Sunday, November 27, 2011

Lasagna Soup...A MUST TRY!!!



I love the smell of a giant pot of soup simmering on the stove on a Sunday afternoon!  I often make a pot of soup on the weekend to have a few days later on a busy weeknight.  Sometimes I get stuck, rotating the same soup recipes from week to week.  It’s easy, familiar and I already know what my critics have to say.  I branched out a couple weeks ago and made this Paula Dean soup and was NOT disappointed!  The taste of lasagna without having to assemble the layers and create lots of dirty dishes.  Genius!!!  Simple, delicious and a hit for sure!  Broiling the cheese on top is a MUST.  

Prep Ahead Plan:  As with most soups, this soup only gets better as it sits in the fridge.  Make over the weekend and have during the week for dinner (and probably a few lunches as it makes a ton). 


Lasagna Soup
adapted from Paula Dean
Ingredients
1 lb ground beef (or ½ lb ground beef and ½ lb Italian sausage)
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 ½ cartons (32-ounce) box chicken broth
2 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon basil
½ teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups broken lasagna noodles (about 4-5 noodles)
1 (5-ounce) package grated Parmesan cheese
shredded mozzarella cheese for topping
Directions
1.  Combine beef, onion, bell pepper and garlic in a soup pot. Cook until beef is browned. Drain well.
2.  Stir in brown sugar, broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and seasonings.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.
3.  Add noodles, and simmer until noodles are tender. Stir in Parmesan cheese. 
4.  When ready to serve, preheat broiler. Ladle soup into until cheese is browned and bubbly.  Enjoy!!!! 

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Oven Baked Salsa Chicken


Can you tell we eat a lot of Mexican inspired dishes in our house?  Here is a GREAT weeknight recipe I came across on Allrecipes.  I adapted it slightly and served it over rice!  It was a huge hit and it is ridiculously easy!

Prep Ahead Plan:  Prepare recipe in a 9 X 13 baking dish the night before and leave it in the fridge until ready to bake.


Ingredients
1 packet of taco seasoning  OR I used the recipe found HERE!)
1 jar of salsa (16oz)
6 thinly sliced boneless chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar (I like to use the Mexican blend they sell in the store)
Chipotle flavored tabasco (optional)

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9 X 13 pan with cooking spray.
2.  Rub the chicken breasts with the taco seasoning.
3.  Pour a little salsa on the bottom of the pan and spread it around.  Place the chicken in the pan and top with more salsa.  (You can use as much or as little as you want).
4.  Top with a few splashes of tabasco (if using) and then with the cheese.  Bake for 40 minutes or longer for thicker chicken breasts!  Serve over rice!