Tomato Soup

2 quarts tomato juice

Medium onion, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

3 TB fresh parsley, finely chopped

1 lb hamburger

1 ½ C cooked pasta (cook a little bit extra from a previous meal)

4 TB butter

4 TB flour

In a large pot, heat tomato juice. Sauté onions, parsley, and celery in butter. Add flour, mix well, and add to tomato juice. Brown Hamburger and drain. Add hamburger and cooked pasta to soup and stir until slightly thickened. Maybe add a tsp of salt if it’s home bottled juice, otherwise the store bought is plenty salty. Serve with cheesy bread sticks or Garlic bread.

Recipe by: Jeanne C. 

(Can freeze in ziplock freezer bags)

Hearty Beef Stew

I am part of a freezer meal group and one of the ladies made this this month. I'm excited to try it. She found it over at sixsistersstuff.com. under slow cooker slow cooker freezer meals.

Hearty Beef Stew

Ingredients:

1 pound beef stew cubes
4 carrots, sliced
4 red potatoes, cut into large cubes
1 package dry onion soup mix
2 cans 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (10 oz) package frozen green peas
Directions:
Place all ingredients in a resealable gallon-sized freezer bag. Mix together and zip bag closed. When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw in fridge for 24 hours. Cook on LOW for 7-10 hours (or HIGH for 5-6 hours).
Serve with 3 Ingredient Parmesan Rolls.
(I double-bagged this stew because it stuffed the freezer bag to the brim! Better safe than sorry!)

Serve with 3 ingredient Parmesan Roll Recipe:
(Serves 8, adjust accordingly)
8 rise and bake frozen rolls (like Rhodes)
1/4 C. butter (1/2 stick)
1/2 C. grated parmesan cheese (fresh or canned)
Place butter in a microwave safe dish and heat until completely melted. Place grated Parmesan in a separate dish. Dip each frozen roll completely in butter then roll in grated Parmesan until covered. Place rolls on a greased pan and allow to rise until doubled (follow directions on package). Bake according to package directions until rolls are golden on top.

Recipe submitted by: Deborah L. 

Tortellini Soup

1 (26 oz) can Tomato Soup
1 sm. can mushroom pieces & juice (I use 1 C. fresh sauteed mushrooms)
1 med. can diced tomatoes w/ basil, garlic, & oregano (It comes like this in a can)
1 reg. can chicken broth
1-2 Tbsp. Mrs. Dash Tomato, basil, & garlic (red lid, you can find it at Wal-mart)
1 (8 oz.) fresh or dried tortellini
1 C. Half & Half
3 Tbsp. Real bacon pieces (optional)

Add first 5 ingredients in crock pot. Cook on high for 2 hrs. Add tortellini (if using fresh add 1 hr. before half & half), cook for another 2 hrs. on high. Add half & half and bacon bits for 1 more hr on high.

For freezer meal:
Freeze soup in a bag, Half & Half in a container or bag, & tortellini in a bag.
Thaw in fridge.

For Stovetop:
Cook soup for 20 minutes. Add tortellini. Cook for 15 minutes. Add Half & Half. Cook for another few minutes. Serve.

Not word per word, but very close.

Recipe by: Yvonne Smith

Crock pot Mexican Chicken Soup

In a crockpot add:
4 boneless chicken breasts
1 1/2 C. water
1/2 C. onion, diced
2 Tbsp. Jalapeno pepper, diced (I just add the pickled kind in the jar)
3/4 C. green pepper, diced
1 can diced tomatoes in juice
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
3/4 C. frozen corn
Dash of salt and pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
Cook on low for 6 hours. When there is an hour left, take chicken out and shred. Put back in and add 1 C. crushed tortilla chips.
When the soup is done, top with: Cilantro & cheese. Serve with more tortilla chips & sour cream.

Recipe by: Becky

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili

Hope you enjoy it as much as we did. I followed it exactly including the toppings. I would consider this mild spicy. You may want to go lighter or heavier on the chili powder depending on your spice level.
Serves 6. Hands-on Time: 25 minutes. Total Time: 60 mintues.
chili:
2 Tb oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 Tb chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes in juice
1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tsp orange zest
Salt and Pepper
Toppings:
chopped green onions
chopped cilantro
sour cream
1. Heat oil in a 4 to 6 quart dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chili powder and cumin, then add the broth andsweet potatoes and stir well to combine.
2. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the potatoes are almost tender, about 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes and beans and continue to simmer, uncovered, until the mixture is heated through and slightly thickened, about 15 minutes more. Stir in the orange zest and season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Serve the chili topped with green onions, cilantro, and sour cream.

