Cream Cheese Chicken soup in homemade Bread Bowls

I made this last night for our NYE dinner. It is SO GOOD. Hope you all try it and enjoy!

Bread Bowls 

1 1/2 tablespoons yeast
2 1/2 cups warm water
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
7 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

Add salt, oil and 4 cups flour to the yeast mixture; beat well. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well with an electric mixer at medium speed after each addition until a soft but not sticky dough is formed (you may not need to use all 7 cups).

When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Punch dough down, and divide into 6-8 equal portions. Shape each portion into a round ball. Place loaves on lightly greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until doubled in bulk, about 35 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, beat together egg white and 1 tablespoon water; lightly brush the loaves with half of this egg wash. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Brush with remaining egg mixture, and bake 10 to 15 more minutes or until golden. Cool on wire racks.

Cream Cheese Chicken Soup 

2 tablespoons butter
1 yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 cup diced carrots (about 2 regular carrots or a handful of baby carrots)
3 cups chicken broth
2-3 potatoes, peeled and finely diced
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons flour
1 (8 oz. package) regular or light cream cheese
2-3 (about 1 pound) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced

In a large pot, melt the butter and add the onion, garlic, celery and carrots. Saute, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes, until the veggies are slightly tender and the onions are translucent. Add the chicken broth and potatoes. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. In a liquid measuring cup, vigorously whisk the flour and milk together until smooth. Whisk the mixture into the soup, stirring quickly, and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until the soup begins to thicken slightly. Stir often to ensure the soup doesn’t burn. Soften the cream cheese in the microwave until it is very soft/melty, or let it set at room temperature for until soft. Add the cream cheese to the soup in small tablespoon-size pieces. Let the pieces sit in the soup and warm through then whisk or stir the soup until the cream cheese melts and mixes in well. Add the cooked chicken and heat through. Season with salt and pepper. Serve. 

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Taco Soup

 

 This is one of my favorite soups! You can even do it in the crockpot.

1 lb ground beef
2 cups salsa
2 soup cans water
1 (15 oz) can corn
1 Tbsp taco seasoning
2 (14 oz) cans tomatoes
1 (10 oz) can tomato soup
1 (15 oz) cans pinto beans
1 onion, chopped
1 Tbsp chili powder

Brown beef and drain grease.  Ad remaining ingredients and stir. Bring to slow boil, reduce heat and simmer 1 hour. Suggested toppings: fritos, cheese, avacado, sour cream, olives.  Enjoy!

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El Paso Green Chile Soup

Mmmmmm... This has to be my all-time favorite soup. Tastes like HOME.

El Paso Green Chile Soup
(adapted from The Border Cookbook)


1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 medium onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups vegetable stock
2 baking potatoes, peeled and diced
1 1/2 cups chopped roasted green chile
1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 ounces Monterey jack cheese, grated

1. In a large soup pot, warm the butter over medium heat. Stir in the onions and garlic and saute until translucent.
2. Add the stock, potatoes, chile, oregano, and salt, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook for about 30 minutes, until the potatoes are very soft.
3. Transfer the soup to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Pour the soup back into the pot, add the cream, and heat through.
4. Divide the cheese among the serving bowls. Ladle the soup into each bowl. Garnish with cilantro and/or corn tortilla strips.

ENJOY!!

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Butternut Squash Soup

Another Fall favorite in our home. You can actually use any winter squash in this recipe. If you are pressed for time, you can use 3 10- to 12-ounce packages of frozen squash puree. To make this recipe vegetarian, substitute vegetable stock.

Butternut Squash Soup
(from Joy of Cooking)

1 medium to large butternut squash (about 3 1/2 pounds)
3 tablespoons butter
2 large leeks, white part only, chopped
4 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
6 cups chicken stock (the recipe splits the stock into two parts, 4 cups and 2 cups, I always substitute heavy cream for the latter to make it super creamy)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Cut the squash into halves or quarters. Remove any seeds and strings. Arrange the squash cut-side up on a rimmed baking sheet. Add 1/4 inch water to the pan and cover with aluminum foil. Bake until the squash is tender when pierced with a fork, 30 to 45 minutes. Set aside to cool.
   
2. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a soup pot over medium-low heat. Add leeks and ginger, and cook, stirring, until the leeks are tender but not browned, 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Scrape the cooled squash flesh from the skin and stir it in along with 4 cups of chicken stock. Bring to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring and breaking up the squash.
4. Puree the soup in a blender or food processor until smooth.
5. Return to the pot and stir in remaining chicken stock (or cream, if using) and salt. Heat through.
6. Serve garnished with chopped parsley or cilantro, soup croutons, and/or toasted squash seeds.

ENJOY!!

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Tuscan Bean Stew

The best part about fall/winter is eating soup -- lots and lots of soup. This is a house favorite for sure.

 

Tuscan Bean Stew
(from Cook's Illustrated, March/April 2008)

table salt
1 pound dried cannellini beans (about 2 cups), rinsed and picked over
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
6 ounces pnacetta, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped medium (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 medium celery ribs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 3/4 cup)
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
8 medium garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 cups water
2 bay leaves
1 bunch kale or collard greens (about 1 pound), stems trimmed and leaves chopped into 1-inch pieces (about 8 cups loosely packed)
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained and rinsed
1 sprig fresh rosemary
ground black pepper
8 slices country white bread, each 1 1/4 inches thick, broiled until golden brown on both sides and rubbed with garlic clove (optional)

1. Dissolve 3 tablespoons salt in 4 quarts cold water in large bowl or container. Add beans and soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours. Drain and rinse well.
2. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Heat oil and pancetta in large Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until pancetta is lightly browned and fat has rendered, 6 to 10 minutes. Add onion, celery, and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and lightly browned, 10 to 16 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragragnt, about 1 minute. Stir in broth, water, bay leaves, and soaked beans. Increase heat to high and bring to simmer. Cover pot, transfer to oven, and cook until beans are almost ender (very center of beans will still be firm), 45 minutes to 1 hour.
3. Remove pot from oven and stir in greens and tomatoes. Return pot to oven and continue to cook until beans and greens are fully tender, 30 to 40 minutes longer.
4. Remove pot from oven and submerge rosemary sprig in stew. Cover and let stand 15 minutes. Discard bay leaves and rosemary sprig and season with salt and pepper to taste. If desired, use back of spoon to press some beans against side of pot to thicken stew. Serve over toasted bread, if desired, and drizzle with olive oil.

ENJOY!! 

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Cheesy Potato Soup

This is my very favorite soup. I think it is better than any soup I have ever had - seriously. It is perfect for Fall and Winter! (It is also perfect for pretending like it is Fall or Winter!) It is also easy - I usually only need to get Velveeta in order to make this - simple ingredients with amazing taste!

Ingredients:

3 Cups diced raw potatoes
1 1/2 Cups Water
3/4 Cup diced celery
3/4 Cup diced carrots
1 can corn, drained (optional)
1 TBS dry minced onion (or 1/4 Cup diced onion)
1 tsp parsley flakes
1 tsp garlic powder
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
2 Cups Milk
8 oz. Velveeta

Directions:
Combine potatoes, water, celery, carrots, onion, parsley flakes, and S&P in a large pot. Cook on low heat - simmering until all are tender. Stir in can of soup, milk, corn, and Velveeta. Heat and stir frequently until cheese melts. Serve.

Notes:

*I don't think it is possible for something to be "too cheesy" so I double the Velveeta and use the whole little 16 oz. cube. It's awesome.

*I have used both red and russet potatoes in the past and both work great.

*Fresh & Easy sells a little tub of "stew vegetables" with carrots, celery and onion already diced up. I just used that little tub and took out half the onion so it wasn't too onion-y.

*Crackers, goldfish, crumbled bacon, or shredded cheese make great toppings.

