Burgers and Pasta Salad

It's got to be pretty spectacular to pull me out of non-blogging status to actually posting something anymore. I wish that wasn't the case. There have been times when I thought about something I've made and when I try to find it, I realize I never posted it, and then I have no clue where to look. Yesterday I made some hamburgers that were good, and today I made some pasta salad to go with the leftover hamburgers. Would you believe I got the inspiration for the burgers from the back of the Lipton box? True. As for the salad, I have a photo album category on my phone where I put recipes that I gather on the go. What I mean is that if I'm away from my house (and computer) and I see a recipe that looks good, I'll take a picture of it and it usually stays right in my phone and I never try it. Today was an exception, and I'm glad it was!

Lipton Onion Soup Burgers, adapted

2 lbs ground beef, 85% lean

1/2 cup greek yogurt

2 T mayonnaise (I used light)

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

Gently mix everything together. Form into 8 patties. Grill or pan fry (I grilled!) until desired doneness. Top with cheese if you want. 

Pasta Salad  (adapted from centercutcook.com)

1 lb pasta of your choice (I used spiral pasta)

1 red bell pepper, diced

3 ribs celery, thinly sliced

1/4 cup finely chopped onion (optional; I opted out because I didn't have an onion)

4 to 8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded

1 cup mayonnaise (light is fine)

1/4 cup sugar

2 T apple cider vinegar

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 1/2 tsp dried parsley

optional- chopped broccoli

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and rinse under cool water until no longer hot. Drain well. While waiting for the pasta to cook, whisk together the mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, pepper and parsley. Stir in the red bell pepper, celery, onion and broccoli (if using). When the pasta is no longer warm, stir it into the dressing mixture. Gently stir in the cheese. Chill salad for about 30-60 minutes before serving. 

And now I'll be able to find these recipes again because they're posted! Good thing there was a little bit of leftover salad so I had something to use for my photo!

Chicken Taco Soup

This recipe can also be called Food Storage Soup, but that might scare some people away. 

                         

I know sometimes it is scary to try a new recipe. Not to worry, I've got you covered. I've kind of been going through Six Sisters' Stuff's Teal-colored book and this is another gem. 

Slow Cooker Eight-Can Taco Soup from Six Sisters' Stuff

1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (15 oz.) pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (15 oz.) sweet corn, drained

1 can (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes

1 can (10.75 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup (I used mushroom because I was out of chicken)

1 can (10 oz.) can green enchilada sauce

1 can (12.5 oz.) chicken breast, drained (I had leftover cooked chicken in the refrigerator, so I went with that). 

1 pkg. (1 oz.) taco seasoning 

grated cheese

avocado, sliced

Pour all ingredients into slow cooker and stir together. Cook on low heat 2-3 hours. Top with shredded cheese and serve with tortilla chips and sliced avocado, if desired. 

Note: I was in a hurry and chose not to use the slow cooker. I poured everything into a pot and brought it to a simmer, then cooked it for about ten minutes on low heat. Worked just fine! 

Minestrone Soup

Not too long ago I made some soup. It was the recipe of my friends over at OBB with a couple of modifications to suit us better. We loved it! It kept us going through a week of rough times. I bought some french-cut green beans because the recipe called for it. When I began making the soup, I looked for the green beans. Never did find them. I figure they never made it to the car from the store. 

Minestrone Soup (slightly adapted from Our Best Bites)
1 T olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 large carrot, thinly sliced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 small zucchini, quartered and sliced
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 (12 oz) bag of mixed veggies (I used a mixture of carrots, corn, peas, and green beans)
2 (15 oz) cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 (15 oz) cans Great Northern white beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
3 (14.5 oz) cans chicken broth
3 cups hot water
1/2 cup small pasta (I used Ditalini)
4 cups loosely packed fresh spinach leaves (just grab a couple good handfuls)

Heat a large stock pot to medium-high heat, then add olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add onion, carrot and celery. Sauté 4-5 minutes. Add zucchini and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add beans, tomatoes and seasonings, stirring to combine. Add broth and water. Bring soup to a simmer, then cover the pot and reduce heat to low. Cook for about 20 minutes or until carrots are tender. Add pasta. When the pasta is cooked to your liking, turn off the heat and stir in the fresh spinach leaves. Season with additional salt and pepper, if you wish. This soup tends to thicken up slightly when you refrigerate the leftovers. I opened another can of chicken broth and poured in just enough to make it "soupy" again when I reheated it. Bud asked for leftovers of this again and again.
The toasted bread you see in the photo is a loaf of store bought french bread. I butter one side, sprinkle it ever-so-lightly with kosher salt and place it butter-side down in a medium-hot frying pan just until it is golden. That smidgeon of salt makes all the difference between good and great.

