Tomato Basil Soup with Chicken- ready in under 30min

Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1/2 onion chopped
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings
1 15.5 oz can no salt added navy beans or great northern beans (rinsed & drained)
1 14oz can reduced sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup cooked chicken breast meat (I bought a rotisserie chicken)
2 ounces baby spinach leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup shredded Italian cheese (mozzarella or a blend)

1) Pour a tablespoon of olive oil in bottom of heavy/large saucepan.  On Medium to low heat cook onions until soft (3min or so). Add garlic and saute until fragrant (about 1 min).  Combine tomatoes (with juices) beans, broth and sugar.  Can add a few shakes of Italian seasoning if needed.  Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat, cover and simmer about 10 min.

2) Add the chopped chicken pieces and basal.  Cook about 5 min. just to warm chicken.  Add spinach and stir into soup.  Let simmer until spinach wilts.  Remove from heat and serve into bowls.  Drizzle olive oil on top of each bowl and a tablespoon of cheese.  Serve with garlic bread :)
 

Cabbage and Sausage Skillet-was very good!

Ingredients

1   small head cabbage, shredded (5 cups), or 5 cups preshredded cabbage with carrot

4   medium potatoes, sliced

1   medium onion, sliced and separated into rings

1 teaspoon  caraway seed (optional)

1 pound  cooked kielbasa or other smoked sausage link, halved lengthwise and bias-sliced into 1-inch pieces

1 cup  apple juice

2 tablespoons  brown or prepared mustard

1/2 teaspoon  instant beef bouillon granules

Directions

1

In a 12-inch skillet combine cabbage, sliced potatoes, onion, and, if desired, caraway seed. Top with sausage.

2

In a small bowl combine apple juice, mustard, and bouillon granules. Pour over sausage mixture in skillet. Bring mixture to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Makes 5 servings.

Our favorite meatloaf recipe

Ingredients

½ cup bread crumbs

½ cup milk

2 pounds ground meat (beef)

1 egg (lightly beat)

½ cup fresh grated parm

¼ cup fresh parsley minced

2 to 3 cloves garlic minced

1 small onion minced

1 small carrot grated

1 teaspoon minced sage (pinch if dry)

garlic salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, steak seasoning, worcheshire sauce

Heat oven to 350

• soak bread crumbs in milk about 5min. until absorbed

• Mix all ingredients, shape into two equal sized meat loaves and put side by side not touching into rectangular glass pan, top (just squeeze right onto loaves equal parts bbq sauce and ketchup, bake about 45-60min. basting occasionally. 

Potato and Egg scramble...a favorite in our house!

3 good size potatoes (usually use Yukon Gold) washed and cut into thin rounds...I leave skin on
4 -5 eggs lightly beaten with a fork.
Veggies desired (asparagus, green peppers, yellow squash, zucchini, fresh spinach etc..)
salt and pepper
shredded cheddar cheese

Lightly cover the bottom of a pan with olive oil over med. heat.  Put potatoes in and cover for 10 min. or so.  Potatoes should brown and start to soften.  Stir occasionally.  When potatoes just start to soften (15/20 min) add in any kind of sliced/small cut veggies. When all veggies/potatoes are fully soft add eggs and move around frequently (just like making scrambled eggs).  When eggs are scrambled add fresh spinach leaves if desired, let wilt down.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Stir in desired amount of shredded cheese.  Can serve topped with ketchup!

Beef Nacho Casserole

s

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 1/2 cups chunky salsa
• 1 (10 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 can black beans- drained and rinsed (optional)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 2 cups crushed tortilla chips (I use fritos)
• 2 cups Colby cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place ground beef in a
large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add taco seasoning packet as direct on packet.  

                                     Cook, stirring to crumble, until evenly
                                     browned. Drain grease. Remove from the heat, and stir the salsa, corn, beans
                                     and sour cream into the beef. In a 2 quart casserole dish, layer
                                      the ground beef mixture, tortilla chips and cheese twice, ending with cheese
                                    on top. Bake for 20 minutes uncovered in the preheated oven, until cheese is
                                     melted and dish is thoroughly heated.

EASY-weekday chicken noodle soup

• 
  1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 5(14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 1 can cream of ______ soup (chicken, mushroom, celery...whatever you prefer)
• 1/2 pound chopped cooked chicken breast (make it faster use a rotisserie chicken pulled about and chopped) 
• 1 1/2 cups egg noodles (whatever noodles you have/like-I also like to cook noodles separate to take out starch but you can cook them in he soup also)
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Cook onion and celery in butter
until just tender, 5 minutes. Pour in broth, and soup-stir in
chicken, noodles, carrots, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil,
then reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes before serving.