Cheeseburger Soup (Optionally Spicy)

My friend told me how she was making cheeseburger soup for dinner and I was like, "Do share!" Her family likes things spicy, but we did a much less spicy version. Either way, it's a great, easy recipe.

See the original here: https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/spicy-cheeseburger-soup/?fbclid=IwAR2Hevxdn6QEhnFtTQYEVhYf9NwuHROEjoPaOxqpsaponex53g2VxiuyZK0

Cheeseburger Soup

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups water
• 2 cups cubed peeled potatoes
• 2 small carrots, grated
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon beef bouillon granules
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained
• 3-1/2 cups 2% milk, divided
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 16 ounces cubed Velveeta
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
• 1/2 pound sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, combine the first 7 ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
2. Stir in beef and 2 cups milk; heat through. Combine flour and 1/2 cup milk until smooth; gradually stir into soup. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; stir in cheese until melted. Add remaining milk if needed to get the right consistency.
3. Add cayenne pepper if desired. Top with additional bacon and shredded cheese when serving, if desired.

Marsha's Notes:

I cooked my onion along with my ground beef until done. Just before it was done, I added in my chopped, precooked bacon (1 package of the precooked stuff) and my minced garlic, just to heat through and crisp up the bacon and cook the garlic for just a minute. Then I took that off the heat and put it in a different bowl. Returning the pan to the heat, I then followed the directions pretty much as stated, using frozen cubed potato hashbrowns and pre-shredded carrots. Be careful with your cayenne! We opened a new bottle for this recipe, and just a small sprinkling into the pot brought a lot of heat. If you want it spicier, the original recipe calls for 1 chopped jalapeno and 1/4 cup chopped green pepper.

Pressure Cooker Lasagna Soup

Lately, we have been taking dinner to Scott's mother every Wednesday night, and so I have been on the lookout for lots of recipes that are easy to travel with, like Crock Pot or Instapot. This week's recipe was this lasagna soup, and everyone really liked it, even Lucas, who doesn't like ricotta cheese (he was okay with it because it was a topping so he could put as much or as little on as he liked). Here is the link to the original recipe:

https://www.melskitchencafe.com/pressure-cooker-lasagna-soup/

Pressure Cooker Lasagna Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground Italian sausage or ground beef
• ½ cup finely chopped yellow or white onion
• ½ cup diced carrots, about 2 medium carrots
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or pressed through a garlic press
• 3 cans (15-ounces each) crushed tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 dried bay leaf
• ½ teaspoon salt, I use coarse, kosher salt
• Pinch of black pepper, I use coarsely ground
• 6 to 8 cups chicken broth, I use low-sodium (see note)
• 8 to 12 ounces (3-4 cups) bowtie or rotini pasta or broken lasagna noodles (see note)

Cheese Topping:

• 1 cup ricotta cheese or blended cottage cheese
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, plus more for serving
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• ½ teaspoon dried basil
• Pinch of salt and pepper

Directions:

1. For the cheese topping, stir together all the ingredients until well combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
2. For the soup, select the sauté function on the pressure cooker and cook the sausage or ground beef, onion, carrots, and garlic, for 2-3 minutes, until the meat is no longer pink, breaking the meat into small pieces as it cooks. Drain any excess grease.
3. Add the crushed tomatoes, basil, oregano, bay leaf, salt and black pepper. Stir well, making sure to scrape up any cooked bits on the bottom of the pot.
4. Add 6 cups of the chicken broth and the pasta and stir to combine. Give the bottom of the pot another good scrape (otherwise any cooked food on the bottom of the pot may alert the burn warning when the pressure cooker comes to pressure).
5. Secure the lid and set the pressure cooker to cook on high. Use this formula for the cooking time (and read the note below): take the al dente cooking time on the pasta package, cut the time in half and subtract two more minutes. For instance, for pasta that cooks al dente in 12 minutes, the pressure cooker time will be 4 minutes. Round up for 1/2 minutes.
6. When the cooking time is finished, let the pressure naturally release for 10-15 minutes (otherwise liquid may spurt out of the valve when releasing pressure). Manually release remaining pressure or let it naturally release all the way (pasta will be a bit softer if doing this since it will continue to cook a little as the pressure naturally releases).
7. Stir the soup and add additional chicken broth to thin, if needed (I add about 1 to 2 additional cups). Serve the soup in bowls with spoonfuls of the cheese topping and additional mozzarella or Parmesan cheese on top.

