Copycat Olive Garden Minestrone Soup

 We don't go often, but when we go to Olive Garden we often order the unlimited soup and salad.  He loves the Zupa Toscano soup and I love the Minestrone.  When we went last, I came right home and looked up a copycat recipe and tried it.  Delicious!

Copycat Olive Garden Minestrone Soup

Olive oil

1 onion, diced

2-3 carrots, peeled and diced

2-3 ribs celery, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 small zucchini, halved and sliced

1 cup cut green beans, fresh or frozen

1 15 oz can red kidney beans

1 15 oz can white beans,

1 big handful fresh spinach

1 quart vegetable or beef broth

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes

1/4 cup tomato paste

about 1/4 cup sugar

1 T. Italian seasoning

1/2 cup uncooked small shell pasta or ditalini

Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté the onion, carrots, and celery in the oil.  When softened, add the garlic and sauté 1 more minute.  Add the zucchini Cook another minute or two.  Stir in the tomato paste and coat the vegetables and sauté.  Add the broth, tomatoes, sugar, and Italian seasoning.  Bring to a boil.  Turn down to med-low heat.  Drain the canned beans and add all three kinds of beans.  Add the pasta and cook for 10-12 minutes.  Add the spinach and cook for another couple of minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Ladle into bowls and top with grated Parmesan cheese.

Chicken Stuffing Casserole

 Easy and delicious.  I doubled it and took some to a family.  They loved it too.

Chicken Stuffing Casserole

Layer in a 13x9 casserole:

Cubed, raw chicken breast

Season well with garlic powder, salt and pepper

Top with:

Grated Swiss or other cheese

2 can cream of chicken soup

1 Stove top stuffing packet

1 cube butter, melted over all

Bake at 350 for 1 hour, Half with foil, half without.

Egg Roll in a Bowl

 Michelle shared this recipe.  It is delicious!

I served it on a plate!

Egg Roll in a Bowl

1 lb. ground beef

1 tsp. minced garlic

14 oz. shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 teaspoon ginger

1 egg

2 teaspoons siracha

1 Tablespoon sesame oil

2 Tablespoons sliced green onions

In a large skillet, brown the beef.  Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds.  Add the cabbage, soy sauce, and ginger.  Saute until the cabbage is tender.  Add a little water if needed.  Create a well in the center of the skillet and add the egg. scramble until doen.  Stir in the sriacha and sesame oil and sprinkle with onion.  Add more soy sauce and sriacha as desired.

Kristen's Crepes

 Kristen is an expert Crepe maker.  Here is her recipe:

Kristen's Crepes

1 1/2 cups milk

1 cup cake flour

3 eggs

2 T. butter

Blend all ingredients and place in fridge for 1 hour.  Mix again before cooking.   Pour into a hot fry pan.  Cook until done.  Fill with whatever you like! Makes about 20 crepes.

Black Bean and Mango Quinoa Salad

 Michelle made this when our daughters all came to visit for my birthday.  It was colorful and delicious.

Black Bean and Mango Quinoa Salad

2 cups cooked and cooled quinoa (2/3 cup dry quinoa)

1 14 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 medium mango, peeled and diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

6 green onions, thinly sliced

1 handful chopped cilantro ( about 1/2 cup)

4 T. red wine vinegar

3 T. olive oil

1-2 T. fresh lime juice

Salt and pepper

Quinoa

Rinse in cool water and soak for 5 minutes.  Drain.  Put in a small pot with 1 1/3 cup water or broth and bring to a simmer.  Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes.  Fluff with fork.  Cool to room temperature.

Put the quinoa in a large bowl.  Add mango, pepper, green onion, black beans and clantro.

In a small, combine vinegar, oil, and lime juice.  Whisk until smooth and pour over the salad.  Toss and add salt and pepper to taste.  Chill for one hour.

Cafeteria Noodles

 This is a delicious side dish.  Or I guess you could add meat and make it the main dish.   It's comfort food!   Enjoy!

Cafeteria Noodles

 Bring to a boil:

1 quart chicken stock with 2 T. of better than bouillon

Add a whole bag of egg noodles and 1 can of cream of chicken soup.

Stir well and boil for 2 minutes.

Remove from heat, add 1 stick of butter and cover until butter is fully melted and noodles are soft.  It will take about 20 minutes.  Stir well and serve.

Taco Soup

 There are a lot of taco soup recipes out there, but this one was exceptional.  I have made it twice and will make it many more times, I'm sure.  I made it for family and they also loved it and wanted the recipe.  Easy and delicious.

