A Winning Chipotle Chicken Chili Recipe

Every Fall, the company my husband works for has a Chili Cookoff.  Last year he lost by one vote (His own, because he felt guilty voting for his own chili, and voted for someone else, who won by one vote.  Ha ha!  He didn't make that mistake this year!).  This year, he wanted to do something different and amazing and delicious.  This recipe idea came from my sister, and we cooked it up the night before, and knew it would be a hit!  And he won the contest!

 That is a serious trophy to be displayed in his office for the next year.

Chipotle Chicken Chili
adapted from: Pionner Woman
2 Tbsp. oil
1 whole onion, diced (I used dehydrated)
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 chicken breasts, cut into a large dice
1 can of Rotel tomatoes
3 whole Chipotle Peppers in Adobe Sauce, minced (you buy this in a can)
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt (more to taste)
1 lime, juiced (more to taste)
sour cream, for serving
shredded cheese, for serving
cilantro, for serving

Heat the oil in a large pot, over medium heat.  Add the onions and garlic and cook for a few minutes until the onions are tender.  Add the chicken and cook until it is cooked through and lightly browned.  Stir in the tomatoes, chipotles, beans, chili powder, cumin and salt.  Cover it and cook it for 1 hour.  At this point, the Pioneer Woman calls for using masa harina as a thickening agent.  We didn't use anything, and ours ended up with a perfect thickness.  If you want it thicker, feel free to thicken it up right now.  Stir in the lime juice and taste it to see if you need more salt, lime or even chipotles, if you want a little more of a kick.
Serve it with sour cream, cheese and cilantro.

Creamy Zucchini Soup in the Instant Pot

My garden was kind of a bust this year, except for a few things.  One of my successful things was zucchini (of course).  This year I accidentally planted two varieties of zucchini--the regular kind, and yellow zucchini (I thought I was planting yellow crookneck squash.  I'm not sure how I messed it up).  I had quite a few zucchini's that had piled up, and because it is chilly outside and soup sounds so delicious, I was really wanting to make soup.  I found this recipe for zucchini soup and tweaked it a bit, including cooking it in my Instant Pot, and it came out delicious!  I'm sure this could also be made on your stovetop without any problems.  This is a great way to use up lots of extra zucchini--the recipe calls for 8, but I think you could just use whatever you had available and it would still come out great.  I used about 2 1/2 of my huge zucchini's that I had left growing for too long.  The one thing I would do differently next time is remove the seeds, especially on those huge vegetables.  I will definitely make this one again!

Creamy Zucchini Soup in the Instant Pot
adapted from: allrecipes.com

2 Tbsp. butter
1 onion, chopped
4 potatoes, peeled and diced
8 zucchinis, peeled and chopped
1 sprig of fresh rosemary (rinsed, dried and rubbed between your fingers before adding)
4-5 leaves of fresh basil
1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper
4 c. chicken or beef broth
1 c. milk
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
salt to taste

In your Instant Pot, using the saute setting, melt the butter and saute the onion until it is translucent.  Add the potatoes, zucchinis, rosemary, basil, pepper, broth, milk and soy sauce.  Lock your lid into place, and set it at high pressure, for 10 minutes.  When it is done, do a quick pressure release.  Remove the lid, and using a hand blender, blend the soup until it is thick and creamy, with a few chunks.  Add salt, if needed.  

Slow Cooker Creamy Tortellini Soup

I had a New Year's Resolution this year to try one new recipe a week.  I used to cook new foods regularly, but my busy life kind of took over and I didn't take the time to find new things to make for my family.  I actually love to cook, but had found that I was bored with my old stand by recipes, and starting to dread dinner time every night.  My husband encouraged me to set a goal to try a new recipe once a week, and I have pretty much stuck to it.  It has made all the difference in how I feel about mealtime preparation for my family!  I love trying new recipes!  I saw this recipe on facebook and tried it out right away and my family loved it.  I used the frozen cheese tortellini from Costco and it tasted perfect with the soup.  

