Jalapeño Beer Cheese Soup

Servings: makes 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 pound bacon (preferably smoked or double smoked), cut into 1 inch slices (omit and replace with 2 tablespoons of oil or butter for vegetarian)
1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2+ jalapeno peppers, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon thyme, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour (rice flour for gluten free)
1 (~12 ounce) bottle/can ale (gluten free for gluten free)
2 cups chicken broth or chicken stock or vegetable broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
cayenne to taste
salt and pepper to taste


Directions

Cook the bacon in a pan over medium heat and set aside on paper towels to drain, reserving 2 tablespoons of the grease in the pan.
Add the onion, celery and jalapeno and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
Add the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
Add the butter and let it melt and get all bubbly then sprinkle on the flour and let it cook until it starts to turn golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.
Add the ale and broth and deglaze the pan before adding the bacon and then let cook for 10 minutes.
Add the cream, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and cheese and cook until the cheese has melted without bringing it back to a boil.
Season with cayenne, salt and pepper to taste and enjoy.

Source~http://www.closetcooking.com/2012/03/ale-and-cheddar-soup.html?m=1

Zuppa Toscana (Copycat)

This makes a perfect light supper. Make sure to add a little red pepper, Italian seasoning and Parmesan at the end for more flavor. And don't forget the garlic bread for dipping!

Ingredients

1 lb. Italian sausage (I like mild sausage)
2 large russet baking potatoes , sliced in half, and then in 1/4 inch slices
1 large onion , chopped
1/4 c. bacon bit (optional)
2 garlic cloves , minced
2 c. kale or 2 c. swiss chard , chopped
16 oz. can chicken broth
1 quart water
1 c. heavy whipping cream

Directions

1. Brown meat ( links or sausage)

2. If links cut in half lengthwise, then dice into 1/2-inch slices.

3. Place cooked Italian sausage, chicken broth, water, garlic, potatoes and onion in slow cooker.

4. Cover. Cook on High for 3-4 hours until potatoes are cooked and soft.

5. Optional: Mash the potatoes a bit with a potato masher for texture.

6. Turn the crock pot off and add the kale.

7. Return the lid and let sit for 5 minutes.

8. Add whipping cream and serve.

Source-http://getcrocked.com/2011/10/23/crock-pot-zuppa-toscana-copycat/

Burgundy Beef Stew

So, last year about this time I began a long search for some sort of Irish stew, no luck. Well that's not entirely true; I just didn't have any desire to try to make something with Lamb in it again. I suppose you need the back story huh? Well, a few weeks back I had been excising and watching the food network...bad idea, I know! Anyway, one of their more popular cooking hosts had made a lamb dish with pasta. I remember her saying that it was her husband’s most favorite meal that she makes. As you can guess I was sold! Next I began working my food budget to be able to incorporate this more expensive meal in for that month. Hey ground lamb isn't cheap folks! Anyway, I was really disappointed when I finally was able to make it to the grocery store only to find they didn't have any. The butcher of course came out and asked me if there was anything he could help me with. Now ladies and gentleman let me just say I'm fantastic at saying these two words" no thanks". So good in fact that my name should be used when given a definition of these two words together. I'm working on it though, sometimes swinging too far to the other side. Well, this day was different or maybe I had a deep look of sadness, I don't know but he told me that he would grind up the lamb for me himself. The only catch was that I would need to come back the next day to pick it up, he was really backed up with meat, and since normally they have to special order ground lamb which could take up to a week, I didn't think this was too big of a deal. The following day on my way home with my ground lamb I decided there was just no way could I make anything else that night! And so after more than 2 hours of cooking , 3 cranky kids (one of them being my husband) we finally sat down at 7:30pm to eat something my husband and I have agreed was the most horrible food that we have ever tasted, (even though it was properly cooked!). On a little side note our 2 year old loved it; we believe he must have more refined taste buds than we have.

