Chicken Pot Pie Soup

I've had this recipe saved in my Pinterest meals to try folder for months.  A few weeks ago we finally gave it a try and it did not disappoint.  My kids loved it, we loved it, and we ate the whole pot!  I made a few adaptations from the original recipe found at Cooking Classy.  The biscuits are a must, so make sure you make them, too!  Enjoy!

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Rotisserie chicken, chopped in small pieces
5 1/2 T. butter
1 cup chopped yellow onion (I used half an onion)
3 stalks celery, diced
2 large carrots (3 medium), peeled and diced
1 15 oz. can chicken broth
2 russet potatoes, peeled and diced 1/2 inch
1/2 t. dried parley
1 t. dried thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste
1 c. frozen or fresh peas
2 1/2 cups milk
6 T. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. heavy cream
1 1/2 t. lemon juice

In a soup pot, melt 1 1/2 T. butter over medium high heat.  Add in onion, celery, and carrots and saute for 3 minutes.  Add chicken broth, potatoes, parsley, thyme, bay leaf, and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Bring soup to a boil, then reduce to medium heat.  Press vegetables down into soup and cover with lid.  Cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat to low and stir in chicken and peas.

In a medium saucepan, melt remaining 4 T. of butter of medium high heat.  Slowly stir in flour and and cook for 1 1/2 minutes, stirring constantly.  While whisking, slowly pour in milk and whisk vigorously to smooth lumps.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Bring mixture to a boil over medium high heat while stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and stir in the heavy cream.

Pour milk mixture into soup pot, making sure to stir constantly.  Add lemon juice.  Remove bay leaf and serve with warm Parmesan drop biscuits (recipe below).

Parmesan Drop Biscuits

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. black pepper
1/4 t. garlic powder
6 T. butter
2 oz. finely shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. heavy cream

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and garlic powder for 30 seconds.  Stir in parmesan cheese.  Add butter, and using your fingertips, rub butter in mixture until evenly distributed.  It will come together like the size of peas.  Pour in milk and heavy cream and stir with a wooden spoon just until combined.  (Batter should be lumpy and sticky).  Drop using a large soup spoon onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.  Bake for about 10 minutes.  Best when eaten straight from the oven!

 

Back At It: Souper Sunday!

I've had so much on my plate for the last several months that my blog was put on the back-burner.  I am a bit excited to be able to get back at it again.  I have found that I really enjoy writing and this is a great tool to share everything from recipes to the difficult choices in life.  I have several recipes and home projects to share in the upcoming month, as well as some new kid projects.  Throw in a few thoughts on parenting and some ways for "mommy time" and that will keep the posts a-flowin'.

Recently there's been a post floating around Facebook for Lasagna Soup.  It looked delicious, so we gave it a try for dinner last night.  Yum!  I made some adaptations and kept it dairy-free and the result was a hit and approved by the pickies!  Eating as much organic as we can is very important to us.  Thanks to Target stocking so many organic products now, I was also able to make the soup using nearly all organic products:  tomatoes, chicken broth, and spices.  Awesome result!

Lasagna Soup

Adapted from Cooking Classy

2 T. Olive oil
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 yellow onion, diced (calls for 1)
1 t. garlic from the jar (calls for 3-5 garlic cloves, minced, to taste)
4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes (I used regular)
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes (calls for 14.5 oz.)
2 1/2 T. tomato paste
2 t. dried basil
3/4 t. dried oregano
1/2 t. dried thyme
1/2 t. dried rosemary, crushed (I left out)
1/2 t. fennel seeds, crushed (I left out)
1 t. granulated sugar
3 t. dried parsley (calls for 1 1/2 T. fresh parsley)
salt and pepper to taste
8 lasagna noodles broken into bite-sized pieces
1 1/4 c. shredded mozzarella (I left out)
1/2 c. finely shredded parmesan cheese (I left out)
8 oz. ricotta cheese (I left out)

Brown ground beef and drain.  Heat olive oil in a deep soup pot.  Saute onions until they begin to soften.  Add in garlic and cook another minute.  Add in tomatoes, ground beef, paste, broth, sugar, seasonings, salt, and pepper.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.  In a separate pan, cook lasagna noodles according to package directions.  Add 1 c. of pasta water to the soup and drain the rest.  Add noodles to the soup and simmer five minutes longer.  If using the cheese, mix all three together with a fork.

Ladle the soup into bowls and add cheese mixture to the top if desired.  Enjoy!

