauce:

1/2 cup ketchup

2 Tbsp vinegar (I just used Rice vinegar)

3 Tbsp Worchestershire sauce

3 Tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp orange peel

4 Tbsp brown sugar

1/2 cup onion, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 F. Moisten pork chops with water and coat well with seasoning mix. Place in shallow baking dish and bake for 20 minutes. Combine sauce ingredients in sauce pan and heat for 5 minutes. Pour into blender and puree. Cover pork chops with sauce and continue baking for 10 minutes.

Chicken and Rice Casserole

I got this recipe off of the back of a Campbell's Soup can and my family loves it.

1 can Campbell's cream of chicken soup

1 1/3 cups water

3/4 cup uncooked regular long grain white rice (NOT MINUTE RICE!)

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

2 cups frozen vegetables

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Stir soup, water, rice, onion powder, pepper and vegetables in a 9x13 baking dish. Top with uncooked chicken. Season chicken as desired with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cover. Bake at 375 F for 50 minutes or until chicken and rice are done. Top with cheese. Let stand for 10 minutes. Stir rice before serving.

Late is better than never.....This week's recipes.

I know I am so late with this but here are the recipes for my menu this week.  Also I will be putting up my grocery list tomorrow. I got off track with my menu this week because my husband and I had a date night and ate at In and Out Burger and then my in laws came over for Sunday dinner and brought dinner with them......so I am two meals behind this week.

Baked Ziti, Crescent Rolls, Corn

1/2 lb ground beef, browned with chopped onion and seasoned with salt and pepper

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 can Hunt's Garlic and Herb flavored spaghetti sauce

1/4 box of Ronzoni whole grain penne pasta, cooked and drained

3/4 small container of cottage cheese

1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated

In the bottom of a medium casserole dish (I LOVE my Corningware French White set that my mother-in-law gave me for Christmas) mix the cottage cheese, browned ground beef, garlic and cooked penne. Add about 3/4 of a can of spaghetti sauceto the mix (or if you like yours saucier then you can add the whole can. I saved the rest of my sauce for meatloaf later in the week.) Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the top with grated mozzarella cheese (I will admit I forgot to buy mozzarella cheese this week so I just didn't put anything on top and it was still good.) Bake the ziti at 350F for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the sides of the casserole are bubbly.

Meatloaf Italian Style, Mashed Potatoes, steamed broccoli with lemon

I don't actually have a recipe for this so I will just try to do the best that I can.

1 lb ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

1 egg

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1 cup spaghetti sauce (I use Hunts Garlic and Herb)

salt and pepper

In a large bowl, mix ground beef, onion, egg, garlic, 1/2 cup bread crumbs and salt and pepper. Add 1/4 cup spaghetti sauce. Mix welland form into loaf. Transfer loaf to pan and spread the remaining sauce on top. I used the rest of my spaghetti sauce from the ziti the other night. Bake at 350F for 30-40 minutes or until meat thermometer says it's reached the proper temperature.  

Chicken Nuggets, Roasted Potato Wedges, Peas

Chicken Nuggets:

Thse are so good and my family loves them!

20 oz chicken breasts, cut into bite sized chunks

flour

milk

seasoned bread crumbs (or other seasoning, see recipe below)

oil

To do this recipe I use two pie plates. In one I put flour (enough to coat the bottom of the pan) and my seasoning. You could use anything to season the flour: a little salt and pepper, flavored bread crumbs (Progresso makes a lot of different flavors of bread crumbs), parmesan cheese and I have even used part of a packet of McCormick's buffalo wing seasoning and then after the nuggets were cooked I tossed them in some wing sauce.  (If you have kids you may want to make a second batch of a different flavor.) In the second pie plate I coat the bottom of the plate with some milk. I dip the chicken into the milk and then into the seasoning. Then REPEAT. If you only dip the chicken once the coating comes right off, but with the double dip method you get a yummy crispy coating.  Put your coated chicken on a plate. Heat the oil in your biggest skillet and add the chicken. Be careful not to crowd the pan. I usually have to do several batches. Put your chicken on a baking sheet in a warm oven to keep warm while you are cooking other bathes.

Roasted Potato Wedges:

4-6 Russet baking potatoes

2 Tbs vegetable oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 450F. In a small bowl combine oil, salt and pepper (you could add other seasonings as well: parmesan cheese, paprika, rosemary...whatever you feel like). Cut potatoes lengthwise into 1/2 inch strips (I like to keep the skin on because it has more fiber and vitamins with the skin on). Toss potatoes in oil mixture and place on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until tender. Turn potatoes once while baking.

Bacon, Eggs, Hashbrowns, Toast, Sausage links

The only thing special that we do here is Josh puts salt and pepper and garlic powder in the scrambled eggs. They are really yummy. 

Beef Stir-Fry and Rice

I don't have a great recipe for stir-fry, we're still trying to perfect that one. I just threw a bunch of stuff in with some stir-fry beef (soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, fresh grated ginger and rice vinegar) and then let it cook until the meat was cooked through. Then I add a bag of frozen stir-fry vegetables and cooked it for 5 minutes longer. Serve over rice.

Olive Garden Minestrone Soup

This is one of my favorite soups so I was very happy to find this copy cat recipe.

3 Tbs olive oil

1 cup minced onion (about 1 small onion)

1/2 cup chopped zuccini

1/2 cup frozen italian green beans (just use french cut if you can't find Italian)

1/4 cup minced celery (about 1/2 stalk)

4 tsp minced garlic (about 4 cloves)

4 cups vegetable broth (DO NOT USE CHICKEN BROTH!)