Marsha's Notes:

• I didn't add the garlic to the beef right away, as I have heard over and over again that if you cook garlic too long (or burn it) that it will turn bitter, so I added my garlic to the pot the last couple minutes that the beef was browning. It also took me a lot longer than 2-3 minutes to cook the meat, even with the sauté function on high.
• Initially, the soup seemed the perfect consistency right after it was done cooking. Then, by the time we took it across town to Scott's Mom's house, and everyone ate what they wanted, and then we brought the leftovers home, the noodles had absorbed so much of the liquid in the soup that we were really just left with pasta and sauce, like spaghetti instead of soup. That's okay. It still tastes delicious, but if you want it to remain "soup" then you might want to add the extra liquid suggested in the recipe, either right away, or just a little bit to each bowl when you reheat it as leftovers.

Tortellini Sausage Soup

While my favorite will probably always be the creamy soups, at least one of our boys prefers the broth kind. So in a effort to find something he would enjoy, we tried this recipe. With both sausage and tortellini, I knew it was like to be a favorite, and indeed, everyone said they enjoyed it. For the original recipe, use this link:

https://www.melskitchencafe.com/tortellini-sausage-soup/

Tortellini Sausage Soup

Ingredients:

• 3 links Italian sausage, the kind that is uncooked in casings – see note
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• ½ cup apple cider
• 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 medium zucchini, grated (no need to peel)
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 8-10 ounce package refrigerated or frozen cheese tortellini

Directions:

1. Remove the casings by slicing down one side of the sausage and peeling the casing back from the sausage. In a large pot, cook the sausage over medium heat until it starts to brown, using a wooden spoon to crumble as it cooks. Add the chopped onion and garlic. Continue cooking until the onions are translucent and the sausage is cooked through. Drain any excess grease, if needed (alternately, if your sausage is extra lean, you may need to add a drizzle of olive oil to keep it from sticking).
2. Stir in the chicken broth, apple cider, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, carrots, oregano, and basil. Bring the soup to a simmer, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in zucchini and parsley simmer for 10-12 minutes. Add the tortellini and cook until tender (usually only a couple of minutes, even when the packages call for 7-9 minutes cooking time, I only cook the tortellini for 4-5 minutes so it doesn’t fall apart). Serve immediately with freshly grated Parmesan, if desired.

Marsha's Notes:

I used apple chicken sausage large links that were not in casings and just sliced them into thin rounds and it worked great. I think you could really use any kind of sausage (pre-cooked, raw, in links, ground up, etc.) as long as you make sure it cooks all the way through if needed. I picked the apple chicken sausage because it was a bit healthier and I thought it would pair nicely with the apple cider in the recipe. Next time, I wouldn't hesitate to use ground Italian sausage either.

I also did not use zucchini, and instead opted to add potatoes to the recipe instead. As with most soups, you can really change up the veggies to your liking. If you want to keep a bit of green color in the soup, you could sub with peas instead of potatoes.

Beef Stew

 We tried this stew recipe tonight and it was really good. I've never made stew before, so I was so happy it turned out good. One change I might make next time is that it calls for 3 Tbl soy sauce, and I thought that was a bit much. There is a note on the original recipe that you can also replace half of the soy sauce with Worcestershire instead (so 1 1/2 Tbl of each), which I think I will do next time. So, I am going to put that option in the ingredient list so I remember. Here is the link to the original recipe:

https://www.melskitchencafe.com/perfect-instant-pot-beef-stew/

Beef Stew

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon oil
• ½ cup chopped yellow or white onions
• 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
• 3 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce (or use half soy sauce and half Worcestershire)
• 2 tablespoons instant/minute granulated tapioca
• 2 bay leaves
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper, I use coarsely ground
• 2-3 pounds stew meat, or a chuck or arm roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 to 2 ½ cups chopped carrots, about 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 to 2 ½ cups peeled and chopped potatoes, any variety, about 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 cups frozen peas

Directions:

1. Select the Saute function on the Instant Pot (use the + or – button to adjust the heat to the normal setting). Add the oil and onions, and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often, until the onions start to turn translucent. Add the tomato paste, stirring it into the onions, and cook for 1-2 minutes.
2. Add the beef broth, soy sauce, tapioca, bay leaves and black pepper. Whisk or stir to combine.
3. Add the stew meat and give a quick stir. Secure and lock the lid with the vent in the closed position. Cook on high pressure for 18 minutes (select “manual” or “pressure cook” and dial up or down to get to the right number, the IP will start on its own).
4. When finished cooking, let the pressure release naturally for about 10 minutes and then quick release the remaining pressure. Add the carrots and potatoes. Wipe the seal and inside of the lid dry and make sure the ring is pressed down all the way (if the ring is out of place or too wet, the IP may not come back up to pressure). Secure and lock the lid with the vent in the closed position. Cook on high pressure again for 3 minutes.
5. Quick release the pressure (or naturally release for 10 minutes and then quick release the rest). Take out the bay leaves. Stir in the frozen peas to heat through, and add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed. The stew will thicken a bit as it cools.

