Simple Yet Gourmet

Before Winter is officially over, I have to share my favorite Broccoli Cheddar Soup! I have always loved Broccoli Soup- it's so smooth, creamy and cheesy.  Comfort food for sure! Especially with some nice warm bread.  Mmm mmm.  I've tried several recipes throughout the years but knew this one was a keeper when Danny, my then 5 year old, wanted me to warm the leftovers up for breakfast! Haha. Funny kid.  This soup is seriously delicious though.  I love the addition of the carrots- it adds a little something extra in the flavor department and another serving of veggies!  Choose to leave this soup chunky or blend it up after it's cooked. Whatever floats your boat.   

Simple yet tasty is how I’d describe this soup. It isn’t anything showy but it really hits the spot. My husband, who really isn’t a big fan of soups, said he actually really liked it! Served alongside my Honey Oatmeal Super Seed Bread  it was a perfect meal for a cold Winter night.  This soup is reminiscent of one my mom used to make using a leftover Ham Hock and dried white beans. She would put them in a slow cooker and let them cook all day. The house smelled amazing! With that soup in mind, I set out to make a similar version on the stovetop.   All you need to make this version is some cooked ham (leftovers work great here), canned white beans, and carrots. It came together so quickly, and was simple, easy, and satisfying. 

This is my type of chili! More creamy than tomato-y and full of good for you stuff like corn and beans! While it is quite flavorful, it's not overly spicy.  I toned it way down so my picky kids would eat it.  Don't worry though, if you want it to be more spicy, I'll give you some easy ways to do that!  This chicken enchilada chili is so easy thanks to the slow cooker and smells amazing cooking away throughout the day.  Top it off with some grated cheese, avocado, sour cream, tortilla chips, etc.  I always love lime juice on mine!

  With cooler weather finally here, it's time to break out the soup recipes.  I stumbled across this recipe last year and we can not get enough of this yummy soup.  It's smooth and creamy, loaded with chunks of baked potatoes and sprinkled with bacon, cheese and green onions.  Serves with a side of garlic knots, I promise you will not be disappointed.

One of my favorite restaurants, Zupas, has a creamy white cauliflower soup that is so good.  My love for that soup sent me on a quest to find a version I could make at home.  After trying a few different recipes, and adding a few tweaks of my own this soup was born.  Now, it's not exactly like the Zupas version, but I love this soup.  As the name implies, it is creamy and cheesy, but hearty as well thanks to the cauliflower.  You can choose to puree the cauliflower for a smooth creamy soup or leave some pieces in there if you like to have more texture in it.  Hope you like it!

After a beautiful fall Sunday, we have been slapped into winter with snow and 15 degree temperatures. Nothing like a easing us into winter! So what better way to enjoy such a cold day than with a warm bowl of soup and hot bread from the oven. Mike loves corn chowder, but I am NOT a fan, but this recipe I really like, and have made more than once. My kids even ask for this when I suggest soup for dinner.  Super easy to make and it hits just the right spot of these cold snowy days!  Enjoy.

T'is the season for soup.  I was told by Tyler this week that he hates the winter because all we eat is soup.  I reminded him that I make soup about once every two weeks but it can become more often if he would like!  I love to feed my family soup, even if Tyler feels we eat to much of it, because I feel this is the best way to make sure they get a complete and balanced meal without much hassle or fight.  Plus it just makes you feel all warm inside.  This was a great soup, wonderful flavor and simple to make.  Serve it with a slice of warm homemade bread or rolls to make the meal complete.  Enjoy!

With cold weather just around the corner, a good bowl of soup or chili is always comforting. This recipe come from my mom, who taught me everything I know and is one of the best cooks around. We made this a few weekends ago and really enjoyed it. I came a cross another version of this that is cooked in the crock pot so I will post that one as well and you can decide which one works best for you! I cooked my own beans and my kids ate a big bowl of just the beans before I added them to the soup. What can I say, my kids are a little strange in what they like to eat, but I love it!                             Happy Fall!

