Ham and Potato Soup

I normally make Senate Bean Soup after Easter every year to use up the leftover ham but I wanted to do something different this year. I had a bag of potatoes so I set out to find a recipe for ham and potato soup. I found one on AllRecipes.com that I slightly changed up and it was delicious! It was very easy to throw together and tasted just as great the next day as leftovers.

HAM AND POTATO SOUP

• 4 cups peeled and diced potatoes
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup diced carrots
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 cup diced cooked ham
• 3 1/4 cups water
• 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
• 1 tablespoon dried rosemary, or one sprig of fresh
• 1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper, or to taste
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk 

Combine the potatoes, celery, carrots, onion, ham and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken bouillon, rosemary and pepper. 

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 as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes. 

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

Macaroni and Cheese Soup

Now that it's getting cooler I'm in a soup mood and I wanted to try out some new recipes. I got this one out of a Taste of Home Holiday cookbook but you can also get it on their site here. I think this is a great family soup and a wonderful way to sneak some vegetables in for your kids. The shredded carrots in the soup actually look like shredded cheese (my sister thought it was the whole time she was eating it). This was really easy to make and I'll for sure make it again! The recipe below is half of what the original recipe called for and this still made plenty for us plus leftovers.

MACARONI AND CHEESE SOUP

• 1 1/2 quarts water
• 2 1/2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
• 3/4 cup sliced celery
• 1 large carrot, shredded
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 1/2 medium green pepper, chopped
• 1 1/4 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups milk
• 1/2 pound process American cheese, cubed

In a soup kettle or Dutch oven, bring water and bouillon to a boil. Add celery, carrots, onion and green pepper; cook for 4 minutes or until tender. Add macaroni. Cover and return to a boil; boil 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; let stand for 8-10 minutes or until macaroni is just tender.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan. Add flour, stirring until smooth. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in cheese until melted; add to undrained macaroni mixture.

Bean and Vegetable Soup

A lot of people ask me what cookbooks they can get that has easy recipes that are fast to make....well here's one I'd recommend! All the recipes involve a slow cooker which is one of the easiest ways to make a meal. I'm making more of an effort to use beans as a source of protein instead of meat for every meal and that is why I chose to make this, plus it's healthy and low in calories and fat! Also because it's May and frickin' cold still, I wanted some soup. We all loved this soup, even Colton, which automatically makes it a keeper.

BEAN AND VEGETABLE SOUP

• 8 cups of broth (I went with beef)
• 1 small head of cabbage, chopped
• 2 large red potatoes, chopped
• 2 cups chopped celery
• 2 cups chopped carrots
• 4 cups corn
• 2 15-ounce cans of either kidney or navy beans
  
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 teaspoon of each: salt, pepper, basil, oregano, thyme and rosemary

Add all the ingredients to your slow cooker and mix together well. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup

I made this soup for my family on New Years and it was a big hit! Very easy to put together and make because you do it all in the slow cooker. It's perfect to eat in the winter when it's so cold outside! I got the recipe from AllRecipes.com (here).

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN TACO SOUP

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 (16 ounce) can chili beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer (You can substitute chicken broth here)
  
• 2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
• 1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning
• 3 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)
• sour cream (optional)
• crushed tortilla chips (optional)

Place the onion, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, beer, and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. Add taco seasoning, and stir to blend. Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture, pressing down slightly until just covered by the other ingredients. Set slow cooker for low heat, cover, and cook for 5 hours.

Remove chicken breasts from the soup, and allow to cool long enough to be handled. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup, and continue cooking for 2 hours. Serve topped with shredded Cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips, if desired.

Sweet Potato Minestrone

I saw this recipe and thought it would be the perfect fall soup to try out so I made it Halloween night. We all absolutely loved it and it was also very healthy. I plan on making this one often. You can find the original recipe here and I'll list the recipe on here with the changed I made.

SWEET POTATO MINESTRONE

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 large sweet onion, chopped
• 2 large stalks celery, chopped
• 2 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon of each: thyme, oregano, rosemary, and red pepper flakes
  
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 (28 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 large carrots, sliced thin
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 can red kidney beans
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
  

Heat oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Saute onion, celery, Italian seasoning, other seasonings, salt and pepper until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, with the juice, broth, sweet potatoes, carrots, peas, beans and garlic. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

Chilean Dal

Joe listened to the "How Low Can You Go" series on NPR which highlighted different recipes that are inexpensive for family dinners. He thought that this recipe sounded really good so we tried it out. I will confirm that this IS a cheap recipe and we both really liked the taste of it. I would consider this to be a vegetarian version of a beef and vegetable stew....the lentils take the place of the beef. Here is the recipe online.

