Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

Servings: 12


2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 (1 pound) package frozen pepper and onion stir fry mix
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons ground cumin
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
3 (4 ounce) cans chopped green chile peppers, drained
4 (14 ounce) cans vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste
1 (11 ounce) can whole kernel corn
12 ounces tortilla chips
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 avocado - peeled, pitted and diced

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the pepper and onion stir fry mix, garlic, and cumin, and cook 5 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Mix in the tomatoes and chile peppers. Pour in the broth, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes.
Mix corn into the soup, and continue cooking 5 minutes. Serve in bowls over equal amounts of tortilla chips. Top with cheese and avocado.

**This is a vegetarian dish and can be changed to your own liking. You can certainly add canned chicken and use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth, if you would like. 

Cheesy Broccoli Soup

Serves: 6

3 cups chicken broth

1 (32 oz.) large package frozen chopped broccoli

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon chopped garlic 

1/2 cup butter or margarine

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups milk

1 pound process American cheese (Velveeta), cubed

In a large saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a boil. Add frozen broccoli, cover and bring to a second boil, lower heat and simmer 7 minutes or until broccoli is tender. Drain, reserving 2/3 cup of the broth. In another large saucepan, saute onion and garlic in butter until tender. Whisk in flour until blended. Stir in milk and add cheese. Cook on medium-low until cheese is melted, stirring frequently. Stir in broccoli and reserved chick broth.

** I made this recipe last night instead of the potato and broccoli soup that I was originally going to make. I found the recipe online and changed it a little. This came out really good. There was more than enough for my family. I slowed cooked a whole chicken and used the broth from chicken. Instead of the butter, I cooked the onions in chicken fat and added a couple tablespoons margarine in with the milk and cheese. I will definitely make this broccoli soup again. I think I might try adding bacon next time and cook the onions in the bacon grease. 

Potato and Broccoli Soup

Ingredients:

2  tablespoons butter

1   onion, chopped

2   cloves garlic, minced

1 3/4 pounds broccoli, thick stems peeled and diced (about 2 cups), tops cut into small florets (about 1 quart)

1 1/2 pounds boiling potatoes (about 5), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

3  cups canned chicken broth or homemade stock

3  cups water

1 3/4 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

In a large pot, melt the butter over moderately low heat. Add the onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, broccoli stems, potatoes, broth, water, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables are almost tender, about 10 minutes. In a food processor or blender, pulse the soup to a coarse puree. Return the soup to the pot and bring to a simmer. Add the broccoli florets and simmer until they are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir 1/4 cup of the grated Parmesan into the soup, and serve the soup topped with the remaining cheese.

**I haven't made this yet but look forward to making it soon. It will be on my next week's menu for sure. I will   add crumbled bacon and some cheddar cheese to the soup. And I will probably serve this with pork chops, salad and some rolls. 

Crockpot Beans and Bacon

Ingredients:
1 lb dry pinto beans
1 lb bacon
seasoning salt
garlic powder
chopped onions

Serves: 4

Directions:
Sort and soak beans in plenty of cold water overnight. After soaking, drain and rinse beans. Place in crock pot with 2 cups water and about one tablespoon or so of each, seasoning salt and garlic powder. Layer the raw bacon on top of the beans. Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 5 hours. Top with chopped onions on individual servings.

**This is how I have been making pinto beans lately. It is really good. Even my picky son likes this. I usually serve this with corn bread or biscuits. It is just enough for my family of four. Made a double batch the last time I made this and had a lot of leftovers. Enough to even make a chili with afterwards.