     I am so happy to welcome fall this past week!  Not only do I love the fall colors, but I am soooo happy to finally have some cooler weather.  This summer has been so unbearable with the high temperatures and the state on fire, I am ready for fall.  Plus with cooler weather means a change in menu as well.  I start making more soups and homemade bread and less grilling.  Here is the new one for my recipe book.  I'm sure many of you know Cafe Rio and Cafe Mexicali.  I have mentioned before that I can eat Mexican food everyday if Mike would go for it.  Unfortunately, he likes Mexican food, but not as much as I do.  Well this one Mike really liked, thank goodness.  This soup in a combination of recipes from Cafe Rio and Cafe Mexicali.     At Cafe Mexicali they make this Tortilla Soup, but they add a scoop of creamy habanero sauce, which makes the soup heavenly.  Now, you may make the soup and omit t...

This is not your average tomato soup. Roasting the tomatoes gives them extra sweetness and depth, making them burst with flavor.  I absolutely love soup in the Fall, and this one has definitely found a place in the rotation!  I am never going back to canned tomato soup.  There really is no comparison.  It's easy to make, delicious, and perfect for eating with a grilled cheese sandwich, or however you like.

Do you ever have one of those days that you just know you're not going to have much time to devote to dinner? But you still want to have a nice home-cooked meal?  I know I do.  The prep time on this soup is under 10 minutes.  Can't beat that!  It is great served with fresh lime juice, a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheese, guacamole, etc.

  Here's another great soup recipe to keep you warm in the upcoming months.  I served it with these     bread sticks  and together they really hit the spot.  One of the things I love about this soup is that it warms your kitchen and has a wonderful aroma as it simmers.  Also, it has a good amount of veggies in it, including shredded zucchini.  I got my tortellini's from Costco from the refrigerated section.  In my opinion, fresh or frozen tortellini are the best, but you could also use the ones from the box.  Either way, don't l et this soup pass you by without giving it a try.

With summer going and cool weather just around the corner, I have been in the mood for soup and warm bread.  All of my kids really love butternut squash, so I thought this soup would be perfect.  Jeremy LOVED this soup!  He ate two bowls and had some for lunch the next day.

My family has decided that we are going to change our ways a little and try to eat extra healthy this month! So I will leave the sweet recipes up to Pam!! I do have a few I have made but not yet posted so I will try to add a few in the middle of all the healthy ones!! With Mike out of town a lot, it gives me a chance to try my crazy veggie recipes out on my kids! Mike is always good about eating whatever I make, but he does like chicken or meat with his dinner. He has done better as I have in the past few months started to take meat out of meals and replace them with whole grains and veggies!

I love soup. I love it even more in a delicious bread bowl. This Creamy White Chili really hit the spot when served in the Italian bread bowl. The chili is creamy and slightly spicy without being overpowering and comes together in a snap. The bread bowls require a little more preparation, as all yeast breads do, but the end result is worth it. The outside is chewy while the inside is moist and fluffy. This combination is great for warming up on a cold winter's night!

Apparently there are a lot of Mulligatawny soups out there, but I had never heard of it. This is a veggie, chicken and rice soup, with a bit of curry and a sweet crunch of green apple. I know the combinations sounds strange, but believe me, the flavor is unbelievable. Mike wasn't feeling so well this week, so I decided to try something other than my classic chicken noodle soup, it was a hot with everyone in my family. This has become my new favorite soup. Give it a try, its perfect for a cold winter day with a slice of oatmeal bread or garlic knots on the side. Enjoy!!

Okay, so I think I have finally come up with a chili recipe that I really like. For those of you who have a Sprouts Market around you, you might have tried there chili when they have it for the soup of the day. My dad was the one who turned me on to the wonderful dish. Whenever he comes to visit we take a trip over and fill our bowls until the lids don't fit and eat it in the car on the way home, love my Dad! I tried to find the recipe, but had no luck, so I made up my own! I combined a few recipes and added my own ingredients and have come up with this recipe. We love it over pasta, with sour cream, cheese and crushed tortilla chips on top. Always good for a cold winter night!

With zucchini season in full bloom, I am always looking for new recipes to use it up! My motto is the more veggies the better and this recipe does just that! My mom gave me this one while in MO a couple of weeks ago. I know, it's hot and who wants to eat soup, but it is a great recipe, even Mike liked it! I served it with sliced apples and corn bread pudding, which recipe I will add next. I have a chocolate zucchini bread recipe I will post soon as well, seeing I have zucchini coming out my ears!!

This recipe I found in my favorite cooking magazine, Cuisine At Home. This has become one of our favorite soups to make on those cold Colorado nights. I love making homemade rolls and honey butter to go along with this very yummy and filling soup.