Chicken Pot Pie Soup with Garlic Parmesan Biscuits

I know April isn't really "soup" month...but at least here in New Mexico we're had our share of colder days. And by colder I mean high 50s or low 60s. But its not the weather itself that makes is cold, it's this darned wind! It's brutal! And maybe you haven't thought of this, because I know I hadn't, but a windstorm in a desert setting means that sand is always in your hair, ears, eyes, and mouth.

 

I've been thinking of a chicken pot pie soup for weeks now, but I couldn't imagine making a soup and topping it with a pie crust. It seemed so boring. So maybe this soup is more like chicken with biscuits or whatever, but to me it's very similar to the filling of chicken pot pie soup. Call it what you want, it's delish. And start to finish, including the biscuits, took me less than 45 minutes.

 

I threw my chicken breasts in the crock pot in the morning with some water and a lemon that had been cut in half. The chicken had an ever-so-slight lemon flavor. It also made it super easy to shred. I also ate my biscuit inside my soup. I'm usually against anything that makes my bread soggy (except bread pudding...mmmmmm....bread pudding) but the garlicky cheesy rolls tasted so good with the soup.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup with Garlic Parmesan Biscuits
by Girls in Aprons

For the soup:
1 Tbsp oil
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 (15 oz) cans chicken broth or chicken stock
2 cups milk
2 chicken breasts (about 1 lb or so), cooked and shredded
2 tsp fresh or 1 tsp dry thyme leaves
1 12-oz bag frozen mixed vegetables
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion and celery and sauté until onion is translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 1 more minute. Add butter to pot and let melt. Immediately add flour and whisk until butter and flour are combined. Continue stirring, using a whisk, for 2 minutes. Slowly add the chicken broth and milk, whisking continuously. Let simmer for 10 minutes, whisking often to keep milk from scalding on the bottom of the pan. Add thyme and frozen mixed vegetables. Continue cooking until vegetables are warmed, about 3 minutes. Whisk in shredded cheese until melted. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot in a bowl and top with a warm biscuit (or two, or three).

For the biscuits:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
 1/2 cup shortening (I used butter-flavored Crisco and highly recommend it)
2/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp milk
1 egg

In a bowl, combine the first four ingredients. Cut in shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a bowl, whisk milk and egg. Stir into crumb mixture just until moistened. Drop by heaping spoonfuls 2 inches apart onto an ungreased baking sheet (I roll mine into about golf-ball sized balls, they make about 12 rolls). Bake at 425 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve on top of soup.

Biscuit recipe adapted from allrecipes.com

Walt Disney's Chili and Beans

I've been in need of a vacation for, like, ever. Seriously. My job is pretty demanding and high stress, so the idea that a family vacation was coming up was sometimes the only thing holding me together.

 

After saving for two years, we finally took our family to Disneyland. We went the week after Thanksgiving, which in my opinion is the perfect time to go. Weather was decent, lines were short (longest wait was 20 minutes), and the park was all dressed up for Christmas. Every night we got to watch Sleeping Beauty's Castle light up for the night and then it would "snow" on Main Street. By far my best memory of the trip. The kids were speechless.

 

 

While most people, including my children and husband, bought Disneyland trinkets, Mickey Mouse ears, and other paraphernalia, I had my eyes on a Disney Parks cookbook. There were 4 to choose from and I settled for Chef Mickey, which for some reason is priced unbelievable high online. I'm thinking because it's really only available at the park? The cookbook offers recipes from restaurants at Disneyland and DisneyWorld, plus some older recipes from the mysterious "vault" that Disney always eludes to.

Being a bit enamoured by the experience, I was more than thrilled to see two of Walt Disney's personal recipes listed in the book. One for Chili and Beans and one for Browned Roast Beef Hash. I went with the chili first. I had almost all the ingredients and just had to find out how Mr. Disney himself liked his chili!

 

Chili and Beans
Walt Disney's personal recipe

2 lbs dried pinto beans
2 medium onions, sliced
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 lbs lean ground beef
1 cup chopped celery
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried thyme
1 (28-oz) can chopped tomatoes, undrained
Salt and pepper, to taste

Wash and sort beans and soak overnight in cold water.

Drain beans and place in a 2-quart saucepan. Add fresh water to cover by 2 inches. Add sliced onions and simmer, covered, for 2 hours, until tender.

Heat oil in a large pan and saute garlic. Add beef and celery and cook until lightly browned. Add chili powder, paprika, and thyme. Mix in chopped tomatoes. Cover and simmer for one hour.

When beans are tender, combine with the meat, stirring gently. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Girls in Aprons note: I added about 3/4 -1 cup of drained water from the pinto beans into the beans and meat mixture to give it a little bit of a sauce to go with the dish.

