The best ever chicken noodle soup – and so quick to make. You can have a hot and filling complete meal on the table in just about thirty minutes. Add a small salad or a cup of fruit, maybe a crusty roll. Done! Game on. Or whatever else claims your time in a busy day. A quick recipe often uses packaged ingredients and this is no exception. Use broth – canned or in a carton – to save time. The canned soup helps thicken the soup without spending time you don’t have making a roux. The ranch dressing helps thicken, and also provides flavor, without measuring a bunch of ingredients. But first time I made this particular soup – way back when -- it was so salty I ended up throwing it away. And that is NOT an economical choice – not in terms of health, finance, time or any other way you ... [Read More]
Soup
Savory Chicken Noodle Soup Mix
Savory chicken noodle soup mix is not your grandma's chicken soup even though it tastes just like it! And just like grandma's soup, this makes a healthy, comforting gift -- but so much easier to make. Pair a jar of mix with a can of chicken and it is perfect for a sick friend. A minute or two of measuring water and waiting for the soup to cook is all the effort needed to make four servings of healthy comfort. Chicken noodle soup mix is great for the pantry shelf as well. A healthy no preservative quick lunch or dinner for those really busy days – just add crusty bread and/or a salad. A single college student or young professional would also appreciate this (along with a couple of other mixes!) as a stock the shelf gift. Minimal prep time and there will be 2-4 meals depending on ... [Read More]
Chicken Taco Chili
Chicken Taco Chili was a unanimous thumbs up the first time I made it. And every time since. Before I found this recipe I was definitely not a chili fan. Chili always seemed "heavy" and unappetizing. This one, with chicken and taco seasoning, is light and flavorful and full of good stuff. When Bytes and his big brother turned up their toddler noses at something, I'd wait a couple of weeks or so to bring back the objectionable food. When they protested at food they'd already rejected, I told them that they didn't like it when they were little but now that they were "big" boys it their taste buds just might like it. Worked 99% of the time! Obviously, my taste buds have finally matured. You'll like it too!! Chicken Taco Chili is very simple to make ahead and freeze for later ... [Read More]
Hearty Beef and Tomato Soup
Being a great cook day in and day out means making the best of what you have on hand. A great cook is a versatile cook. Of course, it helps if you have a versatile recipe and a few hints along the way. Tomato and Beef Soup is a versatile recipe. Two 48 ounce box containers of beef broth is just the right size. Don’t have it on hand? Many cooks keep beef buillion on hand – cubes or crystals. They have a fairly long shelf life and don’t take up a lot of space. Mix the buillion with 3 quarts of boiling water according to directions. It doesn’t say how much to add to three quarts of water? But it does say that one bullion cube makes 1 cup or 8 ounces of broth. Remember this little factoid? A pint’s a pound, the world around. That means a pint is always 16 ounces or two cups. ... [Read More]
Cheesy Broccoli Beer Soup with sour cream and bacon
Even without the beer, this is a delicious broccoli cheese soup. However, we had a bottle of beer left from New Year's Eve so in it went. Those who know me IRL are all atwitter. Yeah, well if you know me at all, you also know I hate to waste anything. Even more than I dislike the taste of beer. (I didn't realize how picky my taste buds are until I started this blog!!) So the frugal side won again. I just couldn't look at that lonely bottle in the back of the fridge anymore. And when all was cooked, the taste of that particular ingredient just lent a hearty depth of flavor -- no beer taste. The really good Broccoli Cheese soup tasted more interesting. Win, win, win!! You can use any beer, including non-alcholic, or none. Without it, the soup is thicker. You can eat it that ... [Read More]
Italian Meatball Soup
A healthy, full flavored, main dish soup, Italian Meatball Soup is so quick and easy that it is ready to eat in thirty minutes! Cannellini beans (aka white kidney beans) are fiber rich – about 7 grams of fiber per half cup. They also contain 7 grams of protein per half cup, which added to the 13 grams of protein in a serving of six meatballs, accounts for 20 grams of protein. Rather impressive in a bowl of soup. Add the many vitamins and minerals found in spinach, plus the tomatoes and you have a nutritious dish with little effort. This is very straightforward to make. Measure seasonings while the broth is coming to a boil. Add them as you measure and whisk when all have been added. Open the beans and pour into the colander to drain. Open remaining cans so they are ready ... [Read More]