Cheeseburger Soup

Because Indiana is being...well...Indiana, my menu plan this week contains both soup and grilling plans. Sigh. It's hard to have winter and spring in the same week. And truthfully, at this point, I'm about to give up on spring.

Anyway. Several of you asked me about the cheeseburger soup a few weeks ago when I made it and blogged something about it, so I made it again this week and am ready to present it today!!

First of all, allow me to say that cheeseburger soup was something I first had years ago at a church carry-in, and though I was wary at first Seriously? Cheeseburger in a soup????), I loved it and asked for the recipe. Fun fact: I made this dish one night when a guy friend was coming over for dinner and he never showed up. I didn't say anything about it, because I feared he thought it was a date and freaked out/bailed, but WEEKS later, he confessed he forgot. Let's just say I ate soup for d.a.y.s.

Anyway. Despite that little awkward memory, I made this soup often and even featured it here on the old blogaroo.

But between the potatoes and the processed cheese, I felt bad continuing to make it - UNTIL!!!!! - a few weeks ago, my friend Allison said something on Facebook about a cheeseburger soup recipe made with cauliflower in place of potatoes. Stop it. Just stop it. It sounded terrifying, actually, but after she FULLY reassured me it was not even noticeable, I decided to give it a whirl.

Shut. The.  Front. Door.

You guys, it really was so good. And I didn't even tell Ryan I'd swapped out the potatoes in favor of the cauliflower, and he didn't even pick up on it. Truth.

So without further ado, I present my healthfully-improved cheeseburger soup recipe. Ryan tested and approved.

Healthier Cheeseburger Soup

* 1 pound ground turkey
* 3/4 cup chopped onion
* 3/4 cup shredded carrots
* 3/4 cup diced celery
* 1 teaspoon dried basil
* 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
* 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
* 1 head cauliflower, cut into smaller pieces
* 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (lowfat)
* 1 1/2 cup milk
* 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
* 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

In a large pot, brown and drain the ground turkey. Add chopped onion, shredded carrots, and diced celery, along with basil and parsley and allow to cook a bit until vegetables grow tender. Add chicken broth, cauliflower, and cheese, along with milk, seasoned salt and Greek yogurt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until all vegetables are tender. Smash at cauliflower if you need it to be a bit more unrecognizable. Serve warm.

A Few Tips.

* We use ground turkey, but if you just hate ground turkey, you could, of course, use ground beef instead. Or ground whatever you like.

* For the love of Pete, Jane, and Sally, buy carrots that are already shredded. I nearly cried in the grocery last weekend when that little slot in the refrigerator sat bare. Shredding carrots on the little shredder can be awfully dangerous for klutzes like me.

* I don't think the low sodium chicken broth sacrifices flavor, but if you feel it does, you can buy regular OR add extra seasoning to compensate.

* I try to cut the cauliflower fairly small before I dump it in the pot, but if you find the pieces are still too big, just mash them up a bit as they start to soften in the soup. I actually don't mind them a little bigger, but if you're trying to trick someone...

* I use low fat/fat free milk and find it to add plenty enough creaminess.  Same for the yogurt.

* I let this simmer for about an hour before serving, but the longer it sits, the more the flavors marry. So I guess it depends on how picky you are about that stuff and how hungry you are when you cook it!

This pairs well with crackers/salads/cornbread/whatever you like, and it does reheat well! 

Healthier Hot Chicken Salad

Several years ago - seven, to be exact - I posted a recipe for hot chicken salad. I first learned about this culinary delight from my friend Marie, who knew me well enough to know I would love it and brought me a generous serving of it one evening. I asked for the recipe immediately and during my desert months in 2010, this was one of the few things I could make, because it was easy and though I was capable of little else, I could mix up a hot chicken salad.

If you like a good full-fat, mayo and fried onion laden dish, check out the original recipe and please excuse my photography. I will not deny that the original version is delicious, but these days I've adapted it to make it healthier. It doesn't taste exactly the same, but I think it's still pretty yummy, even all healthed up. :)

I made it last week and we gobbled it right up, so I thought I would put the updated recipe out here for you, just in case you were looking for something new to try that isn't loaded with mayo and friend onions. :)

Healthier Hot Chicken Salad

* 3 cups of cooked shredded chicken
* 1 can water chestnuts, drained and sliced
* 1 cup slivered almonds {1 1/2 ounce package is about right}
* 2 cups celery, chopped
* 1 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
* 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
* 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
* 1 1/2 cup plain Greek Yogurt
* 1/2 cup green onions, chopped

Mix all ingredients together, except green onions. Spread in an 11x7 baking dish and sprinkle green onions on top. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve warm.