Slow Cooker Creamy Tortellini Soup

slightly adapted from: cafedelites.com

1/2 pound ground Italian sausage, browned

1 onion, chopped (I used my dehydrated chopped onion)

2 large carrots, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped (I omitted because I was out of celery)

2 tsp minced garlic

1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning

2 tsp. beef or chicken bouillon powder

1/2 tsp. salt

4 c. beef or chicken broth

1/4 c. cornstarch mixed and dissolved in 1/4 c. water

3 cans evaporated milk

1 12 ounce package of frozen tortellini

2 1/2 c. fresh baby spinach

1 c. milk

Place the browned sausage, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, Italian seasoning, bouillon powder, salt and broth in a slow cooker.  Cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 7 hours.  Stir in the cornstarch mixture and the evaporated milk.  Add the tortellini and stir it together.  Cook it on high for 45 more minutes, or until the tortellini is cooked through and the soup has thickened.  Gently stir in the spinach and cook for another 5-10 minutes.  Pour in the milk, a little at a time, until the soup has your desired consistency.  Add more salt to taste.  I actually forgot to add the milk at the end, and our flavor and consistency were just right.  The recipe says that extra milk may be needed when reheating leftovers because the soup absorbs a lot of liquid as it cools.  We didn't have the problem because we had nothing leftover!

Creamy Potato Soup in the Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

My hubby gave me an Instant Pot pressure cooker for Christmas.  I stared at the box for 2 weeks before I even opened it because I didn't know what to do with it.  All I really needed to do was look online because when I did, I found tons of recipes to make using my pressure cooker.  And then I started finding friends who swear that it is the only way they cook now.  This recipe came from one of those friends.  The soup was incredibly flavorful, which is one of the things that people say about cooking with a pressure cooker.  I would be curious to try it in a slow cooker, or on the stove to see if it had as good of a flavor.  My entire family ate it and liked it!  Winner!

Creamy Potato Soup
adapted from: instantpot.com

1 onion, diced
2 slices bacon
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp. oil
1 c. chicken broth
2 1/2 pounds of potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes (I guessed on the amount)
3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
a dash of red pepper flakes
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
2 c. chicken broth
1 1/2 c. heavy cream (or use evaporated milk)
salt and pepper to taste

I am going to give the instructions just as my friend gave them to me.  If you make this using a slow cooker or on the stove, I'm sure you can figure it out.
1.  Press Saute on Instant Pot.  Add onion, bacon, garlic and oil.  Stir while sauteing for 3-4 minutes.  Do not walk away or this will burn.
2.  Add 1 c. of chicken broth, potatoes, carrots, celery, parsley, red pepper flakes, and Italian Seasoning.  Stir.  Place the lid on the pot, press Steam button and set minutes to 10.  (It takes about 10 minutes to come to pressure and then cooks for 10 minutes)
3.  When it beeps, do a quick pressure release.  Remove the bacon and discard (I didn't discard it. We just cut it into bite-sized pieces, then put it back in at the end).  Add 2 cups of chicken broth and the heavy cream.  Insert a handheld blender and run it on short bursts until it has a creamy consistency that you like, but make sure to leave chunks of potatoes.  Don't puree it all.  Add salt and pepper to taste, stirring gently to incorporate.

Easy Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Now that we are in the full swing of Fall, I am really loving things like soup, for dinner.  I have made this recipe a couple of times now, and we loved it both times.  I use the egg noodles from Costco, and cook it in my slow cooker, so that makes it especially easy.  One of the times I made it I got ambitious and also made my easy rolls to go with it.  It was a super delicious, cozy Fall meal!

Easy Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
by: Carolyn

2 tsp. minced garlic
1 onion, sliced
4 c. chicken broth
4 c. water
1 c. chopped celery
1 c. chopped carrots
3 potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 chicken breast
3-4 handfuls of uncooked, wide egg noodles (or as many as you want-just be aware that they will swell as they soak up the water, and if it doesn't seem like you have enough in there, you probably really do)

In your slow cooker, combine all of the ingredients, except the egg noodles.  Cook it on high for 4-6 hours, or on low for 8 hours.  Remove the chicken breast, shred it, and put it back in the crock pot.  Add the egg noodles, recover the crock pot, and cook for 15-20 minutes more, or until the noodles are tender.  

