Pumpkin Soup Topped with Bacon and Blue Cheese

 

 Pumpkin Soup Topped with Bacon and Blue Cheese

 

 Delish! This is one soup that we love when the temps go down- 90 degrees here today though....it is October by the way! This soup is easy to throw together, everyone loves it, and I sub in a butternut squash cooked, peeled, cubed, and processed in the food processor until smooth.  It depends what I have on hand.   The bacon and blue cheese really give it some added flavor.  Enjoy!

 

 

Ingredients

• 2 15-oz. cans of pumpkin
• 1 qt. chicken stock
• 1 C. half-and-half or  milk- soup will be a litter thinner and less creamy
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1/4 C. molasses
• 2 Tbs. butter
• 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 6 slices bacon
• 1 C. crumbled blue cheese

Directions

Stir together the pumpkin, chicken stock, half-and-half, shallot, molasses, butter, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and cayenne pepper in a large stockpot over low heat; simmer 10 minutes. Meanwhile, place bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and cook until crispy. Remove to paper towels to drain, then cool and crumble. Ladle soup into bowls. Top with bacon and blue cheese.

Crock Pot Taco Soup

Crock Pot Taco Soup

2 - pounds ground beefor ground turkey
1 1/2 - cups diced onions
1 - 15 oz cans pinto beans, drained & rinsed
1 - 15 oz can kidney beans, drained & rinsed
1 - 15 oz can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 - 15 oz can whole kernel corn, drained or 2 cups frozen corn
1 - 14.5 oz can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
1 - 14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes
1 - 14.5 oz can mild rotel
1 - cup water
1/2 - cup green olives, sliced, optional
1 - package taco seasoning mix
1 - 1 oz package ranch salad dressing mix

Brown the ground beef or turkey and onions in a large skillet; drain the excess fat, then transfer the browned beef and onions to a large slow cooker. Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, rotel, taco seasoning, water and ranch dressing mix. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. To serve, ladle soup into each bowl and garnish with corn chips, sour cream, cheese, green onions, jalapenos and any other toppings of your choice.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Bread Bowls

Chicken Cordon Bleu Bread Bowls
Printable Version with Picture
Printable Version
*Note: if you don’t have apple juice on hand, you can omit the apple juice and increase the chicken broth to 1 3/4 cups.
*Serves 4-6
For the Chicken and Sauce:
4 tablespoons butter
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts cubed (about 2-3 chicken breasts)
1/2 cup minced yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons flour
½ cup apple juice
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2-3 cups broccoli florets
Salt and cayenne pepper to taste
To Assemble:
4-6 medium round regular or sourdough bread bowls (I used this Italian Bread bowl recipe)
8-10 thin slices smoked ham
1 cup grated Swiss cheese
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and lightly coat the foil with cooking spray.
Place the broccoli florets in a microwave-safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a tight fitting microwave-safe lid. Microwave on high for 3-4 minutes until tender but still bright green. Remove the plastic wrap and set aside.
In a 10- or 12-inch skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chicken and saute until the chicken begins to brown but isn’t cooked all the way through, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the onions and garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened (when chicken is still slightly pink), about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the chicken/onion mixture and stir to incorporate. Cook, stirring, constantly for one minute.
Gradually add the chicken broth and apple juice, stirring constantly to avoid any clumps from forming. Stir in the cream, Parmesan cheese, mustard and thyme. Simmer for about 5-6 minutes, until the mixture is thickened and bubbly. Stir in the broccoli; season with salt and cayenne pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
Hollow out the inside of the bread bowls by cutting off the tops and tearing out the insides. I like to leave about a 1/4-inch edge along all sides of the bread bowl. Compress the remaining bread together to firm up the sides and make room for the filling. Place the bread bowls on the prepared baking sheet and toast them for about 5 minutes in the preheated oven.
Remove the toasted loaves from the oven and arrange the ham slices in the bottom of each loaf. Using a slotted spoon, divide chicken mixture evenly between loaves, reserving about 1-2 cups sauce in the pan for serving. Top the chicken mixture in each loaf with shredded Swiss and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
Bake the bread bowls until the cheese melts, about 10-15 minutes. Serve each bread bowl with reserved cream sauce.

Recipe Source: adapted from Mindika Moments who adapted it from Cuisine at Home

Taco Soup

Taco Soup
*Note: All cans are standard size.
Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef or turkey1 can dark red kidney beans
1 can light red kidney beans
1 can black beans
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can whole-kernel white corn
1 chipotle in adobo, minced
1 packet of ranch dressing mix
2 packets of taco seasoning (or 3-4 tablespoons homemade)
shredded cheese, sour cream, green onions and tortilla chips, for serving
Directions:
In a Dutch oven or large pot set over medium-high heat, brown meat until cooked through.  Add one packet of taco seasoning (or 1-2 tablespoons of homemade seasoning) and stir to combine.  Add remaining ingredients, leaving the canned ingredients undrained, and stir well.  If desired, add a small amount of water to thin the soup.  Increase heat and bring to a boil.  Cover and reduce heat to medium-low.  Simmer for at least 20 minutes.  Ladle soup into bowls and top with shredded cheese, sour cream, green onions and tortilla chips.
Serves 6