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

The original recipe for this soup was to be made in the Instant Pot, but I just did it on the stove top instead so I could get a real feel for the soup and it worked out well. So I will post a link to the Instant Pot recipe, but then put what I did down below. Enjoy! (PS- everyone in our family really like it except for William (he's not a tomato soup person) and they compared it to the soup you get at Waffle Love. Yum!)

Instant Pot Recipe: https://www.melskitchencafe.com/instant-pot-creamy-tomato-basil-soup/ 

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

Ingredients-

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup diced carrots (I used match-stick)
• ½ cup diced onions (I used frozen)
• 3 cans (15-ounces each) diced or whole tomatoes
• 2 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)
• 1 ½ teaspoons dried basil
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup cream (or an additional 1/2 cup milk if you don't have cream)
• ¼ cup flour

Directions-

1. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil. Add the carrots and onions, and cook, stirring often, until the onions and carrots start to get a little color.
2. Add the tomatoes, broth, basil, sugar, salt, oregano, and baking soda. Give the soup a good stir making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot thoroughly.
3. Simmer for about 30 minutes, or until everything is tender and the flavors have had a chance to really meld together.
4. Carefully use an immersion blender (or transfer the soup in batches to a blender) to puree the soup until smooth. Return the soup to the pot if using a blender.
5. Whisk or blend together the milk, cream and flour until very smooth. Add to the soup while whisking or stirring constantly.
6. Cook on low until the soup is heated through and thickened. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed (this is important so you don't end up with bland soup). Serve immediately.

Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup Recipe

We tried this soup from The Forked Spoon and everyone ate it right up! Anytime I can get my kids to eat veggies in a soup, it's a hit in my book! And with autumn coming, I am getting in soup-mode! See the original recipe here: https://theforkedspoon.com/creamy-chicken-tortellini-soup/

Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup

Ingredients: 

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 medium onions (diced)
• 3 large carrots (peeled and chopped)
• 3 stalks celery (chopped)
• 6 cloves garlic (minced)
• 4 tbsp butter
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth (or chicken stock)
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp salt (plus more to taste)
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1½ cups heavy cream
• 3 cups cooked chicken (shredded)
• 2 cups frozen sweet corn
• 1 (8 ounce) package cheese tortellini
• red pepper flakes, fresh thyme, fresh parsley, grated parmesan cheese (to garnish, optional)

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the tortellini according to package directions, then drain and set aside.
2. Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven set over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté for about 5 minutes. As the onion softens, chop the carrots and celery, then add them to the pot with onions. Mix well and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and butter. Mix well. 
3. Once the butter is melted, sprinkle the veggies with ¼ of all-purpose flour. Mix, stirring continuously, for approximately one minute to cook out the flour. 
4. Slowly add the chicken broth, whisking continuously. 
5. Add the dried thyme, dried oregano, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. 
6. Add the milk and heavy cream. Increase heat to high. Once the soup almost reaches a boil, immediately reduce heat to medium-low. 
7. Add the cooked, shredded chicken and frozen corn. Cook until heated and the soup has returned to a simmer. 
8. Add the precooked tortellini to the simmering pot or add the cooked tortellini to individual soup bowls.
9. Serve garnished with freshly chopped parsley, thyme, or grated parmesan cheese, if desired.

Marsha's Notes:

I made a big batch of cooked, shredded chicken in the Instant Pot and I kept some in the freezer (see how here:http://1brother2sisters.blogspot.com/2020/01/cooking-frozen-chicken-in-instant-pot.html). It worked perfectly for this recipe. I also had bought celery and onion before that I chopped up more than I needed for another recipe, froze the extra in baggies and pulled them out to use in soup recipes like this one. Makes most of the prep-work so easy! I don't really like a ton of celery or onion, so I'd say I had about 1/2 an onion and maybe 2 or 3 stalks of celery in the baggies in the freezer. This recipe calls for 2 medium onions... there is no way I used that much, I am sure. It's all up to your personal preferences.