Creamy New Potato Soup

This is the time of year when soup and vegetables from my garden sound so appealing.  The other night I was really wanting something.  I just wasn't sure what.  So I let my taste buds lead the way, and I ended up with this soup.  It was delicious, and Fall-y, and worked for a sick neighbor, too!

Creamy New Potato Soup
by: Carolyn

4 c. chicken broth
1/2 tsp. onion powder
small potatoes, or larger ones, cut into chunks (I used all my little "new" potatoes from my garden)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. flour
1 can evaporated milk
1/2 c. milk
1 bag of frozen peas
fresh ground pepper
ham, cut into small pieces

In a large pot, bring the chicken broth, onion powder and salt to a boil.  Add the potatoes and cook until they are tender.  Meanwhile, in a saucepan, whisk together the butter and flour over medium-high heat.  Slowly pour in the evaporated milk, stirring constantly.  Continue stirring until it begins to thicken.  Add this mixture to your pot with the potatoes and stir it gently.  Stir in your frozen peas (I added about 3/4 of the bag, but you can add more or less, according to what you like).  Add your sliced ham and milk, and bring it to a low boil, then turn the heat down and cook it until your peas are tender.  

Russian Potato Soup

I absolutely loved this soup.  I wasn't sure what to think about dill, and I'd never cooked a leek before, so I was a little unsure, but it turned out so delicious.  I will definitely be making it again.

Russian Potato Soup
allrecipes.com

5 Tbsp butter, divided
1-2 leeks, chopped*
3 large carrots, sliced
4 large potatoes, peeled and diced (original recipe called for 2 lbs)
6 cups chicken broth
2 tsp dried dill weed
2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 lb fresh sliced mushrooms (next time I make this I am going to try canned, since I like them better)
1 cup half and half
1/4 cup flour
fresh dill weed, for garnish (optional, I didn't use this)

First, chop your vegetables.  *Now, the leek... I didn't even know what a leek was prior to making this recipe, let alone how to chop it, so I googled it and found instructions on cutting a leek.  Except, I wasn't paying close attention, and I chopped up the long leaves, too.  Apparently those usually get thrown away.  I've read up on it since, and apparently some people don't like the texture.  I thought it was delicious the way I made it though, so if I do it again I'll prepare it the same way.  The original recipe called for 2 leeks but they were huge so I just bought one.

Melt 3 Tbsp butter in a large pot over medium heat, and cook your carrots and leeks for 5 minutes.

Pour in your broth, and add the seasonings (dill, salt, pepper and bay leaf).
Add the potatoes and cook covered for 20 minutes.
Saute the mushrooms in the remaining 2 Tbsp butter over medium heat for about 5 minutes, and add to the soup.
Mix the half and half and flour in a small bowl, and then add to the soup.

Thai Chicken Vegetable Soup

Soups are very hit and miss with me, but this really hit the spot tonight.  It might be because we're all sick and just needed some comfort food, but it did not disappoint.  I will definitely be making this again.  This also marks the first time in my life I have happily eaten mushrooms, and if you know me, you understand what that means. They really worked well in this recipe!  I modified it just a little from this recipe, and I imagine you could substitute or add any number of other vegetables and it would still be delicious.

Thai Chicken Vegetable Soup

1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
2 Carrots (I used about 8-10 baby carrots), sliced very thin - matchstick size
1 Red Pepper, sliced very thin
1 cup Sliced Mushrooms
4 cups Chicken Broth
Ginger, dashed
2 cups Shredded Chicken
1 can Coconut Milk
2 Tbsp Lime Juice
2 Tbsp fresh Cilantro, chopped

In a large pot, heat the vegetable oil over a medium-high heat.  Add the carrots and peppers and stir-fry for about 5 minutes.  Add the mushrooms, chicken broth, and about 8-10 dashes of ginger.  Bring everything to a boil, stirring occasionally, and then turn down to a medium-low heat.  Add the shredded chicken and cook for about 5 minutes.  Add the coconut milk and cook until it gets hot and bubbly, stirring frequently.  Just before you serve it, add the lime juice and fresh cilantro.

