Cheesy Southwest Soup

Ingredients 

2 t. minced garlic

1/4 cup onion, minced

1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast (I use 3 cans of canned chicken)

2 T. olive oil

1 T. fajita seasoning

1 (11 ounce) can mexicorn (drained)

1 (15 ounce) can black beans (rinsed and drained)

1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chilies

3 cups chicken broth

1 t. cumin

1/2 t chili powder

salt and pepper to taste

8 ounce velveeta cheese (cubed)

Topping

cilantro 

sour cream

avacado

tortilla chips

In a stock pot over medium heat, cook garlic, onion, and chicken breasts in olive oil until browned.  Sprinkle with Fajita seasoning, and stir until combined.  

Add mexicorn, black beans, tomatoes, chicken broth, cumin, chili powder,  and salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in velveeta cheese until it is completely melted.  Pour into bowls and serve.  Top ciliantro, sour cream and avocado and tortilla strips.  

Lasagna Soup

Lasagna Soup

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Italian sausage browned
• 3 c. onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 T. tomato paste
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 t. oregano
• 28 oz diced tomatoes
• 6 c. chicken stock

Simmer 30 minutes

• 8 oz fusilli pasta

boil 8-10 minutes

• 8 oz ricotta
• pepper
• 1/2 c parmesan

Mix together and top on the soup

Taco Soup

Taco Soup

• 1 lb. ground meat, browned
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 10 oz. package frozen corn
• 1 28 oz. diced tomatoes
• 1 15 oz. can pinto beans
• 1 15 oz. can black beans
• 1 15 oz. can kidney beans
• 1 10 oz. can Rotel
• 1 Tablespoon each – cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and chili powder
• 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup homemade ranch dressing
• 1 -4+ cups water or chicken broth depending on how thin or thick you want the soup

Combine all ingredients in a stockpot. Bring to a boil and then allow to simmer for 1 hour.
Serve with sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese.
Enjoy!
Slow cooker method – Dump all ingredients in.  Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.

Cheesy Taco Soup

Cheesy Taco Soup

Serves 4-6
Adapted from The Recipe Critic via Pillsbury
Ingredients:
1lb lean ground beef
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons flour
2-1/2 cups milk, divided
salt & pepper
1 cup freshly shredded cheddar cheese, plus more for topping
1 package taco seasoning
10oz can Rotel, undrained
15oz can black beans, drained & rinsed
Crushed tortilla chips
Directions: 

1. Brown ground beef in a large soup pot over medium-high heat, seasoning with salt and pepper, until no longer pink. Drain and return to pot.
2. Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat then whisk in flour and cook for one minute. Slowly whisk in 1 cup milk, season with salt and pepper, then switch to a wooden spoon and stir mixture until thickened, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat then stir in shredded cheese until smooth. Set aside.
3. Add taco seasoning, rotel, black beans, cheese sauce, and remaining 1-1/2 cups milk into cooked ground beef then stir well to combine. Bring to a heavy simmer then turn heat down to medium and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with crushed tortilla chips and more shredded cheese, if desired.

Chicken and Dumplings

 

Chicken and Dumplings

Friends rave every time I make this dish. It's a comfort food recipe, and I especially enjoy making it on cold or rainy days. I often use a whole chicken cut into pieces and skinned. You can make the store-bought chicken stock taste more like homemade by adding some fresh herbs and parsley and simmering until it's reduced by half.

Cooking Light NOVEMBER 2001

• Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups chicken mixture and 2 dumplings)

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed reduced-fat, reduced-sodium cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 4 pounds chicken pieces, skinned

• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• Dumplings:
• 2 cups baking mix (such as Bisquick)
• 2/3 cup fat-free milk
• Remaining ingredient:
• Chopped parsley (optional)

Preparation

Heat a Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in sherry and the next 4 ingredients (sherry through soup), and bring to boil. Add chicken pieces; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 35 minutes or until chicken is tender.
Remove chicken pieces from cooking liquid. Place chicken in a bowl, and chill 15 minutes.
Remove chicken from bones, and cut meat into bite-size pieces. Discard the bones. Add chicken to pan; stir in peas.
Combine water and cornstarch in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Add cornstarch mixture to pan; stir well.
To prepare dumplings, combine baking mix and milk. Drop the dough into chicken mixture to form 16 dumplings. Bring to a simmer; cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the dumplings are done. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

Lasagna Soup

I love finding  trying new recipes, I couldn't wait to try this one.  The house smelt so good!!

*INGREDIENTS
Soup:
1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
2 bay leaves
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil or 2 tablespoons dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 pound fusilli noodles, cooked and drained
Cheese topping:
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil or 1 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, for sprinkling
DIRECTIONS:
In a large 4-quart pot, add the Italian sausage and cook over medium heat, breaking the pieces up with a wooden spoon or spatula while it cooks. I prefer the sausage in fairly small pieces. After about 3-4 minutes, add the onion. Cook the sausage and onion together, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is cooked through and the onions are soft,a bout 5-7 minutes. Drain any excess grease, if desired. Stir in the garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes and tomato paste. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the diced tomatoes with their juices, bay leaves and chicken broth. Add the basil, if using dried (if using fresh basil, add it in the next step).
Bring the soup to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste and the fresh basil, if using.
For the cheese mixture, in a small bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and basil. Set aside.
To serve the soup, add a scoop of cooked pasta noodles to a bowl. Top with a ladle or two of soup and dollop with a generous spoonful of the cheese mixture. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Serve immediately