Creamy Crockpot Tomato Soup

2 (28 oz) cans of peeled whole tomatoes

1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce

1 qt chicken broth 

2 T oil

1 diced onion

2 T minced garlic

1 packet of Italian dressing mix. 

Pepper to taste

1 c heavy cream

3 T cornstarch

3-4 T hot sauce (optional) 

1 c shredded parmesan cheese

Saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic & cook another minute. Add tomatoes, sautéed onions & garlic, seasoning packet & broth to the crockpot. Season with pepper.

Cook on high 4 hours or low 6 hours. Then take an immersion blender or a regular blender (just be careful) and blend the soup until smooth.

Now whisk heavy cream & cornstarch together. Add to soup. Add optional hot sauce & parmesan cheese. Mix and let cook another 30 minutes. 

Serve! Add croutons, shredded Parmesan etc.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

 

1 medium Butternut Squash

7 fl oz Coconut Milk

1-2 Red Onions

2 Carrots

1-2 Bell Peppers

1-2 heads of Garlic

2 Tomatoes or 1 cup of Cherry Tomatoes

1 1/2 cups Vegetable Broth

1 tsp Fresh Ginger optional; grated

Olive Oil enough to drizzle over vegetables

Fresh Cilantro for garnish

Seasoning:

1 tsp Black Pepper

1 tsp Ground Cumin

1 tsp Paprika

1 tsp Dried Thyme

1 tsp Dried Rosemary

1 tsp Chili Oil

 

Preheat your oven to 390°. Cover and large baking sheet with foil. 

Peel and chop the butternut squash, or simply cut the squash in half. 

Add the seasonings (pepper, cumin, paprika, thyme, rosemary, and chili flakes) to the vegetables. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat evenly. If halving the squash, drizzle olive oil on the exposed flesh. Cover the dish with aluminum foil.

Roast for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the vegetables are golden and soft inside. If you've chopped the vegetables smaller, the roasting time can be reduced. If you've halved the butternut squash, expect a longer roasting time. For the last 10 minutes, remove the aluminum foil to allow the vegetables to caramelize slightly.

Once roasted, scoop out the flesh of the butternut squash (if halved) and transfer all the vegetables to a blender. Add the vegetable broth and ginger (if using), and blend until smooth and creamy.

Pour the blended mixture into a pot and place it on medium heat. Stir in the coconut milk and cook for about 2 minutes, allowing everything to warm through.

Adjust the seasonings to your taste. Garnish with fresh cilantro, a drizzle of coconut milk, and a pinch of chili flakes or some chili oil if desired.

Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup

Yield:  8 servings 

½ cup butter

1 onion, chopped

½ cup flour

4 cups chicken broth

4 cups half-and-half

5 cups broccoli, chopped 

2 cup carrots, grated

nutmeg, little sprinkle

1 lb sharp cheddar cheese, grated

salt and pepper to taste

Bread Bowls

Melt butter in a pot on medium heat. Add onion and saute until golden, about 5 minutes, stirring a few times.

Next, sprinkle flour and cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly.

Slowly add 4 cups of chicken broth whisking it with flour, then add 4 cups of half-and-half, whisk until everything is combined.

 Into the same pot add broccoli, grated carrots and season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Bring soup to a boil, turn the heat to low heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring few times.

Add a little sprinkle of nutmeg. Remove from the heat and stir the cheese into the broccoli soup.

Pour Soup into a bread bowl. Garnish with more cheese and a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper. Enjoy!

Bread Bowls

Yield: 6 bread bowls 

½ cup warm water (110⁰)

1½ T fast rise yeast 

½ tsp sugar 

2 cup warm water (110⁰)

6 cup all purpose flour 

1½ T sugar

2 T extra virgin olive oil 

2 tsp sea salt

1 egg white

DIRECTIONS:

1. Add ½ cup of 110⁰ water, yeast and ½ tsp of sugar to a stand mixer. Let it sit for about 5 minutes. 

2. Using the dough hook, turn it on the lowest speed and then add in the olive oil, sugar, salt, 2 cups of 110⁰ water. Finally, add in the flour, one cup at a time. 

