Tag Archives: soup

Slow Cooker Chicken & Dumplings

Posted on March 5, 2012 | 4 Comments

OK, so I’m a little over a week into my Pinterest challenge that was supposed to last for the entire month of March.  Well…I’ve cooked 4 out of the 5 recipes I picked already!  I made all the main dishes and by far my favorite of the four was the slow cooker chicken and dumplings.  Turns out two of my loved ones had already made the recipe!  Here’s what they said:

Mom:  You may not be able to wait until it’s finished slow cooking in the crock pot.  It smells so delicious.  I cooked my dumplings a little longer to make sure they were done all the way through.

Carolyn:  I thought it was quick and easy!  I made it on the stove top so it was ready faster.  I added frozen peas and carrots and it turned out great.  Very satisfying and tasty!

After I got that feedback, I knew I had to try it.  I made it for dinner on Friday night and prayed Jeff would like it.  I didn’t make anything else after all.  The verdict?  He cleaned his bowl!  I wondered if it would be filling enough for him since we usually have a relatively large meal for dinner, but it seemed just right.  A bowl of soup + a bowl of ice cream is the perfect amount I guess!

Slow Cooker Chicken & Dumplings
(adapted from polishthestars.com)

1 onion, diced
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
salt & pepper and any other seasonings you’d like
2 tbsp butter, diced
2 cans 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
1 14 oz can chicken broth
1 container Grands Homestyle biscuits*, each cut into 9 pieces

Line your crock pot with a Reynolds Slow Cooker Liner (best invention ever!).  Place your diced onion in the bottom of the slow cooker.  Add your chicken to the pot and sprinkle with whatever seasonings you’d like.  I used my go to seasoning:  Dorothy Lane Market grill rub.  I seriously use it for EVERYTHING!  Over the chicken, add your butter, the two cans of cream of chicken soup, and the chicken broth.  Cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 8 hours.

After your soup is cooked, remove the chicken and add your biscuits.  Stir the biscuits so that they are all coated with the soup.  Cook on high for 1 hour or until the biscuits are cooked through.  Meanwhile, shred or chop your chicken into small bits.  After the biscuits are cooked, add the chicken back to the soup and stir to combine.  Serve piping hot!

*The original recipe called for just 4 of the 8 biscuits in the can, but I love dumplings so I added all 8.  My nutritional information is based on 8 biscuits.

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Pasta E Fagioli Revisited

Posted on September 14, 2011 | Leave a comment

Pictures make a blog come alive, right?  Well, when I first started my blog, I didn’t add pictures.  I’ve learned my lesson.  During my marathon cooking session this week, one of the recipes I decided to make was Giada’s Pasta E Fagioli.  Like a good little blogger, I took lots of pictures throughout the cooking process but when I went to create a blog about them, I had this nagging feeling I’d already put it on the blog.  Turns out I was right!

GDL’s Pasta E Fagioli

Back in January of 2010, I wrote “I saw this recipe in Giada de Laurentiis’ Giada’s Family Dinners cookbook and thought it sounded like a yummy filling soup on a cold day.  I was right.  It was a-mazing.  I loved it.  I couldn’t get enough!”  It’s still as fabulous today as I originally thought!  I’m demanding you make this soup.  It’s seriously one of my favorite soups I’ve made!  I only wish I had made a double batch yesterday!

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Butternut Squash Soup

Posted on October 3, 2010 | 4 Comments

Last year, a bunch of my friends and I went to Cincinnati to see Rent.  We decided we would go to one of the yummy restaurants found downtown before the show for a great meal.  My friend, Becky, who works downtown, suggested Nada.

Nada is like a new age Mexican restaurant.  Almost all of us ordered some form of tacos, but Carolyn got Butternut Squash soup in addition to her meal.  I had never tried Butternut Squash soup, so I asked for a taste.

It was amazing.  I had never tasted anything quite like it!  It was sweet and thick, with a great depth of flavor.  I asked the waiter for the recipe, so he brought out one of the chefs from the kitchen.  Of course, they didn’t give me the FULL recipe, word for word, measurement by measurement, but they did give me some idea of what was in it.

The other day, I was looking on the Fresh Market website and stumbled across this recipe.  It sounded pretty good, so I thought I’d give it a whirl.

It was pretty spectacular.  The whole time it was cooking I kept smelling it and thinking, “I can’t wait for this to be done cooking!” It reminded me of a cross between potato soup…and something.  I can’t quite figure out what.  Regardless, if you are looking for a good Butternut Squash soup, try this one.  It’s pretty darn tasty!

Butternut Squash & Cheddar Cheese Soup
(from “The Fresh Market” website)

4 tbsp butter
1 medium onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced
Optional:  1 carrot, peeled and diced
4 tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1.5 quarts chicken broth
1 cup half & half
1 cup shredded cheddar

Start by preparing your butternut squash.  Then heat your butter in a large soup pot over medium heat.  Toss in the squash, onion, and celery.  I had some grated carrot I had picked up from Dorothy Lane’s salad bar, so I tossed them in for a little extra sweetness. Let them cook for about 10 minutes until the squash starts to get soft.

Add the flour and nutmeg to the vegetables.  Toss to combine.  You are looking to make a roux here so your soup will get nice and thick.  Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring often.

Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and cook for at least 5 minutes.  I let mine simmer for a bit longer to ensure the doneness of the squash.

Add the half & half and the cheese…

…and puree until smooth.

I used an emulsion blender, but you could use a regular blender as well.  I suggest letting it cool a bit before handling it if you choose to go that way though.

Serve warm.

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