Taco Soup

1 can diced tomatoes

2 cans diced tomatoes with green chilis (Rotel)

1 can Garbonzo beans

1 can Kidney beans

1 can Black beans

1 can corn

1 can tomato paste

1 8 oz block cream cheese

1/2 bag Costco Rotisserie chicken breast, cut up

1 box chicken stock

Taco seasoning to taste, 1 package

Toppings as desired: Cheese, Sour Cream, Tortilla chips, Cilantro

Rinse and drain beans. Put all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on low for four hours.

 To serve, top with desired toppings.

Crockpot Broccoli Cheese Soup

 

Crockpot Broccoli Cheese Soup

Saute' in a skillet until softened:

1/2 stick butter

1 onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced or crushed

Salt and pepper 

1-2 cups shredded carrots

Put in a crockpot. Then mix together:

4 cups chicken stock

1/4 cup corn starch

Add to the crockpot and stir well.  

Add 4 cups chopped broccoli

Cook on low for about 4 or 5 hours.  Then add:

4 cups shredded cheddar cheese ( I like mild)

1 cup whipping cream

Cook until cheese is melted.  Serve.

Melt-In-Your-Mouth Chicken

 This chicken dish was moist and delicious!

Melt in Your Mouth Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 cup Mayonnaise

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp dried parsley

1/2 tsp salt

pepper to taste

1/2 tsp paprika

Mix the mayonnaise with Parmesan, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, salt, pepper and paprika.

Put chicken in a baking dish and spread the mixture thickly over each piece of chicken.

Bake at 375 for 40-45 minutes until golden and bubbly.

Ham Sauce

I have made the same ham sauce for years.  It is so good, and, frankly, better than this one.  But it takes more work.  And when making a big holiday meal, I sometimes need easier.  This one is easier and still very good.

 Ham Sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 T. mustard powder

1 1/2 cup vinegar

1/2- 1 cup water

Mix altogether in a saucepan.  Cook and stir until thickened.

Sheet Pan Quesadillas

 

Sheet Pan Quesadillas

8 Burrito-sized tortillas

2 cups rotisserie chicken, chopped

2 cups shredded cheese

1 can tomatoes with green chilis

1 packet taco seasoning

Spray a baking sheet and line with 5 of the tortillas with the tortillas hanging over the edges.  

Mix together the rest of the ingredients.  Spread the mixture on top of the tortillas.  Top with more shredded cheese.  Put the last three tortillas on top and tuck under.  Spray with oil.  Put another baking sheet on top. Spray the bottom of that pan, too.  Bake at 450 for 20 minutes.  Take off the top pan and bake until golden.

Cut and dip pieces in salsa, guacamole, and sour cream.  

You can also make these with just cheese in the center.

Easy Brownies

 

I know, not a great picture.  But this is a very easy and easy-to-memorize recipe:

Easy Brownies

1 brownie mix

2 eggs

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Prepare an 8x8 pan .  Mix together the ingredients and pour in.  Bake according to package instructions.  

Easy Crockpot Creamy Chicken Soup

 

Creamy Chicken Soup

Put in the crockpot: 

2 or 3 chicken breasts (can be frozen)

1 box chicken stock

3-4 carrots, sliced

4 celery stalks, sliced

1 onion, diced

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp poultry seasoning

1 heaping Tablespoon better than bouillon

Salt and pepper

1 box rice-a-roni

Cook on low for about 5 hours, or until chicken is well cooked.  The rice a Roni will disintegrate into the soup, thickening it.  Take the chicken out and cut it up.  Put back in the soup. Stir well and add:

3/4 cup heavy cream

Heat and serve with parsley on top.

Mexican Mushroom Skillet

Kristen made up this recipe.

 Saute' in a skillet:

1 onion, chopped

1 package of mushrooms, sliced

Add 1/3 cup water, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste  (I added minced garlic and Tobasco sauce)

When the onion is soft, add:

Salsa

2 cans black beans

Chopped cilantro

Frozen spinach

Cook all together.

Easy Lasagna Soup

 I have another Lasagna Soup recipe which is delicious, but I rarely make it because it has so many ingredients and is quite involved.  This one is much simpler and still delicious.

