Zuppa Toscana

Ingredients:

1 lb. Italian sausage

1 large onion, chopped

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 c. white wine to deglaze the pan *

1/2 t. red pepper flakes

2 Russett potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks

2 c. fresh kale, chopped **

3 c. chicken broth

2.5 c. water

1 c. heavy cream

salt and pepper

* I cut this out.

** I didn't have any kale on hand so I just did without.

Recipe:

1.  Place a large stockpot or Dutch oven on the stove over medium heat. Crumble the sausage into the pan and cook until well browned. Remove the cooked sausage from the pot with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl; set aside.

2. Add the chopped onion to the pan and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the pan and cook for a minute more, just until fragrant.

3. Add the wine to the pot and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits.

4. Add the potatoes, kale, chicken broth, and water to the pot. Return the sausage to the pot.

5. Increase the heat to medium-high, bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer on medium-low. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender and cooked through.

6. Stir in the heavy cream and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Rating: 3 of 5

When we go to Olive Garden, this is the soup I always get. I love it because of it's strong flavors! So, while this was a good copy-cat, I really don't think it comes close. Not nearly strong enough. But, if you like flavor/heat on the weaker side, then this is your dish!

Source: Annie's Eats, Zuppa Toscana

French Dip Sandwiches

Ingredients:

1 2.5-3 lb beef roast (frozen is okay too!)

2 T. olive oil

salt and pepper

2 1-oz. pkg dry onion soup mix

2 c. water

2 cans beef broth *

6-8 large buns (Try this Quick French Bread recipe!)

Swiss, provolone, or mozzarella cheese, shredded or sliced

* I just used 2 1/2 large beef bouillon cubes and added 2 c. water (in addition to the 2 c. called for)

Recipe:

1. Heat oil in a large pot oven medium-high heat and rub roast with salt and pepper.

2. When very hot, carefully place roast in pan and sear on all sides. You're not cooking the meat, you're just browning it quickly on all sides to add flavor and seal in the juices.

3. Place in crockpot and sprinkle with onion soup mixes. Pour water and beef broth over roast.

4. Cook 8-10 hours on low or cook 4-5 hours on high and another 3-4 hours on low. The longer it cooks, the more tender it will be.

5. When meat is ready, shred with a fork. Place meat in crusty rolls. Top with cheese and broil open-faced in the oven or toaster oven for a few minutes, until bread is golden and cheese is melty. *

6. Ladle juices into small cups for dipping and enjoy!

* Rather than put everything under the broiler, I simply buttered the sliced open bread and put them on a griddle until they were golden, like a grilled cheese sandwich, and then placed the meat and cheese between the two pieces of hot bread. It melted the cheese and kept the whole sandwich from getting a little too much heat.

Freezer directions: 

1. Prepare roast through the first 2 steps above. After meat has cooled, place in a plastic freezer-safe container, cover with onion soup mix and bouillon, and freeze.

2. When ready to cook, pop it straight into the crockpot (frozen), add 2 cups of water, and set to high until warm or, even better, simmering. Turn to low; cook for a total of 8-10 hours.

* I used a frozen roast and basically skipped all of the instructions I could! Haha! I just dumped the roast in the pot, and sprinkled and covered according to step 3.

Rating: 4.5 of 5

Loved this! The meat was so extremely tender and juicy and delicious! Can't wait to make these again! I think the original recipe calls for 6-8 loaves, but we demolished the meat in just 4 sandwiches! Easy and delicious. I'm tellin' ya!

Source: Our Best Bites, French Dip Sandwiches

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Ingredients:

1 t. garlic salt

1/2 t. black pepper

2-3 T cornstarch *

3/4 c. sugar

1/2 c. vinegar

1/2 c. chicken broth

3-4 T. ketchup

1 T soy sauce

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

* I used minute tapioca instead. 

Recipe:

1. In a slow cooker, mix together all ingredients except the cornstarch and chicken. Stir until you have a smooth consistency.

2. Add chicken to slow cooker. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.

3. About 30 minutes before removing chicken and sauce from pot, remove chicken, shred, add tapioca and stir a few times, and replace chicken.

4. Serve over rice or in a tortilla with traditional toppings such as lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, etc. *

* I actually ate mine over quinoa.