Creamy Potato Crock Pot Soup

There is something about a month of below freezing temperatures that makes me want to eat homemade soup.  One of the great things about doing it in a crock pot is that my house smells delicious all day long.  I made this on a day that we were having a blizzard.  I couldn't go to the store and this recipe didn't require very many ingredients.  It is flavorful as is, but it would also be great with ground up sausage, or bits of bacon in it.  But if all you have is potatoes and celery (like I did), you still won't be disappointed with this soup!

Creamy Potato Soup
adapted from: allrecipes.com

8 c. diced potatoes (I didn't even peel mine)
3 stalks of celery, diced
1 c. chopped onion
3 cans (14.5 oz) chicken broth (I used chicken bouillon and water)
4 cubes of beef bouillon
1/2 tsp. pepper
4 c. milk
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. flour

In the slow cooker, add the potatoes, celery, onion, chicken broth, beef bouillon and pepper.  Cook it on high for 3 hours.  After three hours, in a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.  Add the flour and stir it together to make a paste.  Slowly pour in the milk and whisk it constantly until it begins to boil and thicken.  Pour it in to the slow cooker and gently stir it to combine.  Cook it for one more hour on high.

Slow Cooker Lemon Basil Soup

If you love lemons and having food ready for you when you come home at night, you will love this soup!  Any time that I put something in the slow cooker, I am so happy the rest of the day.  Any time I use up the lemons in my fridge without them rotting, I am also happy the rest of the day. 

Slow Cooker Lemon Basil Soup
by: Carolyn 

1 chicken breast
fresh basil leaves (around 10 small leaves)
fresh ground salt and pepper, to taste
5 c. water
3 boullion cubes
1/2 onion, sliced
2 large potatoes, chopped (or you can use a cup of cooked rice)
1 c. chopped carrots
2 juiced lemons 
zest from one lemon

Combine all the ingredients in your slow cooker.  Cook it on high for 5 hours.  Shred the chicken breast before serving.

Slow Cooker Beef Stew (Or Not, You Choose!)

I know this picture looks like a big pile of mash, but it actually was really delicious beef stew.  I made it two weeks in a row.  The first time, I made it in the slow cooker.  The meat was very tender, but the potatoes kind of turned in to mush.  The second time, I didn't remember to do the slow cooker and made it on the stove.  I cooked it for about an hour, and the potatoes weren't at all mush.  However, the meat was not as tender as it had been in the slow cooker.  So I guess it is a toss up which is the best way to cook it.  Either way, it is a hearty, easy to prepare stew for a cold winter day.

Beef Stew
adapted from: allrecipes.com

2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into one inch chunks
1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. chopped bay leaves (or one bay leaf)
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 onion, chopped
2 c. beef broth
3 potatoes, diced
4 carrots, sliced

For the slow cooker:
Place the meat in the slow cooker.  In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt and pepper and pour it over the meat.  Stir until all the meat is coated.  Stir in the garlic, bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce and beef broth.  Add the onion, carrots and potatoes.  Cook on low for 10-12 hours, or on high for 4-6 hours.

For the stove top:
In a large Ziploc bag, pour the flour, salt and pepper and shake to stir.  Add the stew meat and shake it until it is all coated with the flour mixture.  Brown the beef in 1-2 tablespoons of oil.  In a large pot, add the beef, garlic, bay leaves, Worcestershire, onion, potatoes, carrots and beef broth.  Bring to a boil and then turn it down to low and simmer for as long as you need to, stirring occasionally.  I did mine an hour.  You could add more water if needed.

Slow Cooker Taco Soup

This is a great version of taco soup.  I found it on allrecipes.com and switched it up a bit, based on some of the comments I read, and personal preference.  The original recipe called for lemon, but I switched it to lime because I love the flavor that lime adds to Mexican food.  I also turned it into a slow cooker recipe, because for some reason, even if it still takes a lot of preparation, if I prepare it at 10 AM instead of 5 PM, I feel so good about my dinner!  This turned out to be a really delicious soup.  I even got a thumbs up from Jen, who has her own great taco soup recipe.  Not bad!