2 (15oz) cans red kidney beans, drained

2 (15oz) cans small white beans (or Great Northern), drained

1 (14oz can diced tomatoes (I like the Western Family Italian style)

1/2 cup carrot, shredded

2 Tbs parsley

1 1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp dried thyme

3 cups hot water

4 cups baby spinach

1/2 cup small shell pasta

Heat oil in large soup pot of medium heat. Saute oinio, celery, garlic, green beans and zucchini for 5 minutes, until oinions turn translucent. Add brother, drained tomatoes, beans, carrots, hot water and spices. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Add spinach and pasta. Cook for 20 minutes until pasta is done. This soup is twice as good the next day.  So you could make it the night before you need it and reheat it on the stove the next night.

Note: I prefer to make the following changes. 1(15oz) can of great northern beans, 2 (14oz) cans of diced tomatoes.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Peas and Corn

Ok this is so easy. At the grocery store they have McCormick's Pork Roast seasoning packet and bag. You just follow the directions and cook the roast in the bag (I think it only takes a few hours to cook). This was the best pork roast. It was so yummy and moist.

Week 1 recipes

OK so here are the recipes I've used/am using this week:

Sunday Night: Roast, Mashed Potatoes, Bisquick Drop Biscuits, corn, glazed carrots, gravy

Roast:

2T olive oil 2t paprika (use sweet paprika if you're worried about spice)

2 med garlic cloves, minced 1/2t ground rosemary (if you can't find ground just grind the springs)

1t salt 1T grated onion

1/2t pepper 1/2t thyme

Mix together and rub all over roast. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Cook Roast at 350F for 2 1/2-3 hours. Baste every 30 minutes. Let rest for 10-15 minutes after it's finished cooking.

Bisquick Drop Biscuits: The recipe is on the bisquick box.

Glazed Carrots:

I had a bag of carrots that was going to go bad soon so I found this great recipe in Parents Magazine and the kids loved it.

1 12 oz bag frozen carrots (I just peeled and chopped 4-5 carrots)

1/2 cup water

1T butter

3T brown sugar

salt and pepper to taste

Place Carrots, water, butter, brown sugar, and salt and pepper in a pot, bring to a boil and cover. Cook on medium heat for 7 minutes. Uncover and cook another 10-12 minutes, until liquid is evaporated and carrots are soft, stirring occasionally.

Gravy:

Pour the drippings from the roast into a large measuring cup. Place the drippings into a 2 cup measuring cup. Add enough beef broth to measure 2 cups. Whisk 1/4 of the liquid and 1/4 cup of flour together in a medium saucepan, over low heat. Cook for a few moments, whisking. Slowly whisk the remaining drippings and broth into the flour mixture. Cook, whisking, over medium heat, until thick and bubbling. Cook one minute more, season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Monday: Mexican style Shepherd's Pie

I lb ground beef, browned with diced onion

pkg Fajita seasoning

1 cup frozen corn

1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed

Leftover mashed potatoes (from roast meal)

1 cup grated cheese

Put the ground beef in the bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish. Spinkle 1/4 of a packet of fajita seasoning over the ground beef and stir. Add the beans and the corn to the meat and stir well. Mix mashed potatoes and grated cheese in a bowl and then spoon onto the meat mixture. Bake in 350F oven for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are browned slightly.

Tuesday: Spaghetti with Turkey Meatballs

I used an altered version of Giada De Laurentis' recipe for turkey meatballs http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/mini-turkey-meatballs-recipe/index.html

Instead of cooking them in a skillet like she did I put them in my Crockpot. Then I added 1 can of Hunts Garlic and Herb spaghetti sauce and 1 can of Western Family Italian style diced tomatoes. I turned my crock pot to low and let them cook for 7 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

When the meatballs were cooked through I cooked the Whole Grain Spaghetti noodles as per package directions and then drained them and added them to the crock pot.

I heated some frozen peas, and gave them some bread and butter to balance out the meal.

My kids said that this was the best spaghetti they had ever eaten!

Wednesday: Fajitas

2-3 chicken breasts, thawed

sprite

fajita seasoning

red pepper, sliced lengthwise (you can use whatever color are on sale)

green pepper, sliced lengthwise

medium sized purple onion, sliced similar to the peppers

tortillas shells

Place thawed chicken in a gallon size zip top bag or a large container with a lid. Add enough sprite to cover the chicken. Sprinkle half a packet of seasoning in and mix it around. Marinate the chicken for several hours.

In a large skillet heat some olive oil over medium heat. Add chicken cook it through. Remove chicken from pan and add peppers and onions. While peppers and onions are cooking cut chicken into long strips. When peppers and onions are tender add chicken back to pan. Heat for a few minutes until chicken is reheated. Remove from heat and squeeze the juice from half a lime onto the chicken and peppers.

Warm tortilla shells in microwave and top them with chicken and peppers. You can also add shredded cheese, sour cream, salsa, hot sauce or anything else you want.

Thursday: Slow Cooker Orange Chicken

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2009/09/slow-cooker-orange-chicken-recipe.html

Friday: Meatball Soup

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2009/03/crockpot-albondigas-meatball-soup.html

Instead of buying frozen meatballs I made the same ones from my spaghetti and meatballs however Costco has some really good meatballs and so does Ikea.

Saturday: Turkey Chili

I found this recipe in Parents Magazine and it's so easy it can be on your table in only 20 minutes! It was so good.

1/2 lb ground turkey

1/2 tsp chili powder (I used macormics chili seasoning packet to taste)

1 15 oz can kidney beans, drained

1 10oz can of condensed tomato soup

1/2 cup water

In a skillet cook ground turkey until no longer pink. Drain and transfer to a saucepan. Add chili powder and stir to incorporate. Add kidney beans, soup and water and cook until heated through. Ladle into mugs and top with shredded cheese.