Aubrey's Taco Soup

Ingredients:

1lb ground beef
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained and rinsed
1 can tomato sauce (I used a 15 oz can)
1 can tomatoes, undrained
1/2 package taco seasoning

Brown meat in a large pot, drain fat.  Mix all ingredients in a pot.  Add water to desired consistency.  Heat until simmer.  Simmer for 15 minutes.  Serve with spoonful of sour cream and side dishes of taco chips.

Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup

HEARTY CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP 

1  cup cooked chicken

2 cups chopped carrots

2 cups chopped celery

2 cups corn 

2 cups frozen peas

3/4 cup chopped onion

3 cups chicken broth

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup sour cream

2 1/2 oz cooked noodles

Salt and pepper Add vegetables to chicken broth and simmer until tender. Add cream of chicken soup. Then add chicken.  I like to cook my noodles separate and add them before serving. If they simmer with the soup too long they seem to get mushy or soak up the juice in the soup. Add sour cream and noodles. Salt and pepper to taste (I like lots of pepper!).

Recipe Source:  Heather, my SIL

Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

 

 

 

A crockpot chicken noodle soup, with chicken, onions, carrots, celery, and noodles.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 pounds chicken pieces (I used shredded rotisserie chicken)
• 4 cups water*
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste, depending on saltiness of broth
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 leek or small onion chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram or basil
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 ounces noodles

Preparation:

Place all ingredients except noodles in the Crock Pot. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours. Remove chicken and bay leaf from pot; take meat from bones, dice, and return to broth, and add the noodles. Cook another hour or until noodles are done (about 1/2 hour on high). Or, cook the noodles separately and add them just before serving.

 

*Note: I had to add another 2-3 Cups of water to broth after adding the noodles. 

 

Picture and Recipe Source: Southern Food

Ham Bone Soup

We baked our Christmas ham a little late this year.  My husband and I made this delicious soup with the left over ham bone, which was a first for me.  It was pretty good and very simple to make.  I loved that we made it in the morning in the crock pot and dinner was done by the time we got home.  It did take a full 6 hours to cook in our crock pot.  Enjoy!

Recipe Source: All Recipes
Photo Source: Damn Delicious

Ingredients

1 leftover ham bone with some meat
1 onion, diced
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes in juice
1 can (15.25 oz) kidney beans
3 potatoes, cubed
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cubed
( we added 2 celery stalks, chopped)
*4 c water
*6 bullion cubes


*Note.  The last time I made this, it was too salty.  We ended up having to add more water.  Either add more water in the beginning, or less bullion cubes.  I would suggest 4 c water to 4 bullion cubes, as the original recipe suggests.

Directions

1. Place the ham bone, onion, tomatoes, kidney beans, potatoes, and green pepper into a 3 quart or larger slow cooker. Dissolve the bouillon cubes in water, and pour into the slow cooker.
2. Cover, and cook on High until warm. Reduce heat to Low, and continue to cook for 5 to 6 hours.

Creamy White Chicken Chili

• To make it "healthier" I swapped out the sour cream for nonfat Greek yogurt and the whipping cream for 2% milk.  I also used shredded rotisserie chicken instead of skinless chicken breasts.  Served it with tortilla chips and fruit.  
• 
  
• Serves 6
• 
  
• Ingredients:

• 
  
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder or 2 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 2 cans (15 1/2 ounces each) Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
• 2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies (if you like less kick, add just one can)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• Fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large saucepan, saute chicken, onion and garlic powder (or fresh garlic, if using) in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream and cream. Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired. Serve immediately. This is especially good served with tortilla chips.
2. Slow Cooker Option: In a medium round slow cooker, place 1 pound chicken breasts (fresh or frozen) without cubing them. Add the chopped onion, garlic powder, beans, green chiles and all of the spices. Do not add the sour cream or whipping cream yet! Reduce the chicken broth to 12 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) and pour in over the other ingredients. Stir the mixture around a bit to incorporate the dry spices. Cook on low for 5-7 hours (if using frozen chicken you’ll cook on the longer end of that spectrum, fresh chicken will cook in less time). Remove the chicken to a cutting board and shred in bite-size pieces. Stir back into the slow cooker. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the sour cream and whipping cream until smooth. Whisk the cream mixture into the crockpot with the other ingredients. Let the soup cook until heated through. Serve.