Not only is it delicious, it's beautiful too with the bright orange, red and black, sprinkled with white and green on top.


Recipe by my friend: Kristen


We didn't prefer the orange zest in our soup. I guess it just depends on your preference. 

Black Bean Soup

At the dinner table my son said, (After taking his first bite) "I thought it would taste bad, but it tastes good!"

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 garlic cloves, smashed & diced
1 can diced tomatoes in juice
2 cans black beans, drained
2 kale leaves, chopped
2 C. water
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1 tsp. Mrs. Dash, original

Cilantro Leaves
Cheese
Sour cream or plain yogurt

In a pot on the stove add:
Olive oil.
Heat.
Then add:
Onion, carrots, celery, & garlic.
Cook for 5-7 minutes.
Then add:
tomatoes, beans, kale,water, salt, seasonings & spices.
Cook for 15 minutes.
Take half of soup out with a measuring cup and place in a blender or food processor. Pulse a few times. Add back to the rest of soup.
Stir.
Place in bowls.
Top with cilantro leaves, cheese, sour cream or yogurt.
Serve with chips, optional.

Recipe by: Becky

Hearty Soup

In a pot on the stove add:
3 Tbsp. Olive oil
1 Medium onion, chopped
3 carrots, peeled & chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
Cook for 5-7 minutes on medium heat.
Stir. 
Then add:
1 can diced tomatoes in juice
1 can cream of chicken soup (If you want to make it healthier just replace this with chicken broth)
4 1/2 C. water
1 C. bean soup mix (which includes: green & yellow split peas, pearled barley, rice, alphabet macaroni, lentils) 
You find it in the dried bean section at the store. 
Stir well.
Cover.
Cook over medium low heat for 1 1/2 hours.
Season with salt & pepper to taste.
Top with grated cheese.
Serve with chips and fruit salad.

Recipe by: Becky

Slit Pea Soup

I have been on a Crock Pot kick lately on Sundays. I just love coming home from Church for a yummy meal waiting for us. This is what I made yesterday....

What you will need:
1 1/2 C. split peas, dried
5 C. water
Ham packet (If there is one in the pea package)
Or add 1 tsp. or 1 cube chicken bouillon granules
1 medium onion, chopped
4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 C. cooked ham, cut up 
1/4 tsp. pepper
Dash of Cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. Original Mrs. Dash

Rinse spit peas and pick out any thing that doesn't belong in the soup.
In a Crock pot combine all ingredients.
Cook on low for 5 hours, or until peas are soft.
Stir.

Top with fried bacon or ham and Mozzerella or Swiss Cheese.
Serve with crusty bread.

Recipe by: Becky

Bean, Lentil, and Ham soup

Beans are so good for you, they have a lot of protein and fiber. They are inexpensive too! I got a bean mix from the bins at Winco and thought I would try to use it. I started out trying to do the quick soak method, but would recommend cooking them in the crock pot or soaking them over night. They take time and there is no way around it. I really had a great time experimenting and teaching myself how to cook dried beans. I was so surprised my family liked this. I would have thought they would have turned up their noses at this for sure. It actually turned out quite tasty.

In a large pot add:

8 C. water
2 C. bean mixture (beans & lentils)
Soak overnight or boil them for a few minutes, take them off the heat and let sit for 2-3 hours. (I know time consuming!)

Dump off excess water and replace with fresh water that covers the beans about 2 inches above top.

In a skillet add:
2 Tbsp. oil
1 lrg. onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 cloves garlic, diced
3 lrg. carrots, chopped
Saute until veggies are translucent.

Then add:
2 C. cooked ham or lunch meat ham, chopped

Add veggies and ham to beans when beans are tender. (If they are not tender yet boil them for a while.)

Add:
1 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
2 tsp. salt

Simmer for 20 minutes.
Serve with biscuits, rolls, bread, etc.

Good luck! This was an adventure. It made a lot. It will be great for lunches. And very healthy too!

Recipe by: Becky

Vegetable Beef Soup

Growing up we would have vegetable beef soup, but from a can. I thought I would try to make it homemade and it turned out very hearty and delicious!
I had some left over roast beef that I needed to use up. So this is how I did it.

