Crock-Pot Sausage Cabbage and Beer Stew. Best Ever!

I came across this stew recipe on Pinterest (where else do we all find recipes anymore?), and gave it a try.  Huge hit.  I mean HUGE!  Simple to make and so good on a cold evening with some crusty bread.  Give this a try!

SAUSAGE, CABBAGE AND BEER STEW

for the crock-pot

1 lb.  uncooked bratwurst sausage, sliced

1 lb. potatoes, cubed

2 c. baby carrots, sliced in half

2 celery stalks, diced

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2 1/2 c. beef stock

1 c. German beer (I used Heineken)

2 bay leaves

1/4 - 1/2 tsp. pepper to taste

3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1/2 small green cabbage, chopped

In a 5 qt. slow cooker place the sliced brats, potatoes, carrots, celery, onion and broth.  
Stir to mix the vegetables together.  Add the beer, bay leaves and pepper.  Cover; cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours or on LOW for 6-7 hours. 
1 hour before the stew is ready add the cider vinegar and cabbage.  
Stir well to incorporate, cover and finish cooking.
When ready to serve remove the bays leaves and discard.

Loved it!

Recipe Source: Fantastical Sharing of Recipes

Tortellini Spinach and Tomato Soup Crock-Pot Recipe

I have seen this recipe all over Pinterest, and every time I've seen a photo of the soup, I've wanted to eat it, so I finally decided to give it a try.  Let me just say, I liked it, really liked it.  My husband liked it and my daughter liked it.  It was delicious. We are adding this to our cool weather soup list. yum.

TORTELLINI SPINACH SOUP

1 (12 oz.) pkg. frozen tortellini 

(I used 4 cheese style)

1 (10 oz.) bag fresh spinach

2 (14.5 oz.) cans Italian style diced tomatoes

4 c. vegetable or chicken broth

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, cut into chunks

2 green onions, chopped, for garnish

2-3 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

In a 5 qt. crock-pot, place all of the ingredients. Stir, cover and cook on LOW for 5-6 hours. Stir soup well to  make sure the cream cheese is well incorporated, pour into serving bowls and garnish with green onions and Parmesan cheese. 

How simple is this, right?  And it's really good! 

 (I forgot to take photos after I added the garnishments, I was too intent on getting the soup in my belly!)

Note:  I think next time I make this soup I'm going to add the spinach half way through the cooking time.  I think the spinach will remain brighter green in color. 




Recipe adapted from: Showme Nan

Cheesy Cauliflower Soup Recipe from Colleen

I am not a cauliflower fan.  In fact it is one of the very few foods I pass up (believe me, I don't pass much on food, in fact at the moment I can think of only 4 veggies I don't like;  beets, eggplant, chick peas and cauliflower).

So, I was more than skeptical when my cute friend Colleen told me about this recipe.  We were at lunch with another fun friend and neighbor (Brittany) and we had a conversation about the surprising deliciousness of cauliflower soup.  I was skeptical. Very skeptical.

Well Colleen promised to give us the recipe and Brittany promised to  make it and send some to me.

And....I WAS STUNNED BY THIS SOUP!  It is rich and creamy and cheesy and without an overpowering cauliflower taste.  Excellent soup!

It's quick to make, and I must tell you that my husband, who does love cauliflower, is so in love with it and says it's his favorite soup ever  (and he is a die hard fan of clam chowder, so this is really saying something!

I've made the soup twice.  After making the recipe the first time I learned to dice up the onion and celery instead of chopping it, and to mash up the cauliflower before adding the sauce-lol.

Give this soup a try-you may die of happiness!

CHEESY CAULIFLOWER SOUP

1 c. diced onion

1 c. diced celery

1 small head of cauliflower, cleaned and cut into florets

3/4 c. butter

3/4 c. flour
2 c. milk
2 c. half and half

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1 1/2 c. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

more shredded cheese for topping if desired

In a large stock pot place the diced onion, celery and cauliflower.  Add enough water to cover the veggies.  On medium high heat bring the water to a boil, cover and cook until veggies are tender (this took about 10-12 min for me (I live in a high altitude city).  Drain most of the water, and mash up the cauliflower (I use a potato masher).

While the vegetables are cooking, in a large sauce pan melt the butter, add the flour and whisk until smooth.  Add the 1/2 & 1/2, milk, and the salt and pepper  Cook on medium high heat until it becomes thickened (this took 15 minutes for me) add the cheese and stir until melted and completely incorporated.  Pour over the cooked vegetables, stir and heat until desired temp (I didn't have to heat it after I had it mixed together-it was perfect).

Now just serve it up!  I did sprinkle a little more shredded cheese on each bowl of soup, I love cheesy goodness!

Amber's Chili {budget friendly}

During the entire 2010 year I seemed to have had an obsession with chili. I'm not sure why, but I was lovin' it! 
This is the recipe I use the most often-it reminds me of Wendy's Fast Food Restaurant Chili...

