Easy Potato Chowder

4 oz. bacon, diced
1 cup diced onions
2 cups whole milk
2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp. thyme
3 1/2 cups mashed potatoes (firmly packed)
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped parsley

Saute bacon and onions until bacon is crisp; remove excess grease. Add milk, chicken broth and thyme; bring to a boil. Stir in mashed potatoes and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in parsley, salt and pepper. Serves 4-6

Hearty Pasta and Bean Soup

8 oz. tubetti or ditalini pasta (about 2 cups, uncooked)
3 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 large celery stalk, thinly sliced
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup packaged shredded carrots
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) chicken broth (1 3/4 cup)
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) petit-cut diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups water
1 can (15-19 oz.) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup loosely packd fresh parsley
1/4 cup freshly grated Romano cheese

1. Heat 3 quart covered saucepan with salted water to boiling over high heat. Add pasta and cook until al dente.

2. Meanwhile, cook bacon over med. heat 3 minutes, or until browned, stirring frequently. Add celery, onion and carrots; cover and cook 4-5 minutes or until veggies are tender, stirring occasionally. Add broth, tomatoes with their juice and water. Cover saucepan and heat to boiling over high heat.

3. Drain pasta; stir into broth mixture. Stir in beans and parsley; hat through. Ladle soup into 4 large soup bowls; sprinkle with Romano to serve.

Yields: 9 cups, or 4 main dish servings. Each serving is 545 cal., 19 g. protein, 71 carbs, 20 g. fat, 9 g. fiber

Cream of Pumpkin Soup

1 1/2 cups = 145 calories = 1 g. fat You can substitute any winter squash for the pumpkin in the recipe. It may sound gross at first, since we're used to pumpkin being sweet not savory, but it is SO yummy!

1 med. onion, chopped
1 med. celery rib, chopped
1 med. carrot, peeled and chopped
1 med. potato, peeled and diced
16 oz. can of pumpkin (or you can use 1 1/2 cups fresh pumpkin or any winter squash)
3 cups chicken broth (reserve 1/2 cup)
3 Tbsp. Wondra flour
Salt and Pepper
Bay Leaf
Crushed marjoram
Crushed thyme
(I kind of just experiment with the seasonings, using different flavors)
1/4 cup light sour cream
1 cup skim evaporated milk

Cook onion and celery until tender. Add carrot, potato, pumpkin, 2 1/2 cups broth and all seasonings. Bring to a boil, then turn down, simmer 30 min. (You can puree in blender at this point if you want) Then, stir in flour, reserved broth (stir them together first). Bring back to a boil, stirring constantly. Turn heat to low. Stir in evaporated milk and light sour cream. Heat through, but don't boil. If you use bay leaf, be sure and remove it!

Quick and Easy Homestyle Minestrone

1 lb. ground beef
1 med. onion, chopped
1 (14 1/2 oz.) can of beef broth
1/2 cup macaroni noodles
1 (14 1/2 oz.) can stewed tomatoes
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups frozen veggies
1 (15.5 oz.) can kidney beans, rinsed

Cook meat and onions until tender. Drain. Add broth, tomatoes and water. Bring to a boil. Stir in mixed veggies, noodles and beans. Return to a boil. Reduce heat to med. Cook 10-15 minutes or until veggies and noodles are tender. Sprinkle each serving with parmesan cheese.

(Makes 4- 1 3/4 cup servings) 5 g. fat, 290 calories

Tuscan Chicken Stew

2 tsp. olive oil

1 med. onion chopped

1 T. garlic, minced

1-2 cans chicken broth

1 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1 lb. carrots, cut in chunks
2 (16 oz.) cans of white cannelinni beans
1-3 chicken breasts cut in chunks.

Cook chicken in oil until brown. Add onion. Cook until tender. Add carrots, cook 5-10 minutes. Add garlic--cook about 1 minute. Add chicken broth and beans. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer 10-15 minutes. Add parsley and cook 5 minutes.

Pasta E Fagioli

3 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 stems fresh rosemary left whole
salt and pepper to taste
3 cans chicken broth
1 can white cannellinni beans
1 cup ditallini pasta
grated parmesan cheese

Cook veggies in extra virgin olive oil until tender. Add broth, beans and pasta and bring to a boil. Boil for several minutes and then reduce to medium. Simmer until ready to serve. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese in bowls.

Cristian's Honey of a Chili

Perfect for those fall chili cook offs at church!

1 lb. ground beef
1 Tbsp. veg oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 cup cooked wheat berries
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 (28oz.) can undrained diced tomatoes
1 (15 1/2 oz.) can red kidney beans
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1/4 cup honey
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

Brown meat. Then, heat oil and cook onion and garlic for 3-5 minutes. Stir in chili powder, cumin, salt, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes. Stir in beef, then tomatoes, beans, honey and vinegar. Simmer until all flavors blend.

White Lightening Chili

This is one of Rachael Ray's recipes. I absolutely love it.

1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 lbs. ground turkey breast (I usually just use 1 lb. and it's enough meat for me)
1 large onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded/minced
2 cloves garlic minced
2 Tbsp. ground cumin
Couple shakes of hot sauce
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
2 cans chicken broth
1 can Cannelinni beans (white kidney beans)
Salt to taste
Crushed tortilla chips for topping (optional)

Cook turkey, onion, minced jalapeno seasings and cilantro. Reduce heat to medium and cook together for 5 minutes. Add broth and beans. Add salt to taste. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until ready to serve. Top bowls with crushed tortilla chips.

Beef and Barley Soup

As a kid I loved beef and barley soup from a can, but let me tell you, the fresh version is WAY better!

