Tricia's Halloween Chili

We are having a chili cook-off next week at work and I knew just the recipe to bring!

I haven't had this recipe in YEARS...but it is one that stood out to me when we visited my parent's friends before a Mizzou football game.  Tricia made it and it was SOOOOO GOOD! I can't wait to make it next week!

1 pound ground beef
2 pounds pork steak ( trimmed- cubed or chopped or ground)
2 green peppers diced
1 lg. onion
1 pound sliced mushrooms
2 cans pinto beans
2 cans black-eyed peas
1 can northern beans
3 cans diced tomatoes
3 packets chili seasoning ( 1 hot , 2 mild)  Tricia uses all mild
Brown meats, saute peppers, onions & mushrooms
Add remaining ingredients - don't drain!
simmer for 1/2 hour
Serves approx 10-12

Steak Soup

Steak Soup
Plaza III Steak House

• 8 tbsp of margarine
• ½ c flour
• 40 oz canned beef broth
• ¼ c fresh carrots, med dice
• ¼ c fresh onion, med dice
• ¼ c celery, med dice
• ½ c canned tomatoes
• 1 tbsp browning sauce (Kitchen Bouquet)
• ¾ tsp seasoning salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper, course grind
• 5 oz mixed frozen veggies
• ½ lb of ground chuck, chili grind, browned and drained of fat

Place butter in a soup pot; melt without browning. Add four and stir to a smooth paste. Cook mixture (roux) over med heat without browning for 3 min, stirring constantly. Add consume and to roux (including browning sauce) and stir until smooth and lightly thickened. Bring to full boil.

Add fresh veggies, tomatoes and seasonings and return to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until veggies are barley tender (20-30 minutes). (Low and slow is best on this soup!)

Add frozen veggies and browned ground chuck. Simmer at least 15 more minutes. Be sure to simmer long enough that the flavors become well blended.

I double and sometimes triple this recipe. For a heartier soup I add more 1 lb of ground chuck to the recipe instead of 1/2 lb.

Serves 4

My FAVORITE Broccoli Cheese Soup

1 onion, sautéed
2 Tbsp. butter
3 c. boiling water
5 chicken bouillon cubes
1 pkg. frozen broccoli, cut up
5 oz. finer noodles
3 c. milk
½ lb. Velveeta

Sauté onion in butter. Dissolve bouillon cubes in water. Add onion, butter and broccoli. Cook 5 minutes. Add noodles and cook 5 minutes. Add milk and cheese. Stir until cheese melts. Thicken with cornstarch if desired. Serves 6.
I typically double the recipe. I have also added pieces of rotisserie chicken and mushrooms in it if you want to change it up a bit.

By the Mu Lambda Chapter Beta Sigma Phi of Fairfax.

Low Fat Tortellini Soup

One of the cookbooks I got from my Grandma's collection was a Kiwanis Cookbook. I got this recipe from it and tried it today. It was very flavorful!

2 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic minced
1 med. onion chopped
1 green pepper chopped
1 red pepper chopped
2 lg. carrots chopped
1 stalk celery chopped
2 (28 oz. total) diced tomatoes
1 c. dry white wine
5 c. chicken broth
9 oz. chicken tortellini
1 1/2 T. dried basil
Parmesan cheese (opt)

Heat oil in large Dutch oven or soup pot. Add garlic. Saute 3 minutes. Add onion. Saute' 5 more minutes. Stir in 28 ounces tomatoes (liquid included), wine, chicken broth and basil. Bring to boil and simmer 30 minutes. Cook tortellini separately according to package. Add tortellini to soup 5 minutes before serving. Parmesan cheese may be sprinkled on each serving if desired. Serves 6 to 8.

Greek Style Minestrone with Turkey and Feta Meatballs

I am really enjoying so many of the recipes that is on the For the Love of Cooking Blog.

This recipe is AMAZING! Hubby and I LOVE it....I think it's our new favorite...and I had to share! This is the first soup that we ate all the leftovers. Delicious!

Hope you all love it as much as we do!

Turkey Meatballs:


1 lb of ground turkey meat with Italian seasonings

2 tbsp sweet yellow onion, diced finely

2 tbsp feta cheese (I used reduced fat)

2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

1 egg

1/4 cup of garlic and herb bread crumbs

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper

1 tsp olive oil (for cooking meatballs)

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and gently combine with fingers until thoroughly mixed. Roll into very small meatballs.

Add the olive oil to a skillet over medium heat, once the pan is hot add the meatballs and cook for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside.

