Best Broccoli & Cheese Soup

This is one of my absolute favorite soups. Quick and easy to make, cheesy & delicious!

Ingredients:

2 (14.5oz) packages of Bird’s Eye Chopped Broccoli

1 stick of butter

2 cartons (32oz) Swanson’s Chicken Broth

1 lb of Kraft loaf cheese (cut into one inch cubes)

1 small/medium onion chopped or 1/4 cup dry onion flakes

2 cups of milk

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon of pepper

1 cup water

2/3 cups cornstarch

Directions:

In a stockpot, melt butter over medium heat. Cook onion in butter until soft. Mix in broccoli, and cover with chicken broth. Simmer until broccoli is tender which should be 15 to 20 minutes. Next, add garlic powder, salt, pepper. Reduce the heat and add the cubed Kraft Cheese. Stir until melted. Add milk. In a bowl add water & cornstarch and whisk together (or in a small jar add together, secure lid and shake well). Add blended cornstarch and water to soup. Continue to stir soup well until thick and hot.

Serve with your favorite bread or crackers (I love this with some Food Should Taste Good MultiGrain Chips)

Enjoy!

Broccoli & Cheese Soup with some delicious Food Should Taste Good Multi-Grain Chips

*************************************************************************

Have a “Kikk-ed”

up Thanksgiving with

Kikkoman!

I’m always up for trying new recipes in the kitchen! Although I enjoy eating traditional foods around the holidays, I also think that it’s also a perfect time to make new traditions to share with family and friends. I was very excited when Kikkoman contacted me about their “Kikk-ed Up Thanksgiving Meal;” just wait until you see what I cooked up (with a little help from Kikkoman of course!

First things first…I had to defrost my GIANT turkey that my husband bought (note to self, do your own important shopping or else you could end up cooking a 20lbs “test” turkey). Anyway, after about a month (actually a week) I was finally able to brine the bird. This is where my first Kikkoman recipe came in.

Kikkoman Savory

Turkey Brine

• 2 Gallons of Cold Water
• 10 ounces Kikkoman Naturally Brewed Soy Sauce
• 1/2 cup kosher salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons dried sage
• 2 tablespoons dried celery seed
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

The night before roasting, remove the giblets and neck and rinse the turkey. In a large stockpot or 5 gallon bucket mix the water and other ingredients and stir until salt is dissolved. Place the turkey in the pot, cover the lid, and refrigerate overnight or for a minimum of 8 hours. Remove the turkey from the brine and then rinse well. Cook the turkey as directed. (And by the way this brine is for a 16-24lb bird).

Next we have the side dishes Kikkoman recommended:

Green Bean Casserole

• 1-1/2 pounds of fresh green beans, blanched
• 5 tablespoons of butter (or margarine)
• 1 (10 ounce) package of fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup of sliced onions
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 can of cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup Kikkoman Panko Bread Crumbs

p

Layer the blanched string beans in the bottom of a greased casserole dish. Melt the butter in a large skillet and saute the mushrooms, onions and garlic until the onions are soft. Next add the mushroom soup and stir. Pour over top of the green beans and sprinkle the top with Panko Bread Crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees f0r 20 minutes.

Kikkoman Glazed Yams

• 6 medium yams
• 1/4 cup of butter
  
• 1 cup Kikkoman Teriyaki Baste & Glaze with Honey and Pineapple
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon nutmeg

Peel and slice yams in 1/2 inch slices. Place yams in a nonstick casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until soft. Meanwhile, combine butter, Teriyaki Baste and Glaze, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a saucepan and heat until butter melts. Thoroughly stir glaze mixture and pour over yams. Return yams to oven, cook an additional 10 minutes. (Makes 6 servings)

Panko Crusted

Mashed Potato Cakes

• 2 cups of chilled mashed potatoes
  
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten in separate bowls
• 2 tablespoons chopped onion
• 1/2 tablespoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup flour for dredging
  
• 1 cup Kikkoman Panko Bread Crumbs
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil for pan frying

in a medium bowl, combine potatoes, one egg, onion, and black pepper. Divide potato mixture into 8 equal portions. Using your hands, form 1/2 inch thick patties. Next dredge them in flour, then egg and coat with Panko Bread Crumbs. Meanwhile, heat the veggie oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the patties to the oil and cook until well browned. Turn with and cook the other side until brown as well. (makes approximately 8 potato cakes)

