Recent Recipes

Charles and I have been having "Soup Mondays" this fall. Here a few favorite recipes we have tried out so far!

Cauliflower Potato Soup

8 slices of bacon

1 30 oz bag of frozen hash browns (diced)

1 12 oz bag frozen riced cauliflower

1 small yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2.5 cups vegetable broth

2 cups milk 

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper 

Optional toppings: green onions or chives, shredded cheese, crumbled bacon, sour cream

1. In a large soup pot over medium-high heat, cook bacon until crispy. Transfer the bacon to a separate plate and dice once cooled.

2. Add onion and sauce for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft. Stir in the garlic and sauce for an extra 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant. Stir in the flour and sauté for an additional 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Then, stir in the stock until combined, followed by the milk, hash browns, and cauliflower rice. 

3. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Stir the soup every few minutes so that the bottom does not burn. 

4. Sit in the cheddar cheese, sour cream, salt, pepper, and cooked bacon bits (optional). Serve with toppings! 

Crockpot Enchilada Soup

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 large onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups frozen corn

4 jalapeno peppers, minced and mostly seeded (optional)

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

3 cups vegetable broth

1/2 cup tomato paste

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 

1 cup cotija cheese, crumbled

1 cup pepper jack cheese, divided

cilantro, chopped (for garnish)

In a large stockpot, add olive oil, bell pepper, jalapeños, and onion. Saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne pepper and cook an additional 1-2 minutes. Pour in tomatoes, vegetable broth and simmer for about 25 minutes covered. Add black beans, corn, and tomato paste and stir to incorporate. Add cotija cheese and pepper jack and stir to melt. Cook about 20 more minutes. Top with cilantro and serve with tortilla chips. 

*Note a few modifications I would/did make after trying this one out: 

1. The original recommendation of 4-6 jalapeños made for a pretty spicy batch, even though I used 5 and took a lot of seeds out. My jalapeños might have just been really big, but I would 3-4 mostly seeded next time. 

2. The pepper jack cheese got a little stringy, so I would maybe omit that and just use cotija next time.

3. I substituted crushed tomatoes for the diced tomatoes because I don't like super chunky soup. 

4. The original recipe cooks the veggies through a simmer, but I prefer sautéing them first. 

A few others we have tried so far are grown up chicken noodle and tomato lentil from North Caroline Charm and this Cozy Autumn Soup.

Another non-soup recipe that is worth mentioning is this skinny Mexican casserole. It is so. dang. good. and even guilt free! I left off the cheese topping on half to make it dairy-free for myself. You could also add chicken or ground beef to make it more filling for the meat lovers. 

Skinny Mexican Casserole

1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 tbsp cilantro

1 c corn (can or frozen)

2 cloves garlic

1 green bell pepper

1 red bell pepper 

1 sweet onion

1 4.5 oz can chopped green chiles

1 16 oz can fat free refried beans 

1 tbsp olive oil

1 t chili powder

1/2 t cumin 

salt and pepper to taste

4 (8-inch) whole wheat tortillas

1 1/2 c Mexican blend cheese

1 10z can mild enchilada sauce 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick spray. heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic, onion, and bell peppers. Cook, stirring frequently, until tender (about 4-5 minutes). Stir in black beans, corn, chili powder, and cumin until heated through, about 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in green chiles and cilantro; set aside. Place tortillas evenly on the bottom of the baking dish. Spread refried beans evenly over the tortillas, followed by the onion mixture and enchilada sauce. Sprinkle with cheese. Please into oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until bubbly. Serve immediately, garnished with cilantro, if desired.