Cook's note (aka Walt's personal notes!!!) - For a spicier chili, add 1/8 tsp each of coriander, turmeric, chili seeds, fellen, cloves, cinnamon, and ground ginger. You can also add dried hot pepper to taste.

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup (Lion House Recipe)

I am all about comfort food. It's pretty much the only reason that I like the fall and winter months. Hate the snow, love the soup. Hate the bitter cold, love the hot chocolate. My Cocomotion gets me through those months like you wouldn't believe. It has a permanent place on my countertop from October to April. Yeah, I said April. It's freezing here. And rainy. Bring on the comfort food.

Like this Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup. I found the recipe on Pinterest (let's just put this out there- most of the recipes I post will probably come from Pinterest. No judging. I'm addicted and I know it) and thought it looked so good. Something about chicken soup and rainy days. And today it's pouring down rain. This recipe is supposed to be the Lion House recipe, but I've never had it or been there (well, I've seen the outside of it when I was in Salt Lake City) so I can't say that it tastes just like it, but it is pretty darn good soup! My kids exclaimed that they love  this dinner and I love how easy it was to throw together. Plus it has lots of veggies in it that my kids eat without complaining.

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup- The Lion House Recipe
submitted by Girls in Aprons- found on whowantsdinner.blogspot.com

2 chicken breasts (I used one excessively large one)
5 cups chicken broth
1 C chopped carrots (about 2)
1 C chopped celery (I substitute with frozen peas)
1 C potatoes, diced (1 medium sized)
½ C chopped onion
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/4 C evaporated milk or ½ C whole milk
8-12 oz uncooked egg noodles (I would recommend about 8 oz)

Salt and pepper to taste

Boil then shred chicken.

 

Heat broth, then add carrots, celery (if you are using peas, add them at the end to warm through), potatoes, onions, and noodles. Simmer until veggies and noodles are tender. Add cream of chicken soup, milk, salt, pepper and shredded chicken. Simmer until heated through and ready to serve.

 

**I used a whole bag (14 oz or so) of egg noodles and it wasn't really soupy, more of a noodle casserole but my family still loved it. If you really want it to be soupy, stick with the measurements and don't add more veggies (like I did) or have more chicken broth on hand (you can use more water too) to thin it out a little.

Winter Chili

For anyone who thought that New Mexico was warm year-round {I'll admit, I was one of those}...well, it's currently 29 degrees here, there are still piles of snow on the ground from last week's snowstorm, and even inside our little apartment we are bundled up and wishing we lived in the Bahamas. It is COLD here! And whenever I'm cold, all I want is soup. And hot cocoa. And soup. And chili, especially if it's amazingly, wonderfully, unimaginatively good, like this one.

I usually make my own chili with ground beef some canned tomatoes and beans, and some vegetables. I rarely write down a recipe and just taste as I go - one of the perks of cooking dinner. You will thank me, then,  because this time I made a killer chili and actually remembered how I made it.

My secret ingredient(s)? Cannellini beans and butternut squash. Both are so buttery and smooth and give the chili a bit of a creamy texture. Use frozen squash, it cooks up in no time.

Bonus - it's really easy. A one-pot dish that is ready in less than half hour.

After browning the hamburger with the onion, throw in all the remaining ingredients and simmer. See? Easy!

I served our chili with fried polenta. You could use cornbread or biscuits, or nothing at all. Polenta is Italy's version of mashed potatoes, but you can fry them up, too. The recipe can be found here.

Winter Chili



submitted by Kelli

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 cup onion, chopped (1 small onion)

1 (15-19 oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 1/2 cups water

1 (10-12 oz) package frozen butternut squash, thawed

1 cup chunky salsa

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp salt

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, brown the hamburger and onion until hamburger is cooked through and onion is soft and translucent. Drain, discarding drippings. Add remaining ingredients. Bright to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low and let simmer 10 minutes, stirring often.

Top with shredded cheese, sour cream, or other desired chili toppings. Serve hot.

White Chicken Chili- a 30 minute meal!

I love summer. I love that the kids aren't in school so we can sleep in and have lazy days. I love that we can just do what we want without the chaos of alarm clocks and school functions. I love that I can go out without towing everyone's huge jackets with me, and when it's dark out I still don't need to do that. I don't necessarily love the heat, but in the Pacific Northwest it's pretty mild and I'm completely okay with that.

One thing I don't love about summer- the taboo on soups and chilis. If I make anything of the sort during the warmer months, my family looks at me like I'm crazy. So during the summer we stick to barbecuing, hamburgers, salads, etc. So finally it got a little cooler here (more like freezing). We were having the sister missionaries over for dinner and it was T-minus one hour to dinner time. This chili is super simple and I literally threw it together with about half an hour to go. The cornbread I made took longer to bake than this took to cook!