So what was the verdict? Well my family’s favorite was the potato cakes which I’ve already had requests for with other meals. They’re really simple, and the kids loved them, so I know we’ll be eating them throughout the year. The yams were a huge hit too, and I think a great addition to any holiday table. The green beans had great flavor too, and it adds a “kikk” to a traditional favorite. This was also my first time brining a turkey, and I’m positive I won’t cook a turkey without it again. The Kikkoman added so much flavor to the turkey as well. A lot of time, unless you get a top piece close to the skin, any seasoning is lost. Not on this big bird thanks to Kikkoman!  So when you’re heading to the grocery store for your holiday shopping this week, don’t forget your Kikkoman products!

For more great Kikkoman recipes visit their website: http://www.kikkomanusa.com/html_index.html and also on Facebook (there is a buy one get one free coupon there too!)

********************************************

********************************************************

Grilled Bacon Wrapped Fillet Mignon

Grilled Bacon Wrapped Fillet with grilled peppers, baked potato and green beans w/ almonds

Fillet Mignon is my favorite cut of beef. Unfortunately, I do not eat it out as much as I used to for two reasons 1) it’s an expensive cut of steak and 2) I prefer to eat delicious, expensive meals hot and when they are served, which means no kids with me (and that happens never). So I started cooking these yummy steaks at home and found you get way more for your money, and it’s just as good, if not better.

First preheat your grill. I typically cook these over med-low heat. Take your raw steaks and brush with Olive Oil. Season each side with garlic powder and salt and pepper (or I actually prefer using Morton’s Nature’s Season). Once the steaks are seasoned wrap each steak with two pieces of bacon. You can keep in place with toothpicks or cooking twine if desired.

Place on grill and cook over med-low to medium heat 10 minutes per side or until you have reached desired wellness. 10 minutes per side usually produces medium wellness but it may need to be adjusted based on grill temperature and thickness of steak.

Serve with desired sides. In photo I also grilled sliced green peppers which were also brushed with olive oil and Nature’s Seasoning. I cooked them, and turned them the same as the steak. I added a baked potato and some Bird’s Eye frozen sliced green beans with almonds. Total prep time was about 10 minutes, total cook time 20 minutes.

********************************************************

Baked Ziti

Did I ever mention that I developed an allergy to wheat about 8 years ago? Well, I did and it is horrible!  I know what I’m missing and I’m sure not going to punish my family with my food disability.  Truth be told, on a dish like this, I’ll use rice pasta and it still tastes ALMOST as good.  Here’s the normal recipe though…one of my old favorites!

• One pound of Ziti (Penne Noodles)
• 3 cups of pasta sauce (I like using the Classico 5 Cheese if I don’t have homemade sauce on hand)
• 3 cups of Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• 1 3/4 cups Ricotta Cheese
• 1/4 cup of fresh parsley or 2 tablespoons of dried parsley
• 1 tablespoon Oregano
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 375 degrees and cook pasta as directed on box. In a large bowl combine 2 cups of sauce, ricotta cheese, 2 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese, egg, oregano, garlic, salt, pepper, parsley.  Mix well and combine with drained pasta once it is finished cooking. Spoon into large casserole dish and top with remaining mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and remaining pasta sauce.  Cover with foil and bake 30-40 minutes until hot and bubbly.

*********************************************************

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

This soup is so delicious that you won’t even care about the calories.  It’s a hearty and flavorful soup that reminds me of eating a loaded baked potato!  Perfect for a cold day!

Here’s what you’ll need:

Peel and cut 4 cups of potatoes into cubes

10-12 pieces of bacon

1 heaping cup of chopped onion

1/2 cup of chopped celery

1 can Campbell’s Cream of Chicken Soup

1 can Campbell’s Cream of Cheddar Soup

2 + cups of milk

1-2 cups water (depending on potatoes)

1 heaping cup sour cream

1 tsp salt

1/4 to 1/2 tsp of pepper (per your taste)

1 tablespoon parsley

shredded cheddar cheese for topping

Dice potatoes into cubes or bite size chunks.  Cover with water and cook until tender. Do NOT drain.   In a separate pan cook bacon until crisp and set aside. Use bacon grease to cook onions and celery until tender.  Crumble bacon and add to potatoes, spoon cooked onions and celery into pot, add milk, water, cream of chicken and cream of cheedar soups. Add salt, pepper,  parsley and sour cream.