AMBER'S CHILI

1 lb. lean ground beef

2 c. tomato juice

1- 15oz. can tomato puree

(I love tomatoes, so I add a 15 oz. can of petite diced tomatoes)

1- (15 oz.) can red beans, drained & rinsed

1 small yellow onion, chopped

1/2 c. celery, diced

1/4 c. green pepper, diced

3-4 Tbsp. chili powder 
(adjust amount to suit your family's taste)

1/2 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. sugar

A pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

In a skillet brown the ground beef, (ground turkey works really well too) until no longer pink then drain off the fat

(I actually rinse the cooked beef to remove as much fat as I can).

Place all the ingredients in a 4 quart crock pot, stir well and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  For faster cooking, you can place all the ingredients in a 4 qt. stock pot, cover, and let simmer for 1-1 1/2 hours, stirring about every 20-30 minutes.

You can double this recipe because it freezes very well, and reheats easily on the stove.

 This is a quick and economical dish, and we love it!

(re-posted from Oct. 2010)

Katie's Garden Fresh Vegetable Soup

Note:  I originally posted this recipe in 2010, but it's the perfect dish for this time of year-still plenty of garden veggies and cooler weather...

This  oh-so-yummy recipe is from my friend Katie  http://princesskddesign.blogspot.com
Besides be an extremely talented cook, she does some fantastic crafting as well!
Visit her blog to see some of her projects...

.

Summer Garden Vegetable Soup

• 3 medium zucchini, chopped into bite size pieces
• 4 medium tomatoes, chopped into bite size pieces
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried basil (or 1 tbsp. fresh basil chopped)
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/4 c. flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 3 c. chicken broth
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 (12oz) can evaporated milk
• 1 1/2 c. frozen or fresh corn kernels
• 1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the zucchini, basil, parsley and onion and saute, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes. 
Add the flour, salt and pepper and saute for one additional minute. 
Gradually add the chicken broth, whisking constantly. 
Add the lemon juice; mix well. 
Bring the soup to a simmer, stirring to prevent sticking, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the zucchini is tender but still has some bite to it.
Add the tomatoes, evaporated milk, and corn. Bring the soup to a boil and reduce the heat to medium-low. 
Cover the soup and simmer until the corn and zucchini are tender. 
Stir in the cheese just before serving.

Serve with corn bread...yum!

THANKS FOR SHARING THIS WITH US KATIE!

Crock-pot Creamy Chicken Taco Soup

As I promised this is a delicious soup that will use up any leftover chicken mix that you made using my recipe for  Crockpot Creamy Chicken Taco's and Nachos.
It's incredibly easy to make and uses common pantry staples.
You'll be in love with this soup, it's so easy to adapt to your family's particular likes.

Crockpot Creamy Chicken Taco Soup

3-4 c. chicken broth

2 c. left over Creamy chicken Taco meat

1-2 Tbsp. taco seasoning mix

1 (14 oz.) cans black beans or pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 (8 oz.) pkg cream cheese, cubed, at room temp.

1 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

Suggested garnishes:

diced tomatoes

diced avocado

sour cream

additional shredded cheese

Dorito's style tortilla chips, lightly crushed

In a 5 qt. slow cooker, pour in the broth, add the chicken mix and stir until the chicken has distributed throughout the broth.

Stir in the taco seasoning and canned beans.

Cover and cook on HIGH 3 hours, or on LOW for 5 hours.

Place the softened cream cheese in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for about 30 seconds, or until the cream cheese is very soft and almost liquid-ey (I know that's not a word, but I like it).

Stir in the cream cheese and 1 c. shredded cheese into the soup, cover and continue to cook about 1 additional hour.

When ready to serve, garnish with all of your favorite toppings! 

This recipe is pretty flexible.  You can add more canned beans, corn, canned tomatoes or whatever you think sounds good.  

The quantity of the broth is simply a guideline measurement.  Adding more will make the soup more broth-like, less will make a thicker dish. 

On the taco seasoning, simply use these measurements as a guideline for your family's personal tastes.

Helpful hint: a taco seasoning packet generally has 6 Tbsp. seasoning mix in it.

Home Made Chicken Noodle Soup

Yesterday one of our awesome Facebook Fan's asked if we have a great chicken noodle soup recipe, and the answer is YES!
The recipe comes from my sweet cousin CarolLee, who lives in Midway Utah (in the Wasatch Mountains close to Park City).

CarolLee and her husband Rick

A couple of years ago my mom's side of the family got together and created a wonderful cookbook with our family recipes, as well as the wonderful, treasured recipes from our moms and grandmother.
This particular recipe is divine!

HOME MADE CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

Noodles:

2 large eggs

1 c. flour

1/4 tsp. salt

In a small bowl beat the eggs with a fork. Add in the salt and flour.  Mix until a ball starts to form on the fork (dough should be stiff).  On a floured surface roll the dough into a rectangle shape, until the dough is very thin. Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour and then cut into 1/2 strips vertically. Leave the noodle strips on the work surface to dry and develop a slightly crusty layer, while you prepare the soup (just before placing the noodles into the soup you may want to cut the strips into shorter lengths to suit your preference for noodle size).