*I have also made this into a freezer meal in the past. What I do is put the potatoes, vegetables and seasonings in a freezer bag and freeze. If I buy a huge log of Velveeta I will cut a piece of that and freeze it as well. Then the day I make the soup I just take out the vegetables (already diced = saved time) and the cheese, let them thaw, then all I need to have ready is the water, milk and can of soup.

*I haven't tried this, but I bet frozen cubed hashbrown potatoes would work just as well. Why not? If somebody tries that, or has in the past with soups, let me know how it turns out. (I REALLY hate peeling potatoes)

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Mom's Chicken Noodle

My mother used to make this 'Home Made' Chicken Noodle Soup quite often. It's one of those recipes that takes about 10 minutes, but tastes like you slaved over it all day.

These are your ingredients.

1 can chicken

1 can veg all
1 can chicken broth

1 can water (just use empty veg all can)

About 4-5 handfulls of egg noodles (gotta love Mom's measurements haha)

Cook noodles to the 'Al Dente' stage, about 4 minutes. Drain. Add the rest of the ingredients including their juices. Cook on low until all ingredients are warmed. Salt and pepper (or whatever other spices you see fit to add) to taste. Serve and enjoy!

Yum!
It was such a beautiful evening yesterday, just after a rain storm, so I had to post some 'scenary' shots from my windows.
So GREEN!

(I just needed an excuse to show off where I live)

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Carrot Cheese Soup

It was Mother's Day this month- and in honor of my mama (who was an AWESOME cook! despite her trying to teach me I'm afraid those skills may have skipped a generation). Well, I am on the lookout for recipes mom used to make(I know I don't have them!)I am still looking for a good spaghetti pie recipe (despite the fact that my husband won't eat spaghetti- I know I know!) anyhow my mom every Christmas Eve would make cheddar cheese soup- I prefer this version a bit betterbecause it includes carrots and celery- my husband also hates carrots and celery so like my mom did, I'd add them later after I sperated them- whatever- I know he's so picky! Anyhow here it is:

11/2 cups chopped fine carrots
1cup chopped fine celery
1/2 cup chopped fine onion
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup bisquick
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups of half and half
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese (grated)

Saute 1/2 cup butter with veggies all together until tender (about ten minutes). Stir in bisquick, pepper and cayenne pepper. Add 2 cups chicken broth. Heat to boiling. Add half and half and grated cheese. Mix well. Serve. Yum!

Seriously, so goo!

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Chicken Tortilla Soup

I was told I don't need pics to post! yeah! So I PLAN on taking pictures- as soon as I ACTUALLY cook something (that's right folks, I haven't cooked in a week now! It's my anniversary and hubby's birthday- so I feel justified!) but when I DO cook, I will post pics- PROMISE! Here's a recipe that I have used like CRAZY! A dear friend made this for me after I had Hailyn and we eat it at least once a month now- and it makes LOTS of leftovers(yeah!) and it takes about 5 minutes to do! Can't beat that! and firemen approve (and they are the biggest food critics ya'll!) Awesome for chilly nights like tonight!


CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP

2-3 cups cooked chicken (SECRET: I buy a rotissiere chicken and peel off the meat and chop it up- yep I am lazy I mean BUSY!)
32 ounces chicken broth
1 can black beans undrained
1 can of corn dranied
THIS IS CRUCIAL: 1 jar TRADER JOE'S roasted garlic salsa (it's what makes this soup good and gives it that 'I spent hours on it' feel)
1-2 cups cheddar or mexican blend cheese
1 bag of tortilla chips

add the first 5 ingredients to the pot and stir, heating thoroughly (10-15 minutes on medium heat)
Then add cheese and a couple of handfuls of tortilla chips at the end- last 2 minutes or so. Serve. top with more cheese and chips, sour cream whatever you like- SO YUMMY! This is my go-to meal for whenever someone had a baby or I want to 'impress' someone, it tastes like someone spent HOURS on it- when it really was like 10 minutes. I usually go to Trader Joe's and stalk up on slas so I don't have to go there constantly to make this! ENJOY!

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