So, after many hours of searching, I found a truly warm and delicious stew, which I will be making for this St. Patrick’s Day since it has now become a tradition for our family. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 3 pounds cubed beef stew meat
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 4 large potatoes, cubed
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 (1 ounce) envelopes onion soup mix
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 large onions, quartered
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1/2 cup burgundy wine
• 2 (6 ounce) packages fresh button mushrooms, halved
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch

Directions

1. Toss the beef, flour, and salt in a resealable bag until the beef is coated.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Combine the beef and Worcestershire sauce in the skillet; cook until the beef is evenly browned on all sides; transfer to a slow cooker, but do not clean the skillet. Add the carrots, potatoes, parsley, and pepper to the slow cooker.
3. Combine the boiling water and soup mix in a small bowl; add to slow cooker.
4. Melt the butter in the skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onion and garlic in the melted butter until soft; transfer the onion and garlic to the slow cooker and return the skillet to the heat. Combine the wine and mushrooms to the skillet; cook until the mushrooms begin to absorb the wine; pour the mixture into the slow cooker.
5. Place the cover on the slow cooker and set to High; cook for one hour. Reduce heat to Low and cook until the beef is fork-tender, 5 to 7 hours. Whisk together the warm water and cornstarch; stir into the stew; cook uncovered until stew thickens, about 15 minutes. allrecipes

Pasta Fagioli

Have you ever had a day you just need to be somewhere else? Well then, relax your mind and let your heart roam free. It's time for you to take an excursion to Italy. Imagine yourself in a little villa in the Italian country side. You’re sitting at your old wooden table by the window. Glancing over to what must be at least a hundred year old stove and waiting for your delicious dinner to be ready. You close eyes just for a moment and your embraced with a light essence of lavender and rosemary in the air. The night sky is just beginning to show its presence and all is peaceful in your little world. That is besides the coltivatore di pecora (sheep farmer) and all of his noisy sheep that are currently trying to push their way past each other to get to their dinner. Oh dinner! You whirl back around and make your way to the stove lift up a shiny silver spoon to your lips and Perfection!

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, quartered then halved
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (29 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 (15 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes
• 5 1/2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can navy beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 pound penne pasta

Directions

1. In a large pot over medium heat, cook onion in olive oil until translucent. Stir in garlic and cook until tender. Reduce heat, and stir in tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, water, parsley, basil, oregano, salt, cannelini beans, navy beans, black beans and Parmesan. Simmer 1 hour.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Stir into soup.

Tex-Mex Chili

This Chili recipe came from Abbie, one of my dearest friends. Best to my recollection, I told her I was in pursuit of a tasty chili recipe. Once again, I had made a chili my husband enjoyed yet I was not a fan of. I’ve never cared much for chili’s style, to be honest. Don’t ask me why, I really have no idea what my tiff seems to be with a much beloved favorite. Anyhow, Abbie told me this was a must try recipe before I shooed the entire thought of chili away. Well, of course she was right. It is simply delish! She definitely impressed me with her chili I really should not have been so surprised. She is an extremely talented woman with a knack at pretty much everything! I have found that she has a true wealth of knowledge on many topics but especially in crafts and photography. That should not have surprised me to since she comes from a very talented family. So, I hope you enjoy yourself with a nice hot bowl of her Chili and maybe this story will help you get out there and be a little creative too!


Ingredients
1 lb ground beef
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 packet of hidden valley ranch dressing
1 can of white corn
1can of yellow corn
1 can of black beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can of dark kidney beans
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can stewed tomatoes with green chilies

Directions

Brown ground beef  using half  the packets of ranch and taco seasoning over med high heat. Then pour meat and the rest of the ingredients, plus the seasoning in a stock pot (dutch oven). Bring to a boil and then simmer for an hour.

Slow Cooker  opt.  Brown meat then pour the rest of the ingredients in the slow cooker. Cook on med heat for 4-5 hours. Slow cookers vary, so cook until well heated. serves 8-10 nice sized bowls

Chicken Noodle Soup

Well, as many of you already know the South has gone through an entire visual transformation in the last week. Most of us in the area have been confined to our homes due to snow that turned into ice and keeps melting then refreezing every night. This snow haven wonderland has been a dream come true for my two little boys whom can't wait to go out every day and roll around in the fluffy white stuff...which is now crunchy white stuff. In any case they have definitely made the most of it and now Mama is ready for it to go away! Let's just say there is a reason why I moved down here. To me South = clear roads! Don't get me wrong I love experiencing the snow every year just as much as the next guy or gal, but only for a week or so and I'm done! It's been almost a week... 

A few years ago in late March on a flight back home while we were waiting to exit a plane. I told my husband I didn't know what we were going to do about driving the rental car because I honestly couldn't remember how to drive in winter weather.  The lady behind us was just getting back from her vacation in Florida (where we happened to live at the time) said “oh boy I wish I could say I didn't remember how to drive in this stuff" pointing to the little window on plane. “That is a dream of mine"! We all had a good laugh over that one.