Rating: 3.5 of 5

So, even though this recipe isn't what the source has it down as, I thought it was pretty good. I wanted something easy, like a crock pot, and I think I got it. Daniel really liked. I'd make this one again.

Source: adapted from (I really wanted to make this, but use a crock pot) Get Off Your Butt and Bake, Sweet and Sour Chicken

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

Ingredients:

Yields: 2 quarts or 8 servings

2 14-oz can diced tomatoes, with juice*

1 c. finely diced celery

1 c. finely diced carrots**

1 c. finely diced onions

1 t. dried oregano OR 1 T. fresh oregano***

1 T. dried basil OR 1/4 c. fresh basil****

4 c. chicken broth*****

1/2 bay leaf******

1/2 c. flour

1 c. Parmesan cheese

1/2 c. butter

2 c. half and half, warmed OR milk, warmed

1 t. salt

1/4 t. black pepper

* I only had Italian diced tomatoes

** We have an allergy to carrots, so I didn't include carrots

*** Because of the Italian tomatoes I didn't add any oregano

**** With the Italian tomatoes I only added 1/2 T. of dried basil

*****I only put in 3 c. of chicken broth

******I 1 small bay leaf instead of a half.

Recipe:

1. Add tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken broth, onions, oregano, basil and bay leaf to a large slow cooker. Cook on low for 5-7 hours, until flavors are blended and vegetables are soft.

2. About 30 minutes before serving prepare a roux. Melt butter over low heat in a skillet and add flour. Stir constantly with a whisk for 5-7 minutes.

3. Slowly stir in 1 c. hot soup(from the slow cooker). Add another 3 c. and stir until smooth.

4. Add all in skillet back into the slow cooker. Stir and add Parmesan cheese, warmed half and half, salt, and pepper.

5. Add additional basil and oregano if needed. Continue to cook on low for another 30 minutes or so until ready to serve.

***Can also be made on the stove top. See "Source" link for the whole recipe.***

Rating: 3.5 of 5

LaDon actually really liked this one. Surprise! I thought it was good. Best the day-of. Not so good the next day to me, but that could be because I forgot to take out the bay leaf and the soup was being overpowered by bay leaf flavor. Not my favorite. I definitely thought the canned Italian tomatoes were fine. Super good with some buttered bread dipped in.

Source: Today's Mama.com, Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

Crockin' Fettucini

Ingredients:

2-3 chicken breasts, cut into pieces

1 pkg. dry Italian salad dressing mix

2 T. olive oil

1 can cream of chicken soup

8 oz. cream cheese

1 c. chicken broth

Fettucini noodles

Recipe:

1. Place chicken in slow cooker and sprinkle Italian dressing over chicken. Drizzle with olive oil.

2. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.

3. Mix soup, cream cheese, and broth until smooth.

4. Add soup mixture to slow cooker and cook on low for 1 more hour.

5. Serve over hot, cooked noodles.

Rating: 3.75 of 5

I'm relying on LaDon's judgment tonight. I've got a cold and can't taste a thing. But, I do know that Daniel really liked his with Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. From what I can tell, it is very similar to zesty chicken, just a lot more runny instead of thick. Although I couldn't taste it, you can't go wrong with a crock pot and small children eating it up!

Source: Crockingirls.com, Crockin' Fettucini

Rosemary and Lemon Chicken

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts, in bone without skin *

14 asparagus spears **

1 lemon, cut into 5 rinds

2 4-inch Rosemary springs

2 T. olive oil

3 T. butter

1/2 c. chicken or vegetable stock

salt and pepper

* I never had chicken in bone, so I just used 3 medium sized boneless, skinless chicken breasts

** I didn't have any asparagus on hand, so we just went without (SO sad. I love asparagus!)

Recipe: (it's kind of unclear so I added what I think should be done)

1. In a small pan, melt the butter in the boil with the rosemary and lemon. *

2. Over low heat, cook the seasoned chicken breasts for about 50 minutes (until done), covered. **

3. Turn a few times, to cook well on both sides.

4. You may need to add a few pours of stock, only if necessary, to create a bit of a sauce for the chicken to cook in. ***

5. After the chicken is cooked, remove from the pan onto a plate and cover with foil. Let it rest.

6. Cook the asparagus in the leftover sauce.

7. Serve.

* I poured the olive oil into a pie plate and added salt and pepper to it. I then rolled the chicken in it until it was completely covered in the oil, salt, and pepper.