Classic Minestrone Soup Crock Pot

We had this for dinner tonight and everyone ate their entire bowls. I did leave out the green beans, but that is just a personal preference. Chris will eat it, even with the white beans. (Chris doesn't typically like to eat beans.) You can also up the protein in this recipe by adding some cooked ground beef. To see the original recipe, go here:

https://www.melskitchencafe.com/classic-minestrone-soup/

Classic Minestrone Soup Crock Pot

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion 
• 3/4 cup chopped celery, about 2-3 ribs celery 
• 3/4 to 1 cup chopped carrots, about 2-3 medium carrots 
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced or 1 teaspoon garlic powder 
• 1 teaspoon dried basil 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 
• 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes 
• 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth (48 oz. boxed broth)
• 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed and drained (Great Northern white beans are about the same size as pinto beans, FYI)
• 1 cup small pasta, like shells, ditalini or elbow
• Sprinkling garlic salt to taste 
• Parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions:

1. In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the onion, celery and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until everything starts to soften and get a touch of color. Add garlic the last couple of minutes. 
2. Add the crushed tomatoes and chicken broth to your Crock Pot. Stir in basil, salt, oregano and black pepper. When ready, add your onions, carrots, celery and garlic from the frying pan into the Crock Pot. 
3. Stir in the beans and cook on low all day. 
4. About 20 minutes before you want to eat, boil the pasta and add to the soup. Season to taste with garlic salt. Serve with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Recipe makes 8 servings:

Serving: 1 serving, Calories: 197kcal, Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 10g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 1091mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 7g

Creamy Crockpot Chicken Gnocchi Soup

This soup turned out super yummy, but I think I loved the leftovers even more than when it was fresh. It called for a slurry of cornstarch and water to thicken, but I didn't notice that it helped thicken the soup at all initially... so I even poured the soup out of my cock pot boil it on the stove to try to "activate" the cornstarch to try to make the soup thicken, and that didn't seem to help... but when we pulled out the leftovers and heated them, it was the perfect consistency! So... I wouldn't worry too much about the soup being "thick" initially because then it would probably congeal and get too thick for leftovers. Hope that makes sense. Just put the slurry in... it does what it does... and then let it be.

For the original recipe, click here:

https://www.nourish-and-fete.com/crockpot-chicken-gnocchi-soup/

Creamy Crockpot Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into small bite-sized pieces
• 1 small onion chopped
• 3-4 medium carrots peeled and chopped, run through the Salad Shooter
• 1-2 stalks celery chopped
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 10-12 cranks freshly-ground black pepper
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 2 12 ounce cans evaporated milk
• 1 1 lb. package potato gnocchi (mini if you can find them)
• 3 cups fresh baby spinach, opt.
• 4 slices cooked bacon optional, to serve

Directions:

1. Place the raw chicken, chopped onion, carrots, celery, minced garlic, basil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper in a large crockpot or slow cooker. Pour chicken stock or broth on top. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. (You can also add your bacon now if you want more bacon flavor in your soup, or you can have more mild bacon flavor by garnishing at the end.)
2. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the cornstarch and cold water to make a thick slurry. Scrape that into the crockpot, along with both cans of evaporated milk and the gnocchi. Stir well to combine, then re-cover the crockpot and cook for another 20-30 minutes or longer. The soup should be slightly thickened (maybe); the gnocchi, tender.
3. Just before serving, stir in the spinach, if you are using it, and let it wilt for 2-3 minutes. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper or garlic salt, as desired. Serve with crumbled cooked bacon or fresh herbs for garnish. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Ham and Corn Chowder

*Leave out or sub the potato for a low-carb option.

Another recipe that turned out great for using up some of that leftover ham... See the original recipe here: 

https://www.thekitchenismyplayground.com/2017/01/slow-cooker-ham-corn-chowder.html

Slow Cooker Ham and Corn Chowder

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs. potatoes, peeled & cut into 1/2-inch cubes {about 3 medium potatoes}
• 4 c. fresh or frozen corn, thawed {about 20 oz.} (I used canned just fine)
• 4 c. cubed ham {leftover or deli ham}
• 2 small onions, chopped
• 4 ribs celery, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 3 c. chicken broth
• 2 T. cornstarch
• 2 c. whole milk
• 2 c. (8 oz.) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 c. sour cream
• 3 T. minced fresh parsley

Directions:

1. Place the first 8 ingredients in a 6-quart slow cooker (potatoes, corn, ham, onions, celery, garlic, pepper, and chicken broth). Cook, covered, on LOW 8-10 hours or until potatoes are tender.
2. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and milk until smooth; stir into soup. Cook, covered, on HIGH 20-30 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in cheese, sour cream and parsley until cheese is melted.

Marsha's Notes:

I taste-tested right before serving and added a small sprinkling of garlic salt to taste.

Easy Crock Pot Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

Tried this tonight and it was super easy and yummy! I only makes about 4 large soup bowls full, so for our family of five and to have left-overs, I would maybe double it. I think it would still fit in my biggest crock pot.