3. Once the dough comes together, turn it up one notch and then let it knead for 5 minutes. *It’s ok if the dough looks sticky. 

4. Scrape the sides of the bowl and cover with a tea towel. 

5. After resting for 15 minutes, punch the dough down one time. Repeat this step 3 more times for a total of 4 punches in 1 hour. 

6. After 1 hour, your dough should have visibly risen. Pour it out onto a lightly floured work surface and cut it into 6 even pieces. 

7. Form each piece into a ball and then place them on a parchment lined baking sheet.

8. Cover with a tea towel and let them rise for 30 more minutes. During this time, preheat oven to 450⁰. 

9. After the second rise is complete, brush each one with the whites of 1 egg. 

10. Bake at 450⁰ for 10 minutes, reduce heat to 350⁰ and then bake another 18-20 minutes. 

11. Let cool slightly before cutting off the tops and scooping out the insides. *We use the insides to dip in our soup.

Italian Chicken Penicillin Soup

1 quart chicken broth 

6 c water

Rotisserie chicken pieces, broken up (include backbone)

2 tsp chicken bouillon 

1 onion, quartered

1 lb carrots, chopped

3 celery ribs, chopped in large pieces

4-6 garlic cloves, diced

½- 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Tumeric (optional. I use about ¼-½ tsp)

Add broth, water, chicken, veggies (larger chunks are easier to remove from the pot), garlic & spices to a large soup pot. Cover, simmer on medium heat 35-45 min until chicken is heated through & veggies are tender.

While this is cooking, start making the French Bread & the soup will be done about the same time. 

Remove chicken & bones. Remove half of the veggies. Blend remaining veggies & chicken broth in the pot with an immersion blender. Dice chicken & veggies into a smaller dice. Add reserved veggies & diced chicken back into the pot. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Add a splash of cream or butter (2-3 T -This gives the soup a buttery mouth feel) & stir.

 

Orzo pasta, cooked

Parmesan cheese, grated

Fresh parsley, chopped

Add ½ cup of pasta to a bowl & add a ladle of the soup. Top with parmesan & parsley.

Serve with French Bread

Creamy Tomato Basil soup & Mini Grilled Cheese

¼ cup EVOO

2 T salted butter

1 yellow onion, finely diced

2 large carrots, finely diced

1 ½ teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

2 teaspoons dried basil

1 tsp crushed red pepper

56 oz San Marzano Tomatoes (Cento)

1 teaspoon lemon zest

4 cups vegetable stock

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 large handful freshly grated parmesan

2 handfuls fresh basil

1. Heat the olive oil and butter on medium high heat. Add in the onions and carrots. Cook them until the onions are translucent (approximately 10 minutes).

2. Add salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, dried basil, and lemon zest. Then add the tomatoes and vegetable stock. Stir to combine and let it simmer for approximately 30 minutes.

3.Add the heavy whipping cream and let it simmer for approximately 5 minutes. You can also add a handful of finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano to make it extra delicious.

4.Remove it from the heat, then add fresh basil and blend it until it's smooth.

For the Grilled Cheese:

1 pack of King's Hawaiian Original Sweet Rolls

Fontina Cheese, sliced

Garlic Herb Butter:

6 T softened butter

1 T Freshly grated parm

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

oregano, garlic powder, and parsley.

Cut King’s Hawaiian Original Hawaiian Sweet Rolls individually, then cut each roll into thirds and spread garlic herb butter on one side of each roll slice.

Assemble mini grilled cheese sandwiches on a baking sheet, then bake at 350°F for about 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Serve sandwiches with tomato soup. 

