Parmesan Ranch Croutons

Making croutons is inexpensive & easy.  It's kind of silly to pay for the ones in the bag at the store because you get so much more for your buck, they are fresh from your oven & taste just as good, if not better homemade.  You don't even need to buy special bread.  If you have a loaf going stale, use that up.  My kids like to munch on these like chips too, so even better!

We also used to make these croutons in a restaurant I worked in & they would last forever too!  They have a good month or longer shelf life.  Put them on top of salads or in soups; you can even blend them up to bread chicken.  Just make some!

Come back Thursday to see what I used these croutons for, you are going to love it!
 

Parmesan Ranch Croutons

Recipe by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

• 5 cups, cubed (stale) bread (I used homemade ciabatta)
• 4 Tbsp butter, melted
• 3 Tbsp dry ranch mix (equivalent of 1 packet)
• 2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese

1. Make sure your bread is cut into 1-inch cubes & place them in a lunch paper sack or gallon size plastic bag.
2. Pour melted butter over bread.  Sprinkle with dry ranch mix & parmesan cheese.  Close/seal bag & shake it all up to evenly coat the croutons.
3. Spread croutons on a seasoned baking sheet.  Bake at 350*F for 15 minutes, flipping/stirring halfway through until browned & crispy.  Make sure to keep them kind of close together because the ones on the edges cook the fastest.
4. Allow to cool before using.  Store in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

Making croutons is inexpensive & easy.  It's kind of silly to pay for the ones in the bag at the store because you get so much more for your buck, they are fresh from your oven & taste just as good, if not better homemade.  You don't even need to buy special bread.  If you have a loaf going stale, use that up.  My kids like to munch on these like chips too, so even better!

We also used to make these croutons in a restaurant I worked in & they would last forever too!  They have a good month or longer shelf life.  Put them on top of salads or in soups; you can even blend them up to bread chicken.  Just make some!

Come back Thursday to see what I used these croutons for, you are going to love it!
 

Parmesan Ranch Croutons

Recipe by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

• 5 cups, cubed (stale) bread (I used homemade ciabatta)
• 4 Tbsp butter, melted
• 3 Tbsp dry ranch mix (equivalent of 1 packet)
• 2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese

1. Make sure your bread is cut into 1-inch cubes & place them in a lunch paper sack or gallon size plastic bag.
2. Pour melted butter over bread.  Sprinkle with dry ranch mix & parmesan cheese.  Close/seal bag & shake it all up to evenly coat the croutons.
3. Spread croutons on a seasoned baking sheet.  Bake at 350*F for 15 minutes, flipping/stirring halfway through until browned & crispy.  Make sure to keep them kind of close together because the ones on the edges cook the fastest.
4. Allow to cool before using.  Store in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad - SRC

We have been in our new house for just over a week now.....and while we only have a couple of photos on the wall (where the previous owners had left nails), we have gotten through enough of the boxes to find the essentials and settle in, somewhat.
Having the flu sweep through our family certainly hasn't helped the process. It's hard to get anything done when you're caring for sick kiddos.  And poor Grant was hit hardest of all.  Me, well, I'm escaping with just a few days of body aches and some serious congestion - no body-racking coughs or fevers.
Blech.

But it's reveal day for my Secret Recipe Club group - so I had to make a little time for blogging.

This time I was assigned to La Phemme Phoodie.  Wendy is a lawyer by day, a foodie all the rest of the time.  She has some great articles on her blog about legal issues in food blogging, such as Recipe Attribution
and Trademark Infringement, along with several others.   She also has quite a few gluten-free recipes that sound so tempting, like Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes and Lemon Blueberry Bars with Coconut Crust..

But when I saw the recipe for this salad, I knew I just had to try it.  The spicy chipotle peppers are tempered by the mellow sour cream and tangy lime juice in the dressing, and the combination of crisp greens with the Tex-Mex ingredients is delightful.

The dressing is very thick, so it doesn't pour very well, but when you give everything good toss, it ends up coating the salad quite nicely.  The original recipe called for quite a bit of cilanto.  They say either you love or hate cilantro. Grant is definitely in the "hate" category.  He despises the stuff.  So I left it out.

The recipe also called for avocado - but since I seem to have developed a sensitivity to it (it gives me a horrible stomach ache for hours afterwards - has anyone else ever heard of/experienced that??) I omitted it also.