Slow Cooker Taco Soup
adapted from: allrecipes.com


2 chicken breasts
1/2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
2 (14.5) cans chicken broth
1 c. chopped onion
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. lime juice (or a little more if you love lime, like I do. I juiced one whole lime)
1 c. chunky salsa
1 can black beans
1 c. frozen corn kernels
corn tortilla chips
shredded cheddar cheese 
sour cream


In your slow cooker, combine the olive oil, garlic, cumin, chicken broth, onion, chili powder, lime juice, salsa and beans and stir it well.  Add the chicken breasts and cook it on low for 6-8 hours.  When the chicken is cooked through, remove it from the slow cooker, shred it, and add it back to the soup.  Add the frozen corn and let it cook for about 7 minutes before serving.  Serve it with corn tortilla chips (I used Frito chips), sour cream and cheese.  Enjoy!

Lasagna Soup

Thanks to the ambition of Paula Deen's sons to break away from their mama's traditional foods and make healthier yummy meals (not that we all don't love a lot of love in our food, just like Paula), I found this delicious soup recipe that I tried out tonight.  I chose it for Matt because I always make the kind of food that sounds good to me, but I thought this one would be tantalizing for him, what with all that Italian sausage and peppers and what not.

And how wonderful it was to hear him say it may be his favorite soup recipe, that it tasted like a soup you might get at Olive Garden.  I also loved this soup.  I bought sweet Italian turkey sausage (Matt's response: "Of course you did") which was to my liking.  I'm not much for spicy Italian sausage.

Just as much as the sausage and peppers made it awesome for Matt, the lasagna noodles, basil, cheese, and tomatoes made it wonderful for me.  And although Paula uses love in the form of 2 c. of cheese in her recipe (love you Paula), I thought 1/2 c. was plenty for this soup.  I wouldn't have liked any more than this.


Bobby's Lighter Tastes Like Lasagna Soup
from the Deen Bros


Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (32-ounce) container chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 ounces broken whole-wheat lasagna noodles (about 4 noodles)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded mozzarella cheese
8 Whole-wheat breadsticks or grissini (optional)

Instructions:

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick saucepot or Dutch oven. Add the sausage, onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is crumbled and browned, 8 – 10 minutes.

Add the broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, salt, and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the flavors are blended, about 20 minutes. Add the noodles; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the soup thickens slightly and the noodles are tender, 10 – 12 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in mozzarella, basil, and the Parmesan. Serve with the breadsticks, if using. (whole-wheat lasagna noodles take a little longer to cook.)

Nutritional Information:

Per Serving (1 cup) 225 Cal

Crock Pot Creamy Sweet Potato Soup

Crock Pot Creamy Sweet Potato Soup

Adapted from Potato Patch Recipes

Ingredients:

2 ½  c. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes

3 c. butternut squash, peeled and diced into 1 inch cubes

1 c. carrots, peeled and chopped

½ cup onion, chopped

1 can (14 ounces) chicken broth, divided

5-6 tbsp. butter, crumbled

1 can (13.5 ounces) coconut milk

½ tsp. ground cumin

¼-½  tsp. ground red pepper, to taste

1 ¼ tsp. of salt, or more to taste

Directions:

1.  Combine the sweet potatoes, squash, carrots, onion, butter, and half of chicken broth in your slow cooker.

2.  Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or until vegetables are tender.

3.  Puree until smooth in a blender one cup at a time, returning batches to the slow cooker. (I usually leave a little unblended to add a little texture.)

4.  Stir in the remaining broth, coconut milk, ground cumin, ground red pepper and salt.

5.  Cook on high 15 minutes or until heated through.

This recipe is the perfect comfort soup for this time of year.  It is thick and creamy, sweet with just a hint of heat from the red pepper that makes it all the more comforting.  It’s the perfect soup-in-a-bread-bowl recipe.

