Taco Soup

This may be the recipe that I have given out most often. Easy. Yummy.

1 pound ground beef
2 cans ranch style beans
1 can corn
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can Ro-tel
1 pkg ranch dressing
1 pkg taco seasoning

Brown the ground beef. Add all ingredients to crock-pot. Let it cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve with chips, cheese, and sour cream.

Butternut squash soup

2 TB olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 carrot peeled and cut ( I used 1 cup worth of baby carrots cut up)
3 cloves of garlic minced
6 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 large butternut squashes
1/4 cup chopped fresh sage ( I didn't have fresh)
kosher salt and pepper to taste

I cut the squash in 1/2 and removed the seeds. I covered a baking sheet with tinfoil and baked the squash (skin side up) for an hour at 350 degrees. 10 minutes before the squash is done, begin the other half of the soup. In a large pot, pour in olive oil and add onion & carrot. Cook for about 5-10 minutes or until onion is soft. Add garlic and cook for another 3 minutes. Add broth and sage. Remove squash from the oven and scoop our the insides. Set aside in a bowl. In batches, put broth mixture and squash into the blender. (or use an immersion blender) Continue until all is blended. Put back into pot and let simmer until you are ready to serve.

Fontina Crostini
Whole wheat baguette (I used regular)
olive oil
2 TB sage
1 cup grated fontina (I used 3 cheese parmiana)

Cut baguette at a diagonal into 1/2 inch think slices
Drizzle olive oil over bread and sprinkle with sage. Top with cheese and season with salt. Bake at 400 degrees for about 6-8 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Ladel soup into bowls and garnish with crostini.

Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis in Shape mag Dec 09

Hamburger Soup

Okay I made the other soup before I got sick. No it didn't make me sick. My boys passed along their yuckiness and so I made this soup which make me think of home. Too bad my mom wasn't here to make it for me. Serves 6.


1 lb ground beef
2 cups carrots chopped
1 cup celery chopped
1/4 cup onion
1 cup potatoes
1 can Italian style diced tomatoes
2-3 or more cups spicy V8 juice
1/2 cup rice
Salt and pepper to taste

Brown hamburger and onions. I also add a little garlic powder. Add meat to a large pot with 2 quarts of water. Add everything else except the rice. Add the V8 until the soup looks mostly red...meaning who wants a watery soup. Let cook for 20 minutes. Add the rice and cook an additional 10 min or until rice is soft. This soup will need the salt and pepper. If you do not have Italian style tomatoes just add basil, Italian seasoning, and oregano. Always have more V8 on hand. When I reheat this soup for myself the next day for lunch, I first pour in some V8 and then add the soup.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

You can be sick or not sick and soup tastes good. Eric likes this one as a side to fajitas or tacos, but didn't have time for that. I made the soup, and some guacomole, and stopped at the "to go" door at chilis, grabbed the chips and salsa, and headed home. (this serves 4 or 3 if you keep having another bowl like I did)

2TB butter
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup red pepper chopped
1 can (4oz) chopped green chilies
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups of chicken broth
2 cup chicken cooked and shredded
6 corn tortillas cut into pieces
1 cup sour cream
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Melt butter in saucepan and cook onion and bell pepper until soft. Add the chilies, chili powder, and cumin. Add the chicken soup & broth, and whisk until smooth. Over medium low heat stir in chicken, tortillas, sour cream, & cheese until cheese is melted and soup reaches serving temperature.

Andrea's Chicken Noodle Soup

1 Rotisserie chicken
3 cans chicken broth
2 c chopped celery
2 c chopped carrots
1 c half & half
3 Tbsp corn starch
Noodles

Tear the chicken meat into pieces. Set aside. In a large saucepan, add broth plus 3cans of water, carrots, and celery. Boil until carrots are soft. (15 minutes)
Add noodles and cook until al dente. Pour 1/2 cream into bowl with cornstartch and mix until dissolved. Pour into soup and stir until thickened. Add remaining cream and chicken.