I decided to saute the chicken in barbecue sauce instead of just plain roasting it - we loved it, but you could certainly cook the chicken seasoned however you prefer.

My girls thought this was a little on the spicy side, but Grant, Corban, and I thought it was great.  Grant even went so far as to say it was one of his favorite meals.  Hands down.  He doesn't say that often, so I know that it's a real winner.

Thanks, Wendy, for inspiring this awesome salad!!

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad (adapted from La Phemme Phoodie)

Dressing:
2/3 cup light sour cream
1 T. minced chipotle chile, canned in adobe sauce
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground chili powder
4-5 tsp. fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Salad:
1-1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 T. oil
1/4 cup barbecue sauce

3 cups chopped fresh spinach leaves
3-4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1 cup diced tomatoes
1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen corn (toss in colandar with beans and rinse with hot water to thaw)
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup diced peeled avocado (optional)

Corn chips, for serving

DIRECTIONS:

To prepare dressing, combine the first 7 ingredients, whisking well.  Stir in cilantro, if desired.  Set aside.

To prepare salad, begin with the chicken.  (If you have leftover roasted or cooked chicken, you can substitute it with no problems).  Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.  Heat the oil in a large skillet, add chicken and barbecue sauce, and cook over medium heat until no pink remains in chicken.

In a large bowl, combine the spinach, romaine, tomatoes, red onion, beans, corn, cheese, avocado, and cooked chicken.  Pour dressing over the top and stir gently to coat evenly. Serve immediately.

If you think you'll have leftovers, I recommend keeping the chicken and dressing in separate containers from the salad, so nothing gets soggy or wilted.

I forgot to add the cheese for the photos.  We added it at the table.  Delish! 

Linked to Trick or Treat Tuesday

We have been in our new house for just over a week now.....and while we only have a couple of photos on the wall (where the previous owners had left nails), we have gotten through enough of the boxes to find the essentials and settle in, somewhat.
Having the flu sweep through our family certainly hasn't helped the process. It's hard to get anything done when you're caring for sick kiddos.  And poor Grant was hit hardest of all.  Me, well, I'm escaping with just a few days of body aches and some serious congestion - no body-racking coughs or fevers.
Blech.

But it's reveal day for my Secret Recipe Club group - so I had to make a little time for blogging.

This time I was assigned to La Phemme Phoodie.  Wendy is a lawyer by day, a foodie all the rest of the time.  She has some great articles on her blog about legal issues in food blogging, such as Recipe Attribution
and Trademark Infringement, along with several others.   She also has quite a few gluten-free recipes that sound so tempting, like Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes and Lemon Blueberry Bars with Coconut Crust..

But when I saw the recipe for this salad, I knew I just had to try it.  The spicy chipotle peppers are tempered by the mellow sour cream and tangy lime juice in the dressing, and the combination of crisp greens with the Tex-Mex ingredients is delightful.

The dressing is very thick, so it doesn't pour very well, but when you give everything good toss, it ends up coating the salad quite nicely.  The original recipe called for quite a bit of cilanto.  They say either you love or hate cilantro. Grant is definitely in the "hate" category.  He despises the stuff.  So I left it out.

The recipe also called for avocado - but since I seem to have developed a sensitivity to it (it gives me a horrible stomach ache for hours afterwards - has anyone else ever heard of/experienced that??) I omitted it also.

I decided to saute the chicken in barbecue sauce instead of just plain roasting it - we loved it, but you could certainly cook the chicken seasoned however you prefer.

My girls thought this was a little on the spicy side, but Grant, Corban, and I thought it was great.  Grant even went so far as to say it was one of his favorite meals.  Hands down.  He doesn't say that often, so I know that it's a real winner.

Thanks, Wendy, for inspiring this awesome salad!!

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad (adapted from La Phemme Phoodie)

Dressing:
2/3 cup light sour cream
1 T. minced chipotle chile, canned in adobe sauce
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground chili powder
4-5 tsp. fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Salad:
1-1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 T. oil
1/4 cup barbecue sauce

3 cups chopped fresh spinach leaves
3-4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1 cup diced tomatoes
1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen corn (toss in colandar with beans and rinse with hot water to thaw)
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup diced peeled avocado (optional)

Corn chips, for serving

DIRECTIONS:

To prepare dressing, combine the first 7 ingredients, whisking well.  Stir in cilantro, if desired.  Set aside.