** I added the chicken stock to the rosemary and lemons and stirred that all together. Then I added the chicken. I brought the whole things to a boil and then turned it down and let it simmer until the chicken was cooked through, about 25-30 minutes.

*** I took the chicken, rosemary, and lemons out, and then added about a 1/2 c. milk and 1 T. flour to the stock left in the pan until it boiled for a few minutes to make a thicker and slightly more creamy sauce to put on the chicken. If I had the asparagus, I would have done this after I had cooked the asparagus.

Rating: 3 of 5

This one is okay. Not great. I think it would be a lot better if you just juiced the lemon instead of slicing it into rinds. The rind-y taste was too strong for my liking. The sauce turned out great and was really good over rice. Easy recipe, short ingredients list, and almost so delicious. Next time.

Source: shopcookmake.blogspot.com, Rosemary and Lemon Chicken

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Ingredients:

1 3/4 c. chicken broth

1 small onion, diced

1/3 c. all-purpose flour

1/4 c. butter

1/2 t. pepper

1/2 t. salt

2 c. milk

1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese, preferably sharp or extra sharp *

1/2 c. shredded Swiss cheese *

2 1/2 to 3 c. chopped, lightly steamed or blanched broccoli **

* When I went to put the cheese in the soup, I realized that I only had a half cup of cheddar left! So, I improvised! I threw in the 1/2 c. of cheddar and then made the other 1 1/2 c. of cheese parts of Provolone (not Swiss, never Swiss!), Parmesan, and mozzarella.

** Totally forgot to chop my broccoli, but it turned out fine.

Recipe:

1. Simmer chicken broth and chopped onion for 15-20 minutes in a covered small saucepan, until onions are soft.

2. Heat milk in microwave for 1-2 minutes.

3. In a separate medium-sized stockpot, melt butter then add flour, salt, and pepper. Cook together, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes, then whisk in warmed milk.

4. Stir and heat together on medium heat until soup starts to thicken, about 5-8 minutes. Add warmed chicken broth and continue to stir until well blended.

5. Add cheeses and stir until completely melted.

6. Stir in steamed broccoli. Add more salt and pepper to taste, if needed.

7. Serve immediately in bowls or bread bowls.

Rating: 4 of 5

Since I changed the quota of cheeses, I'm not sure what this is supposed to taste like. But, since this was sooo good with my mix-ups, I can only imagine the real thing is delicious too! That being said, I do love a good broccoli and cheese soup. Anyways, this soup is thick and creamy. But, not so thick that it's like eating mashed potatoes. The base is so good in this soup, that if you don't like broccoli, then I'm thinkin' you could switch it out for your favorite vegetable or any combination of vegetables.

Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe, Broccoli Cheese Soup

Easy Cajun Jambalaya

Ingredients:

2 t. olive oil

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces *

8-oz. kielbasa, diced (aka: Polish sausage. Think U-shaped meat at the market)

1 onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1/2 c. celery, diced

2 T. chopped garlic **

1/4 t. cayenne pepper

1/2 t. onion powder

3/4 t. salt

1/4 t. black pepper

2 c. uncooked white rice

4 c. chicken broth

3 bay leaves

4 t. Worcestershire sauce

2 t. hot pepper sauce

* We went to the beach today and was just feeling WAY too tired to thaw, cook, and cut chicken. So, I just used canned chicken instead.

** Didn't have any garlic on hand, so I just used minced garlic. Actually, I never have garlic on hand. I always use minced garlic.

Recipe:

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute chicken and kielbasa until lightly browned, about 5 minutes

2. Stir in onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic.

3. Season with cayenne, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Cook 3 minutes or until onion is tender and translucent.

4. Add rice; stir in chicken broth, bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce, and hot pepper sauce.

5. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 18 minutes or until rice is tender. Discard bay leaves before serving.

Rating: 3.5 of 5

Loved the kick in this! Not too much, not too little. I was pleasantly surprised by this dish. I was also surprised at how big of a batch this makes. For some reason, 2 c. of rise and 4 c. of broth didn't set off the "cut the recipe in half" alarm in my head. So, now we have a witche's kettle sized jambalaya dish. I also like the kielbasa and chicken combo. The veggies were perfect and I couldn't really tell the bell peppers were bell peppers.

Source: AllRecipe Dinner Tonight, pg. 46