March 2010
Soups & Stews
At the home of: Stacy Hart

Cliff’s Award-Winning Chili
From the kitchen of: Angela Rivers

1 large onion
3 Tbsp canola oil
1 lb ground beef
1 can kidney beans
1 can stewed or diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Dice onion. Heat oil and cook onion until tender. Stir in beef and cook until browned. Drain grease. Add rest of ingredients and bring to boil. Reduce heat to med-low; cover and cook for 30 minutes. Remove cover and cook for 10 minutes longer.

Butternut Squash Soup

From the kitchen of: Stacy Hart

2 slices bacon

1/2 medium onion, chopped finely

1 large leek, chopped finely

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 bay leaf

1.25 lbs butternut squash (approx 2) cut into 1" cubes

1 medium tart apple

2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup water (+/-)

sour cream/bacon bits as topping

Crisp and crumble bacon for topping. Reserve 1.5 tsp of bacon fat and cook leek, onion, garlic, bay leaf, and salt/pepper. Cook until softened. Then add squash, apple (peeled & chopped), water, broth, and simmer 15 minutes. Take bay leaf out. Puree soup in blender or food processor.

Grandma's Broccoli Cheese Soup

From the kitchen of: Becky McKenna

1/4 cup butter

1 onion, chopped

16 oz finely chopped frozen broccoli

4 14.5 oz cans chicken broth

1 lb Velveeta cheese, cubed

2 cups milk

1 Tbsp garlic powder

2/3 cup corn starch

1 cup cold water

Cook onion in butter until soft, about 7 minutes. Stir in broccoli and cover with chicken broth. Simmer until broccoli is tender - 10-15 minutes. Reduce heat and stir in cheese cubes until melted. Mix in milk and garlic powder. In separate bowl mix water and corn starch. Add to soup while stirring until thickened. Enjoy!

(I have also used fresh broccoli and even a mix of cauliflower and broccoli. It is much faster if you heat the broth in a separate pan while the onion is cooking. Cuts time way down. I usually put the cheese in last as it likes to stick to the bottom of the pan even if you stir constantly.)

Taco Soup

From the kitchen of: Tiffany Pringle

1 can kidney beans

1 can garbanzo beans

1 lb ground beef

1/4 - 1/2 onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 package taco seasoning

1 can corn

1 can diced tomatoes

2 cans chicken broth

Add beans, corn, tomatoes, broth into pot and warm. Brown meat with chopped onions. Split seasoning among beef and soup pot while cooking. Add cooked beef into soup pot (don't have to drain). Cook to boil and then slow to a simmer. Top with cheese/chips/sour cream.

Slow-Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

From the kitchen of: Shannon Just (welcome!!)

1 lb shredded, cooked chicken

1 15 oz can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed

1 10 oz can enchilada sauce

1 medium onion, chopped

1 4 oz can chopped green chile peppers

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups water

1 14.5 oz can chicken broth

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 bay leaf

1 10 oz package frozen corn

1 Tbsp chopped cilantro

7 corn tortillas

vegetable oil

Place first 6 ingredients into a slow cooker. Pour in water and broth; season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper and bay leaf. Stir in corn and cilantro. Cover and cook on low setting for 6-8 hours or on high setting for 3-4 hours. Preheat oven to 400. Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut into strips and spread on baking sheet. Bake until crisp about 10-15 minutes. To serve sprinkle tortilla strips over soup.

Beef Stew

From the kitchen of: Becky Maher

1 lb ground beef (alternate would be leftover roast beef cubed) [half a medium onion chopped and browned w/the ground beef adds extra flavor and texure but is optional]

1 lb carrots chopped to bite size (baby carrots cut in half works too)

3-4 russett potatoes in about 1" cubes (w/or w/out peels per your preference)

1 cup frozen peas

1 package lipton onion soup mix

1 can cream of mushroom soup

Directions:

Brown beef and drain. In separate pan, boil potatoes and carrots until cooked. Use just enough water to cover the vegetables, and this will be your stock for the stew later. It takes about 20 minutes to cook potatoes and 10 minutes to cook the carrots when added to the potatoes. When almost done cooking veggies, add the beef and soup mix. Return to boiling. Add frozen peas and boil for 2-3 minutes (longer and the peas will fade in color). Remove from heat and stir in mushroom soup until creamy.