To prepare salad, begin with the chicken.  (If you have leftover roasted or cooked chicken, you can substitute it with no problems).  Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.  Heat the oil in a large skillet, add chicken and barbecue sauce, and cook over medium heat until no pink remains in chicken.

In a large bowl, combine the spinach, romaine, tomatoes, red onion, beans, corn, cheese, avocado, and cooked chicken.  Pour dressing over the top and stir gently to coat evenly. Serve immediately.

If you think you'll have leftovers, I recommend keeping the chicken and dressing in separate containers from the salad, so nothing gets soggy or wilted.

I forgot to add the cheese for the photos.  We added it at the table.  Delish! 

Linked to Trick or Treat Tuesday

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Sweet Potato Hummus

Before we get to this Sweet Potato Hummus (mmmm hmmmm, you read that right .... Sweet Potato Hummus), I have a funny story from my classroom to share. One of my little 1st graders absolutely cracked me up this week with what he said ...

Continue Reading >>

Before we get to this Sweet Potato Hummus (mmmm hmmmm, you read that right .... Sweet Potato Hummus), I have a funny story from my classroom to share. One of my little 1st graders absolutely cracked me up this week with what he said ...

Continue Reading >>

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Ciabatta Rolls

So I am in LOVE with Ciabatta.  It is the perfect roll for yummy sandwiches.  I have only ever bought my ciabatta from the store & now I know why...it's a slightly time consuming recipe to make, but it is really fun to make your own.  I was like a little kid looking in the toy section of the store as I peered through the glass window of the oven for the last 20-30 minutes when you actually bake the dough.  I could not wait for these rolls to be done & I totally ate one with butter & jam when it was still warm.

Anyway, this recipe is long & might seem scary, but it's not that bad.  It is a two day process, so it's perfect for a weekend & it really makes a lot.  I did one loaf & 6 rolls.  And rolls, as in: big enough for a sandwich roll, not a dinky dinner size roll.  

Also a quick note of my own: I weighed my ingredients like the recommendation highly suggests & I didn't quite have my dough ball up & slap the mixer like step 4 notes.  (You can check out the original blogger's step-by-step photos HERE.)  So I might try measuring next time & see if it's any better.  I might have deflated my dough a little too much when I scraped it out of my bowl onto the flowered surface too.  Anyway, mine didn't have quite as much air bubbles as I prefer my Ciabatta to have, but I will definitely be trying this again!  Love my crusty, airy bread!

Another note: I used my pizza stone & it barely fit all of the bread on it, so I might use the back of a baking sheet next time.  Just a little warning.

P.S.  This recipe is going to be part 1 of 3 inter-twined recipes this week & you won't want to miss them.  It's going to be good!

 

Ciabatta Rolls

Recipe by theKitchn & adored by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

Makes 2 loaves or 12-16 rolls

Note: Weighing all the ingredients in this recipe is highly recommended. The biga, or pre-ferment, needs to be made the night before baking and allowed to sit for several hours. Don't skip this little step as it's the biga that helps give ciabatta its complex flavor, chewy crumb, and extra-crispy crust

Biga

• 4 ounce (1/2 cup) water
• 1/2 teaspoon active-dry yeast
• 5 ounce (1 cup) all-purpose flour

1. Dissolve the yeast in the water. Add the flour and stir to form a thick, gloppy paste. Give it a good fifty or so brisk stirs to build up the gluten. Cover and let sit at room temperature eight hours or overnight.

By the next day, the biga will look soupy with many big bubbles dotting the surface.

Ciabatta

• 17 ounces (2 cups + 2 tablespoons) water
• 1 teaspoon active-dry yeast
• Biga
• 20 ounces (4 cups) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

