Chicken Alfredo Tortellini Soup

September 1, 2012

This warm and easy soup is my version of a recipe I found on the Kate in the Kitchen blog. The original recipe used fresh chicken and vegetables, frozen tortellini, and stock. I replaced those ingredients with what I had on hand and added a bit of garlic. It was scrumptious. Next time, I’m thinking of making it, and then transferring it to the crockpot for a few hours so that the flavors deepen a bit. It’s going to make a nice warm treat once the days get a bit chillier.

Ingredients

  • Now with the oregano showing12 oz bag mirepoix blend frozen vegetables (carrots, celery, and onion)
  • 1 13 oz can chunk chicken breast, drained
  • 6 cups chicken stock (or 6 cups water and 6 chicken bouillon cubes)
  • 2 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • ½ tsp granulated garlic
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 8 oz bag cheese-filled tortellini
  • 1 8 oz jar prepared Alfredo sauce

Directions

  1. Spray large dutch oven or soup pot with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Saute mirepoix in olive oil until soft.
  3. Stir in basil, oregano, and garlic.
  4. Add canned chicken.
  5. Add stock and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
  6. Add tortellini and cook until tender, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  7. Stir in Alfredo sauce and allow to simmer 5 to 10 minutes.
  8. Serve with grated Parmesan and bacon bits garnish, if desired.

Time Required: 30 minutes

Servings: 4

Filed under Italian, Soups & Stews Tagged with , ,

Easy Recipes: Crockpot Mac and Cheese

July 25, 2012

I’m a fan of Lisa’s Cheddar Spirals for my crockpot mac and cheese needs, but I admit that I’m curious enough about the Easy Recipes: Crockpot Mac and Cheese from Crystal & Co. that I may give it a try. I’m not sure that I’ve ever seen a Mac and Cheese recipe with eggs before. I’m guessing it makes a custard-like sauce. Will have to check it out.

Filed under Casseroles, Main Dish Tagged with , ,

Apple Dumpling Dessert

May 29, 2012

This dessert is essentially a chunk of apple wrapped with a strip of pie crust. What made me decide to copy it was the use of a can of Mountain Dew. This one might be interesting to try. I modified the recipe to use Pillsbury dough. The original is from the Schwan’s website.

IngredientsApple Dumpling Dessert

  • 1 Pillsbury pizza crust or roll of pie dough
  • 4 Granny Smith apples, cored & quartered
  • 1 stick butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tap cinnamon
  • 1 can (12oz) Mountain Dew® , soft drink

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
  2. Roll crust into a 12 to 14 inch circle.
  3. Cut crust, pizza style, into 16 equal triangles.
  4. Place apples on larger end of triangles and roll up.
  5. Arrange dumplings in 9×13-inch baking dish.
  6. Pour or brush butter evenly over dumplings and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture.
  7. Pour soft drink over dumplings.
  8. Bake 20-25 minutes.

Variations

  • Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
  • The Schwan’s recipe uses a pizza dough crust.

Time Required: 55 minutes

Servings: 16

Filed under Desserts Tagged with

Crunchy Pea and Bacon Salad

May 28, 2012

I’m nearly certain this salad is one of those dishes that can’t really be as good for you as the word “salad” might trick you into thinking. For some reason though, it looks good to me. I have no idea why, but I’m saving it for that day when I finally give in and try it. The original is from the Schwan’s website.

IngredientsCrunchy Pea and Bacon Salad

  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • 2 Tbsp vinegar
  • 4 cups Green Peas, prepared and chilled
  • 1/4 cup diced red onion
  • 1/2 cup diced cheddar cheese
  • 2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
  • 6 slices Fully Cooked Bacon Slices, prepared and chopped
  • 1 cup salted peanuts

Directions

  1. Blend mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar to make dressing.
  2. Stir together dressing, peas, onions and cheese.
  3. Serve on a bed of lettuce topped with bacon and peanuts

Variations

  • I’d simplify the recipe by just using 2 or 3 tablespoons of bacon bits.
  • You could like substitute a favorite prepared dressing for the mayonnaise and vinegar here. I’m thinking Ranch would work nicely.

Time Required: 30 minutes

Servings: 4

Filed under Salad, Side Dish Tagged with , ,

Creamed Corn

December 26, 2011

I found this recipe on the Kraft site (original here). Obviously it’s an extra creamy version of creamed corn, thanks to the cream cheese. Sounds intriguing, so I wanted to add the recipe to my collection. Besides . . . it’s incredibly easy.

Ingredients

  • 2 oz. (1/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed
  • 2 Tbsp. milk
  • 1 can (14-3/4 oz.) cream-style corn
  • 1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen corn, thawed
  • 1/2 cup KRAFT Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
  • 1/3 cup sliced green onions

Directions

  1. Cook cream cheese and milk in medium saucepan on medium heat until cream cheese is melted, stirring frequently.
  2. Stir in corns; cook 4 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally.
  3. Spoon into serving dish; sprinkle with Cheddar and onions.

Filed under Side Dish, Vegetable

Corn, Ham and Potato Scallop

November 30, 2011

This simple crockpot casserole from Betty Crocker recipe (original here) is a warm and cheesy treat. The Expert Tips with the recipe suggest that you can “Substitute cooked roast beef for the ham.”