Easy Lasagna Soup

1 lb ground beef or sausage

1 onion, diced

2-3 cloves garlic, minced 

1 jar Marinara sauce of choice

1/4 cup sugar, optional (cuts the acid)

4 cups beef stock

1-2 tsps. dried Italian seasoning

8 lasagna noodles, broken in pieces

1/2 cup cream, optional

Topping:

1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup ricotta or cottage cheese

Fresh parsley, minced

Sauté the onions in oil or butter until soft.  Add the beef or sausage and continue to cook until browned.  Add the garlic and cook another minute.  Add the seasoning.  Add the stock and Marinara sauce. and bring to a boil.   Cook for a few minutes, letting flavors blend.  Add the broken noodles and bring back to a boil.  Then reduce heat and cook until noodles are el dente.  Stir in the cream, if desired.

Mix together the topping ingredients.  Serve with a dollop of the topping on each bowl.  

It was even better leftover.

Prime Rib

I got this recipe from friends we serve with in the temple.  It is their traditional Christmas dinner.  We decided to make it for our Christmas dinner.  It was SO delicious.  We will be making this again.  The prime rib is very expensive but served us many meals.

 Prime Rib

1 beef tenderloin

Excalibur Prime Rib rub

Au Jus Seasoning Mix or Beef Better than Bullion

Make Au jus mix according to directions, adding prime rib rub to it.

Coat the meat generously with the prime rib rub (it should be kept in the freezer)

Roast the prime rib in the oven at 450 for 15 minutes.  In a pan with the enriched Au Jus in the bottom.  Rest the meat on a rack.  At the end of the 15 minutes, check the temperature with a thermometer.  You want it to be 130.  If it is not, turn the temperature down to 325 and periodically monitor the temperature until it is 130 (rare/ med. rare)

If someone wants their meat more well done, they can put their slice in the au jus until desired wellness.

Serve with the au jus and horseradish sauce.

We got this recipe from friends we serve with in the temple, the Olsons.  

Instant Pot Cauliflower-Potato Soup

 Michelle served this delicious soup on the night before Thanksgiving.  She makes it often for her family as everyone loves it.  We all loved it too.  

Instant Pot Cauliflower Potato Soup

6 strips bacon, cut into 1/2 pieces

1 onion, coarsely chopped

6 large Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 16 oz bags frozen cauliflower florets, or fresh

4 cups chicken stock

2 cups milk

1T. kosher salt

1- 2 teaspoons garlic powder

Pepper to taste

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

chopped parsley or green onion to garnish

Heat the instant pot on sauté.  Add the bacon and cook until crisp.  Remove from pot and save for garnish.

Add the onion to the bacon drippings and sauté until soft and translucent.  Stir in the chicken stock and deglaze the pan. Turn off the instant pot and add the potatoes, cauliflower, milk, salt, pepper, and garlic.

Attach the lid and select pressure for 10 minutes.  When it finishes cooking, quick release the pressure.  Use an immersion blender to blend the soup.  You can leave some chunks if you wish.  Taste and add more salt, pepper, or garlic as desired.  Stir in the cheese,  Garnish with parsley, onion, additional cheese, and bacon.

Creamy Sausage Tortellini Soup

 Kristen made this for one of the meals at our family reunion.  It was a hit with old and young.

Creamy Sausage Tortellini Soup

2 lbs. sausage

2 cups chopped carrots

2small onions, chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons Italian seasoning 

1/2 cup flour

12 cups chicken stock

14 ounces tomato paste

2 cups heavy cream

20 oz package frozen three-cheese tortellini

6 cups chopped kale

Salt and pepper

In a large pot, brown the sausage.  Add the carrots and onion and saute' until tender.  Add the garlic and saute' another minute.

Add the flour and cook for a couple of minutes.  Then add the chicken stock and tomato paste.  Stir well and thicken.  Add the cream and tortellini.  Bring to a simmer for about 7 minutes until the tortellini and kale and cook until the tortellini is done and the kale is tender.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts

 
A friend shared this recipe with me.  They include these sprouts for their Christmas dinner every year.  So we did the same.  They were delicious.

Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts

8 slices bacon, chopped

2 lb. Brussels sprouts

1 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup apple juice

1/4 cup maple syrup

In a large skillet cook the bacon until crisp, 6-8 minutes.

Remove the bacon and drain on a paper towel.

Add the Brussels sprouts to the skillet, stirring well to coat with the bacon grease.  Reduce heat to medium and cook, without stirring until the sprouts start to brown and caramelize- about 6 or 7 minutes.  Stir in the salt and cayenne.  Cook until the sprouts are tender, 6-8 minutes more.

Stir in the cranberries, juice, and syrup.  Cook for 3 minutes, stirring to coat the sprouts.  Add the bacon and serve immediately.

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