Lite Cheddar Broccoli Soup

For the last few weeks my part of the world has been enduring freezing temperatures   By freezing I mean highs around 15 degrees Fahrenheit.  If anything says soup weather, these temperatures sure do! So, for this month's Secret Recipe Club I chose this  Light Cheddar Broccoli Soup from I Am a Honey Bee.  I loved that Nicole, the blog's author writes a blog with recipes, restaurant reviews, and scrap booking posts.  It is creative and fun, and I loved checking in to see what new surprises might be posted.

On to the soup! Not only was this soup warm on a cold winter's day, it was great to try a recipe for a family favorite that is lower in fat and calories, but full of a TON of flavor.  It was easy to make, and it took little time or effort.  I stayed to true to the recipe and didn't make any changes other than the type of low fat cheese I used. ENJOY!

Lite Cheddar Broccoli Soup
Recipe Source: I Am a Honey Bee

2 heads of broccoli
3 cups  skim milk
2 cups chicken stock/vegetable broth
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
8oz of shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese

Finely chop the broccoli including the stems. In a large pot, combine the milk broccoli and simmer about 10 minutes or until the broccoli is tender.  

Heat a small pot, and then sauté the onions with 2 tablespoons butter. When the onions are soft and translucent, sprinkle the flour in and stir with a wooden spoon until the flour is evenly coating the onions.   Add the broth slowly and mix until all lumps of flour are broken down.

Add the broth mixture into the pot with the broccoli and milk.  Allow to heat through.  Slowly add the cheese until well combined.  Serve immediately. 

Chicken and Dumplings

On a cold day there is nothing more comforting to me than a bowl of warm soup.  I love making it, I love eating it, and I love the leftovers.  This year I decided to try chicken and dumplings rather than my traditional chicken noodle soup.  I have always avoided dumplings because I thought they were hard to make.  I was wrong, they were easy peasy to make!  As a result,  I instantly fell in love with the tender dumplings, flavorful chicken, and thick broth.

On top of easy to make, this recipe is super inexpensive; especially if you make your own chicken broth.  This meal has become one of my quick go to meals because it can be made in about 30 minutes.  I did cut down the portions of the dumpling recipe because I always ended up with too many dumplings, but you can easily increase them if you want a higher dumpling:chicken:broth ration.  ENJOY!

Chicken and Dumplings
Recipe Source: Eat At Home

about 2-3 cups cooked chicken
6-7 cups chicken broth
1 cup flour
1 Tbs. butter
1/4 tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt
about 1/2 cup of milk, (it may take a bit more or less)

In a large pot, bring the chicken broth to a simmer.

While the broth is coming to a simmer, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.  Cut the butter into the flour mixture until it is well incorporated.  You can use a fork, your hands, or a mixer for this step.

When the butter is well incorporated, stir in the milk.  Mix with a fork until the ingredients form a ball.

On a heavily floured work surface, shape the dough into a disc.  Roll it out about 1/8 in thick.  Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into squares about 2x2.  If they aren't perfect it is no biggie :)  At this point the dumplings can be frozen or stored in the refrigerator.  Flour a piece of waxed paper and place the dumplings on the wax paper.  Freeze them in a single layer then transfer to a baggie or store them in the refrigerator on the wax paper.

When the broth is at a simmer, drop the chicken in and raise the heat to boiling.  When the broth is at a full boil, drop the dumplings in.  Don't worry about the extra flour on them because this will help to thicken the broth.  Allow the dumplings to cook 12-15 minutes or until they are cooked through and don't taste like raw flour when you bite into them.

Lasagna Soup

Fall is here and I'm ready for soup.  Warm, steamy, comforting, soup that warms you from the inside out.  I can't think of a better meal on a crisp fall day than a bowl of delicious soup and warm bread.  When I found this recipe on Pinterest I knew it was a recipe I would make right away...as in that VERY day.  The clencher was a little something called "Cheesy Yum," a mixture of ricotta and parmesan cheese that rests in the bottom of the bowl as you ladle up the soup. It creates a cheesy, gooey delight to enjoy with each bite.  I highly doubt that anything topped with a concoction of "cheesy yum," could be bad.

As it cooks this soup fills your home with the lovely smells of Italian food.  It will make your children run to wash their hands in anticipation.  If you are lucky, you will have a dinner table filled with the sounds of clinking spoons and comments like, "wow," "this is amazing," and my all time favorite "you are the BEST mom ever!"  Serve with some warm French bread, bread sticks, a bread bowl or any carb of your choice.  ENJOY!

Lasagna Soup
Recipe Source: Adapted very slightly from A Farm Girl's Dabbles via Pinterest

2 tsp. olive oil

1-1/2 lbs. Italian sausage or burger
2 large onions chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 T. tomato paste
1 28-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
6 c. chicken stock
8 oz. mafalda or fusilli pasta
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Cheesy yum:
15 oz. ricotta
1 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
large pinch of freshly ground pepper
(The original recipe called for 8 oz of ricotta and 1/2 c. of parmesan cheese but because my family LOVES cheesy lasagna I double the amounts)

2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. finely chopped fresh basil leaves

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage or buger, breaking up into bite sized pieces, and brown for about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.

Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Do not over cook or let soup simmer for a long period of time at this point, as the pasta will get mushy. Stir in basil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy yum. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.

To serve, place a dollop of the cheesy yum in a soup bowl, ladle the hot soup over the cheese and top it all off with mozzarella cheese and fresh basil.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

I truly don't know of a better meal on a cold day other than soup and bread.  Warm, filling, easy to prepare and budget friendly, soups and stews are a mainstay in my kitchen.  We eat them at least once a week, sometimes twice a week in cold weather.  I love pairing them with bread bowls, a simple dinner roll, or a slice of oatmeal bread. 

This broccoli cheese soup came from Mel at My Kitchen Cafe, and like always happens with her recipes, I was thrilled with the outcome.  The true beauty of this soup is it can be made to your specific tastes.  I used all cheddar cheese because it was what I had on hand, added more onion because I like a lot of onion, and loaded it down with a ton of broccoli because my kids LOVE broccoli, (I know it sounds strange but they truly love green veggies).

For other great savings ideas go check out the Real Food Deals over at Premeditated Leftovers!

Broccoli Cheese Soup
Recipe Source: Modified from My Kitchen Cafe

3 c chicken broth
1 small onion, diced
2/3 c. flour
1/2 c. butter
Pepper to taste
4 c. milk
4 c. shredded cheddar cheese (the sharper the better for flavor)
steamed chopped broccoli (the amount of broccoli really boils down to preference)

Simmer chicken broth and chopped onion for 15-20 minutes in a covered small saucepan, until onions are soft. Heat milk in microwave for 1-2 minutes. In a separate medium-sized stockpot, melt butter then add flour and pepper. Cook together for a couple of minutes, then whisk in warmed milk. Stir and heat together on medium-high heat until soup starts to thicken. Next add chicken broth and continue to stir until well blended. Add cheeses one handful at a time allowing the cheese to melt in between additions.  Add steamed broccoli. Serve immediately.

Alfredo Chicken Stew

Even though Spring is finally arriving we still have some cold weather that reminds me how much I love cold weather food.  You know the stuff I'm talking about, hearty, rich, and tasty dishes that "stick to your ribs," and warm you from the inside out.  Last we had a few cold and rainy days and I decided that I had better take advantage of them and make at least one last cold weather dish. 
After going through a few recipes I decided a chicken stew would be a perfect choice, only it needed a twist.  I saw a recipe on the Betty Crocker website that used Alfredo sauce with chicken and veggies to make a thick soup, the best part was that it was made in the crockpot--BINGO!  After simmering away all afternoon, a rich, cheesy, flavorful stew emerged that hit that cold weather spot.  It might be the last chance for cold weather food until next fall, but this definitely won't be the last time I make this simple stew!  Serve it with a simple green salad and divine breadsticks for a great meal.

Alfredo Chicken Stew
Recipe Source: A Cook's Quest, inspired by Betty Crocker

1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken (thighs or breasts), cut into strips
4 cups diced potatoes
1/2 cup diced onion
1 jar of your favorite Alfredo sauce (or you can make your own)
1 tsp Italian Seasoning (or you can make your own with basil, oregano and parsley)
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 c parmesean cheese
2 cups frozen broccoli

Combine sauce, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder in a small bowl.

Layer chicken, then poatoes, onion and the sauce in your crockpot.  Repeat layers ending with your sauce.  Top with the cheese and cook 4-6 hours on high heat or 6-8 hours on low or until your chicken is cooked through and your potatoes are tender.  During the last 30 minutes, add the broccoli and allow to cook until fork tender.

**If you want a soup, add 1 cup of chicken stock to thin the stew.

Total Cost $2.25
Chicken-Free (I used catalina's to buy a ton of Chicken a few weeks ago and got it free)
Potatoes- $.30 (local produce is very cheap!)
Onion- $.20 (again, local produce)
Alfredo Sauce- $.75 (sale item with coupons)
Cheese- $.50
Broccoli- $.50 (sale item, with coupons)

Chicken Challenge Phase Two-Chicken Broth

Now that you have all your chicken set aside and some wonderful chicken bones, it is time to move on to phase two--chicken broth. I think making homemade chicken broth is my favorite part of cooking a whole chicken. The price for one container of chicken broth doesn’t seem outrageous by any means, but when I can make 29 cups of broth for drastically less (I’m talking less than one dollar) I have to admit store bought chicken broth is outrageously priced. Let’s also not forget all the excessive salt, "natural" flavors and MSG that many brands add.