Cheesy Potato Soup

My daughter came to visit for the weekend (with my three adorable grandchildren) and she was hungry when she arrived. She asked if I had any potato soup. You'd think I would have, but I didn't. GASP! I had every other kind of soup, but no potato soup. I did have a couple of potatoes, so in a jiffy we had potato soup!

Cheesy Potato Soup (an original recipe!)
2-3 large potatoes, peeled
water for boiling
1 tsp salt
2 T butter
1/4 cup flour
1 cup water
2 1/2 cups milk (I used 1%)
2T chicken base, or 2 cubes of bouillon
1/4 cup dried onion (or 1/2 cup fresh, chopped)
1/4 cup dried carrots (or 1/2 cup fresh, diced)
2 celery stalks, chopped
1/4 tsp seasoned salt (or to taste)
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used mild cheddar)
Boil potatoes in enough water to cover, until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Drain potatoes and set aside. In the same pot, add the butter until melted. Add the flour and whisk it together. Slowly add the water, whisking continually until there are no lumps. Add the milk and chicken base. Add the potatoes, vegetables and salt. Use your potato masher to break the potatoes up a little bit. Simmer until the vegetables are tender. Add the cheese and stir until melted.

Food Storage Soup

Even though it is officially Spring, but since this is what my backyard looked like yesterday morning, (and it's even whiter today) and since I found a super simple recipe yesterday from 320 Sycamore, I knew what we were having for dinner last night.

After Bud finished his soup he said, "Thank you, that was really very good soup."

It's official name is Quick and Easy Chicken Wild Rice Soup. Since I used everything from my food storage (except the celery- that was fresh), I thought a better name for it was Food Storage Soup.
Melissa says it's her most requested recipe in her recipe arsenal.

Food Storage Soup (adapted from Melissa who adapted it from Taste of Home)
Makes about 6 cups of soup
5 2/3 cups water
1 (4.3-oz) box of Rice a Roni long grain and wild rice mix
1 envelope chicken noodle soup mix (I used Lipton)
2-3 ribs of celery, sliced
1/4 cup dried carrots (or 1 medium carrot, chopped)
1/4 cup dried onions (or 1 small onion, chopped)
1 (10 3/4-oz) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (13-oz) can cooked chicken (or 1 cup cooked chicken, chopped)
1/4-1/2 tsp garlic powder
In a medium pot combine water, rice with seasoning packet and the soup mix. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for ten minutes. Stir in the celery, carrot and onion. Cover and simmer ten minutes. Stir in condensed chicken soup, chicken and garlic powder. Cook eight minutes or until the rice and vegetables are tender. Stir the soup occasionally or it may stick to the bottom of the pot.
This soup made enough for Bud and me to each have a large bowlful, with one bowlful leftover, so if you need to feed a larger family, I would suggest doubling the recipe.

Corn Chowder

I realize I haven't blogged since I went to the airport to pick up my grandchildren (and their mother) over a week and a half ago. I have my priorities, to be sure! We had this soup the other night and if I had not doubled the recipe we would have eaten it all gone, but because it's snowing like a maniac outside, leftovers are not a problem.

You're only one click away from the recipe! You can find it here. It's quick and easy and delicious.

Bread Bowls

Last week when we had some friends over, I was only planning on making the dessert. However, my friend had another idea. He offered to bring their leftover chili his daughter had made, and promised us it was so good we would die. Hmm. Is chili really what I want for my final meal? He also said he wanted to eat it from a chili bowl. A chili bowl? He meant a bread bowl. Oh! Okay. He said they would bring them, but when I talked to his wife, I told her I would take care of the "chili bowls."