Chicken Corn Chowder with Sweet Potatoes

I found this recipe on The Sisters Cafe and because she raved about how yummy it was, and because I love sweet potatoes, I tried it. I was even confident enough in it to try it for the first time with 4 guests over for dinner. Luckily it was as yummy as she said. So now I will pass it on to you to whip up on one of our remaining wintry days this season.

Chicken Corn Chowder with Sweet Potatoes

Indredients:

3 cups 2% milk

1 (8.5 oz) box Jiffy corn muffin mix

2 T. butter

1 onion, chopped fine

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

2 quarts chicken broth

2 small chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 " cubes

2 large sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

3 cups frozen corn (not thawed)

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley (or 2 Tb dried parsley)

salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Mix milk and muffin mix in bowl until well combined. Meanwhile, heat butter in large pot over medium heat until foaming. Add onion and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in garlic, cumin and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add broth, chicken (raw) and sweet potatoes. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer until chicken is cooked and sweet potatoes are just tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in milk and muffin mixture and simmer until soup thickens (can take up to 10 minutes although mine thickens immediately) Add cheese and corn and cook until cheese begins to melt, about 2 minutes. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper.

It's fast and delicious! Enjoy!

Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey & Rice Soup

To preface this recipe- I am not a fan of leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Past eating it with the rest of the leftovers, I do not enjoy it. Because we had plenty of it leftover this year, I searched for a recipe I would enjoy it in. I found this gem and will be using it every year. I loved this recipe. It's very similar to the Chicken Wild Rice Soup I posted earlier which is my favorite soup ever, but this had some fun differences. The main one for me was the addition of slivered almonds! I loved the added slight crunch. The best part about this recipe was that the turkey tasted delicious.

Turkey Wild Rice Soup: adapted from allrecipes.com

2/3 c. uncooked wild rice

2 c. water

6 tbsp. butter

1/4 c. finely chopped onion

1/4 c. finely chopped celery

1/3 c. all-purpose flour

4 c. turkey broth (I used chicken broth which tasted fantastic)

1/3 c. thinly sliced carrot

2 c. chopped cooked turkey

1/2 tsp. kosher salt, or to taste

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper, or to taste

1/4 c. chopped sliced almonds

1/2 tsp. lemon juice

3/4 c. half-and-half cream

Directions:

1. Bring the wild rice and water to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender but not mushy, 40 to 45 minutes. Drain off any excess liquid, fluff the rice with a fork, and cook uncovered 5 minutes more. Set the cooked rice aside.

2. Melt the butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Cook and stir the onion and celery until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour, and cook until it turns a pale yellowish-brown color, 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually whisk in the turkey stock until no lumps of flour remain. Stir in the carrot. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and cook, whisking constantly, until the stock is thick and smooth and the carrot is tender, about 2 more minutes.

3. Stir in the wild rice, turkey, salt, pepper, and almonds. Return to a simmer, and cook 2 more minutes to heat the ingredients. Stir in the lemon juice and half-and-half; bring the soup almost to a boil, and serve hot.

Monica's delicious wonderful perfect chicken noodle soup of the soul and the belly

I am pleased to announce the first recipe that I have ever created on my own (which is why I also was able to create the name. Do you like it?).

4 carrots - sliced
1/2 cup sliced celery
1 small onion - diced
10 cups of water
10 bullion in whatever form you prefer (I personally like the powder because it lasts longer, dissolves faster and tastes better, but you can do whatever you like)
1 Tbs olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 - 1 tsp salt
1 tsp basil
1 package egg noodles
1 chicken breast - shredded
cornstarch or flour

In a large pot combine the water, bullion and carrots and bring to a boil. While the water is heating up, put the olive oil and garlic into a small pan and stir it on medium heat for about two minutes. Add the onion and celery and cook until the onion is tender and beginning to be translucent. Add that mixture to the boiling water and then add the pepper, salt, basil and chicken. You may want to add more salt and pepper depending on your preference and the saltiness of the bullion, but I have found that this amount works for me. Add the noodles and continue to boil until the noodles are tender (usually about 1/2 hour).