So, back to the Chicken Noodle Soup. I made this the other night after my oldest went sledding with the baby pool. What? We use what we can down here in GA. Anyway since we were snowed in I just through what I had on hand in a pot and here it is!

Ingredients

• 8 oz of macaroni noodles
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 8 cups chicken broth ( 1 low sodium 1 reg carton)
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1  cup carrots
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 cups diced, cooked chicken meat

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add  noodles and oil, and boil for 8 minutes, or until tender. Drain, and rinse under cool running water.
2. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, combine broth, salt, and poultry seasoning. Bring to a boil. Stir in carrots, peas, and onion. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water together until cornstarch is completely dissolved. Gradually add to soup, stirring constantly. Stir in noodles and chicken, and heat through.  For storage purposes I always keep my noodles separate from the soup and just add noodles as we need it.  Also make sure to bring poultry seasoning to the table when serving the soup the first time. You will need to add a little in your bowl as desired. This soup is even better the second day!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Let me began with saying I'm sorry if the photo isn't very clear. I made this soup for my family soon after returning from Christmas. As I'm sure you can tell from this photo I didn't use my regular camera, but in fact used my phone to take this shot. Just so you know I did spend some time running around the house frantic trying to locate it amongst the piles of stuff that still needed to be sorted from the car! Huge sigh. I later found it in the one place I thought I had checked in the beginning …my handbag.

Well, this recipe comes from Stacey. A woman I've been privileged to get to know a little bit over the last few months through my small Bible study group (or aka small group). She made this yummy soup for our Christmas party last month and all the girls including myself were just raving about it. What's nice about this recipe is that you get to choose as much or as little kick as you can handle.

Oh by the way my hope and plan for January is to provide you with a month of delicious soups. We shall see where this leads the both of us!

Ingredients 

1.5 lbs chicken

1 can black beans, drained

1 can 28 oz crushed tomatoes

1 can 16 oz tomato sauce

1 can Delmonte corn, Italian flavoring (garlic, oregano)

2 cans Hominy Beans ( can be found in the corn aisle at the grocery store)

1 can red kidney beans

1 can chicken broth (either 8 oz or 16 oz. - if you use the 16 oz, drain the corn and Hominy beans)

1 pkg Ranch Dip seasoning

1 pkg Mexican Taco Mix (original)

Chili Pepper (whatever amount you prefer)

Red Pepper (whatever amount you prefer)

Directions

1.) Cut up the chicken into small pieces, leave raw.

2.) Dump everything into a big pot including the chicken.

3.) Turn on medium heat.

4.) Stir occasionally.

5.) Once chicken is cooked, it'll be about done. 

6.) Keep it on low or simmer until you serve.

7.) Preparation - tear up tortillas and drop in the bowl, add cheese and sour cream. 

This recipe can also be made in the slow cooker 6-8 depending on heat

Corn Chowder

It's funny  that when I think of this recipe what come to mind are all those childhood thoughts of what fall was about. It was a time when I made plenty of drawings of Pilgrims and Indians and when Stone Soup was considered exotic to a young child's mind (and truly disgusting). Yes, even though Thanksgiving is still over a month away and we haven’t even had much of a fall harvest yet I believe all wonderful attributes of fall can be appreciated. Maybe you’re fortunate to live in a cooler state with the fall foliage in its full glory right now and corn stalks and pumpkins galore. Well either way if you live in a cooler climate with the crispness of fall and the beauty of the colorful leaves floating through the sky like a great masterpiece in action or dreaming of it like me you will enjoy this small token of fall.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 1 (14.75 ounce) can cream-style corn
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1 3/4 cups frozen corn
• 1 cup frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
• 1 pkg. of fully cooked bacon
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1/2 cup of matchstick carrots
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a slow cooker, combine all ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 4- 6 hours. 

Italian Sausage Soup

Ingredients

1 lb. Italian sausage ( like Jimmy Deans)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 (14 ounce) cans beef broth or one large 32oz carton is fine
1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes
1 cup sliced frozen carrots that have been warmed up in microwave
1 (14.5 ounce) can great Northern beans, undrained
2 small zucchini, cubed
2 cups fresh spinach rinsed and torn
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt


Directions

1.In a Dutch oven, brown sausage with garlic. Stir in broth, tomatoes , and season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes.
2.Stir in beans with liquid, carrots and zucchini. Cover, and simmer another 15 minutes, or until zucchini is tender.
3.Remove from heat, and add spinach. Replace lid allowing the heat from the soup to cook the spinach leaves. Soup is ready to serve after 5 minutes.