Mmm... White Chicken Chili. It was so delicious and easy to make!

Your line-up. Most of this I had on hand too!

The finished product. Yeah, I didn't take any during photos... it is really a "dump in the pot" kind of meal but it is super yummy. My kids ate it up so fast! One note, you want to make sure you rinse your beans!

White Chicken Chili

by Carissa Poyfair 

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cans Great Northern beans or cannellini beans, rinsed

2-3 cups chicken, cooked and shredded

14 oz. can diced green chilies

32 oz. chicken broth, divided

1 cup frozen corn

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 1/2 tsp cumin

salt and pepper, to taste

In a large pot, heat the oil on medium heat and saute the onion until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook one minute. Add the beans, chicken and chilies and stir until combined. Add 3 cups of chicken broth and let come to a boil. Add the corn, cayenne pepper, cumin and salt and pepper. Let it come to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer about 10 minutes. If it is too thick, add more chicken broth to your liking. Test your seasoning and adjust as necessary. Garnish with sour cream and freshly chopped cilantro, if desired.

**If you prefer your chili thicker, you can add less broth, or try this trick I learned. Smash some of the white beans against the side of the pot. This releases their starch and helps thicken the liquid a bit.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup with Baguette Croutons

I hope everyone had a great Halloween! It seems like our Halloween was for a whole week long. From our apartment complex's party to a church party to a school party, by the time it was Halloween my kids already had enough candy to feed a small country and we hadn't even gone trick-or-treating yet!

I bought a butternut squash last week to put in my beef stew, and then I totally forgot about it. Tell me I'm not the only person who does that! I was trying to decide what to use it for...risotto? I'd always wanted to try butternut squash risotto but with the weather getting cooler (you know, in the 50s!) I decided to try soup. I've made it before but I switched it up a little.

First off, you need to know how to peel a butternut squash. It's kind of a hard squash with a tough peel. Stick your squash into the microwave for about 3-4 minutes. This will soften the flesh and the peel and make it easier to work with.

Next, take off an inch or so from the top or bottom. It keeps your squash from rolling around when you are peeling and gets rid of the ends.

 Cut the squash in half and discard the insides.

My dad likes to compost, and that included any organic scraps such as the insides of squash and melon. Every year he gets this plants that start growing that he can't identify and it's always fun to figure out which seed from which melon or squash actually took to the soil.

 Using a serrated peeler, remove the peel until you reach the orange flesh. You may need to remove a few layers before you reach it.

 After you have peeled the squash, cut it up into 1-inch cubes.

 Throw the cubed squash into a soup pot with the sauteed onions, garlic, curry, and chicken broth.

 When the squash has softened (about 20 minutes) use an immersion blender to blend the ingredients together. If you don't have an immersion blender, transfer the soup to a blender in batches.

 When everything is blended you have a beautiful soup. Look at that color!

 Brush the croutons with olive oil. This will help them become golden in the oven.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp curry powder
4 cups (32 oz) chicken stock
4 cups (1 1/2 - 2 lb) cubed butternut squash

In a large pan over medium heat, saute onion, garlic, and curry in oil until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add chicken stock and squash and cook until squash is tender, about 20 minutes. Using an immersion blender (or a blender), blend all ingredients until soup is smooth and thick. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Baguette Croutons

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice a baguette into slices about 1/4" thick. Lay on a baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Bake for about 10 minutes or until toasts start to brown. Break the toasts in half and use as croutons in the soup.

Chicken Noodle Soup

While most of the country is gearing up for fall weather, bringing out the sweaters and jackets and sipping on hot chocolate, it is still in the high 70s here in New Mexico and my sweaters are still safely tucked away in my closet.

However, last week we had some crazy weather that included temperatures in the 60s. Those around here that are used to the heat were shivering in their peacoats and sending their children out to play in their mittens. Seriously? What happens when we actually get snow?

Well, I didn't go to that extreme, although I loved the excuse to wear one of my cardigans...and to cook up a new soup recipe. I've tried a few different chicken noodle soup recipes in the past, but the end result was never up in there in the wow factor. In fact, I about gave up and then I decided to take the best from each recipe. I think I nailed it. At least I hope I did.

Start by sauteing the "Holy Trinity" of vegetables - carrots, onion, and celery. The French use this Trinity as a base in many soups and savory dishes. After the vegetables have softened, add just about everything else and simmer.

The finished product is absolutely amazing. The addition of fresh parsley, dill, and lemon zest takes this up a notch and really brighten the flavor of what might have been an ordinary soup.

Just as a tip, the recipe calls for cooked and shredded chicken. You can totally use rotissiere chicken here, or leftover chicken. I simmer my chicken for an hour or so in stock with 2 smashed garlic cloves and half of a lemon for some extra flavor.