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

8 slices of bacon
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic
5-6 large potatoes - peeled and diced
2 C Chicken Broth
3/4 C butter
3/4 C flour
1 C heavy cream
5 C milk
1-2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 C shredded cheddar cheese
1 bunch green onions
1/2 C sour cream

In a large pot cook the bacon - when it's done pull it out, and cut into strips.
Add the butter to the pot with the bacon grease and melt it. Add the onion, garlic and potatoes and cook slightly. Add the flour, salt and pepper and stir - cooking the flour slightly. Add the chicken broth, milk and cream and bring to a boil
Turn the heat down and simmer until the potatoes are cooked through. Add the cheese and stir. Add the sour cream, bacon and the green onions and stir. Serve with more cheese, bacon and green onions on top.

*I usually use already baked potatoes w/ the skin on & dice them. I also use already cooked bacon bits & butter instead of the bacon grease to speed things up.

Creamy Parmesan Italian Sausage Ditalini Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb Italian sausage (mild or spicy, depending on preference)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups chicken broth

1 cup heavy cream

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained

1 cup ditalini pasta (or small pasta of choice)

2 cups fresh spinach, chopped

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (plus extra for garnish)

Salt and black pepper, to taste

Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

In a large pot, warm the olive oil over medium heat.

Add the Italian sausage and cook until it is browned, breaking it into small pieces while it cooks.

Once done, remove from the pot and set aside.

In the same pot, introduce the diced onion and minced garlic.

Sauté for 2-3 minutes, allowing them to soften and release their aroma.

Pour in the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a simmer.

Stir in the drained diced tomatoes and the cooked sausage.

Add the ditalini pasta and cook according to the package instructions, which typically takes about 8-10 minutes. Add the Cream and Spinach. Stir in the heavy cream, grated Parmesan cheese, and chopped spinach.

Allow the soup to simmer for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until the spinach wilts and the soup becomes creamy.

Adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper to your liking.

White Chicken Chili

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts trimmed & cut into large chunks

1 small onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 carton of chicken stock

2 15oz cans of white beans, drained and rinsed

2 4oz cans diced green chiles

1 12oz bag of frozen corn (sometimes I use fire roasted)

Seasonings-I recommend starting here and adding more to suit your preference 

1-2 tsp salt

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp oregano

2 tsp chili powder 

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 cup of sour cream or heavy cream ( I just use whatever I have on hand) 

minced cilantro (to taste)

*Add all ingredients to your crockpot except for the cream and cilantro (you will add at the end of cooking time). Stir.

*You can also cook the chicken, beans, corn & spices in an instant pot for 20 min. Release pressure & shred chicken.

Place the lid on the slow cooker. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours. When the cooking time is done, remove the chicken and shred with two forks.

Return chicken to the crockpot. Check seasonings and add more salt or spices if needed. Add sour cream or heavy cream and cilantro. Stir and turn to warm while serving.

Serve with your favorite cheese, extra sour cream, avocado, and tortilla chips

You can substitute cream cheese instead of sour cream

Tomato Basil Soup

1 T oil

2 T butter

1 medium onion

1 clove garlic

½ t Italian Seasoning

2- 28oz cans tomatoes (San Marzano if available)

1 ½ c chicken broth

½ c cream

12 fresh basil leaves, chopped

Salt & pepper, to taste

Blend all ingredients in blender, except cream. Add to pot & heat on stove on medium heat. Let simmer 10 minutes. Add cream & serve.

Serve with The Perfect Grilled Cheese sandwich. 

Serves 4

Creamy Chicken & Veggies

3-4 chicken breasts, cubed

4-5 potatoes, cubed 

1 lb baby carrots 

1 onion, diced 

14 oz chicken broth

Sour cream mixture: 

1 c sour cream

3 T flour

⅛ t black pepper

1 t. salt

1 t. crushed thyme or rosemary

1 t. dried parsley

Place chicken, potatoes, carrots, onions & broth in slow cooker. Cook on low 6-8 hrs or on high for 3-4 hrs. Add sour cream mixture & cook 15 min more to heat through & thicken. 

Instant pot directions:

Place chicken, potatoes, carrots, onions & broth in instant pot. Cook on high pressure for 23 min. Release pressure. Stir in sour crram mixture & cook for a few minutes on sauté mode until thickened. 