1. Dissolve the yeast in the water in the bowl of a standing mixer. Scrape the biga into the water and break it up with your spatula or squeeze it between your hands. You don't need to completely dissolve the biga; just loosen it up and break it into stringy blobs.
2. Add all of the flour and the salt. Stir to form a thick, very wet dough. Let this rest for 10-20 minutes to give the flour time to absorb the water.
3. Fit your standing mixer with a dough hook and knead at medium speed for 15-18 minutes (Level 5 or 6 on a KitchenAid). Keep a close eye on your mixer as it has a tendency to "walk" on the counter at this speed.
4. The dough will start off sticking to the bottom and sides of the bowl. Around the 7-minute mark, it will start to pull away from the sides of the bowl, collect around the dough hook, and regularly slap the sides of the bowl. If it doesn't, nudge your mixer speed up a notch. Also, if the dough starts climbing the dough hook, stop the mixer and scrape it down again. By the end of kneading, the dough will look smooth and creamy with a glossy shine. It will puddle back into the bowl once you turn off the mixer, and this is fine.
5. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise at 70° - 75° for 2-3 hours, until tripled in bulk.
6. Dust your work surface heavily with flour. Set two sheets of parchment near your work surface. Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto the flour, taking care not to deflate it too much. Dust the top of the dough with more flour. Using a pastry scraper or pizza wheel, cut the dough in two pieces for loaves or into 16 pieces for rolls.
7. Brush your hands with flour. Working gently but swiftly, scoop the the loaves (or the rolls) one at a time from the work surface to the parchment. Press your fingertips about halfway into the dough to dimple the surface and slightly flatten the loaves (or rolls). Let the loaves (or rolls) rise, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes. When ready to bake, they should look pillowy with many big bubbles just beneath the surface.
8. Preheat the oven to 475°F while the loaves are rising. If you have a baking stone, put it in the oven now.
9. When ready to bake, slide the loaves, still on the parchment, onto a pizza peel or baking sheet. Transfer them to the oven to cook, either on the baking stone or directly on the baking sheet if you don't have a stone. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until puffed and golden brown. Slip the parchment out from under the loaves and cool completely before eating.

I love to make my rolls big enough for sandwiches!

*Tip #1: To freshen bread: Wrap ciabatta roll in a wet paper towel & heat in the microwave for 15 seconds. 

**Tip #2: When you slice your bread in half for a sandwich, start at the corner using a serrated bread knife & watch your hand/fingers!  (Using a cutting board is best.)

So I am in LOVE with Ciabatta.  It is the perfect roll for yummy sandwiches.  I have only ever bought my ciabatta from the store & now I know why...it's a slightly time consuming recipe to make, but it is really fun to make your own.  I was like a little kid looking in the toy section of the store as I peered through the glass window of the oven for the last 20-30 minutes when you actually bake the dough.  I could not wait for these rolls to be done & I totally ate one with butter & jam when it was still warm.

Anyway, this recipe is long & might seem scary, but it's not that bad.  It is a two day process, so it's perfect for a weekend & it really makes a lot.  I did one loaf & 6 rolls.  And rolls, as in: big enough for a sandwich roll, not a dinky dinner size roll.  

Also a quick note of my own: I weighed my ingredients like the recommendation highly suggests & I didn't quite have my dough ball up & slap the mixer like step 4 notes.  (You can check out the original blogger's step-by-step photos HERE.)  So I might try measuring next time & see if it's any better.  I might have deflated my dough a little too much when I scraped it out of my bowl onto the flowered surface too.  Anyway, mine didn't have quite as much air bubbles as I prefer my Ciabatta to have, but I will definitely be trying this again!  Love my crusty, airy bread!

Another note: I used my pizza stone & it barely fit all of the bread on it, so I might use the back of a baking sheet next time.  Just a little warning.

P.S.  This recipe is going to be part 1 of 3 inter-twined recipes this week & you won't want to miss them.  It's going to be good!

 

Ciabatta Rolls

Recipe by theKitchn & adored by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

Makes 2 loaves or 12-16 rolls

Note: Weighing all the ingredients in this recipe is highly recommended. The biga, or pre-ferment, needs to be made the night before baking and allowed to sit for several hours. Don't skip this little step as it's the biga that helps give ciabatta its complex flavor, chewy crumb, and extra-crispy crust

Biga

• 4 ounce (1/2 cup) water
• 1/2 teaspoon active-dry yeast
• 5 ounce (1 cup) all-purpose flour

1. Dissolve the yeast in the water. Add the flour and stir to form a thick, gloppy paste. Give it a good fifty or so brisk stirs to build up the gluten. Cover and let sit at room temperature eight hours or overnight.

By the next day, the biga will look soupy with many big bubbles dotting the surface.

