Broccoli Cheese Soup

I've been on a quest for the perfect broccoli cheese soup.. I think I've found it! The original recipe is from the Pioneer Woman but I modified it a little. It's packed with veggies and uses creamy Velveeta. I've tried it with cheddar cheese but wasn't happy with the texture. I've tried it with fresh veggies and frozen.. both are wonderful. You can leave the veggies chunky, purée all of it, or purée some of it like I do. The possibilities are endless!

1 stick butter
1/2 c onion, chopped
1/2 c celery, chopped
1/2 c carrot, chopped
1/3 c flour
4 c milk
2 c half & half
dash nutmeg
black pepper to taste
sea salt to taste
1 large crown of broccoli, chopped or 1 bag frozen, chopped
16 oz Velveeta cheese, cut into small pieces


Melt butter in a large stockpot. Add onion, celery and carrots and sauté about 3 minutes. Stir in flour and cook one minute. Slowly stir in milk and half & half, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir in broccoli. Bring to simmer and cook on low 20-30 minutes until thickened slightly. Grab two mixing bowls and scoop about 4 cups of soup into each bowl. This will leave a couple of cups of chunky veggie soup in the pot. Use a blender to puree the smaller portions of soup to desired consistency and add it back to the pot. Stir in the Velveeta cheese until melted. Salt to taste. Serves 6 plus leftovers. Enjoy!

Easy Chicken and Dumplings

There is no greater comfort food than Chicken and Dumplings. It doesn't have to be an all-day-in-the-kitchen event (unless you just want to spend the day in there.. which I sometimes do). Here's a quick and easy recipe:

1 T canola oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1-2 carrots, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 14oz cans of chicken broth
1 can Campbell's Cream of Chicken
2 12 oz cans chicken breast with juice
black pepper to taste
parsley to taste
rubbed sage to taste
1/2 package Mary B's frozen dumplings, broken into thirds


Heat oil in a large pot or dutch oven. Sauté onion, carrots and celery about 5 minutes to soften. In a small bowl, mix soup with one can of warm water and whisk until smooth. Add to veggies. Add broth and chicken breast with juice. Season with black pepper, parsley and sage. Simmer about 20 minutes. Bring heat up to medium, to a slight boil; add dumplings, a few at a time, stirring so they don't stick together. Reduce heat to low and simmer 35-40 minutes, stirring frequently. Turn off heat and let them cool for a few minutes before serving. Serves 4 plus leftovers. Enjoy!

Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

Cold weather calls for a big pot of soup at my house :) Whip up a few grilled cheese sandwiches to go with it and you've got a meal.. Yum! Of course, the soup is a meal in itself with the chicken, rice and vegetables. This recipe is a combination of several that I've tried over the years.

2 T butter
2 T olive oil
2 handfuls baby carrots, sliced
1/2 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
salt & pepper to taste
1 can Campbell's Cream of Chicken
1 1/2 cans water
1 14oz can chicken broth
1 12oz can chicken breast with juice
1 box Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild Rice Original
1 c half & half
2 T flour


Sauté carrots, onion and celery in butter and olive oil, about 10 minutes, to soften. Season veggies with salt & pepper. In a medium bowl, combine Cream of Chicken soup with 1 1/2 cans warm water and whisk until smooth. Add to veggies. Stir in broth and chicken breast with juices, breaking chicken into smaller chunks. Bring to a simmer. Stir in Wild Rice and seasoning packet. Reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, whisk the flour into the half & half and set aside. After the 20 minutes, stir the half & half into the soup and cook an additional 10-15 minutes, stirring often. Serves 4. Enjoy!

Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup

With the cooler weather moving in it's definitely "soup time" at our house. I've tried many Chicken Enchilada Soup recipes over the years (Chili's copycat recipe is good, but time consuming) so this one is a combination of several.. plus you make it in the crockpot.. EASY!  

6-7 chicken breast tenderloins (frozen is fine)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can Rotel tomatoes with juice (I used mild)
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped (any color)
1 can Campbell's Cream of Chicken 
1 can Old El Paso Enchilada Sauce (mild or medium)
1/4 cup sour cream (more for garnish)
shredded cheddar cheese
crumbled tortilla chips


Add beans, Rotel, onion and pepper to crockpot. Place chicken on top. Combine soup and enchilada sauce and whisk until smooth. Pour over chicken and veggies. Cook low 5-6 hours. Prior to serving, remove chicken and shred with a fork, return to soup mixture and stir in 1/4 coup sour cream. Serve with shredded cheddar (or any other cheese you prefer), crushed tortilla chips, hot sauce, etc. Maybe even a little pico de gallo or avocado? Whatever you've got! Makes 4 main dish servings. Enjoy!