The Post-Pregnancy Fun

In a few weeks I'll be able to workout again.  I haven't worked out much since I found out I was pregnant, because I didn't feel great this time around.  I am looking forward to relieving some stress and dropping some of these pounds (hopefully!), but am afraid finding the time to do this will be tough.  I'm going to try to set some goals, though not too high at this point, and work at it each week.  The gym we belonged to doesn't take infants this small, so it may take some creativity on my part and take place either early morning or later at night.  If you have any at home workouts you enjoy, I'd love to hear about them!

Of course dropping these pounds means eating healthier, but making sure I eat enough calories for both of us.  I am not a fan of eating plain vegetables, cooked or raw, but love them in things.  My goal is to make a pot of soup each week and have it on hand for lunch.  I plan to make some of my go-to favorites like Chicken Noodle, Tuscan Chicken and Vegetable Beef , but am also going to try recipes I found for Olive Garden's Minestrone and Pasta Fagioli.  To get my daily fruit, I'll make smoothies in the morning with a base of bananas, strawberries, and apple juice.  I'll then add pineapple or blueberries depending on what I have on hand.  Normally I would also include french vanilla yogurt, but will leave out because of my dairy elimination diet.

Vitamin Packed Fruit Smoothie

Late last week I thought I'd treat myself to an early Mother's Day present and buy some shirts.  I am tired of going to my closet, staring at the clothes, and realizing that none of them fit!  I'm over wearing maternity shirts, especially now that they really don't fit, but cannot wear any of my things from last summer.  After striking out with what I bought at Target and Kohls, I hit up Old Navy.  Luckily after trying a few styles on, I found one "dressier" looking shirt and another style that worked.  I couldn't help but laugh, though, as my mantra when shopping for clothes post-baby is this:  if you find one that works, but it in a bunch of colors.  I don't have time to shop around, so that is what I did!  

So, if you live near me or see me on a regular basis, don't be surprised if you see the same v-neck in a rainbow of colors!  :)

No Meat Friday: Walkabout Soup

Ten years ago I found a website that I really like called Copykat.com.  It had several recipes that were like those you eat at restaurants.  Awhile back I posted Alfredo sauce from Olive Garden (which I love!).  Today I thought I'd share a recipe for Outback's Walkabout Soup.  Apparently they have different kinds of this depending on they day.  This one is a cheesy soup that just contains onions.  I am NOT an onion fan, but I love this soup!

Outback Steakhouse Walkabout Soup
Source:  www.copykat.com
2 C. thinly sliced yellow sweet onions
2 T. butter
1 can chicken broth
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. fresh ground pepper
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1/4 c. diced Velveeta cubes (compressed in a measuring cup)
1 1/2- 1 3/4 c. white sauce (below)
Shredded cheddar cheese for garnish

In 2-quart saucepan, place 2 T. butter and sliced onions.  Cook at low to medium heat stirring frequently until soft and clear, but not brown.  Add chicken broth, chicken bouillon cubes, salt, and pepper.  Stir until completely heated through.  Add white sauce and Velveeta cheese.  White sauce will be thick because it has been removed from the heat.  Simmer on medium low heat until the cheese is melted and all ingredients are blended, stirring constantly.  Turn temperature to warm and let cook for additional 30-45 minutes.

Serve with a garnish of shredded cheddar cheese and a few slices of warm bread.

Thick White Sauce

3 T. butter
3 T. flour
1/4 t. salt
1 1/2 c. whole milk

In a 1-quart saucepan, melt butter and add flour.  Cook on medium heat until the flour turns thick and comes away from the side of the saucepan.  Pour milk in flour mixture a little at a time and stir constantly.  Add salt.  Mixture should thicken and become like thick pudding.  Remember to stir constantly taking care not to let mixture lump.  Set aside, off from heat until ready to use for the soup.

"Souper" Sunday

Whew, I am exhausted.  After a weekend prepping for our party, it went off without a hitch.  We had a little over thirty guests (20 were kids) and have a lot of food leftover to keep my sweet tooth sufficiently taken care of for the week.  I have a busy three days ahead and am looking forward to a relaxing day (I hope!) on Thursday.

Today I am sharing the soup recipe we made last night.  I had intended to serve it for leftovers tonight, but we were full enough from our appetizers and treats that we opted to just snack instead.  I have had this recipe for a long time and for some reason it intimidated me and I never made it.  I thought I'd give it a try this weekend and it turned out great!