Original Recipe Here: https://www.yummyhealthyeasy.com/easy-crock-pot-cream-cheese-chicken/?7885534817

Easy Crock Pot Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

Ingredients:  

• 1 15- oz. can black beans 
• 1 15.25- oz. can corn undrained 
• 1 10- oz. can Rotel tomatoes undrained 
• 1 package ranch dressing mix 
• 1 tsp. cumin 
• 1 Tbsp. chili powder 
• 1 tsp. onion powder 
• 1 8- oz package light cream cheese 
• 2-3 chicken breasts
• 1 can (15 oz) chicken broth

Directions:

1. Drain and rinse the black beans. 
2. Place chicken at the bottom of the crock pot, then pour out the whole can of corn (undrained), Rotel tomatoes, and black beans on top of chicken. 
3. Top with seasonings and ranch dressing mix. Add water/broth. Stir together. 
4. Place cream cheese block on top. 
5. Cover with lid and cook on low for 6-8 hours. 
6. After the cooking time is over, take chicken breasts from crock pot and shred and add back to the chili. Stir together and enjoy!

Makes 4 servings

Per serving- Calories: 284kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 700mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g

Turkey Soup

I found this recipe years ago and am now copying it here from our family cookbook binder. Enjoy!

Turkey Soup

Ingredients:

• ½ cup diced carrots
• ½ cup diced celery
• ½ cup diced onion
• 1 Tbl. dried parsley
• 2 tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. pepper
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 2 (14 oz) cans chicken broth
• 2 (14 oz) cans water
• 2 cups cooked shredded turkey
• 8 oz. dried noodles

Directions:

1. Mix all together and boil on stove until noodles are cooked and soup is heated all the way through.  
2. For stronger or weaker soup, adjust the amounts of water vs. chicken broth.

Marsha's Chicken Enchilada Soup

The original recipe I based mine on was from Our Best Bites. Here is Marsha's version... Enjoy!

Marsha's Chicken Enchilada Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 5–6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 red, yellow or orange bell pepper, chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 heaping teaspoon cumin
• 1 heaping teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, divided
• 1 cup water
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Shredded breast meat from 1 medium rotisserie chicken or use 2 cups cooked chicken, cubed or shredded or canned
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• sour cream
• shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese
• crunchy tortilla strips (salad topping)

Directions:

1. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. 
2. When hot, add the onion, carrots, celery, bell pepper, and saute with a pinch of salt until fragrant and the vegetables are tender. 
3. While the vegetables are cooking, combine the chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, and smoked paprika. 
4. When the vegetables are almost tender, add the garlic and cook for a minute or two and then add the spices and stir to combine. 
5. Add the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, and water and then blend until smooth using an immersion blender (you can also it in batches in a regular blender). 
6. Bring to a boil. Cover and turn the heat down to low and simmer 30-45 minutes. 
7. Remove from heat. Add the chicken breast meat and the cream and stir until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with shredded cheese, and tortilla strips.

Marsha's Notes:

You can also tear up some flour or corn tortillas to add to the soup (like noodles) but if you cook them in the soup they can fall apart, so I would add them to each bowl individually when serving so they don't turn into mush.

Marsha's Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Because I can't leave well enough alone, I took a chicken and wild rice soup recipe from a friend, changed some things up, and here is my tasty version! Enjoy! (We sure did!)

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 quarts chicken broth (64 oz.)
• 1/2 pound chopped mushrooms (opt.)
• 1 cup finely chopped celery
• 1 cup shredded or chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 tsp. chicken bouillon granules
• 1 tsp. dried parsley flakes
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 can (10.75 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 cup additional broth (for roux, or use broth directly from the soup)
• 3 cups cooked wild rice
• 2 cups cubed cooked chicken
• garlic salt or other seasonings to taste

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, combine the first nine ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and shimmer for 30 minutes.
2. In another pan, make roux by melting butter, then stir in flour until smooth. 
3. Gradually whisk in extra 1/2 cup broth (or take some out of the other soup pot with the veggies in it) and can of cream soup. Cook mixture over heat (bubbling) for about 2 minutes, adding enough broth until it is runny enough that you can add it to the main pot of soup without clumps. 
4. Once you feel it is safe to add the roux (I feel like it should be pour-able and could take more than 1/2 cup extra broth to achieve this), pour it into the main soup pot with the veggies. Add your rice and chicken and heat through until combined. 
5. Taste-test and if desired, add a small sprinkling of your desired seasonings (salt, pepper, garlic salt, etc.) over the top of the pot, stir and taste again.