In a pot start boiling about 5 C. water and 1 tsp. salt.
Chop up:
2 C. roast beef
3 lrg. carrots, peeled
1 onion
2 Celery stalks
3 lrg mushrooms (shhh, my family doesn't like mushrooms. They had no idea I put them in it. :) Lets keep it that way.)
1 clove garlic
1 lrg. potato or 2 small ones
1/4 C. rolled oats or barley

Put in water and boil for 15-20 minutes, or until veggies are soft.
Then add:
1/2 C. cooked pinto beans, optional
1 can tomato soup
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can corn
1 can green beans
1 C. frozen peas
1 tsp. Italian Seasoing
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Cook for another 10 minutes.
Cool for 10 minutes.
Great served with Garlic Bread.

Garlic Bread
In a bowl mix:
1/2 tsp. garlic salt or garlic powder
1/2 C. olive oil
1 tsp. Mrs. Dash, original
1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning

Mix well and spoon over sliced bread or rolls.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes.

Recipes by: Becky

Chicken and Dumplings

In a pot on the stove add:
5-6 C. water
4 lrg. chicken breasts
Cover and boil for 10-15 minutes.

Then add:
2 lrg. carrots, chopped
1 Celery stalk, chopped
1 lrg. onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, diced
2 tsp. salt
Dash of Mrs. Dash Seasoning
Cook for another 15 minutes.

Make dumpling dough, while broth is cooking.
Dumpling Dough:
In a food processor, place 2 of the chicken breasts and basically puree them.
In a bowl add:
Pureed chicken breasts
2 eggs
3/4 C. of the broth
1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1 C. flour
1 tsp. salt
Dash of pepper
Drop by tsp. full into boiling broth until batter is gone.

Cook for 10-15 minutes.

Let cool for 10 minutes.

Serve.

Recipe by:
Becky

creamy potato soup

In a pot over medium high heat add:
4-5 potatoes, peeled & chopped into small pieces
1/2 lrg. onion, chopped
cover with water
Boil for 15-20 minutes.
In a separate pan on the stove, over medium heat add:
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. four
Cook for 3 minutes. Constantly stirring.
Add 1/2 C. milk or cream.
Stir until thick.
Add to potatoes and onion in pot. 
If you want it smooth, put it in the blender and pulse 10-15 times. (Be careful it's hot!) If you want it chunky, omit this step.
Pour it back in the pot.
Then add:
2 C. cheese, grated
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb.
Stir and serve.
I like to crumble cooked bacon or ham over top.

Recipe by: Becky

Chicken Tortellini Soup

2-3 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
2 Tbsp. butter
4 Garlic cloves, minced
2 (14 1/2 oz) cans Chicken Broth
1 (9 oz) Package Cheese Tortellini
1/4 C. grated Parmesan Cheese
1 (14 1/2 oz) can Stewed tomatoes
1/2 Bunch of Spinach, stemmed
6 Fresh Basil leaves chopped (or 1 tsp. dried)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Melt butter in heavy, large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and saute 2 minutes. Stir in broth, tortellini and chicken. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Mix in 1/4 cup Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer until tortellini are just tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, spinach and basil. Simmer 2 minutes. Serve with additional grated Parmesan (if desired).

Note: My picture of the soup is missing the spinach. Forgot to buy at the store and it tastes fine without.

I usually make these biscuits to go with the soup.

Recipe by: Shawna
(Becky's book club friend)

Cheesy Vegetable Soup

I had some left over Velveeta cheese from my cheese balls, so I mixed this up last night for dinner.

In a large pot on the stove add:
3 C. broccoli, chopped
2 C. cauliflower, chopped
1 C. onion, chopped
1 C. carrots, chopped
Cover with water and boil for 10 minutes. Cover with lid while boiling.

Add:
1 chicken boulion cube
Stir until dissolved.

Add:
8 oz velveeta cheese
1 15 oz can cream of chicken soup
Stir until cheese is melted

Sprinkle with as much black pepper as you prefer.

Serve with chips.

Recipe by: Becky

Homemade chicken noodle soup #2

In a pot on the stove add:
2 Tbsp. oil
1/2 C. carrots, chopped
1/2 C. celery, chopped
1/2 C. onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed and diced

Cook until vegetables are softened.

Then add:
2 chicken bullion cubes
6-8 C. water
Heat to a slow simmer. Add country pasta noodles (we got ours from Sam's Club). Cook for 18-20 minutes, or until noodles are soft.
Season with Pepper, Italian seasoning, and/or your favorite seasonings.


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