CHILEAN DAL

• 3 cups cooked lentils
• 2 cups chopped potatoes (I would chop these into small, bite-size pieces next time)
• 2 chopped carrots
• 3 chopped tomatoes
• 1 hot pepper (I used a jalapeno)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 16 ounces tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• A little beer or sherry (I used apple juice)
• A little red vinegar
• Olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• Salt and pepper

Soak and cook lentils till soft. Drain and rinse, set aside. Sautee onions, garlic, hot pepper, and cumin in olive oil. Add beer or sherry. Add potatoes and carrots, cover with water, bring to boil. Add tomatoes and cook till potatoes are soft. Add lentils and tomato sauce. Salt and pepper to taste. (I sometimes add more water or beer if it's too thick, or vinegar if it's too sweet.) Add more cumin or hot sauce if you like it really spicy. Throw in the cilantro, take if off the heat. Serve after a few minutes.

Senate Bean Soup

One of my favorites things about Easter is stealing the leftover ham from my parents dinner! I'm not a big ham person but I love this ham and bean soup. This is a Paula Deen recipe that I saw on her show a few years ago and have made it after every Easter since. I add a few more things than she does, but you can see the original recipe here.

SENATE BEAN SOUP

• 2 pounds navy beans
• 4 quarts of water
  
• 1 thick slice leftover spiral ham, cut into small pieces (I use about 3-4 cups of chopped up ham)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2-3 stalks of celery, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1-2 teaspoons celery seed (optional)
• Salt and pepper

Rinse the beans in hot water until they are white. Place them in a stockpot, add the water, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 hours. Heat the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion and celery until lightly browned. Add the onion, celery, bay leaf and celery seed to the pot of beans. Remove 2 cups of the bean mixture (make sure the bay leaf isn't in there), puree in a blender, and return to the soup. Add to ham to soup mixture. Just before serving, season the soup with salt and pepper, to taste.

Minestrone Bean Soup

Because of my recent leg surgery, my duration to stand up and cook is very short. So I've been going through my recipes trying to find things that take the least amount of prep time. This is a recipe I got at one of my bridal showers. I had a "kitchen" theme and everyone had to bring a recipe for me. This one came from a neighbor of my parents who also happens to be the mom of Elder D. Todd Christofferson!

MINESTRONE BEAN SOUP

• 1/2 lb. lean ground beef (I like using ground turkey)
• 1/4 onion, chopped
  
• 1 can minestrone soup
• 1 can red kidney beans
• 1 can pork and beans
• 1 can water

In a skillet, cook the ground beef and onion together until cooked all the way through. Add this mixture to a pot with the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 15 minutes.

Buffalo Wing Soup

I got this recipe from Cassie over at Cassie Craves and man was it HOT! If you like buffalo wings, you'll absolutely love this soup. It was pretty easy to put together and throw in the slow cooker. I'd definitely recommend this soup, but if you're serving it to kids or people who don't like the heat, cut the hot sauce in half.

BUFFALO WING SOUP

• 2 cups cooked and cubed chicken
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped (I used red onion)
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups fat free or 2% milk (no higher fat content than 2% or it will curdle)
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 4 ounces Velveeta, cubed
• 1/2 cup hot wing sauce
• 1/2 tsp celery salt (I used celery seed)
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt (I used garlic powder)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Make a roux with the flour and butter: In the microwave, melt the butter on high for 45 seconds, then whisk in the flour. Set aside.

Chop up the onion and celery and add to Crock pot. Add the chicken, chicken broth, milk, Velveeta, and garlic powder, celery seed and salt. Stir in the flour and butter mixture. Add hot sauce.

Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for 3 to 4. The soup is done when the celery and onion reach desired tenderness and the flavors have blended.

Butternut Squash Soup

Like I mentioned in the previous post, my grandpa continuously supplies me with various types of squash throughout the fall season. In fact, last night he gave me a spaghetti squash, so I'll have to find a recipe for that one! This soup is one of my favorites. I adapted it from a recipe my sister-in-law, Ashlie, gave me. It's very simple to make and is very healthy too!

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

• 1 butternut squash, halved and seeded
• 1 large onion, peeled and quartered (I like to use a sweet onion, like Vidalia or Walla Walla)
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon mild curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (if you don't have this, do equal parts cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg to equal 1 teaspoon)
  
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup plain yogurt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

Place squash halves (cut side up) and onion onto the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the squash with salt and pepper.

Roast in the center of the oven for 45 to 60 minutes, until the squash is tender. Remove from oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.

Scrape the flesh from the squash and place into the food processor along with the roasted onion and garlic. Puree until smooth. Add broth if necessary. Transfer the pureed mixture to a stockpot and stir in broth. Season with the bay leaf, brown sugar, curry powder, oregano, pumpkin pie spice and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in yogurt. Remove bay leaf and serve hot. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

Cornmeal Waffles with Spicy Chili

Now that the weather is getting colder, it's time for chili! I ran across this recipe at the last minute yesterday and I was so happy that I decided to refer to my culinary go-to, Paula Deen, before making dinner. I wanted to try this recipe because of the accompaniment of the cornmeal waffles. Who has ever heard of waffles with chili? These waffles aren't the sweet, breakfast kind - they're savory. They actually taste just like cornbread, but just in waffle form. I'm definitely going to start serving these with all my chili!