A Few Tips

* I take frozen chicken and boil it (straight from its frozen state) on the stove until it is cooked through, then shred it in my stand mixer. Works like a charm.

* Personal preference: I put the seasoned salt in the chicken as it's shredding rather than adding it to the whole dish later. You can definitely add it as you're mixing everything together if you prefer. I just like how it clings to the chicken as it shreds, so I add it then.

* If you can't find slivered almonds, you can use sliced instead. You just want to make sure your pieces are smaller than whole almonds. That's the goal.

* If you can't find low-fat cheddar, you can substitute mozzarella instead.

* The Greek Yogurt isn't quite as creamy as the mayo, but it really does work well, and I think the flavor is still excellent.

* I thought I might miss the fried onions, but the green onions were a pretty good substitute!!

* We eat this plain to save carbs, but you could serve it on buns if you prefer.

* I like it that this dish is easy to dress up (we eat ours with asparagus or other cooked vegetables) or dress down  with chips or something if you prefer.

Enjoy! :)

Chicken Nuggets

Remember that time {a month ago} when we lived on a diet of chicken everything because Ryan's gallbladder just up and quit on us? Nothing will spur the desperation of finding new ways to eat chicken like being forced to eat chicken at e.v.e.r.y. s.i.n.g.l.e. m.e.a.l.

Not only that, but we couldn't eat any form of spicy chicken. The chicken tacos made him sick. The chicken tortilla soup made him sick. We didn't even attempt buffalo chicken. Nothing good could come from that.

So I was a wife on a mission to find healthy, bland, non-fattening, non-threatening ways to cook chicken.

Thank goodness my mom had gifted us with a "Healthy Choices" cookbook for Christmas! Like a good old-fashioned, spiral-bound cookbook with recipes that avoided sugar, white flour and artificial everything. Ryan begged me to get it out right away and hunt for things to make. Don't have to ask me twice! I was as sick of chicken noodle soup as he was! {Although I did find a recipe in this cookbook for homemade chicken noodle soup that was quite yummy!}

I stumbled upon a recipe for homemade chicken nuggets, and decided to give it a whirl. He loved it. And I learned post-surgery that he didn't just love it because it was a different way to eat chicken. He actually genuinely loved the flavor. WIN! And I loved knowing we were eating real chicken {I'm still scarred by the pink whatever videos from years gone by that showed the not real chicken in various nuggets} and knowing what was in the breading. And speaking of breading, I loved that it's not a heavy, fried, breadish breading. AND it's a pretty quick and easy thing to make. So I think now we're up to WIN WIN WIN WIN or something like that.

I've modified the recipe to fit what we had on hand, and here you go! Homemade chicken nuggets that are flavorful, easy to make, and not bad for you!

Chicken Nuggets

* 1/2 cup wheat flour
* 4 teaspoons seasoned salt
* 1 teaspoon paprika
* 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
* 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts or tenders {fresh or defrosted}

Combine the flour, seasoned salt, paprika, and poultry seasoning in a gallon size bag, close tightly, and shake/knead to combine well. Cut the chicken into nugget size pieces and dump in the bag with the seasoning. Close tightly and shake until meat is well coated. Generously spray a skillet with cooking spray and cook chicken on medium heat until cooked all the way through. Serve with dipping sauce if desired.

A Few Tips

* I make my own seasoned salt, and the recipe is here. If you don't want quite so much salt, you could cut down the amount you use.

* Keeping your nuggets smaller will allow them to cook faster, if you (or your kids) are in a hurry to eat.

* Spray the pan well and don't cook on high heat. I've messed up in both those areas and lost half my coating on the bottom of the pan. AND it was super fun to wash later. Slow and steady wins the race, right?

* I use tongs to turn the meat, and I tried to turn it fairly often to keep it from sticking to the pan.

* If you're making a large batch of this and have a big pancake griddle, you can cook it faster.

* This does reheat very well. It never gets super crispy like heavily breaded nuggets, so you don't have to worry about sacrificing the crisp in the reheat.

* Ryan always dips his nuggets in sauce if he gets them at a restaurant, but he doesn't dip these. He likes the flavor just plain.