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
2 cooked, boneless chicken breast halves, shredded (I used rotisserie chicken; just took the white meat off the top)
1 6 oz. package quick cooking long grain and wild rice with seasoning
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. ground black pepper
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. butter
2 c. heavy cream

In a large pot over medium heat, combine broth, water, and chicken.  Bring just to boiling, then stir in rice reserving seasoning packet.  Cover and remove from heat.  In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, and flour.  In a medium saucepan, melt butter.  Stir in contents of seasoning packet until mixture is bubbly.  Reduce heat to low, then stir in flour mixture by tablespoons, to form a roux.  Whisk in cream, a little at a time, until fully incorporated and smooth.  Cook until thickened, five minutes.  Stir cream mixture into broth and rice.  Cook over medium heat until heated through, about ten to fifteen minutes.  Serve with sourdough bread.  Enjoy!

"Souper Sunday"

What a great day for soup!  We took a trip to a little fall festival in town with the kiddos and my husband's parents.  We are going to enjoy some baked potato soup tonight to warm back up.  Yummy!  I have another delicious potato soup recipe that I thought I'd share with you today.  A little different than the other.  Definitely not high on the health-meter, but delicious just the same!

Cheesy Potato Soup

1 box Julienne potatoes
3 c. water
2 1/2 c. milk
2 T. margarine or butter
1/2 t. dill weed
1 1/2 cups Velveeta, cut into cubes
Dash pepper

In a pot, put potatoes, sauce packet, water, and dill weed.  Bring to boil.  Reduce heat so it's bubbly.  cook 25-30 minutes until potatoes are no longer hard.  Stir often.

Add milk, margarine, pepper.  Warm for 5-10 minutes.  Don't make it too hot, though.  Just bubbly.

Turn stove to low.  Add Velveeta.  Let warm until melted.

"Souper" Sunday

It's a great day for soup!  Today I'm making the Vegetable Beef Soup I shared with you awhile back.  Can't wait to get some fresh bread and enjoy it for dinner!  I'd like to share another wonderful soup recipe called Tuscan Chicken Soup.  We love it and it's quite healthy as well!  My friend posted it on her blog Peanut Blossom around Super Bowl time last year and we gave it a shot.  It was a keeper!

Tuscan Chicken Soup
From Peanut Blossom

2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
1 medium yellow onion (medium dice)
4 carrots (peeled, washed, and medium dice)
4 stalks celery (washed and medium dice)
2 zucchini (washed and medium dice)
3 cloves fresh garlic (chopped finely);  I cheat and substitute the jar kind!
1 t. dried oregano
1 t. basil
1/2 cup heavy cream (optional);  we omit
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
6 cups chicken stock
Kosher salt to taste
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/2 c. Asini de pepe pasta

In a large pot, add 2 T. olive oil and saute, onions, celery, and carrots over medium high heat for 8-10 minutes.  Add zucchini and garlic.  Saute until tender about 4-6 minutes.

Add chicken stock, tomatoes, basil, oregano, chicken.  Simmer soup for 20 minutes, vegetables should be tender.  Add pasta and cook right into the soup for another 10 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add heavy cream if using and allow to simmer 6-8 minutes.

"Souper" Sunday

With the official kick-off of NFL football this weekend, it's time to get into the fall mode of cooking up a delicious soup recipe on Sunday.  I have been looking forward to "soup season" and today have a nice pot of chili cooking away on the stove.  My chili is pretty boring.  I'm not really into spice, so it's very basic and my husband spices it up on his own with some Tabasco sauce, onions, and peppers.  Since it's pretty bland, I won't share that recipe with you (at least not today)!  Instead, I'd like to share with a rich and creamy baked potato soup that is sure to fill you up!

Baked Potato Soup

4 large baking potatoes
2/3 c. butter
2/3 c. flour
6 c. milk
3/4 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
4 green onions
12 slices baken, cooked and crumbled
1 1/2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
1 8 oz. carton sour cream

Bake potatoes and cube.  Melt butter over low heat.  Add flour, cook 1 minute.  Add 6 cups milk.  Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly.  Add potatoes, salt, pepper, green onions, 1/2 c. bacon, and cheese.  Heat.  Stir in sour cream.  Simmer until hot and serve.

This recipe is great served with a side of fresh, warm bread.  Enjoy!

"Souper" Sunday

Sunday is a great day to make soup, especially as fall draws near.  Great lunch leftovers and more often than not, they're quite healthy!  Today I'd like to share with you a hearty, Vegetable Beef Barley soup that is one of our favorites!

Vegetable Beef Barley Soup

V-8 Hot and Spicy (6 cups)
2 cups water
1/3 cup onion
1 T. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1/4. t. chili powder
2 bay leaves
2 pkgs. vegetables for soup (frozen)
1/2 c. barley
Package beef stew meat (cut up into smaller pieces)

Brown beef until brown on the outside, but still a bit pink on the inside.  Combine all ingredients in large pot and simmer for one hour.  Serve with warm bread