CORNMEAL WAFFLES WITH SPICY CHILI

Cornmeal waffles:

• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 large eggs

Preheat waffle iron according to manufacturer's instructions.

In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Add milk, oil, and eggs; stirring until smooth. Pour batter onto hot waffle iron and bake in batches. Set aside and keep warm.

Serve with Spicy Chili. Garnish with shredded Cheddar, sour cream and chopped fresh cilantro.

Spicy Chili:

• 1 pound lean ground chuck
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
• 2 (15-ounce) cans ranch-style beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (15 ounce) can corn, drained
• 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chilies

In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, brown ground chuck, until beef is crumbly. Stir in onion, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper.

Stir in beans, tomato sauce, corn, diced tomatoes, and green chiles. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally.

White Bean Chili

This is my BFF/sister-in-law/cousin/ex-roommate's favorite recipe that she sent to me. I haven't had this recipe before but every white chili that I've tried I've absolutely loved! Now that it's getting colder weather it's the perfect time to eat foods like this. Thanks Shellie!

"I've just started making this after I tried it at a friends. It's AWESOME!" - Shellie

WHITE BEAN CHILI

• 3 15 oz. Cans Great Northern beans, drained
• 8 oz. cooked and shredded chicken
• 1 c. chopped onions
• 1 ½ c. chopped yellow, red, or green peppers
• 2 jalapeno chili peppers, stemmed, seeded and chopped (optional) or can or two green chillis (I like the green chillis)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• 3 ½ c. chicken broth (I always add more… if you don't want it as thick)
• Sour cream
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Tortilla chips
  

Combine all ingredients except sour cream, cheese and chips in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or high 4-5 hours. Ladle into bowls and top individual servings with sour cream, cheese and tortilla chips.

Food Storage Soup

All of the grocery stores around here are having case lot sales, so Joe and I have been stocking up on some of the essentials and have a pretty good amount of food storage. We have converted one of the guest bedrooms into the "food storage" room, so whoever gets the opportunity to spend the night in that room can help themselves to many months worth of midnight snacks!

I started out following a recipe with this soup and then ended up adding a bunch of my own stuff from our abundant food storage supply. To tell you the truth, I thought it was going to taste gross but it pleasantly surprised us and was perfect for a cool, crisp evening!

FOOD STORAGE SOUP

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• BBQ seasoning (or your favorite kind)
• 3 cans beef broth
• 1 can diced tomatoes (I used the Italian kind)
• 2 small cans tomato sauce
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 package frozen green peas
• 1 can corn
• 1/2 lb. cooked penne pasta

Brown the ground beef with the onion and sprinkle your favorite seasoning over top. While this is browning, start cooking the penne pasta. Once both of these things are cooked, combine all the ingredients together and simmer for 20 minutes. Doesn't get easier than that!

Fresh Spinach, Orzo, and Chicken Soup

Very few of us women seem to feel completely happy with our bodies. Despite all the helpful pep talks we get about how "every woman is beautiful in her own way," we know, deep down, that it isn't really true. Right? There really are "attractive" and "unattractive" body types, and we could all use some help. So here’s how to get that figure any woman would want:
First you take an ounce and a half of oyl of foxes, oyl of lillies, and capons grease…Oh, wait. This isn’t the 17th Century.

In our modern times, we have our choice of diet centers, diet pills, pre-packaged diet foods, and many more options that I could find out about tonight watching infomercials. I've tried a few diets in my time, and although I do lose weight...it all comes back. So I've opted for a new plan to get in shape.....I got myself a personal trainer! And let me tell you.....I'm sitting here on the couch, stiff and unable to move because my body is screaming out in pain. You'll notice that my recipes that I'm posting will be getting healthier. I have to keep a food journal, so there's no cheating unless I want to hear it from my trainer. And Joe has become my enemy because he checks my food journal to make sure I'm not lying. This is an extremely flavorful soup and doesn't taste diet-y at all! I got it out of the new Costco cookbook which can be downloaded from their website.

(And by the way, the "fox oyl" and the rest of the above ingredients are just the beginning, and the result is a poultice that you slap on your midsection to melt excess fat and make your breasts less saggy. Does it work? Well, we’ll report back—just as soon as we find a more cooperative fox.)

FRESH SPINACH, ORZO, AND CHICKEN SOUP

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut in 1-inch cubes
• Sea salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp ground coriander (I had fresh cilantro on hand, so I used about 1/4 cup of this instead and I would do this again!)
• Pinch of cinnamon (I used about 1/4 tsp)
• 1 32-ounce container chicken broth
• 2/3 cup orzo
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 cups fresh baby spinach
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I would recommend omitting this, Joe and I thought it tasted better without it)
• 6 lemon wedges

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sear until lightly browned, remove to a plate.

Reduce heat to medium, add onion and garlic, and saute until onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add spices and stir for 1 minute. Add broth and bring to a boil. Add orzo and cook until tender, 8-10 minutes. Add chicken, bring soup back to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Divide spinach among bowls and ladle hot soup over spinach. Garnish with Parmesan and lemon wedges. Serve immediately.