Mix and stir thoroughly; heat on medium low until heated through, but do not bring to a boil.

When serving, add desired amount of shredded cheddar cheese.  Enjoy!

********************************************************

Easy Cheesy Chicken Casserole

This dish is one of my kids favorites…and my husband’s too!  I like it because it’s easy to make, tastes good, and there’s usually leftovers!  There are two ways to make this dish with or without cooking the chicken first.  If you are using precooked chicken (I’ve done the dish with the chicken strips you can buy already cooked and sauteed my own chicken), you’ll just be heating this until hot an bubbly.  I prefer to take boneless chicken breast and sautee bite sized chunks in olive oil and season with a little garlic powder, onion salt, and Nature’s Seasoning and once cooked adding it to this dish.  However, I do make it this way as well, and doing it with uncooked chicken is (almost) as tasty and certainly easier than having to cook the bird first.

So to get started preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Then mix the following ingredients together:

• 1 1/3 cups of white instant rice
• 1 cup of water
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 can cream of cheddar cheese soup (I’ve also used cream of mushroom, cream of broccoli and cream of celery and all have worked without compromising taste)
• 1 large bag of Bird’s Eye Classic Mix Veggies (cook for 1/2 the suggested cooking time and then add to the mix)
• 2 tablespoons of onion flakes
• 1/2 – 1 tablespoon of minced garlic (optional)
• 1 tablespoon of Nature’s Seasoning (optional) or salt and pepper
• 4 boneless chicken breasts cut into thin strips or bite sized chunks
• 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

Mix the above ingredients until well blended.  Sprinkle the top with (more!) shredded cheddar cheese and bake for 50-60 minutes at 375 degrees until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink.  If you are using pre-cooked chicken cook at 350 degrees for about 30-40 minutes and cheese is melted and casserole is bubbly.

This is a quick and easy casserole that will leave the family full and happy!

*********************************************************

Baked Salmon

in a Creamy Dijon Sauce

This salmon recipe was given to me by an Alaskan…who better to know how to prepare salmon than an Alaskan?  It’s fast, easy, and sure to please!  I use small salmon fillets (which I love from Sam’s Club and Costco frozen in single serving portions), and thaw fully.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and place the thawed salmon pieces in a casserole dish.

In a mixing bowl combine 1 1/2 cups of (lite) mayo, 1/4 cup of honey dijon mustard, 1 1/2 tablespoons of dried oregano, 1 1/2 tablespoons of dried basil, 1 1/2 of dried thyme and an optional 1 teaspoon of lemon juice.  Mix well until blended.  Spoon over fish and completely cover each fillet.  Top with dried dill.

Bake fish 35-40 minutes until fish flakes easily with a fork.  Goes great with a side of rice and a veggie of your choice.

*********************************************

Caprese Salad

This year I have an abundance of tomatoes fresh from the garden.  This salad is my absolute favorite summer tomato recipe.  Here’s a short list of what you’ll need to make this delicious salad:

• 4-5 Fresh Tomatoes
• Fresh Mozzarella Cheese
• 5-7 fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper

Chop tomatoes into bite sized chunks and sprinkle with salt and pepper (to taste) next drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.   Add coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves and fresh mozzarella chopped into small chunks. Mix to coat evenly, add more salt and pepper if desired.  Enjoy!  I’ve eaten this healthy and delicious salad as a quick lunch and served as a side for dinner.  I love this with grilled steak.

******************************************************

Chicken with Wine Sauce

One bite, and you'll be hooked!

This recipe is one of my husband’s favorites (mine too) and it’s so easy to make.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Combine in large mixing bowl 1 can Campbell’s Cream of Chicken Soup, 1 can of Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup, One and a half cups of white wine, 2 tablespoons of Worchestershire Sauce, 3 tablespoons onion flakes, 1-2 tablespoons minced garlic, 2 teaspoons salt. Stir until well blended. I sometimes will also gently stir in sliced fresh mushrooms if I have them.