Soup:

6 c. water

2 c. chicken, cooked and shredded or diced

2 c. chicken broth

2 cubes chicken bouillon

3 Tbsp. fresh or dried parsley, chopped

1 c. celery chopped

1 c. carrots, grated or finely diced

1 (15 oz.) can corn, undrained

1 Tbsp. celery salt

Salt and Pepper to taste.

In a large stockpot combine the water, broth, bouillon and spices. Bring to a boil. Add the celery and carrots, and simmer until the veggies are just tender. Slowly add the noodles a handful at a time stirring in to keep them from sticking together. Simmer and additional 10 minutes. Add the cooked chicken and the can of corn, then cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

This is a very yummy soup, and it seems to get even better the next day.

NOTES:  My family do not like corn, so I just leave it out of the recipe. We also like a thicker noodle, so I don't roll my dough super thin.  However if you want thicker noodles, you will need to increase the final simmering time to make sure the noodles are cooked through. I usually simmer for about 30 min.  Just test the noodles by taking a bite of one and if you like it, then it's done!

Creamy Tomto Soup

Last evening I made my favorite comfort food meal. With cold weather all around us I thought it would be nice to re post one of my very favorite recipe's...

I have always had a bit of an obsession with Tomato Soup. When I was 9 years old I even begged my mother to make me  tomato soup for Thanksgiving dinner! I love tomato soup so much that back when I was a bride-to be my Aunt Peg gave me  48 cans of Campbell's Cream of Tomato Soup at a bridal shower!

So, even though this recipe didn't originate with Aunt Peg, it's one of my fast and favorite meals, and when I shared this recipe with her she was crazy for it too!

CREAMY TOMATO SOUP

1-(10 3/4 oz.) can condensed tomato soup

1-(15 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes

1-(8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened and cut into 8 pieces

1 small onion, finely diced

1/4 c. butter

1 1/2 c. milk

 In a large sauce pan melt the butter, add the diced onion and saute until onion is translucent.
  Add the condensed tomato soup, canned tomatoes, and milk.  
Heat until simmering.
  Add in the cubed cream cheese, return to a simmer and whisk until cream cheese is melted and completely incorporated.
Ready to serve!

NOTE:  The soup thickens significantly as it cools, so when reheating any leftovers you may want to add more milk.

This a very satisfying, creamy soup and it is the ultimate comfort meal if you serve it with 
my 30 MINUTE ROLLS,
QUICK CORN BREAD
or  these 
GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICHES FOR GROWN UPS

Originally posted 3/21/2010

Hoppin' John Soup (New Year's Good Luck Food!)

I'm sure everyone has heard that eating black~eyed peas on New Year's Day will bring you a year of good luck.

Well, why tempt fate? Eat some good luck!

I have a simple, delicious recipe for Hoppin' John Soup that I'm sure your entire family will like.  There are tons of different recipes for this dish, but I like mine because its quick to prepare, and great tasting.  It also calls for canned peas which eliminates the longer prep time for dried peas...YAY!

HOPPIN' JOHN SOUP

1 lb. Andouille Sausage, sliced 1/2" thick

(I use ground pork sausage in place of this, cooking the sausage in a skillet until it is evenly browned first)

2 (14 oz.) cans chicken broth

1 (6oz.) pkg Rice-A-Roni long grain & wild rice mix

2 (15oz.) cans black~eyed pea's

1 (14oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained

2 c. water

1 c. cooked collard greens

(I always used frozen chopped spinach in place  of the collard greens)

S&P to taste

In a large stockpot combine the sausage, rice mix with the seasoning packet, black-eyed peas, tomatoes, chicken broth, collard greens, and water.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Season to taste and bring your family some good luck!


This is a really great soup to serve with corn bread, and you can find my recipe by clicking this link: {{QUICK CORN BREAD}}


Note: Don't worry about thawing and squeezing dry the spinach or collard greens. Just toss them in!

Aunt Peg's Wyoming Stew

We're not sure why this recipe is called her "Wyoming" stew, but we do know its fantastic!
This recipe is so old that when it was originally used there were no such things as slow cookers/crock pots... it was cooked on your stove for 6-7 hours, watching and stirring often.

WYOMING STEW

2 lbs. stew meat

2-15oz. cans green beans, with juice

(I use frozen green beans and just omit the liquid)

1 Qt. stewed tomatoes

2 medium onions, chopped

5 carrots, peeled and diced

4 potatoes, peeled & cubed

5 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 c, quick cooking tapioca

1 c. water

1 tsp. garlic powder 
(or other seasonings you like)

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Place all ingredients in a 5-6 qt. slow cooker, and cook on low 6-8 hours.

This is a super easy recipe, that you can easily adapt to your family's taste by adding additional vegetables, or seasonings.