So Monday afternoon, I made these guys. Our friends weren't expecting homemade, but these "chili bowls" were not difficult, and they were so much better than any I've ever bought at the store!

I have been promised the chili recipe, so if/when I ever get it, I'll pass it along. In the meantime, try these bread bowls. Tis the season! The soup season, that is. Especially since we have snow promised for later today.
The recipe is slightly adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

Italian Bread Bowls
Makes 6 regular or 8 small bread bowls
1 1/2 T active dry yeast, or 1 T instant yeast
2 1/2 cups warm water
2 tsp salt
2 T vegetable oil
6-7 cups all-purpose flour
If you are using instant yeast, no proofing is required. If you are using active dry yeast, proof the yeast in the warm water. Let stand until bubbly, about ten minutes.
Add salt, oil and 4 cups flour to the yeast mixture in either a Kitchen Aid mixing bowl or Bosch or Blendtec mixer or whatever you use to make your bread!
Continue to add flour in 1/2 cup intervals until a soft, not too sticky dough is achieved. I used 6 cups of flour to my mixture. When the dough has balled together, turn dough onto a Pam-sprayed counter top. This way, you can knead your dough without adding more flour. You'll need to spray your hands too. Knead until the dough is nice and elastic. This will only take a few minutes.
Lightly oil a large bowl. Add dough and then turn the dough so the greased bottom is now the top. Cover dough with a damp towel and set in a warm area. I always turn my oven on for about one minute, then I turn it off and place the bowl in the oven. Let dough rise for about 40 minutes. Punch the dough down and evenly shape into 6-8 balls. Place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet (or use a Silpat liner). I tried slashing the top, as Mel suggests, but it just made them look deformed, so I'd say skip the slashing!
Let the bread bowls rise again in a warm place for about 35 minutes, then bake in a 400°F pre-heated oven (this is when having two ovens comes in mighty handy-dandy!).  Bake for 15-18 minutes, until golden brown and baked through.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Monday I went from soap making to soup making. I had talked to my very sick sister (enough already- get better!) and she said they had made OBB's chicken and wild rice soup and it was delicious.  I was planning to make soup that day anyway so I switched from chicken and dumplings to this soup.

Bud said it was "really very good." That's a huge compliment as he doesn't often comment on what he's eating.  

This recipe is in Our Best Bites new cookbook, Savoring the Seasons. You've already got your copy, right? Turn to page 146 and get cooking! For those of you living under a rock and don't have a copy, I'll write it down for you.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
5 T butter, divided
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic (I used about 1 1/2 tsp of pre-minced)
1 cup chopped carrots (that's 2 carrots)
2 cups roughly chopped baby bella mushrooms
2 celery stalks, chopped
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning (see note below)
1 (12-ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts (I left this out, not a big fan)
8 cups chicken broth (or 8 cups water and 2 T plus 2 tsp chicken base)
1 cup wild rice
2 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup flour
2 cups milk
Melt 1 T butter in a large stockpot over medium heat, then add the onion, garlic, carrots, mushrooms, celery and poultry seasoning. Sauté until the onion is tender (about five minutes). Add artichoke hearts and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer about an hour. When the rice is tender, remove from the heat and add the pepper. Taste it to see if it needs the 1/2 tsp salt and add if desired.
When the soup has about 10 minutes left to cook, melt the remaining 4 T butter in a frying pan over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour and make a roux. Slowly add in the milk, about 1/2 cup at a time to prevent lumps (you have to whisk quickly and keep whisking until all the milk is added). Add this to the soup and stir until combined. Simmer a few more minutes until it is slightly thickened.
Note: I didn't have any poultry seasoning! I was shocked. Good thing Google is my friend.
Homemade Poultry Seasoning from Food.com
2 tsp ground sage
1 1/2 tsp ground thyme
1 tsp ground marjoram
3/4 tsp ground rosemary
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp finely ground black pepper
Mix all the ingredients together and store leftovers in a Ziplock baggie.

Sometimes I am a dork. I bought two boxes of Rice-a-Roni long grain and wild rice mix. I knew I didn't want to use the seasoning, so I didn't open the little package that came in the box. Then I wondered where all the wild rice was, because there was only white rice in the package. I thought that if I only wanted white rice I wouldn't have bought the two boxes of Rice-a-Roni! After dinner, I realized the wild rice and seasonings were both in the little package, not just the seasonings alone. See? I'm a dork.

