Mom's Chili

Well it's almost been an entire year since my last post and I have absolutely no reason for it!  Here in the Carolinas we have just had a very mild weather weekend and now we are beginning to cool down.  It is rainy and cool which is the perfect time for chili.  This is the recipe my mom gave me years ago.  I think the tomato soup is the secret ingredient!

Mom's Chili

2 pounds ground beef

2 cans tomato soup

2 cans zesty style diced tomatoes

2 cans mild bushs chili beans

2 green peppers, diced

2 onions, diced

4 TBSP chili powder

Brown the ground beef and add the onions and green pepper at the end to soften.  Drain and add all the other ingredients.  Simmer

Serve with fritos, sour cream and shredded cheddar.

Enjoy!  

Farmhouse Style Chicken and Corn Chowder

Perfect rainy day soup! Sl0w Cooker too!

2 slices bacon, chopped

1 large onion, minced

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 TBSP tomato paste

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/4 cup flour

5 cups chicken broth

1 pound red potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 carrots, peeled and sliced

2 bay leaves

1 pound boneless chicken breasts

salt pepper

1 cup frozen corn

1 (15oz) can creamed corn

1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half

2 tsp minced chipotle chiles in adobo

Cook bacon in a 12 inch skillet over medium heat until crisp and browned, 5 minutes. Remove to a paper towel lined plate using a slotted spoon. Add the chopped onion and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste, and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in 2 cups of the broth, scraping up any browned bits. Transfer to slow cooker.

Add remaining 3 cups broth, potatoes, carrots, and bay leaves to the slow cooker. Season chicken with salt and pepper and nestle into the mixture. Cover and cook on low until chicken is tender, 4 to 6 hours.

Transfer chicken to cutting board and shred. Add it back to the slow cooker, along with the creamed corn, frozen corn, cream and chipotle chiles. Continue to cook until everything is heated through, another 10 to 15 minutes. Remove bay leaves, season with salt and pepper and serve garnished with bacon.

Serve with some crusty bread!

Source: adapted from America's Test Kitchen, Slow Cooker Revolution &

Pink Parsley Food Blog

Pasta e Fagioli

Cold Weather Soup that gets better when it's leftover!!!

Pasta e Fagioli

2 tbsp olive oil

1/8 pound pancetta, chopped - I have used the chopped you can find in the deli dept.

2 sprigs rosemary

2 dried bay leaves

1 medium onions, finely chopped

1 small carrot, finely chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

2 (15oz) cans cannellini beans - drained

1 cup tomato sauce

2 cups water

1 quart chicken stock

1 1/2 cup ditalini (or other shaped pasta)

Shredded Parm for garnish

Crusty bread, for mopping

Heat a deep pot over medium high heat and add oil and pancetta. Brown the pancetta bits lightly, and add herbs. bay leaf, chopped vegetables, and garlic. Season vegetables with salt and pepper. Add beans, tomato sauce, water, and stock to pot and raise heat to high. Bring soup to rapid boil and add pasta. Reduce heat to medium and cook soup, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes or until pasta is cooked al dente. Remove rosemary sprigs and bay leaves. Let soup rest and begin to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Source: Rachael Ray

Loaded Potato Soup

This is a crock- pot soup. I found the recipe in Southern Living years ago and have made it tons of times. Garnish with some shredded cheese and crumbled bacon and you can't go wrong!

Loaded Potato Soup

4 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices

1 small onion, chopped

2 14oz cans chicken broth

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp celery salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 pint half and half

Toppings: shredded cheddar, crumbled bacon, and green onions

Layer sliced potatoes in lightly greased 6 quart slow cooker; top with chopped onion.

Stir together chicken broth and seasonings and pour over potatoes and onions. Cover and cook on high 3 to 4 hours or until potaoes are tender. Mash mixture with potato masher, stir in half and half. Cover and cook on high 20 more minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Ladle into bowls and serve with desired toppings.

Source: Southern Living - I was not able to find this recipe on the website.

Chicken Corn Chowder

This is a very tasty, quick soup. Perfect for a rainy fall evening.

Chicken Corn Chowder

1 TBSP butter

1 8oz package sliced fresh mushrooms

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cans chicken broth

1 16 oz package frozen shoepeg white corn

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup orzo

1 sprig fresh rosemary

1 TBSP sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 cup milk

2 TBSP flour

Melt butter in large dutch oven over medium high heat; add onions and mushrooms, and saute' 5 minutes until tender.

Add chicken broth and next 8 ingredients; simmer 10 minutes or until orzo is tender.

Stir together milk and flour in small bowl; gradually stir into chowder, and simmer 5 minutes.

**Soup can be made ahead and thinned with milk when reheating.

Source: slightly adapted from Southern Living

Taco Soup

This recipe was given to me when I signed up to prepare a meal as part of teacher appreciation at my daughter's preschool. All of the volunteers were to prepare the soup and freeze half of it to send in for one of the teachers. In our house we serve it with Fritos Scoops, shredded cheddar and sour cream! I love it because you can basically "dump" everything in.

Taco Soup

2 cups water

2 (28oz) cans diced tomatoes

1 (15oz) can black beans - drained

1 (15oz) can great northern beans - drained

1 (15oz) can corn - drained

1 (4.5oz) can green chiles

1 pound ground beef

1 diced onion

1 package ranch dressing mix

1 package taco seasoning mix

Brown meat and onions, drain. Add all other ingredients and simmer. Serve with fritos, sour cream and shredded cheese.