Marsha's Notes:

I probably used a cup or more of broth from the cooking veggies until I got my roux the right consistency to add to my main pot.

For whatever reason, when I am making soups and things, if I taste test the soup and something doesn't seem quite "tasty enough", a small sprinkling of garlic salt usually does the trick. Just don't add much, stir, and keep tasting until you notice a difference or are happy. If things already seem too salty or garlicy, you can try pepper or other complimentary seasonings, but garlic salt is kind of my go-to.

However, I found that if I used a pre-seasoned wild rice blend, like this Uncle Ben's, then no additional seasoning is usually needed.

This one box was the perfect amount for this soup recipe, no additional seasoning required.

But if you use a plain wild rice, you may need to add those extra seasonings mentioned above (like the salt, pepper, and/or garlic salt).

Plain wild rice that might make your soup require additional seasoning to taste.

Marsha's Slow Cooker Creamy Noodle Chicken Corn Chowder

I took a recipe that was called something completely different and turned it into a pretty dang good creamy noodle chicken corn chowder! (Funny how that happens!)

Marsha's Slow Cooker Creamy Noodle Chicken Corn Chowder

Ingredients:

• 1 (10.75 oz) can cream of chicken soup
• 1 (10.75 oz) can cheddar soup
• 6 cups milk
• 2 (12.5 oz) cans chicken breast, drained
• 1/2 bag frozen sliced carrots
• 1 can corn, drained
• 1 small russet potato, peeled and diced
• salt
• pepper
• garlic salt
• 1/2 pkg dry egg noodles
• 2 handfuls shredded cheese

Directions:

1. Whisk together soups and milk inside your slower cooker pot. 
2. Add chicken, carrots, corn, and potato; stir. 
3. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
4. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours. 
5. Stir in noodles 30 minutes-1 hours before serving. 
6. Right before serving, stir in shredded cheese until melted, then taste-test for flavor and add garlic salt as desired.

Marsha's Notes:
You can change out the veggies for carrots and celery to make more of a creamy chicken noodle instead of a corn chowder.

Six Sister's Stuff 7-Can Tortilla Soup

I came across this recipe on my Facebook feed. It is reminiscent of my taco soup recipe, full of canned good staples from the pantry, along with some cheese, sour cream and chips. If you feel like chicken instead of beef, this is a great and easy way to go.

Six Sister's Stuff 7-Can Tortilla Soup: https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipe/2016/02/seven-can-chicken-tortilla-soup/

You can also watch a Facebook video here: https://www.facebook.com/SixSistersStuff/videos/1774830605922752/

Seven Can Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 (15 oz) can sweet corn, drained
• 1 (12.5 oz) can chicken breast, drained*
• 1 (10 oz) can green enchilada sauce
• 1 (14 oz) can chicken broth
• 1 (1.25 oz) packet taco seasoning
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients into a large stock pot. Bring to a boil, then let simmer on low for 30 minutes. You can also cook this in your slow cooker on low heat for 2-3 hours.
2. Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, diced avocados and tortilla chips.
3. You can also use cooked, shredded chicken if you would prefer to not use canned chicken.

Marsha's Notes:

I used two cans of chicken because I am married to a man who likes meat. We also used red enchilada sauce because that is the kind we typically have on hand.

Marsha's Irish Loaded Potato Soup

I was looking around for some recipes for St. Patrick's Day because I got invited to a pot luck party. I ended up trying three new things that I saw on Pinterest and they all turned out great! I have actually made this soup twice now because it was so good... but I did change the original recipe just a touch. If you want to see the original recipe, click on the link below, but be warned that the instructions (as of this post) are rather poor. It appears that some parts were copy-and-pasted multiple times, making things confusing:

http://www.examiner.com/article/meatless-irish-potato-soup-can-be-enjoyed-during-lent-or-st-patrick-s-day

I have no idea what makes this soup "Irish" other than its base is potatoes. Either way, it is a delicious treat. You could add other veggies that you like, such as corn or diced onion instead of onion powder.