Ciabatta

• 17 ounces (2 cups + 2 tablespoons) water
• 1 teaspoon active-dry yeast
• Biga
• 20 ounces (4 cups) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

1. Dissolve the yeast in the water in the bowl of a standing mixer. Scrape the biga into the water and break it up with your spatula or squeeze it between your hands. You don't need to completely dissolve the biga; just loosen it up and break it into stringy blobs.
2. Add all of the flour and the salt. Stir to form a thick, very wet dough. Let this rest for 10-20 minutes to give the flour time to absorb the water.
3. Fit your standing mixer with a dough hook and knead at medium speed for 15-18 minutes (Level 5 or 6 on a KitchenAid). Keep a close eye on your mixer as it has a tendency to "walk" on the counter at this speed.
4. The dough will start off sticking to the bottom and sides of the bowl. Around the 7-minute mark, it will start to pull away from the sides of the bowl, collect around the dough hook, and regularly slap the sides of the bowl. If it doesn't, nudge your mixer speed up a notch. Also, if the dough starts climbing the dough hook, stop the mixer and scrape it down again. By the end of kneading, the dough will look smooth and creamy with a glossy shine. It will puddle back into the bowl once you turn off the mixer, and this is fine.
5. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise at 70° - 75° for 2-3 hours, until tripled in bulk.
6. Dust your work surface heavily with flour. Set two sheets of parchment near your work surface. Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto the flour, taking care not to deflate it too much. Dust the top of the dough with more flour. Using a pastry scraper or pizza wheel, cut the dough in two pieces for loaves or into 16 pieces for rolls.
7. Brush your hands with flour. Working gently but swiftly, scoop the the loaves (or the rolls) one at a time from the work surface to the parchment. Press your fingertips about halfway into the dough to dimple the surface and slightly flatten the loaves (or rolls). Let the loaves (or rolls) rise, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes. When ready to bake, they should look pillowy with many big bubbles just beneath the surface.
8. Preheat the oven to 475°F while the loaves are rising. If you have a baking stone, put it in the oven now.
9. When ready to bake, slide the loaves, still on the parchment, onto a pizza peel or baking sheet. Transfer them to the oven to cook, either on the baking stone or directly on the baking sheet if you don't have a stone. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until puffed and golden brown. Slip the parchment out from under the loaves and cool completely before eating.

I love to make my rolls big enough for sandwiches!

*Tip #1: To freshen bread: Wrap ciabatta roll in a wet paper towel & heat in the microwave for 15 seconds. 

**Tip #2: When you slice your bread in half for a sandwich, start at the corner using a serrated bread knife & watch your hand/fingers!  (Using a cutting board is best.)

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Turkey Wild Rice Soup

So when we go to my parents' for the holidays my family totally has turkey AND ham for Christmas & there is always leftovers so I brought some home & froze it to make something with later.  I decided this soup would be the perfect opportunity to use some up.  I had used most of it up doing a turkey pot pie, so there was just over a cup left, but it was the perfect amount for this soup.

This soup is creamy, full of veggies & the wild rice gives it great flavor paired with the spices.  I will be making this with leftover chicken as soon as I have some because it was so yummy I can't wait until we have turkey again!
 

Turkey Wild Rice Soup

Recipe adapted from Key Ingredient by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

• 1/4 cup butter
• 3 carrots, finely diced
• 3 celery ribs, finely diced
• 1/2 onion, finely diced
• 1/4 cup flour
• 4 cups chicken or turkey broth
• 1 1/2 cups wild rice, cooked 
• 1 1/2 cups cooked, cubed turkey (light/dark meat)
• 1 (12oz) can fat free evaporated milk (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

1. In a large, non-stick stock pot, melt butter over medium-high heat.  Add carrots, celery & onion; cook & stir until tender about 7-10 minutes.
2. Stir in flour until absorbed by vegetables.  Gradually whisk in broth.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Cook & stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened.  
3. Stir in the remaining ingredients; return to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Yield: 9, 1-cup servings

So when we go to my parents' for the holidays my family totally has turkey AND ham for Christmas & there is always leftovers so I brought some home & froze it to make something with later.  I decided this soup would be the perfect opportunity to use some up.  I had used most of it up doing a turkey pot pie, so there was just over a cup left, but it was the perfect amount for this soup.

This soup is creamy, full of veggies & the wild rice gives it great flavor paired with the spices.  I will be making this with leftover chicken as soon as I have some because it was so yummy I can't wait until we have turkey again!
 