* We serve these with green beans or asparagus to keep the meal cleaner, but you could easily serve it with whatever side (to make it fancier or more casual).

* To give credit where credit is due, this recipe in its original form was submitted to the cookbook by Lucia Lapp from Benton, IL.

Ryan's Chili {With Homemade Seasoning}

Remember when we used to eat food besides chicken? I think we're starting to forget that time in life. Chicken noodle soup, chicken nuggets, chicken salad, chicken sandwiches, grilled chicken - you get the idea. We may begin clucking and developing an interesting walk soon.

But back in the day - like December - we used to eat things like chili. And lasagna. And tacos. And eggs. And turkey burgers. {You get the idea.} And chili, interestingly enough, is one of Ryan's signature dishes. When I told him I wanted to put the recipe on the blog, he asked why. Said everyone knew how to make chili.

Ummmm, everyone except your wife! True story. White chicken chili? Oh yes. Plain chili? No clue. Maybe I'm the only one on the planet, but in case I'm not, I thought I'd share the recipe. And in case I am, well, now I have the recipe right here so I can make it myself instead of saying, "Hey I'd love to have chili. Can you cook tonight?"

And maybe, just maybe, in the not too distant future, we can eat this again right here in our very own house!!

I love this recipe because it has a bit of kick, but not too much {unless, of course, you have a faulty gallbladder and then for the love of Pete, do NOT eat this}. It's quick and easy to put together, tastes even better the longer it simmers, and is perfect for a chilly {ha! See what I did there?} winter night.

And if we're being entirely fair, I also love this recipe because Ryan makes it, and let's be honest: no matter how much you love to cook, sometimes a meal just tastes better when someone else makes it.

Ryan's Chili with Homemade Seasoning

* 1 pound ground turkey
* Chili Seasoning {recipe below} or 1 packet of purchased seasoning
* 1 46-ounce bottle of tomato juice
* 1 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes with onions and chilis
* 1 15-ounce can of chili beans with or without starter sauce

Brown the turkey and add the chili seasoning. Combine all ingredients in large stock pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for at least a half hour or up to several hours. Serve warm with shredded cheese and crackers or cornbread on the side. 

A Few Tips:
 
* We use ground turkey in place of ground beef, but you could certainly use ground beef if you prefer. We add the seasoning to the meat after it is browned

* Here is the recipe for the chili seasoning, which cuts down on preservatives and other such things, but if you prefer to purchase a packet of seasoning, you certainly can: 3 Tablespoons chili powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons of seasoned salt. If you want a little extra heat, add some cayenne pepper.

* If you get a can of plain diced tomatoes, you can always chop up an onion to add to the soup. Or if you just really like onion, you can use both!

* We use the chili beans with the starter sauce because it has some extra seasoning and Ryan likes that. But you could use plain beans, and if you hate beans, you could leave that part out altogether, although your chili won't be quite as thick.

* Besides cheese, you could use sour cream {or Greek yogurt}, green onions, or tortilla chips as a garnish. You can serve this with crackers, cornbread, garlic bread, or even over baked potatoes if you want!

* This does reheat nicely for leftovers!

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

I love a good collection of recipes, and I have long felt that ours has lacked in the soup department. Perhaps it's because I commuted for so many years, and there wasn't time to assemble a soup and let it simmer properly before it was time to eat. Perhaps I have just never pursued the soup world. I have no idea.

Regardless of the reason for my soup failures to this point, our recent implementation of Tuesdays at the Table meant I needed to find some new recipes for the rotation. And I found a recipe for chicken pot pie soup on Pinterest. How comfort-foodish did that sound? All the goodness of chicken pot pie without the embarrassment of revealing I am incapable of making a decent crust. {Whoopsie. Guess I just did that.}

I've made more tweaks since the first time I made it, and I have to say - it's pretty delicious. It also comes together fairly quickly, which makes it even better. Ryan has given it two thumbs up and declared it a keeper, so I decided to preserve it in the Shafferland recipe box. With soup season officially here, I wanted to pass it on to you in case you'd like something new to try!

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

* 1 Tablespoon coconut oil
* 1 medium onion, diced
* 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
* 1 cup diced mushrooms
* 1/3 cup wheat flour
* 3 cups low sodium chicken stock
* 2 cups low-fat milk
* 3 cups shredded cooked chicken
* 1 pound cubed frozen hash brown potatoes
* 1 bag frozen mixed vegetables
* 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
* 1 teaspoon seasoned salt

Melt coconut oil in a stock pot and cook onion in it for a couple of minutes until tender. Add garlic powder and mushrooms and cook for a couple more minutes. Add wheat flour and stir well until mushrooms and onions are coated. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Lower heat and continue cooking until heated all the way through. Simmer on very low heat until ready to serve. Serve with biscuits to serve as a crust.