Cauliflower Soup

Karen visited with some friends a couple weeks ago and the subject of soup came up. The friend (my sister's husband's brother's daughter-in-law in case you were wondering) said she loved Pioneer Woman's cauliflower soup. I had heard before from other sources that it was good, so it re-peaked my interest. We made the soup a couple of days ago and all who ate it could not stop loving it.

Pioneer Woman's Cauliflower Soup (slightly edited)
1 stick of butter (divided)
1/2 onion, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1-2 heads of cauliflower, roughly chopped (I used one, but two would have been good)
2 T dried parsley (you can use fresh if you have it)
2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth or stock (that's four small cans)
6 T flour
2 cups milk
1 cup half-and-half (I didn't have any, so I used 1/2 cup heavy cream and 1/2 cup more milk)
2-4 tsp salt, to taste (okay, watch it on the salt- I used 1 1/2 tsp salt and felt it was plenty salty!)
1 cup sour cream, room temperature

Melt 4 T butter (1/2 stick) in a large soup pot or dutch oven. Add onion and cook about 1 minute. Add the carrot and celery and cook a couple more minutes. Add the cauliflower and parsley, stirring to combine.
Cover and cook vegetables over very low heat for 15 minutes. After time is up, add broth, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer while making roux.
In a medium saucepan, melt 4 T butter (the other 1/2 of the stick). Mix the milk and flour together, whisking to combine, then add milk mixture slowly to the butter, whisking constantly (this was new to me- I'm used to adding the flour to the butter then adding the milk while whisking, but this worked too).
When the mixture is quite thick, remove it from the heat and then add the half-and-half. Add milk mixture to the soup. Continue to simmer for 15 minutes longer.
Just before serving, add sour cream to serving bowl and then ladle in a few scoops of the soup (not sure why you can't just add the sour cream directly to the soup in the pot, but maybe there's a curdling issue, like eggs?), blending it together. Pour in the remaining soup and stir, then serve.
Like I said earlier, we all loved it (okay, Caleb didn't even try it, but that doesn't count). I served it at a dinner party last night and my guests were hoping that's all they got to eat (it wasn't). Larry said he could have eaten 16 bowls of it.

Super Soup

It snowed yesterday. Only for a few minutes (or a couple of hours...what's the difference?), but it put me in the mood for soup. Last weekend at the ward Halloween party, a friend of mine brought this soup, but she was out of bacon when she made it. I had bacon, so I thought I'd try making it myself.
I used the recipe found here. Before you click over, do you want to take a wild-crazy-unbelievable guess where the recipe is from? Yeah, THAT was a hard guess, wasn't it?

Here's my bowl.  

Here's Karen's bowl. I think her's looks prettier than mine. 

What goes with homemade soup better than homemade bread? 

The only thing I did different than Kate was I added some chopped green onion as a topper with the grated cheese and additional bacon.
If it's snowing in your neighborhood, make this soup. Then you won't care what the weather is like outside because you'll be warm on the inside. Hey Stacey, I don't believe it will be snowing in your neighborhood anytime soon, but put on your Christmas music and make this soup anyway.

Soup and Sweets

My sister was sick and needed some medicine. It's right here in this jar.

Because it is what makes this bowl of chicken soup so devine. I took her this big bowl of soup...we'll see if it makes her all better soon.

I think the best part of this soup is the big fat dumpling sitting at the top of the bowl.

After dinner, we needed a little treat. I have this marble slab that lives in my freezer, like a miniature version of being at Cold Stone. We finally decided to break out that gigantic Reese's peanut butter bar. We thought we needed a little caramel sauce as well, but we decided against it, once we got going.

How do you like these fingers? She's always been able to grow the most outstanding fingernails. I keep mine super short, therefore, this cannot be my hand.

We decided it would have been a little easier to use the Reese's mini baking bits instead of going through the trouble of chopping up Mr. Huge Reese's bar. 

Here we go! 

Mix it up...

Smoosh it together...

Ready for yumminess... 

and...?

Yes, it was delish! I wonder what our next concoction will be.