Marsha's Irish Loaded Potato Soup

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 3 cups peeled, diced potatoes (tiny bite-sized)
• 1 celery rib thinly sliced
• salt and pepper to taste
• Onion powder (to taste, 1/2 tsp)
• 1/4 cup shredded carrot
• 1/4 cup pre-cooked crumbled bacon (1/2-1 pkg precooked bacon)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cube chicken bouillon
• 3-4 ish cups milk
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• Garlic salt to taste
• 2 cups freshly shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. In a large pot, add butter, potatoes and celery. Cover and cook over medium heat until potatoes and celery are tender. While cooking, season with salt, pepper and onion powder. 
2. When you think your potatoes and celery are a couple minutes from being done, add your carrot, bacon, and garlic. Cook for about 2 minutes. 
3. Add flour. Stir to coat veggies in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes to reduce the raw flour taste. (The flour will probably soak up any liquid in the pot.) 
4. Add bouillon, 3 cups milk and parsley. 
5. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened almost to your perfect consistency. (Remember that you will add cheese later and it will continue to thicken some.) If the soup tightens up too quickly, add enough additional milk to loosen things up before adding your cheese. 
6. Right before you add your cheese, you will want to taste-test the soup. At this stage, I often find the soup lacking and a light sprinkling of garlic powder over the entire pot adds so much great flavor. Stir and test again. Once you are happy with the soup, remove the pot from heat and stir in the cheese. Once cheese is melted and incorporated, serve.

Marsha's Notes:
Be careful with the salt at first because you will be adding cheese later that can up the salt flavor, plus the garlic salt at the end. Dice your potatoes and celery small, thinking that you will be eating this with a spoon. If you like it chunkier, use bigger pieces. The first time I made it, I did larger pieces. It was kind of hard to eat, so I tried smaller the second time. I liked it smaller better so I could fit several pieces on my spoon at once and the soup cooked a lot faster with the small pieces.

If your carrot is shredded, it should cook up really fast and only need to be added at the last minute with the bacon and garlic. If you use bigger chunks of carrot, then you will need to add them at the beginning with the potatoes and celery. I used shredded carrot because I could shred it really fast with my Salad Shooter.

I am lazy, so I keep a jar of minced garlic in oil in my fridge, and it is great for recipes like this.

Do not continue to boil the soup after the cheese has been added or the soup will go grainy because you cooked the protein in the cheese. For the creamiest soup, use freshly grated cheese and do not add it until you take the soup off the heat.

Marsha's Chicken Cordon Bleu Soup

*This recipe is low-carb if you omit or sub the potatoes.

Scott and I went to dinner about a week ago and they were serving chicken cordon bleu SOUP! I just had to try it, and I really loved it! I also thought, I bet I can make this at home. That lead me to do a search on the Internet for recipes to try, and in the end, I combined and tweaked two different recipes to come up with Marsha's Chicken Cordon Bleu Soup! First, let's give credit where credit is due and I will link you to the two recipes I drew inspiration from.

Chef in Training's Chicken Cordon Bleu Soup:
http://www.chef-in-training.com/2014/09/chicken-cordon-bleu-soup/

The Slow Roasted Italian's Chicken Cordon Bleu Soup:
http://communitytable.com/26575/donnaelick/30-minute-chicken-cordon-bleu-soup/

But of course, here is what you have been waiting for... Marsha's version! Scott seriously loved this soup so much that he said he was, "looking for people to brag to at work." I'd say that makes this a favorite.

Marsha's Chicken Cordon Bleu Soup

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 1/2 cups half and half
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 1 Tbl. chicken bullion
• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 2 lg. cans (approx. 10 oz) canned chicken (or 2 1/2 cups cooked chicken in bite size pieces)
• 1/2 cup cooked and chopped bacon
• 1 cup (or 1 small package) cubed/diced ham
• 1-1 1/2 cups carrots, bite size pieces cooked until soft
• 1-1 1/2 cups potatoes, bite size pieces cooked until soft
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• garlic salt to taste
• 2 cups freshly grated Swiss cheese
• top with croutons

Directions:

1. If they aren't previously cooked, prepare your carrots and potatoes (wash, peel, chop) and let steam until almost tender while you are making the roux for the soup.
2. In a large saucepan, melt butter. Add flour, veggies, seasonings (not garlic salt yet) and bullion, bacon and ham (not chicken yet if using canned), stir to combine, and cook for a minute or so to reduce the raw flour taste in the roux. 
3. Add cream cheese in small pieces. Slowly, a little bit at a time, add milk and half and half, stirring constantly to avoid lumps (adding it really slow and stirring a lot is the key). 
4. As the soup starts to steam and is getting hot, add chicken and bring to a simmer and boil until mostly thickened. Taste test and add garlic salt to taste at this stage. 
5. Remove from heat and stir in Swiss cheese (which will finish thickening the soup if done right). Stir until melted and combined. Serve with croutons as topping.

Marsha's Notes:

I used canned chicken for convenience, but if you like the texture of other kinds of cooked chicken, use what you like; cook your own or buy a precooked rotisserie chicken. Another trick is using freshly grated Swiss off the block. If you buy the pre-shredded cheeses, they just don't melt as smooth and creamy because of the chemicals they put on pre-shredded cheese to keep it from molding quickly. Fresh cheese is key!