Turkey Wild Rice Soup

Recipe adapted from Key Ingredient by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

• 1/4 cup butter
• 3 carrots, finely diced
• 3 celery ribs, finely diced
• 1/2 onion, finely diced
• 1/4 cup flour
• 4 cups chicken or turkey broth
• 1 1/2 cups wild rice, cooked 
• 1 1/2 cups cooked, cubed turkey (light/dark meat)
• 1 (12oz) can fat free evaporated milk (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

1. In a large, non-stick stock pot, melt butter over medium-high heat.  Add carrots, celery & onion; cook & stir until tender about 7-10 minutes.
2. Stir in flour until absorbed by vegetables.  Gradually whisk in broth.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Cook & stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened.  
3. Stir in the remaining ingredients; return to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Yield: 9, 1-cup servings

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Nutella No-Bake Cookies

What is it about classic no-bake cookies that make me love them so much? They certainly don't look good ... I mean, they're like little chocolate plops {okay ~ maybe we shouldn't go there}. But boy, they sure do taste good. And can I just say? ... When you add Nutella ...

Continue Reading >>

What is it about classic no-bake cookies that make me love them so much? They certainly don't look good ... I mean, they're like little chocolate plops {okay ~ maybe we shouldn't go there}. But boy, they sure do taste good. And can I just say? ... When you add Nutella ...

Continue Reading >>

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Beef Potato & Green Bean Soup

So it's still really cold outside & all I have been wanting is soup like crazy; obviously, since most of what I have blogged this month has been soups.  This is a new recipe I came up with on a whim, but my husband deemed it blog-worthy, so I snapped a picture & am sharing the recipe with you.  It has lots of flavor & wonderful chunks of potatoes, green beans & ground beef.  Very warming & wonderful for these cold winter months!
 

Beef Potato & Green Bean Soup

Recipe by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

• 1lb ground beef
• Salt & Pepper
• 3 cups skim milk
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 envelope onion soup mix
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp basil
• 3 Tbsp cornstarch
• 4 medium red potatoes, halved lengthwise & then sliced thin
• 1 (14.5oz) can green beans

1. In a large skillet, brown beef & break up with spatula.  Season with salt & pepper & drain fat well.  Set aside.  (You might want to consider slightly rinsing the fat off the cooked beef with a little water to prevent an oily soup.)
2. Combine milk, broth, onion soup mix, garlic powder, basil & cornstarch in a 4-6QT slow cooker.  Whisk until cornstarch dissolves.
3. Add sliced potatoes & cooked ground beef.  Stir.  Cook on low for 5-6 hours or until potatoes are done.
4. Heat up the whole can of green beans, liquid & all, in a small saucepan on the stove until boiling.  Drain beans & add to the soup.  Stir & serve.

*To cook on stove top:  Cook & season beef; drain fat.  Combine liquids & seasonings in a large pot.  Add potatoes & cooked beef.  Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.  Drain & add green beans until heated through.

So it's still really cold outside & all I have been wanting is soup like crazy; obviously, since most of what I have blogged this month has been soups.  This is a new recipe I came up with on a whim, but my husband deemed it blog-worthy, so I snapped a picture & am sharing the recipe with you.  It has lots of flavor & wonderful chunks of potatoes, green beans & ground beef.  Very warming & wonderful for these cold winter months!
 

Beef Potato & Green Bean Soup

Recipe by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

• 1lb ground beef
• Salt & Pepper
• 3 cups skim milk
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 envelope onion soup mix
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp basil
• 3 Tbsp cornstarch
• 4 medium red potatoes, halved lengthwise & then sliced thin
• 1 (14.5oz) can green beans

1. In a large skillet, brown beef & break up with spatula.  Season with salt & pepper & drain fat well.  Set aside.  (You might want to consider slightly rinsing the fat off the cooked beef with a little water to prevent an oily soup.)
2. Combine milk, broth, onion soup mix, garlic powder, basil & cornstarch in a 4-6QT slow cooker.  Whisk until cornstarch dissolves.
3. Add sliced potatoes & cooked ground beef.  Stir.  Cook on low for 5-6 hours or until potatoes are done.
4. Heat up the whole can of green beans, liquid & all, in a small saucepan on the stove until boiling.  Drain beans & add to the soup.  Stir & serve.

*To cook on stove top:  Cook & season beef; drain fat.  Combine liquids & seasonings in a large pot.  Add potatoes & cooked beef.  Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.  Drain & add green beans until heated through.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad