Tag: homemade soup

Recipes and Cooking

Loaded Potato Soup in Crockpot

Brandi C

Loaded Potato Soup in Crockpot

Loaded Potato Soup in Crockpot

When I was cleaning out all areas of my kitchen, I had a few things I needed to use up before they went bad. Here is how I can up with Loaded Potato Soup in Crockpot. It was really easy to make and I was able to clean out a lot of “little bits of things” I needed to use.

8-10 potatoes, peeled, washed, cubed

8 tsp chicken bouillon powder

Seasoning mix

32 oz. water

In crockpot, place all of those items.

Next Up

Take 1 onion and chop it up and put it in a saute pan with some bacon grease and a pat of butter. Cook until it is translucent. Once that is done, mix in the crockpot. Stir well. It would have been good to add in some fresh mushrooms to saute down with the onion and garlic. I am also not opposed to throwing broccoli in there, but be sure and season it.

Cook on high for 2-3 hours and then turn it to low, if you have the time. Once the potatoes are fork tender is when I ladle some out into a big bowl. In that bowl of hot potatoes, I had 1 c. sour cream and 1 can cream of potato soup. I used my immersion blender to blend that up. Pour this mixture back into the soup. Next, add 2 good handfuls of cheddar and 1 c. heavy cream. You will need to put some extra chicken bouillon flavoring in it and a tad bit more seasoning.

Stir, cover, and let sit till all working together for the glory of God.

Almost Done

Get some bacon in the oven and start cooking on that. While that is cooking, chop up some green onions, and get out the cheddar for garnish (and more LOL). Get the cooked bacon out, drain and then crumble it up for a topping. You can top your soup with green onion, more cheddar, bacon, biscuits, or more sour cream. Also, you can serve with crackers.

Enjoy.

Recipes and Cooking

Making Magic Out of Leftovers

Brandi C

Making Magic Out of Leftovers

Making Magic Out of Leftovers

Since I made the huge mistake of having Ham and Hashbrown Casserole two weeks in a row, tonight we are Making Magic Out of Leftovers. This is such an easy recipe and everyone really does enjoy it but I am not one to repeat meals too often (with the exception of pizza night). So, Zuppa Toscana will be, once again, pushed off until next week. God forbid we have two different soups in a week. Here is how I transformed my casserole into a fantastic soup using bits and pieces from my fridge as well (hence the shelf-cooking tag).

Ham and Hashbrown Casserole

Last night, we had ham and hashbrown casserole. I had fully intended to have it again tonight with the lima beans and some garlic bread (gf bread for one of my people). However, as much as we like this recipe, I was kind of over it. My family would never tell me they were tired of eating it but I know I am therefore I am sure they are as well.

When I did my bulk freezer cooking, I had enough ingredients to make this casserole twice. In making it twice, we ate on it, at least, four times because it made so much. We would have it as a main dish one night and a side dish the next. Wasting food, around my house, is not something I will do if I can help it. We eat it until it is gone or I freeze it. This time, I am repurposing it.

Realistic Shelf-Cooking with Leftovers

I looked in my fridge and I had a half a bag of bacon bits, some heavy cream I needed to use up, the casserole from last night, a few green onions, and some lunch meat ham that was ending its life. One child grabbed my crockpot and I set out to see what I could do. Normally, I would create a roux and add some sour cream, cream of chicken (or mushroom), and play around with the seasonings. This time, however, I didn’t have sour cream and I didn’t want to make my gf cream of chicken.

First, I dumped the leftovers into the crockpot. I then cut up the ham and tossed it in there. From that point, I added some water to loosen it up and the heavy cream. Since I added liquid, I did sprinkle in some chicken bouillon powder (nutritional yeast would have worked as well). I really wanted to saute up some fresh mushrooms, garlic, and onion but I didn’t want to take the time to do it. The mushrooms will be used for pizza night and the rest, I was just to lazy to do it.

I popped on the lid and set it to low. After a bit, I stirred it up and tasted it. It needed no seasoning but I did add some cheddar just because cheese makes everything better. My fear was that my potatoes would turn to mush but since I used cubed hashbrowns, they have kept their form. I’m restraining myself from stirring too often. Once you take the lid off the crockpot, you lose that seal and it takes a while to heat it back up.

I ate a bowl for lunch. For mine, I sprinkled on some green onions. It is fantastic! So now, we will ate it yesterday, today, and likely tomorrow for lunch. I serve one of my kids’ soup with gluten free saltine crackers.

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Recipes and Cooking

Easy Ham and Hashbrown Soup Recipe

Brandi C

Easy Ham and Hashbrown Soup Recipe

Easy Ham and Hashbrown Soup Recipe

Thanksgiving is over and we have some leftover ham. That is how I came up with this Easy Ham and Hashbrown Soup Recipe. There is also a half an onion that needs to be used up, a bit of garlic, a half of a bag of cheese, and some bacon bits. What on earth can I do? That was my thought process yesterday when I made this. I knew I had class for two hours starting at five, so it had to be a crockpot recipe. Also, I have my granddaughter so it was necessary for it to be super quick.

We love potato soup, but frying bacon and cutting potatoes was not on my agenda. I guess it wouldn’t have been on it anyway because I had no bacon and I am out of potatoes. Bart was going to make pizza but then what would the kids eat because there isn’t enough of that to go around. With one child being gluten free, I have to actually think about what I cook now. It can’t just be thrown together. So, here we are with what Bart calls one of the “best soups” he has had in a while.

Ingredients for Ham and Hashbrown Soup

1/2 KY legend ham, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

1 T. minced garlic

Seasoning

1/2 bag bacon bits

2 T. bacon grease (if you don’t have this, just throw in some butter)

6 cubes of chicken bouillon (if you don’t have this, you can use chicken broth and eliminate the water)

32 oz. water

1/8 c. nutritional yeast (you can omit this if you desire. I use it for nutritional value)

32 oz. shredded hashbrown

1/2 c. sour cream

1 c. heavy cream (I did not have this so I used 2% milk and it worked just fine)

3 T. gluten free flour (you can use any)

Cheese (I used a combo of about 1 1/2 c. colby and about a cup of cheddar)

 

Directions for Easy Soup Recipe

In crockpot, I put in the chopped up ham, onion, seasoning, nutritional yeast, bacon grease, bacon bits, hashbrown, and chicken bouillon powder (or cubes if that is what you have). I mixed this up really well and added 32 oz. water. Pop the lid on and cook on high for about 2 hours. I came back and stirred that around and then put it on low until I was about an hour from eating.

When I was about ready to serve, I took the lid off and added the cheese. While the cheese was melting, I got a measuring cup and put in my milk, sour cream, and flour. I whisked that together to get the lumps out. From there, I poured in the liquid and stirred well. You will start to see it thicken up fairly quickly. I put the lid back on for about 35-40 minutes (low) warm it all back up.

Then it was time to eat!  It really was good. You need to try it to see if you need to adjust the seasoning. Remember, you can add seasoning to a soup but you can’t take it back out. The secret to that is start with a little amount and adjust to taste. I was afraid it was going to be too salty with the ham, bacon grease, nutritional yeast, and seasoning. I thought it could use a bit more but didn’t put it in because it might have just been my tastebuds out of whack.

What I Would Do Differently

Hmmm, I would add some sauteed red, yellow, and orange peppers. I could get away with adding finely shredded zucchini. Fresh mushrooms would have been amazing in this soup as well. There was no cream of type of soup. That is good because it is hard to find gluten free, though it can be made. I just didn’t want to do that because of time constraints. It made a big crockpot full, so we will definitely have it for lunch and the boys will eat it tonight for supper.

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Recipes and Cooking

Garlic Parmesan Chops Soup

Brandi C

Garlic Parmesan Chops Soup

Garlic Parmesan Chops Soup

As promised from yesterday’s post, this is the Garlic Parmesan Chops Soup that is so good! Bart was so impressed, and the pot was instantly all gone! So excited to add a new soup.

Ingredients

Pork Chops (I used boneless)

Seasoning

Bacon grease (or oil)

Butter

Seasoning

Parmesan Sauce

2 c. heavy cream

2 c. parmesan

Garlic

Spinach (chopped)

Fresh mushrooms (chopped)

Onion (chopped)

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

Addition

Potatoes washed and cubed (with or without skin)

2 c. cheddar

2 cartons of chicken broth (you can make your own or use water and chicken bouillon cubes)

Cream of Mushroom Soup

How to Make

In an electric skillet, pour some bacon grease (or oil) and butter. I pounded my chops and seasoned them well with my seasoning mix. Fry them up. Once done, remove them from the pan. Again, these were leftovers from last night, so all I did was chop them up into bite-size pieces.

Place all of the parmesan sauce ingredients in the same skillet the chops were in. Stir until thickened. This was, again, leftovers from the night before.

Soup Process

Get your chicken broth boiling, and add some seasoning. Put in your washed, cubed potatoes and let them boil. Once they were done, I scooped them into a bowl, leaving the chicken broth water in the pot.

I added the cream of mushroom soup, parmesan sauce, and cheddar to that pot. I whisked that all into the water to get all the lumps out. Then, I placed the cubed leftover pork chops and let them simmer to warm and soften them up. Once that was done, I added my potatoes back in.

So.  Freaking.  Good.

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Recipes and Cooking

Chicken Alfredo Soup

Brandi C

Chicken Alfredo Soup

Chicken Alfredo Soup

Just go ahead and slap your mama. Dang, it. This Chicken Alfredo Soup is now tied for first place for Big Daddy. The other two are Easy White Chicken Chili with Cream Cheese and Pizza Soup Recipe. Frankly, I am impressed with myself.

Ingredients

3 cans of chicken, drained (feel free to use chicken breasts because you can use the broth)

Seasoning

Onion

Garlic

3/4 c. butter

3/4 c. flour

1 c. heavy cream

Sour Cream

Chicken bouillon

Water

Parmesan

Mozzarella

Pasta

Directions

Saute up the cut-up onion and garlic in butter. Once sauteed, add in your flour and cook that down a bit. Get your whisk out and add 2 c. water. Whisk that all in really well. Now, I wish I could tell you how much chicken bouillon I used, but I used that paste. I think I did about 2 Tbsps. Sprinkle with your seasoning.

Once that is incorporated, add more water and keep stirring. I did this in my Instant Pot on saute mode, by the way. You will notice your “roux” is getting thicker. I think I did about 5 c. water. You can adjust accordingly. Add your chicken and parmesan.

Moving On

Let’s talk pasta real quick. I used bowtie pasta. I brought my water to a boil in my pot (not the instant pot). Once it came to a boil, I seasoned it and added my pasta. Drain and then add to your roux.

Next time, I might use a couple of boxes of Ditalini pasta or maybe cut up fettucini. The bowties were fine and good, but I think I want a smaller type, like a small rigatoni. Ugh, I need to go and look at all the types or make my own. Do you know what would be good? Putting in cheese tortellini. Cause, yum!

Anyway

Once I got all that in the pot, I added the heavy and sour cream. If you cook this in an instant pot, you must keep stirring because it will start to burn on the bottom. Baby it! In the end, I added about 2 cups (I know, I know) of mozzarella. Keep tasting to adjust the seasoning. Remember, you can always add seasoning, but you can’t take it out if you put too much in there. Start small and add as you like!

Dang, this was good. Had my Oak been here, I would’ve slapped her face 🙂 Then, she would have slapped me back, LOL.

 

Recipes and Cooking

Pizza Soup Recipe

Brandi C

Pizza Soup Recipe

Pizza Soup Recipe

Is it a secret that I love soup? I don’t believe it is. So, without further ado, here is my Pizza Soup Recipe. It’s a keeper! Bart says it is tied for first for his favorite soups. The other is White Chicken Chili. I did this all in the Instant Pot, but you can do it on the stovetop!

Ingredients

2# sausage

2# ground beef

Pepperoni

You Can add any meat you want here or combine your favorite meat toppings in this soup. Also, if you like a lot of veggies on your pizza, chop them up and add them here because you want to cook them down a bit. I want to use peppers, but my husband doesn’t care. Mushrooms would be good!

1 onion

Minced Garlic

Seasoning

Italian Seasoning

Rosemary

1 jar of pizza sauce

Water (I believe I filled up the pizza sauce jar 3x and put it in there. Eyeball it.)

2 cans of Tomato Soup

1 can of cream of mushroom soup

Mozzarella

Directions

On the saute mode (Instant Pot), combine the meats, onion, minced garlic, and seasoning. Cook until done, and drain if you need to. Once done, put it back in the pot and add your Italian Seasoning and Rosemary.

Next, add the sauce, water, and soups. Stir well and then place the lid on, seal, manual, for about 8-10 minutes. Everything is cooked, so you want to meld the flavors. Once done, use the quick release. Stir in your mozzarella. Again, put as much in there as you wish. I may have used 2 cups cause we like cheese!

Enjoy!

Oh, my original plan was to add a box of Ditalini noodles to it. I would have boiled them in saltwater on the stovetop. Then drained it and then added it to the instant pot. I have found that if I cook noodles that small in the IP, they get mushy.

 

Recipes and Cooking

Spin-on Tortellini Soup

Brandi C

Spin-on Tortellini SoupSpin-on Tortellini Soup

I love Tortellini Soup. Love it. So, today, as I was getting the stuff out of my pantry, I thought I would create a Spin-on Tortellini Soup. The broth is excellent! I did this in my instant pot, but it can be done on the stove.

Caution of warning, do not put your milk-based items in the soup before you seal the soup. You put that in AFTER it is done cooking, releasing the pressure. I made that mistake once, and I will never make it again.

Ingredients

Kielbasa quartered

Onion, chopped

Fresh garlic, chopped

Spinach, chopped (or kale)

Seasoning

Italian Seasoning

1 can cream of mushroom

6 tsp chicken bouillon paste

1/2 c. sour cream

2 cans of tomato sauce

1 Tbsp sugar

Water

Directions

In Instant Pot, saute the garlic, onion, kielbasa, and seasoning mix. Add a bit of water if it starts sticking to the pan. Once that is done, add in cream of mushroom soup; I think I did about 6 tsp of chicken bouillon paste. I will say, at this point, I added the sour cream and mixed it well. It did not explode, so that is a good thing. Then, I added the tomato sauce and the sugar. Next, add chopped spinach and Italian seasoning. I added enough water to thin it out just a little bit. You can always add more water towards the end.

Place on the lid, and move the lever to the “seal” position. I hit the soup function and adjusted it to 10 minutes. Once that is done, I did a quick release. I stirred everything well and tasted the broth to ensure the seasonings were good. A good rule of thumb is to start small. You can always add more, but you can’t ever take the salt out of something.

Bechamel Sauce

3 T. butter

Flour, 3 T.

Melt together while whisking.

Add a cup of heavy cream, and continue to whisk while on medium heat. The flour will thicken up. Once it was thick, I added in about 2 c. of cheddar. Stir well until it is all combined.

From this point, I added some broth to the bechamel pan. I did this to thin it out and make it to that it would incorporate easier into the soup.

Once incorporated and stirred, I added it to the soup.

Cue the angels, singing.

Tortellini

I cook these in a separate pot. I feel the tortellini get too mushy if I do the tortellini in the instant pot. Doing this serves a dual purpose. I boil the water, season it, and scoop out my tortellini. You can keep the starchy pasta in water. I add them to my Instant pot, and if I need additional water, I use the hot starchy water I cooked my tortellini in.

It’s good, people.

 

Recipes and Cooking

Keto-Friendly Cheeseburger Soup

Brandi C

Keto-Friendly Cheeseburger Soup

Keto-Friendly Cheeseburger Soup

Again, Cheesburger Soup is a staple at my house and very well-loved. The regular version of this soup is loaded with all the good things that make it great. Here is my quest at Keto-Friendly cheeseburger Soup, which was a success!

Ingredients

1# ground beef

1# sausage

1/2 large onion, chopped

2 T butter

minced garlic

seasoning

red pepper flakes

Italian Seasoning mix

Chicken broth

4 heaping tablespoons sour cream

1 c. heavy cream

water

3 c. cheddar

1 head of cauliflower (except next time, I will probably use 2!  chop up it unless you like HUGE chunks.)

8 slices of bacon, chopped

Directions

Get your bacon going in the oven. Once done, chop it up. Remember to save the grease.

In an Instant pot, get butter, minced garlic, and onion, cooking till translucent. Add meat, sausage, and seasoning, and cook till done. Drain, if necessary. Once drained, add Italian seasoning and Red pepper flakes (not too much if you don’t like the heat).

Once done, add in some water and chicken broth. Taste to see if it needs any more seasoning. Chop cauliflower (realize that by using the Instant pot, some of the smaller cauliflower will dissolve, so chop a mix of larger pieces (think potato chunks) and smaller ones so that they will dissolve and create a thicker consistency).

Next Up

Once you get all that in the pot, add enough water and/or chicken broth to cover the meat and cauliflower. Set on the “soup” function, which for me was 10 minutes. Do a quick release.

Add in the heavy cream, sour cream, and cheese. Stir till combined and taste for seasoning purposes or to add more cheese. After all, that, add your chopped bacon.

The soup was delicious. You could not tell that I did not use potatoes or a “cream” type of soup in it.

 

 

Recipes and Cooking

Keto-Friendly Broccoli and Cheese Soup

Brandi C

Keto-Friendly Broccoli and Cheese Soup

Keto-Friendly Broccoli and Cheese Soup

Okay, I love soup. I love it loaded with cream of mushroom, cream of chicken, and all the ooey-gooey deliciousness that comes with the comfort of soup. Here is my version of a Keto-Friendly Broccoli and Cheese Soup.

Yet, there is Big Daddy.

He is determined to work on his health. I mean, not necessarily to lose weight, to eat better to see what could be causing his joints to hurt. So, I’m taking some family favorites and attempting to revamp some recipes.

Please bear in mind that I do not use measurements. I do a base, and I taste to see if it needs any more seasoning, cheese, thickening agent, etc. This dish is also low carb. Also, I did do this in the instant pot!

Ingredients

1 bag of frozen cut-up broccoli

1 bag of frozen broccoli florets

2 T. butter

1/2 large onion

Minced garlic

Seasoning

Chicken stock

Water

Cheddar (I think I used about 3 cups)

2 oz. cream cheese

4 heaping tablespoons of sour cream

1 c. heavy cream

8 slices of crispy bacon, chopped up

Directions

Get your bacon in the oven. Once done, chop it up! Be sure and save the bacon grease in a mason jar. You can always use a parmesan cheese lid to screw on it if you don’t have a mason jar lid.

Saute up the butter, garlic, and onion until the onion is translucent. Add the chopped-up broccoli and about 3 cups of water. I put it in the instant pot and set it to the “soup” mode. Once it was done, I did a quick release, took my potato masher, and mashed up the cooked broccoli. This helps thicken the soup.

Next Up

Once that was done, I added some chicken stock. I didn’t want it too soupy, so I eyeballed it. Then, I added the heavy cream, cream cheese, sour cream, and seasoning. I got that all mixed up and taste-tested it. Once I had an excellent seasoning/chicken broth/water ratio, I added in the cheddar cheese.

Lastly, I cut up the HUGE pieces of broccoli florets and threw them in the pot. I put the lid back on and set it on “manual” for about 3 minutes, but for the most part, the hot liquid cooked the broccoli. It would be wrong if it were undercooked or overcooked.

Last but not least, I added the bacon.

Verdict

This broth was spot on, and I was shocked at the ability of the mushed of the first bag of broccoli and the cream cheese to thicken it up so nicely. I could get naked and swim in that broth 🙂 That was too much, wasn’t it :/

 

 

Recipes and Cooking

Roast Recipe

Brandi C

Roast Recipe

Here is a simple Roast Recipe.  The good thing about this recipe is that you can freeze the leftovers if you make 2 roasts.  These leftovers can be used in Beef Stew, Vegetable Beef Soup, or any Chinese recipe.

Roast

Chuck roast (now, I used 2 cause I have 5 billion children, but I will tell you what I will do with it at the end of this post!)

Seasoning mix

2 packets Lipton onion soup mix

Worcestershire Sauce

1 can cream of mushroom soup

Water

Directions

I use a HUGE pan with a lid.  You could also put this in a crockpot.  I would not, however, use an Instant pot.  For some reason, when I do a roast in the Instant pot makes the roast tough.

Also, we buy our meat in bulk once a year.  So, all my meat is frozen, and I do not thaw it beforehand.  All that being said, put your roast in your roasting pan.  I think I added about 3 c. water.

On top of each roast, sprinkle seasoning and Lipton onion soup mix.  Then, I take the can of cream of mushroom soup, and I smear it all over both roasts.

Next, I douse the roasts with Worcestershire sauce.  Cover the roasts and slow cook at 250 all day long.

After a few hours, I checked in to ensure enough water.  I kicked the oven to 350 for about 45 minutes and then turned it back down.

This meat was PERFECT.

Now What

Yes, I have a lot of kids, BUT they also eat a lot.  That is one reason I make 2 roasts.  The other reason is to refreeze.

I get 2-gallon size bags and put equal amounts in each baggie.  Squeeze out all the air and freeze.

I will use this for 2 dinners next week (saving money).  One dinner will be beef and broccoli stir fry.  I can add water chestnuts, soy sauce, cauliflower rice, and regular rice.  Mix it with steamed broccoli.

The next meal I will make is vegetable beef soup.  Add tomato juice, marjoram, basil, oregano, seasoning, diced tomatoes, other vegetables, and potatoes.

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Recipes and Cooking

Lasagna Soup

Brandi C

Lasagna Soup

 

Lasagna Soup

This lasagna soup is a great twist on a classic comfort food, and it’s so easy to make in the Instant Pot! With its rich tomato flavor, tender noodles, and creamy cheese, it feels like you’re enjoying a warm, cheesy lasagna but in soup form. The ground beef, kale, and green peppers add a savory, hearty base, and the addition of cream of mushroom soup and chicken bouillon really enhances the flavor. Top it off with sour cream and a sprinkle of parmesan, and you’ve got a delicious, filling meal that the whole family will love. Perfect for busy nights!

2 pounds of ground beef

1 onion, chopped

2 c. kale, chopped

2 green peppers, chopped

In an instant pot, brown these all together with seasoning and drain.

Mix beef mixture, basil, oregano, and Italian Seasoning in the same pot. Then add in 2 cans of diced tomatoes (I pureed these up because Big Daddy does “not like chunks”), the equivalent of one can of cream of mushroom (can either use canned or make your own GF version). Next, add 4 chicken bouillon cubes, 32 oz—of water, and lasagna noodles (I used about 6) that are broken up.
Turn on the manual for 15 minutes.
Quick-release.
Check noodles and put them back on manual, if needed.
Add 1 c. milk, 2 c. cheddar cheese, and 1/2 c. sour cream.
Stir well and serve with parmesan.

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Recipes and Cooking

Gluten-Free Chicken and Noodle Soup

Brandi C

Gluten-Free Chicken and Noodle Soup

Gluten-Free Chicken and Noodle Soup

Screaming Moment

Have you ever had one of those days where you want to run down the road naked, screaming at the top of your lungs? Enter Gluten-Free Chicken and Noodle Soup cause it is my jam. Well, any soup, for that matter. It, quite literally, soothes my soul.

Yep, I had one.

As an illustration, my day started with a butt through a wall.

As well as some nosy Nellies.

Add a splash of liars.

Tears.

Confessions.

Manual labor.

Saturday in a Nutshell: Fall Recipe

We did, for fun and all, add in some ticks, fits, crap in pants, paint, a mini-remodel (because of the butt issue), and a battle between a tree and a child.

Cause what a Saturday would be without all that fun?

Oh, I forgot that we start school (on the 24th), and I lost ALL my notes, schedules, and curriculum.

So, there’s that.

At 7:30 pm, my sweet (not so much sweet on this day, but a bit salty) H said he was hungry. I forgot to cook :/

I was so busy micromanaging misbehaving kids, working on the bathroom, doing some spot cleaning, and doing schoolwork prep. It just slipped my mind.

So, here is what I threw together because I had nothing else in the house to fix, and we did not want to eat out.

Gluten-Free Chicken and Noodle Soup

One bag of Tyson pre-cooked diced chicken (again, all I had, and it was frozen)

Minced onions

Seasoning

Cream cheese

2 c. Monterey jack cheese

Splash of milk

Rice spaghetti noodles

Broccoli (gotta get those veggies in)

Chicken stock (GF)

I put stock, chicken, seasoning, and minced onions in the instant pot (sniffing up 8 pm) and set it on soup for 12 minutes.

To save time, I started the water for the noodles and cut up the large pieces of broccoli. I also had A shred my cheese because pre-shredded cheese is processed, which is no Bueno.

When the instant pot was done, I quickly released the pressure. I added a splash of milk, the cheese, and then cut-up broccoli. I did turn it back on manual for 2 minutes to soften up the broccoli.

By the time that was done, my noodles were done. I drained them and put them in the soup.

Voila.

It is finished.

Thank. Goodness.

 

Recipes and Cooking

Chicken and Rice Soup (Instant Pot)

Brandi C

Chicken and Rice Soup (Instant Pot)

Chicken and Rice Soup (Instant Pot) is one of my newest creations. Simple and easy clean-up! This is an all-in-one soup that I cook all year round.

Chicken and Rice Soup (Instant Pot)

1 carton of gluten-free chicken broth

Minced onions

2 cans of chicken, drained

Seasoning

Oregano

Italian Seasoning

4 c. cooked rice

1/2 c. sour cream

Cream of chicken soup

1 c. milk

2 c. cheddar cheese soup

Instructions

Place all ingredients except the sour cream, milk, and cheddar cheese in an instant pot. Please note that any recipe (for an Instant Pot) that calls for milk products should be added AFTER the soup is done cooking. If you add it before, it can lead to explosions (experience) and curdling (experience).

Once the pressure is released, the soup is super hot, so there is no problem with melting the cheese. Add all dairy ingredients, including cream, 1/2 and 1/2, sour cream, cream cheese, cheese, etc.

Turn on soup mode and let run until done. My rice was not entirely done enough, so I stirred it up well and put it on manual for another 10 minutes.

Once done, add the milk, sour cream, and cheddar. Stir until it is all melded well.

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Recipes and Cooking

Keto Beef Stroganoff Soup

Brandi C

Keto Beef Stroganoff Soup recipe can be made with noodles. Be mindful that you cannot cook them too long in the Instant Pot because the noodles will become mushy. Honestly, I do not ever do egg noodles in the instant pot. They never turn outright. I go back to the boiling pot of water and cook them al dente.

Keto Beef Stroganoff Soup

Keto Beef Stroganoff Soup

Round steak ( cut in strips and then the strips cut in half)

1 onion

2 tsp. minced garlic

Fresh mushrooms

2 T. butter

Seasoning

Parsley

Directions

For this Keto Beef Stroganoff Soup, saute it up in your instant pot until it is done.

I added 6 beef bouillon cubes and 5 c. water (if you use some noodles, which I did, then this is the time to add them to your instant pot and put enough water to cover them). Place on manual for 3 minutes.

Quick-release pressure.

Add 1/2 c of heavy cream, 1 1/2 c. sour cream, 1 T. dijon mustard, and a squirt of lemon or lime juice.

Mix it up till it is all hot and good.

I hope you enjoy it! I certainly have! Soups are my jam. One day, I hope to create my cookbook. Let me know if you have tips and tricks for learning to do “food photography,” let me know properly.

Recipes and Cooking

Low Calorie Cheesy Vegetable Soup

Brandi C

Low Calorie Cheesy Vegetable Soup

Low-Calorie Cheesy Vegetable Soup

This brings me SUCH joy. Please know that chicken would be excellent in this, and you can add whatever veggies you like. These are the items I had on hand. Also, this is a freezable recipe.

5 chicken bouillon cubes

Water

8 oz. Velveeta

10 oz. bag of frozen broccoli

1 container of fresh mushrooms or 2 cans of mushrooms

1 can of diced tomatoes

10 oz. fresh spinach (kale would be good too)

1 onion

Seasoning

2 cloves of garlic

I filled my soup pot (or Instant Pot) with water and bouillon cubes. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer.

Servings: 10

Calories 87 per serving

Tidbits

Low-Calorie Cheesy Vegetable Soup can be created with many different types of vegetables. The ones I used were simply the ones that I had on hand. It is such a comfort to me on bad or sad days. I could be full of joy and rapture and still have a cup of broth.

Some people in this world need many things to be comforted. A hug, someone to hold their hand, listen to them talk, or offer up some flowers. Luckily (for Big Daddy), that isn’t my jam. Buy me a bottle of bouillon, hand me a mug from the cabinet, and I am good. If you happen to throw in some good cheese, a purse, and a tattoo, I would be even better!

 

Recipes and Cooking

Bacon and Fire Roasted Tomato Soup

Brandi C

 

Bacon and Fire Roasted Tomato Soup

Bacon and Fire Roasted Tomato Soup

This soup is slap-your-mama good—seriously comforting, smoky, and full of flavor. Perfect for chilly evenings or when you just need a big bowl of cozy. Here is my Bacon and Fire Roasted Tomato Soup recipe.

Ingredients:

  • 6 strips thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 1 cup chopped onion

  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

  • 1 (28-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained (about 3 cups)

  • 1½ cups low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

  • Seasoning to taste (salt, pepper, smoked paprika, etc.)

  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream (or more to taste)

Directions:

  1. Cook the Bacon:
    In a heavy soup pot, cook the bacon until crispy. Transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease.

  2. Sauté the Veggies:
    Add olive oil to the pot. Over medium heat, sauté the chopped onion until soft and translucent (about 3–4 minutes). Stir in the garlic and cook just until fragrant—about 30 seconds.

  3. Simmer the Soup:
    Pour in the fire-roasted diced tomatoes (puree first if you prefer a smoother texture), broth, and fresh thyme. Stir everything together and bring to a gentle simmer. Add your favorite seasonings and let it simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  4. Finish with Bacon & Cream:
    Stir in the crumbled bacon and heavy cream. Let it heat through, then taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Notes:

  • Swap heavy cream with milk or whipping cream if preferred.

  • You can use real bacon bits instead of fresh bacon for a shortcut.

  • Want to sneak in extra nutrients? Add a handful (or two) of chopped spinach or kale during the last few minutes of simmering.

This soup is amazing on its own or paired with a grilled cheese for the ultimate comfort meal.

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