Marsha's Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup

After a break for a few months, I decided to try and get back on my diet. Because I remember liking the crock pot recipes that I found on Simple Nourished Living so much, I decide to visit the site again and try something new. This time I found a lasagna soup recipe that I enjoyed and wanted to share. There are so few things that I seem to be able to find on a diet that are filling and satisfying, but this soup worked well and lets you have a nice size serving. Enjoy!

http://simple-nourished-living.com/2014/04/slow-cooker-lasagna-soup/

Marsha's Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Italian turkey or chicken sausage, casings removed
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (I used 3 teaspoons jarred)
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 can (14 to 15 ounces) tomato sauce
• 1 can (14 to 15 ounces) petite diced tomatoes
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 3 ounces broken whole-wheat lasagna noodles (about 3 to 4 noodles)
• ½ tsp dry basil
• ½ tsp dry oregano
• ½ cup reduced-fat shredded mozzarella cheese
• 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Ideal Slow Cooker Size: 4 to 5-Quart
2. Cook sausage, onion in a pan on the stove until done. Add garlic and cook during the very last minutes.
3. Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker, breaking up any large pieces of sausage.
4. Stir in the bell pepper, mushrooms, garlic, broth, tomato sauce, tomatoes, salt and crushed red pepper. Cover and cook on LOW until the sausage and vegetables are tender, 6 to 8 hours.
5. Add the broken lasagna noodles, cover and cook on HIGH, until tender, about 30 minutes. Turn off the slow cooker and stir in the basil, mozzarella and Parmesan. Alternatively, you can slightly boil the lasagna noodles until you can cut them into bite sized pieces and then add them just 15 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Estimates Per Serving (1 cup): 202 calories, 6 g fat, 14.4 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 23 g protein and *5 Points Plus

Marsha's/Taste of Home's Tomato Tortellini Soup

I love tortellini!  Both Scott and I thought this delicate and creamy tomato soup was a great way to serve up some of my favorite cheese tortellini.  Smooth, rich, with little sweet chewy bits of sun-dried tomatoes, this soup is a hit at our house.  Enjoy with a nice crusty piece of toast, half a sandwich or a side salad, and you have yourself a yummy light lunch. As always, I made just a few slight changes. To see the original recipe on the Taste of Home website, click here.

Marsha's/Taste of Home's Tomato Tortellini Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 packages (13 ounces each) frozen cheese tortellini
• 2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) reduced-sodium condensed tomato soup, undiluted
• 2 cups vegetable broth (approx. one 14 oz. can)
• 2 cups 2% milk
• 2 cups (or one pint) half-and-half cream
• 1/2 cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (approx. 4 oz.)
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• Additional shredded Parmesan cheese, optional

Directions:

1. Cook tortellini according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven or very large pot, combine the soup, broth, milk, cream, tomatoes and seasonings. Heat through, stirring frequently. 
3. Drain tortellini; carefully add to soup. Stir in cheese. Sprinkle each serving with additional cheese if desired. 

Nutrition Facts: 1 cup (calculated without additional cheese) equals 245 calories, 11 g fat (6 g saturated fat), 42 mg cholesterol, 756 mg sodium,

Marsha's Version of "Olive Garden's" Fagioli Soup

This is a tweaked copy-cat version of a soup you can get at the Olive Garden. It is kind of cross between soup and chili with an Italian flare.

Marsha's Version of  "Olive Garden's" Pasta e Fagioli Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 cup julienned/grated carrot
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans petite diced tomatoes with liquid
• 1 (15 ounce) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 ounce) can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
• 2(+) cups water
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (12 ounce) can v-8 vegetable juice
• 1 Tbl. white vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 pkg. ditali pasta
• Grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Brown beef in a large stock pot over medium heat and drain off fat.
2. Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic and saute for 10 minutes.
3. Add remaining ingredients, except pasta, and simmer for 1 hour.
4. About 40-50 minutes into simmer time, boil pasta to al dente in another pot, approximately ten minutes.  Drain.
5. Add pasta to the large pot of soup and simmer for 10 minutes.  Serve and top with grated cheese if desired.  Leftovers freeze well.

Marsha's Notes:

Add enough water to reach the consistency that you like. Some recipes call for adding the liquid that the beans come in, but I like to control the amount of salt that is added into things and prefer to use fresh water instead.  I also used two different kinds of red beans instead of the northern beans, so just use beans that you like.  The leftovers, I thought, were even better than the original soup because the flavors continued to blend together.  Yummy!  Not a huge onion or celery fan, I simply chopped those ingredients up as finely as I could manage and they were just fine.