Chicken Noodle Soup

adapted by Kelli, ideas taken from Allrecipes.com & Rachael Ray

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, chopped

3 celery ribs, thinly sliced

3 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced into half-moons

1 tsp sugar

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 tsp dried marjoram

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups (32-oz) good chicken stock

1 lb chicken, cooked and shredded

1/2 lb wide egg noodles

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

Grated peel of 1 lemon

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, and carrots, sauteing until almost soft, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic, sugar, salt, pepper, and marjoram and cook 1 minute more.

Add chicken stock, 2 cups water, and shredded chicken to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer. Add egg noodles and cook according to package directions, about 5 minutes. Add green onions, parsley, dill, and grated lemon peel. Stir and serve warm.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

I don't know about you guys, but one of my favorite things about fall (besides Starbuck's Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate) is finally getting to make soup again! If I make soup in the summer, my family looks at me like I'm crazy. But as soon as the weather changes, it's all they ask for.

We make lots of soup in this house. Minestrone, corn chowder, taco soup, homemade chicken noodle, beef stew, and on and on. We love soup especially with yummy homemade rolls, and one of the soups my kids (yes, my kids) ask for the most is broccoli cheddar soup.

I got this recipe in my former life in Cleveland. My husband and I had just discovered Panera Bread and we loved their broccoli soup. So did every one else, since it was sold out by noon most days. So I went home one day and researched some recipes and found one that was very similar. I can't remember where I got the recipe (it's been years!) so if someone wants to take credit, go for it. I have changed it up to suit my tastes and cooking style since I am all about the easy.

Here's your lineup. All of the vegetables came from my Bountiful Basket last Saturday. I *love* my baskets and how easy it is to get my kids to eat more healthy these days! It's all pretty easy, and you can cut down on the fat in this cream-based soup by using fat free half and half like I did.

Mmmm.....  just looking at the ingredients makes me happy. Oh, and do yourself a favor. A big one. See those carrots on the left? The big, huge raw ones? Don't use those. Unless you love cutting carrots julienne-style. It took me almost half an hour to try and cut them small enough for my liking. So go out and buy a bag of pre-cut matchstick carrots. Like the kind that you use on salads. You'll thank me later. I suppose you can grate your carrots, but you don't want them toooooo thin, because they will just get mushy and get lost in the soup. Enough about carrots.

Start by sauteeing your onion in butter. I love the smell of sauteed onions. The only way to make this better is to add garlic to it. And hey, you can if you want. No one will stop you.

While the onion sautes, start your roux. It's just flour and butter whisked together. Later this will be what makes your soup nice and thick. But make sure you cook it for a couple minutes to get rid of the flour taste.

Next you slowly add your half and half while stirring constantly. No one likes a lumpy soup. Just slowly put it in there and whisk.

Next add your broth. I just typed brother, not broth. Please don't add your brother. You can use stock if that's what you have on hand. In fact, I think the original recipe I found used stock, but I'll be honest and admit I don't really see a difference in stock and broth, other than the higher price tag on the stock. Someone can enlighten me if you like.

After the half and half/broth mixture has simmered about 20 minutes, dump in the veggies. You want to chop them up pretty small in order to have them soften quickly. Simmer them for about 20 to 25 minutes too, but check on them periodically. When they are tender, it's time to blend!

Now, you can put your soup in batches in your blender and add it back to the pot. Or if you have an immersion blender like me, you can use that too. I like mine about 50/50. Half pureed, half not. The more you blend it, the thicker it will be, but I still like to have some chunks of broccoli and carrot in my soup. If you like yours less pureed or all the way pureed, it's totally up to you.

Next is the cheese. The best part of every meal. And please, please, please use sharp cheddar. Any other kind just won't do this soup justice.

Okay, so this isn't the prettiest soup out there. But it definitely rocks! If I can find a better picture later, I will repost it. But trust me when I say this will warm you up and fill you up all at once. Enjoy!

Broccoli Cheddar Soup



2 Tbsp butter, melted

1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), melted
1/2 cup flour
4 cups half and half (fat free is fine)

4 cups chicken broth (or stock)

1 pound fresh broccoli, chopped

2 cups carrots, julienned (or precut matchstick carrots)

salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp nutmeg (optional)
16 oz. grated sharp cheddar (about 4 cups)

Saute onion in 2 Tbsp butter. Set aside. Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly add the half and half, stirring constantly while adding. Add the chicken stock, whisking the whole time. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat until the veggies are tender, about 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper. The soup should be thickened by now. Pour in batches into blender and puree to your liking (or use an immersion blender). Return to pot over low heat and add the grated cheese. Stir until well blended and melted. Add nutmeg, if desired, and check your salt and pepper, adding more if necessary.

This is amazing in bread bowls, as well!