Place 3-4 chicken breasts in 9 x 13 casserole dish. Pour mixture over chicken and sprinkle top with paprika.  Bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes for bonless breasts and 1 hr 30mins – 1 hr 45 mins for chicken breasts with bone in…serve over rice…recipe can also be enhanced by drinking at least one glass of wine while cooking.  Enjoy!

*********************************************

Pop-Pop’s Pickles

This is a recipe from my Grandfather who was 100% Italian. Year after year he had the most amazing garden, and this year I am happy to have one I think he would have been proud of!  One of my family’s favorites, his pickle recipe is sure to please, and is great for something different to do with an abundance of cucumbers (like I have this year).  I can’t keep a jar of these lying around, and this year have already given out a dozen jars to family, friends and neighbors.  These pickles are ready to go after about a week, but the longer the cucumbers “pickle” the better they taste (I think anyway).  So wait a couple weeks if you can; it’ll be worth it!

Bring 2 quarts of water, 1 cup of vinegar, and 1/4 cup of salt to a boil. Allow to boil a minute and then remove from heat.  Allow mixture to cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile cut cucumbers into wedges or slices.  Place 1 tablespoon of minced garlic into the bottom of a glass jar (I prefer Mason Jars, but old pasta sauce jars, pickles jars, etc. work fine too so long as they are glass). Next place your cut cucumber pieces into the glass jar with pieces of fresh dill in between each of the cut cucumbers. Once the jar is full add another 1 tablespoon of minced garlic and then fill the jar with the cooled water/vinegar/salt mixture.  Seal jar and refrigerate for at least a week. Enjoy!

*********************************************

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

This soup is so easy to make you won’t believe it!  It’s a great use for leftover roasted/rotisserie chickens and even the kids will love it.  One bite and you’ll be hooked!

What You’ll Need:

*  4 cups cooked chicken cut/chopped into bite sized pieces

*  One large bag of Bird’s Eye Classic Vegetable Mix or other blend with carrots, peas, corn and green beans (or your other favorite veggies)

*  1 can of Campbell’s Cream of Chicken Soup

*  1 can of Campbell’s Cream of Broccoli Soup

*  1 can of Campbell’s Cheddar Cheese Soup

*  3 cups of Milk

*  1-2 tablespoons of salt

*  1-2 tablespoons of pepper

*  4 tablespoons of onion flakes

*  Parsley

In a large sauce pan combine milk and cream of chicken soup, cream of broccoli, and cheddar cheese soup.  Whisk thoroughly to mix together.

Add thawed veggie mix.  The Bird’s Eye Classic Vegetable Mix works well for my family.  It contains carrots, peas, corn, and green beans.  Use whatever frozen blend you enjoy most.  If I’m making the soup on the fly and didn’t have time to thaw, I cook the veggies in the microwave and cut the cooking time indicated on the bag in half.

Next add the cooked chicken.  This recipe puts leftover roasted or rotisserie chicken to great use, but I have also used other cooked chicken as well. Next add salt, pepper, onion flakes and parsley to taste.

Cook over medium high heat for approximately 10 minutes until heated through, stirring often.  Serve with or without crumbled crackers on top.

*  For a lower calorie and lower fat version of this recipe simply use skim milk and the Campbell’s 98% fat free cream of chicken and cream of broccoli soups.

*  Other soups like cream of potato, cream of celery and cream of mushroom have tasted just as good when I ran out of one of the other soups called for in the recipe.

*  Add more or less salt and pepper per your taste.  I start out with small amounts and taste-test as I go.  Some of the cooked chicken I have used has been more or less flavorful requiring me to adjust the salt, pepper, and onion amounts.

*********************************************************

Here you’ll find some of my favorite recipes!  Most are quick and easy, some are healthy, while others will be good for those people who are looking to add a couple pounds. Bon Appetit!

p.s. I totally recognize the irony of this page being next to my “Shape Up” diet and exercise page. Oh well, it’s how I roll…

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2011