Recipe Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Photo Source: The Girl Who Ate Everything

Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup

Homemade is way better than the can.  WAAAYYY better.  No preservatives.  Oh, and it tastes amazing in comparison to the stuff in a can. 


I made this recipe and added some shredded rotisserie chicken to give it some protein and deliciousness.  Served it over rice and added fresh ingredients on top to make Hawaiian Haystacks.  Some ingredients to use if making Hawaiian Haystacks: chopped onions, tomatoes, carrots, celery, green onions, olives, pineapple, coconut, cheese, mandarin oranges, Chinese noodles.  The list is endless!  Also, this recipe makes a lot.  I made the entire amount and froze half to use another time.  I also had so much gravy left over from the Hawaiian Haystack meal, that I plan on making chicken enchiladas with the leftovers.   


Cream of Chicken Soup from Scratch (4 cups)  8 tbs butter
*8 tbs flour (I used whole wheat flour)
4 c chicken stock
3 c milk (I used skim)
1/2 c minced onion
juice of half a lemon
salt and pepper to taste
1 C shredded rotisserie chicken (optional, Mel's addition)

*I ended up needing to add an additional 3 TBS of flour for it to thicken up enough, possibly because I used skim milk instead of one with a higher fat content?? 

In a pot melt butter, add onions and let cook until onions are translucent. Add flour, and whisk for a minute, letting the flour cook. While whisking, slowly add the chicken stock, and milk, whisking the entire time so that you don't have any lumps. Cook, stirring constantly over medium low heat until thickened to desired consistency. Add lemon juice and pepper at the end.

Recipe Source To Die For Recipes
Click here for photo source.

Authentic Chicken Tortilla Soup

This recipe came from here over at To Die For Recipes.  I renamed the soup for my own memory sake.  This soup was really good, pretty healthy and easy to make.  My 4 year old loved it too, which says a lot being as he doesn't love soup.  ;)

Rachelle from To Die For Recipes had some good tips and said it best so I will quote her:  "You can use any kind of cheese you have one hand, and you can also use store bought chips if you prefer. I like to cut my corn tortillas into strips, place them on a baking sheet, and bake them at 425 degrees until they are crisp and golden. Salt and pepper this dish to taste, as everyone has different seasoning preferences."  The only thing I did differently from Rachelle was use shredded rotisserie chicken from Costco.  It was so easy and amazing.  


3 tbsp. oil
3 cloves garlic
1/2 c. cilantro, chopped
1 onion, sliced
1 can diced tomatoes, not drained
1/2 tsp cumin
4 c. chicken broth
2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded
salt and pepper
5 corn tortillas
1 avocado, pitted and cubed
1/2 c. cheese

In a large pot over medium heat, warm 1 tbs. oil. Add sliced onion, garlic, cilantro and saute just until golden brown, about 10 minutes. In a blender, combine sauteed mixture and tomatoes and blend until smooth. In the same pot, over medium high heat, warm another tbs. oil. Add tomato mixture and cumin. Cook, stirring frequently, until thickened and darkened, 5-6 minutes. Add chicken stock, cover partially and simmer, stirring occasionally, until soup is slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Add shredded chicken. While soup is simmering, heat 1 tbs. oil in frying pan over medium high heat. Drop tortilla strips and fry until crisp and brown. Set aside. Between four bowls, evely divide tortilla strips, sprinkle some grated cheese and ladle soup into bowls. Top with avocado and a squeeze of lime and more cheese if desired.

White Bean Soup with Tomatoes

White Bean Soup with Tomatoes

2 cans (19 oz) Great Northern white beans, drained and rinsed
1 can chopped Italian tomatoes
2 c chicken broth
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp dried basil leaves
salt to taste

Mix all ingredients in a soup pot. Heat for 10 minutes or several hours on low in crock-pot. Serve with PARMESAN CHEESE. Also great served with garlic bread and green salad.

Recipe Source: Linda N.
Photo Source: Once Upon a Cutting Board