Soup:

1/2 cup sweet yellow onion, chopped

2 carrots, coarsely chopped

2 stalks of celery, coarsely chopped

4-5 cloves of garlic, minced

6 cups of chicken stock

1/3 cup of long grain brown (or white) rice

1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes

1-2 tsp fresh dill, chopped

1 tsp of oregano

Salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste

1 zucchini, chopped into bite size pieces

1 yellow squash, chopped into bite size pieces

1 can small white beans, drained and rinsed

3 cups sliced fresh spinach (about 3 ounces)

Turkey meatballs

1/2 cup of feta cheese for topping

Add onion, carrots, celery, garlic, stock, rice and tomatoes in a large Dutch oven, over medium heat. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium low and simmer, covered, until the vegetables and rice are tender, about 25-30 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium and add beans, meatballs, zucchini and squash. Taste and re-season if needed. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes, stirring once. Stir in spinach and simmer, uncovered, until spinach is wilted and all vegetables are tender, about 2 minutes longer. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with feta cheese. Enjoy.

Note: If not serving immediately, add the spinach just before serving to retain the bright color and prevent overcooking.

Brenda's Beef Stew

I made this recipe from my "Time to Eat at Crybaby Farm" cookbook. I tweaked it just a bit though...here is how I made it:

3 stalks of celery chopped
2 carrots chopped
4-5 baby red potatoes cubed
2 cans of corn
2 cans of green beans
2 cans tomato soup
1 can stewed tomatoes
2 lb stew meat
3 tbsp. corn starch
salt and pepper, to taste
a dash of savory seasoning
a dash of dried parsley flakes

Do not drain canned vegetables. Cut up fresh vegetables. Mix all ingredients together. Bake covered at 325 degrees for 5 hours.

Mexican Minestrone

2 (15 oz) cans black beans
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes with peppers, undrained ( I used mexican style diced tomatoes)
1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth
1 (12 oz) can whole kernel corn, undrained
1-2 med. red potatoes ( I substitued with 1 can chicken breast)
1 c. salsa
1 c. cut up green beans ( I used 1 can)

Mix all ingredients together in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours or until veggies are tender. I made this on the stovetop last night and combined all ingredients and covered and cooked on stove top on medium heat for about an hour.

Tuscan Vegetable Soup

(From the Food Network)

1 (15-ounce) can low-sodium canellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ large onion, diced (about 1 cup)
2 carrots, diced (about ½ cup)
2 stalks celery, diced (about ½ cup)
1 small zucchini, diced (about 1 ½ cups)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves (or 1 tsp. dried)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves (or ½ tsp. dried)
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground pepper
32 ounces low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can no salt added diced tomatoes
2 cups chopped spinach leaves
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan, optional
And I also added the meat from 1 rotisserie chicken I bought at Hy-Vee

In a small bowl mash half of the beans with a masher or the back of a spoon, and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, garlic, thyme, sage, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper, and cook stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the broth and tomatoes with the juice and bring to a boil. Add the mashed and whole beans and the spinach leaves and chicken and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes more.

Serve topped with Parmesan, if desired. Hubby and I LOVED this recipe…in fact it is better warmed up the second day! YUM-O~!

Black Bean Soup

This recipe is one of my favorite's and it was given to me by my good friend, Jurist, one of my Jersey girls. Enjoy!

2 tablespoons oil
1 medium onion chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
1/2 to 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
3 16oz. cans black beans
1 1/2 c. chicken broth
3 cups of mild-chunky salsa
2 tbsp. of lime juice

In 4 quart stockpot heat the oil. Add onions, garlic, and red pepperflakes. Cook over medium heat until onion is tender. (about 3 minutes) Remove from heat.

In a blender, puree 2 cans of black beans and their liquid in batches with chicken broth. Add to the pot and stir in remaining beans and salsa and lime juice. Heat to boil. Reduce heat to low-simmer for 30 minutes.

Serve with cheese/sour cream if preferred.

Alabama Turkey Noodle Soup

I made this recipe tonight for my hubby and me...he said it was really good and I thought it was pretty good myself! (Had to use up some of the turkey meat I had from my baking last night)

1 T. olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped ( I used a small one)
1 bunch green onions, chopped ( I didn't have any, so used part of a white onion)
2 c. carrots, peeled and sliced
2 c. celery, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
10 3/4 oz. can French onion soup
6 c. chicken broth
1 t. poultry seasoning
1 t. dried rosemary
salt and pepper to taste
3 c. cooked turkey breast, diced
2 c. fine egg noodles, uncooked (I used the Reams Frozen Noodles)

Heat oil in a Dutch oven. Add onions, carrots, celery and garlic; cook until yellow onion is transparent. Stir in soup, broth and seasonings; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until vegetables are almost tender. Add turkey and noodles; raise heat slightly and continue cooking until noodles are tender. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

*Recipe from the Autumn in the Country Gooseberry Patch Cookbook