Serve with Jumbo Dinner rolls

Serves 8-10 adults 

Instant Pot Creamy Chicken & Rice Soup

2 teaspoons olive oil

½ yellow onion, chopped

1 large carrot, cut into slices

1 large stalk celery, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

¾ teaspoon crushed dried rosemary

5 cups low sodium chicken broth

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts

¾ cup brown/ wild rice , uncooked

1/2 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

½ c half & half

¼ c cornstarch

½ c parmesan cheese, shredded

2 Tablespoons dried parsley

salt & pepper to taste

Set the Instant Pot to Saute mode. Heat the olive oil, then add the onion, carrot and celery. Saute the vegetables, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the garlic and rosemary. Cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.

Pour in the chicken broth and stir to combine.

Add the chicken breasts, brown rice, salt and pepper to the Instant Pot.

Put the lid on & close the steam vent. Set to HIGH pressure using the manual setting. Set the time to 13 minutes. It will take about 15 minutes to reach pressure.

Once the time is expired, use natural release for 10 minutes, then quick release.

Transfer the chicken breasts to a cutting board, shred with 2 forks, then transfer back to the pot. Turn on saute mode again. Stir together the ½ & ½ & cornstarch & add to the pot. Stir until thick. Stir in the parmesan, parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Crock Pot Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

2 chicken breasts, still frozen
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 can corn kernels, do not drain
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 pkg. Ranch dressing mix
1 T cumin
1 t chili powder
1 t onion powder
1 8-oz pkg. cream cheese, cubed

Put the chicken in the crock pot.
Top with the tomatoes, corn, the drained and rinsed beans, ranch dressing, cumin, onion and chili powders.
stir to combine.
Cook on low for 4-6 hours, stirring one or twice.
Shred the chicken into large pieces,
top with the cream cheese & let it cook another 30 min. Stir to blend in the cheese.
Serve over rice.
Can also serve in tortillas or taco shells.
Serves 4
*I always double the recipe.
*I like to add 1 qt chicken broth & make a soup out of it too.

Copycat Campbell's Tomato soup

2 28 oz. cans of whole or diced tomatoes
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. seasoning salt
1 tsp. xanthan gum
dash ground black pepper
2 bay leaves

Fresh basil, optional

In a blender, combine all ingredients except for the bay leaves. Blend on high for several minutes, until very smooth and creamy.The xanthan gum will make the soup sort of frothy. Never fear though, it will clear when heated.Transfer to a medium saucepan, add the bay leaves, and heat over medium-low for about 10 minutes, until the soup turns a dark red and the froth goes away.
Serve with fresh basil if desired. Serve hot!

Italian Beef Stew

2 lbs. chuck roast, cut into cubes
2 tsp. + 3 tsp. olive oil
salt and pepper to season meat
2 cans (14 oz.) Beef broth
29 oz can diced tomatoes with juice
1 T Italian seasoning
1 tsp. ground fennel seed (optional, but recommended)
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
2 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced into thick slices
1/2 lb. (or more) mushrooms, washed and cut in thick slices
3-4 T chopped fresh or frozen basil
(Or Basil Pesto)
good quality balsamic vinegar to drizzle on at the table, optional

Heat the 2 tsp of olive oil in a large non-stick pan and brown the beef cubes over medium-high heat until the meat is browned on all sides. Season the meat with salt & black pepper as it cooks. Don't rush this step; browning the meat adds flavor. 

Add the browned meat to the stew pot. Add one can of beef broth to the frying pan and cook a minute, scraping to loosen the browned bits of meat that stick to the pan, then add that to the stew pot along with the other can of beef broth. Add the petite dice tomatoes with juice, Italian seasoning, and ground fennel. Stir. Turn heat to medium-low & simmer 60 minutes, or slightly longer if the meat doesn't feel tender when you pierce it with a fork.

While the stew simmers, peel and chop the onion and cut out the stem and seeds of the green pepper and chop. Cut ends off the zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, and cut into thick slices. Wipe mushrooms w/ wet paper towel and cut into thick slices or half slices.

When you're ready to finish the stew, heat 1 tsp. olive oil in the frying pan, add the onions and green peppers and cook a few minutes over medium-high heat, then add them to the stew. Heat the second teaspoon of olive oil, add the zucchini and cook until it's slightly browned on both sides, then add to stew. Then add the mushroom slices, cook until they have released their liquid and are starting to brown, then add to stew.

Simmer about 15 minutes, then add the chopped basil and cook a few minutes more. Serve hot, with good quality balsamic vinegar to drizzle on at the table if you'd like.

*Crockpot version:
Add browned meat to the crockpot. Cook 4 hrs on high or 6 hrs on low or until tender. Continue with remaining steps, cooking vegetables & adding them to crockpot. Cook a few more minutes in crockpot then stir in basil.

Zuppa Toscana Soup (Low Carb)

1 lb Hot or Sweet Italian sausage
1/2 lb fresh spinach, chopped (sometimes I just use a box of frozen chopped spinach)
2 c. cauliflower, cut in florets
2 Qts ckicken broth
1/2 c cream, optional
Salt & Pepper
Serves 6

Cook sausage in soup pot. Drain fat. Add cauliflower & broth & cook until cauliflower is tender. Add spinach & cook until it's wilted. Add salt & pepper to taste. You can add cream to make it more creamy, but I usually don't add it. You can add any additional spices that you want: onion powder, garlic, etc but I find that the sausage I buy has good enough flavor that it doesn't really need anything else.

Sausage & Veggie soup

1 lb Hot or sweet Italian Sausage
1/4 c dried, minced onion
1 zucchini, chopped
2 c chopped spinach (or 1 box frozen)
1 can green beans (or frozen)
2 T Italian Seasoning
1 qt stewed tomatoes
6 C chicken broth

Shredded Parmesan cheese

Cook sausage in a large pot. Drain fat. Add veggies & seasonings cook until tender (about 20 min). Add tomatoes & broth. Cook until heated through. Top with parmesan cheese

*if not counting carbs, you can add kidney beans, pasta, corn or diced carrots.. possibilities are endless!

Homemade Crutons

1 loaf of bread, cubed

4 T. butter, melted

1 T. Olive Oil

1 1/2 t. garlic salt

1/2 t. onion powder

1/2 t. dried parsley

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place bread in large bowl. In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Pour mixture over the bread cubes & stir to combine. Spread onto cookie sheet & spread evenly. Bake 10 min & stir. Bake another 5 min or until bread cubes are browned & crispy. Remove from oven & cool. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. These are yummy topped on salads or even soup!

Simple Broccoli Cheese Soup

3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
9 cups chicken stock
9 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons white pepper
5 cups fresh broccoli florets
1 1/2 pounds processed cheese, shredded
3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat, and mix in the flour. Reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Mix in the chicken stock and milk, and season with salt and white pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer about 10 minutes.
2. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place the broccoli in the boiling water, and cook 2 minutes, or until just tender. Remove from heat, drain, and set aside.
3. Gradually mix the processed cheese and Cheddar cheese into the large pot until melted. Mix in the broccoli. Continue cooking about 5 minutes. Serve with Lion House rolls.

Cheeseburger Soup

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1 lb baby carrots

3/4 cup chopped celery

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried parsley

4 T butter

1 quart chicken broth

5-6 large potatoes, cubed

1 t salt

1/4 cup flour

2 cups cheese, shredded

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup sour cream

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a frying pan, melt 1 T butter over medium heat. Add beef & onion & cook until beef is done.

2. Add broth, carrots and potatoes to a crockpot. Stir in basil, parsley & salt. Add beef mixture.

3. Cook on low 4-5 hours or until veggies are soft. 

4. Melt the remainder of butter and stir in flour. Add the milk, stirring until smooth.

5. Gradually add milk mixture to the soup, stirring constantly until thick. Stir in cheese. When cheese is melted, add sour cream and heat through. Do not boil. Great with Lion House Rolls.