Ingredients

  • 6 cups 1-inch cubes peeled baking potatoes
  • 1½ cups cubed fully cooked ham
  • 1 can (15¼ oz) whole kernel corn, drained
  • ¼ cup chopped green bell pepper
  • 2 teaspoons instant minced onion
  • 1can (10¾ oz) condensed Cheddar cheese soup
  • ½ cup milk
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Directions

  1. Mix potatoes, ham, corn, bell pepper and onion in 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker.
  2. Mix soup, milk and flour in small bowl; beat with wire whisk until smooth.
  3. Pour soup mixture over potato mixture; stir gently to mix.
  4. Cover and cook on Low heat setting 7 to 9 hours.

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Hamburger Hash

November 29, 2011

This Betty Crocker recipe (original here) is described as an “Easy hamburger dish that’s made in slow cooker–perfect for a dinner.” Certainly worth a try. The Expert Tip with the recipes says, “This recipe is a tried-and-true kid pleaser. Take it to Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts or school events, and there’s little chance you’ll have leftovers.”

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds lean ground beef
  • 1 can (15 oz) tomato puree
  • 1 can (10¾ oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 can (10½ oz) condensed French onion soup with beef stock
  • ¾ cup water
  • 1 bag (28 oz) frozen O’Brien potatoes with onions and peppers, thawed
  • 4 medium carrots, diced (2 cups)
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

  1. Cook beef in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown; drain.
  2. Mix tomato puree and mushroom soup in medium bowl.
  3. Stir in onion soup and water.
  4. Spray 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray.
  5. Reserve 1 cup of the potatoes.
  6. Gently mix beef, remaining potatoes, carrots, salt and soup mixture in cooker.
  7. Sprinkle with reserved 1 cup potatoes.
  8. Cover and cook on low heat setting 8 to 9 hours or until vegetables are tender.
  9. Hash will hold on low heat setting up to 2 hours.

Variations

  • NOTE: For tender potatoes, make sure to thaw them before adding to the slow cooker.

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Senate Bean Soup

November 28, 2011

Don’t let this pork and bean soup recipe from Betty Crocker (original here) trick you. This isn’t pork and beans. This is the real thing—a warm soup made with great Northern beans and ham, thickened with mashed potatoes.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups dried navy beans or Great Northern beans (1 lb), sorted and rinsed
  • 12 cups water
  • 1 ham bone, 2 lb ham shanks or 2 lb smoked pork hocks
  • 2½ cups mashed potatoes
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
  • 2 medium stalks celery, chopped (1 cup)
  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped

Directions

  1. In 4-quart Dutch oven, heat beans and water to boiling.
  2. Boil uncovered 2 minutes; remove from heat.
  3. Cover and let stand 1 hour.
  4. Add ham bone.
  5. Heat to boiling; reduce heat.
  6. Cover and simmer about 2 hours or until beans are tender.
  7. Stir in remaining ingredients.
  8. Cover and simmer 1 hour.
  9. Remove ham bone; let stand until cool enough to handle.
  10. Remove ham from bone. Remove excess fat from ham; cut ham into 1/2-inch pieces.
  11. Stir ham into soup.

Variations

  • Add 1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles, 1 tablespoon chili powder and 1 teaspoon ground cumin with remaining ingredients in step 7. Top soup with salsa if desired.

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Slow Cooker Barbecued Beans and Polish Sausage

November 27, 2011

Here’s a Betty Crocker recipe (original here) that is perfect for a chilly night, and since it’s a crockpot meal, you can serve it up as soon as you get home.

Ingredients

  • 2 cans (15.5 oz each) Green Giant® great northern beans, drained, rinsed
  • 2 cans (15 oz each) Progresso® black beans, drained, rinsed
  • 1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
  • 1 cup barbecue sauce
  • ¼ cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon ground mustard
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 ring (1 to 1¼ lb) fully cooked smoked Polish sausage

Directions

  1. Spray 3- to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray.
  2. Mix all ingredients except sausage in cooker.
  3. Place sausage ring on bean mixture.
  4. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 5 to 6 hours.

Variations

  • To simplify serving, remove the sausage ring and slice into chunks then return to the crockpot to keep warm.
  • Substitute your favorite sausage. We like kielbasa.
  • Chunks of bacon would also be a nice addition to the crockpot.

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Dirty Rice

November 26, 2011

I’ve only ever made Dirty Rice from a mix, so this simple recipe from the June 2003 issue of Southern Living (original here) caught my attention. The mixes are pretty easy, but this looks easy enough that I will probably give it a try eventually.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 celery ribs, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 cup uncooked rice
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can beef broth
  • 3/4 cup water

Directions

  1. Cook ground beef, garlic, celery, onion, parsley, and green pepper in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring until beef crumbles and is no longer pink.
  2. Stir in salt, red and black pepper, and Worcestershire sauce, mixing well.
  3. Add rice, broth, and 3/4 cup water, stirring well.
  4. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 to 30 minutes or until rice is tender.

Filed under Main Dish Tagged with ,

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