I like a thicker soup so I add some cornstarch or flour to thicken it up. To use cornstarch combine about 1/8 cup cornstarch and about 1/2 cup cold warm water in a container that can be sealed. Shake the mixture until it is blended and then slowly add to the soup until it is the desired thickness. Use flour the same way. I like cornstarch better because it keeps the soup a little clearer. Neither affect the taste. Another option is to use potato flakes.

Another thing that really changes the soup is the type of noodles you use. The best kind are those made from scratch, but because I don't usually plan ahead I like to use a kind that you find in the frozen section of Aldi or just some that are dry but still resemble the homemade kind.

And viola! That is my chicken noodle soup. I realize that there are probably a bunch of recipes that look very similar to mine, but I have literally made soup a dozen times trying different spices and combinations and in the end this was the one that tasted the best by far. The bullion really changes things too because some brands are a lot stronger than others or have a lot more flavor. you really have to find one that you like. The one I have now has MSG in it (I didn't notice until the last time I made soup...) and so now I understand why my soup has so much flavor. I also know now why my children seem to be lacking a few brain cells...

Cheese Soup

The title of this soup really doesn't do it justice. It should be called "Cheesy Veggie Chicken-y Bacon-y Yumminess". This is, by far, my most favorite soup. Can you see all those veggies packed in there? Can you see the bacon and the chicken? Can you see the yumminess? It is slightly high maintenance, but worth every pan that you dirty.

Cheese Soup

Adapted by Carolyn

original recipe from Megan

6 c. water

4 chicken bouillon cubes

1 c. celery, diced (Ick. I hate crunching celery in cooked foods so I omit this)

1/2 c. onion, diced

3 c. potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 (20 oz.) package frozen broccoli, cauliflower, carrot blend

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 jar of Ragu Cheese Sauce (this is found with the spaghetti and Alfredo sauce)

1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded

4 slices well cooked bacon, chopped

In a large pot combine the water, bouillon cubes, celery, onion and potatoes. Boil ingredients for 20-25 minutes or until cooked. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, cook your frozen vegetables according to the package directions (maybe even slightly less). Drain the liquid from that pan and when your large pot of vegetables is cooked, add the broccoli, cauliflower and carrot blend to it.

In another saucepan, over low heat, combine your cream of chicken soup and cheese sauce until smooth (the original recipe calls for 1 to 1 1/2 lbs. of Velveeta Cheese in place of the Ragu. This is also delicious, but more pricey than the Ragu sauce and I think the flavor is just as good with the Ragu.)

While all of my vegetables are cooking, I usually cook my chicken, then my bacon, both in the microwave. Shred the chicken and chop the bacon and stir them into the large pot. Then add your cheese mixture to the large pot and stir gently until combined. This will take a few minutes of stirring, but don't get to hasty and start mashing up your soft vegetables.

One of the great things about this recipe is that it is so easy to adapt to what you have. I usually add more potatoes and more fresh carrots. You could use all fresh vegetables if you would like. You can omit what you don't like. It also makes a lot of soup so I usually take a bowl to someone else, feed my family, eat it for leftovers and still have enough to freeze for later. It is just a big ol' pot of cheesy yumminess!

Chicken Wild Rice Soup

This is the best soup! We had it for dinner tonight and everyone agrees. It's also pretty quick and very easy. Just cook some chicken (you could even put it in a crockpot) and rice (in a rice cooker) and the rest comes together quickly. It is my favorite soup and we've eaten it many times in the short while I've had the recipe. We eat it with bread bowls and it is perfect.

Chicken Wild Rice Soup

½ cup wild rice

1 ¼ cup water (For the rice that I used I had to keep adding water into my rice cooker and continue cooking until it was soft enough)

1 chicken bouillon cube

½ cup onion, chopped

½ cup celery, sliced thin

¼ cup butter

½ cup carrots, sliced-thin

¼ cup flour

4 cups chicken broth

Parsley flakes

1 cup cream

2 cups cooked chicken

Combine rice, water, & bouillon cube and cook in rice cooker.

Sauté onion, celery, & carrots in butter. Blend in flour and stir. Add chicken broth & parsley flakes. Stir until thick. Add rice, cream, & chicken. Cook 5 minutes.