I use chicken broth for everything. I cook rice with it, I add it to gravies, sauces and even boil pasta in it for any easy side dish; then there is the obvious use--homemade soup. It is an easy way to add depth of flavor to any dish, not to mention it looks pretty cool to de-glaze a pan even if it is only chicken broth that you use. So let’s start boiling some bones and making all of you look awesome!

Chicken Broth
Recipe Source: Your Grandma, My Grandma, and every cook who learned to cook before there were pre-made boxes and cans of convienence foods in every grocery store.

Rough chop 1 onion, some celery, a few carrots and a handful of garlic cloves. You don’t even need to peel these items. Just give them a good wash, run your knife through them a little bit and set them aside.

In a large stock pot, heat 1 T oil. Add in the chicken neck, giblets, if you swing that way, and rough chopped veggies. Oh, don‘t forget some salt, just a teaspoon or so for now. Allow everything to brown slightly. Remember, all that browning will add extra flavor to our final product.

When everything is brown and smelling delicious, add the chicken bones to the pot and as much water as your pan will hold. This is when it is important to have a big pot (thanks Anisha for letting me borrow yours!)Stir everything as it heats so that all those yummy brown bits can join the party and add flavor. Add more salt, we are shooting for flavor here, not just cloudy water. Bring it all to a boil and let it remain at a steady boil for 5-10 minutes. Then reduce the heat, cover and allow to simmer about an hour.

Check your broth at this point. Taste it. Does it taste good? Yes, then you are done seasoning. If the answer is no, adjust your seasonings. Usually I still need some salt and pepper at this point. Continue cooking covered. Once everything tastes good, and it resembles something you would want to add to your recipes, remove it from the heat and allow to cool down. When the broth is at room temperature, strain to remove all the bones and veggies, then put the broth into the refrigerator and allow it to chill completely.

Once chilled, all the fat will be solid and at the top of the stock. Using a slotted spoon remove all the fat and discard. Pour into freezer safe containers and freeze for later or use right away. (If you don't have freezer containers, you can use ziploc bags.  Freeze flat for easy stacking later.)

I was able to get 29 cups of chicken stock!  I reserved 3 cups for the recipe Ellie gave me and froze all the rest. At the store, if you were buying the cartons that hold around 4 cups, it could cost you upwards of $18-20.  I made all of this for the cost of the veggies.

Chicken Corn Chowder-The easy way!

Soups, Stews, and Chowders.  All three go hand in hand with cold weather.  There is just something about these warm, thick, rich meals that makes a person feel good.  They are relatively easy to prepare, easy to serve, and even easier to eat.  I grew up eating potato soup, and my kids are doing the same but it is time to learn how to make new variations of one of my favorite comfort foods.

Because I am home sick today, and because the groundhog saw his shadow a few weeks ago and we are being subjected to a longer winter, I decided today was going to be a soup day.  Over the weekend I did a huge search of soup recipes and a popular version I saw a lot of was Chicken Corn Chowder, a creamy, rich, and sweet combination that is reminiscent of my mom's potato soup but completely different at the same time.  Most recipes I read required longer cooking times, a lot of ingredients, and me, the cook, standing watch as everything cooked away--not something I was willing to do on day when all I wanted was to be sleeping away on the couch.  I had to think of an easy way to make a chowder that everyone would love, luckily I remembered my trusty slow cooker and I was able to get started.

Traditional corn chowder usually calls for corn on the cob.  The cook cuts the corn off the cob and sometimes, depending on the recipe, boils the cobs in milk so the starches are released adding a natural thickening agent and more flavor to the final product.  Well even if I was able to get fresh corn from my favorite vegetable stand during February, there is no way that someone on this much cold medicine should be handling a big knife in order to extract the little kernels of corn off the cob--so canned corn it is.  With some other modifications I came up with the recipe below. It is a simple, unfussy version of a classic soup.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did, all four members of my tasting crew deemed it worthy of making again. 

Chicken Corn Chowder
Recipe Source: A Cook's Quest

1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts
1 T granulated garlic
1 T onion salt
1 3/4 c chicken broth
2 cups of diced potato (make this small so your potato cooks faster) 
2 cans of corn
2 cups of milk (half and half would be delicious)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Dry parsley for the top

Add the first four ingredients to the slow cooker.  Cook 3-4 hours on high or 5-6 on low or until your chicken is cooked enough that you can shred it easily. 

After shredding the chicken, add the potatoes and continue cooking until they are tender.  Add milk and corn and cook until warmed through. 

**If desired, you can thicken with a little cornstarch and water or with a tablespoon of softened butter combined with 2 tablespoons of flour.  Add your thickener and cook into the chowder on high until thick and creamy**

 Total Cost $5.95 (This made a full crock in my slow cooker so we had a full meal for 5 with left overs)
Chicken 1 1/2 pounds @ $1.99 per pound $2.98
Seasonings $.50
Chicken Stock $.87 (1/2 of a carton that I purchased for $1.74)
Potatoes .30 (part of the bag I bought for .79)
Corn $1.00
Milk approx. $.30