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 lb. boneless beef chuck, cut into 1 inch pieces (or buy beef stew chunks)
2 medium onions, sliced thin (2 cups)
3 medium carrots, sliced thin (1 1/2 cups)
3 ribs of celery (1/2 inch pieces)
2 1/4 cups beef broth (2-3 cans)
1 (8oz.) can chopped tomatoes, undrained
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground allspice
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup barley

1. Brown beef in oil on at least 2 sides and remove to a plate.

2. Add the onions, carrots and celery to the pot drippings. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often until beginning to soften.

3. Add broth, tomatoes, spices, stir to break up tomatoes and scrape brown bits off bottom of pan.

4. Bring to a boil. Return beef to pan and lower heat to low. Cover and simmer for at least 1 hour, stirring 1-2 times.

5. Stir in barley. Cover and simmer 40-45 minutes, adding more water as needed until meat and barley are tender.

Susan Sampson's Tortilla Soup

2 Tbsp. oil
1 onion, chopped
1 (4oz.) can of green chiles
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 (14oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 can beef broth
1 can chicken broth
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup shredded chicken
1-5Tbsp. lime juice
Salt/Pepper

Toppings:
Diced Avacado
Chopped Cilantro
Shredded Cheese
Tortilla Chips

Saute onion, green chiles and garlic in oil until soft. Add tomatoes, broth and water. Simmer 15 minutes. Add chicken lime and salt and pepper. Simmer 5 minutes. Serve hot with toppings.

Shannon's Sweet Chili Mac

2 pounds ground beef
2 large onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. oregano
1 (28oz.) can whole tomatoes
1 (28oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (16oz.) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 pound elbow macaroni

Garnish: cheddar cheese, sour cream, etc.

1. Brown beef, onion and garlic about 10 min.

2. Add seasonings. Cook 2 minutes. Drain liquid from tomatoes into pot; roughly chop tomatoes using kitchen shears and add. Fill can with water and add to pot along with tomato sauce, beans and brown sugar. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, uncovered for 30-35 minutes.

3. Let stand 10 minutes

4. Serve over cooked elbow macaroni (or just stir it in!) Garnish with cheese/sour cream.

Harvest Corn Chicken Chowder

I can't even tell you how much I love this!

1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup red pepper (I don't use)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup cubed fully cooked ham
2 cups water
2 cups cubed red potatoes
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn
1 tsp. chicken bouillon (you can substitute 2 cans of chicken stock for the 2 cup water and bouillon...that's what I do)
3/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 cup cubed cooked chicken breast
1 (12oz) can fat-free evaporated milk
3/4 cup 1% milk, divided
1/4 cup flour

In a large sauce pan, saute the onion, pepper and garlic in oil until tender. Add ham; cook and stir for 2 min. Stir in the water, potatoes, corn, bouillon (or chicken broth) and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 min. oe until potatoes are tender.

Add chicken; heat through. Stir in evaporated milk and 1/2 cup milk; bring to a boil. Combine flour and remaining milk until smooth; gradually stir into soup. Cook and stir for 2 min. or until thickened.

Makes 5 servings.

1 1/3 cup equals 306 cal., 6 g. fat, 39 carb, 3 g. fiber

Tortellini Minestrone

1 1/4 lbs. Italian turkey sausage links, casing removed
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 1/2 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
1 (14 1/2 oz.) can of diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups thinly sliced carrots
1 cup thinly sliced celery
1 cup ketchup
1 tsp. italian seasonings
2 cups sliced zucchini
2 cups frozen cheese tortellini
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
2 Tbsp. freshly grated parmesan cheese

In a large saucepan, cook the sausage, onion and garlic over med. heat until meat is no longer pin; drain. Add the broth, tomatoes, carrots, celery, ketchup and italian seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until veggies are tender.

Add the zucchini; cook 5-7 minuts longer or until crisp-tender. Stir in tortellini and parsley. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook, un-covered, for 5 minutes or until tortellini is tender. Sprinkle with cheese.

1 1/2 cups is 247 calories, 8 g. fat, 27 g. carbs, 3 g. fiber

Mini-Meatball Soup

Okay, I've been neglecting this place because I haven't been in a cooking "mood" lately. But I'm starting to feel like getting in some steaming, hearty soups before the last bit of cold weather leaves us. I went to a Grand Opening of a Tuesday Morning store and found 2 Rachael Ray cookbooks for $10... this recipe came out of her first one and it's pretty tasty and the kids like it!

1 pound lean ground beef
1 egg
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 med. spanish onion, chopped, plus 1/4 cup onion minced
Freshly ground pepper and salt to taste

1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 pinches ground nutmeg
3--15oz. cans chicken broth
1/2 cup ditalini noodles
A handful of chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 375*F or a nonstick skillet to medium/hi heat.

Combine meat, egg, bread crumbs, cheese, garlic powder, the miched onion, salt, and pepper. Form 1/2 inch mini meatballs and place on a nonstick cookie sheet or drop into preheated nonstick skillet and cover pan with loose foil. Bake or cook onthe stovetop for 12 minutes to brown balls. If you are using stovetop method, give the pan a shake every now and then to rotate the balls and brown them evenly.

While meatballs are cooking, saute chopped carrot, celery, onion, and garlic in olive oil over medium heat in a soup pot or deep frying pan. Sprinkle vegetables with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes. Add broth and trun heat up to high. When broth boils, drop in ditalinin. Reduce heat to simmer. Cook 8-10 minutes until pasta is al dente. Drop in meatballs and parsley and serve with crusty bread and a salad.