 A Few Tips:

* If you don't have coconut oil, you can use vegetable oil to saute the onions.


* I use fresh mushrooms because we almost always have some on hand. If you don't keep them on hand, you can easily substitute canned mushrooms. Or, if you don't like them, you can leave them out entirely.

* You can use fresh garlic instead of powder. The original recipe called for 4 cloves.

* I use wheat flour, because it's what we have. You could use whatever kind of flour you have.

* I cook my chicken in big batches and divide it up to use in all kinds of things. {Quesadillas, BBQ chicken, etc.} I just boil it and then put it in my stand mixer to shred it. I also add some seasoned salt to it when it's freshly shredded, just to help with the flavoring of whatever dish I'm making.

* The first time I made this, I bought a bag of potatoes and cubed them. It took forever and we didn't use them all and the excess went bad and made a big mess in our pantry. I started using frozen cubed hash brown potatoes instead, so I could put in only what we need and skip the mess of cubing the potatoes/having the rest go bad.

* The original recipe called for all manner of fresh veggies, but I truly hate all the prep work of dicing them. So I decided to use a bag of frozen mixed veggies instead, and it worked very well.

* Ryan adds more seasoned salt to his bowls of soup. Easily done for those who want a little more salt!

* I've served this with biscuits {from a can - let's not imagine I'm better than I am} and that worked really well. Ryan loves a pot pie crust, so he put the biscuit in the bottom of his bowl and put the soup over it. On the days when I didn't feel like I could spare the carbs, I could skip the biscuits entirely, and on the days I wanted one, I could eat it separately, because I hate wet bread. Win-win!

* The last time I made this soup, I didn't have biscuits on hand, so I used cornbread, and it worked really well, too!

* This reheats beautifully!

Seasoned Turkey Burgers

I loved it when my mom made hamburgers when I lived at home. She didn't buy the pre-made burgers from the store. She made her own patties, and they were always thick and juicy and ruined me for those pre-formed {and if we're honest: kind of chewy} burgers.

Of course I always ate them slathered in mayo {oh how I loved mayo!!} and with a big helping of chips or fries.

So things have changed just a little bit. :)

Ryan and I use ground turkey instead of ground beef now, but if you just can't handle turkey, you could use beef in this recipe. {I personally can't tell the difference with the brand we buy, which is Jennie-O. It browns pretty well, it's flavorful, and I don't find it to be dry at all. {Turkey can be dry, you know.}

So turkey burgers are one of my favorite things to make when I'm working hard to go get fast food. I add some seasoning and serve it with lots of non-mayo toppings, because I've learned these things actually give it TONS of flavor without the extra fat. {Who knew?}

Turkey Burgers

* 1 pound of ground turkey
* 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
* 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
* 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Mix all seasonings in with uncooked ground turkey. Form into four equal sized patties and cook on stove top or grill until cooked through. Enjoy!

 A Few Tips

* Ryan and I buy turkey in three pound packages and I separate it out into one pound portions and freeze it that way. Then I can grab a pound at a time for whatever I need.

* I hate touching raw meat, so I wear either a plastic glove or a plastic sandwich bag over my hand to mix the seasoning into the meat and form the patties.

* If you don't like any one of the seasonings I mentioned but you do like something else, you can certainly substitute your favorites!

* If I use a bun, I get the little 100 calorie thin buns, but sometimes I just serve the burgers on a bed of spinach and skip the bun entirely. I never thought I would be okay with that, but I have learned to adjust to it! You can also use romaine lettuce leaves to make a lettuce bun.

* I usually add onion, tomato, and my favorite: dill pickle sandwich spears. {I have to get the kind in the refrigerated section that have all the garlic in them.}

* Sometimes I make guac and add that, and other times we just stick with good old mustard and ketchup.

* If I have cheese slices on hand, I'll put one on for Ryan. If not, I just sprinkle some shredded cheese on top.

* I usually serve this with veggies or sweet potato chips/fries.

Hope you enjoy!

Crock Pot Lasagna

In between my second and third 21 Day Fix rounds, Sarah {my coach, who rocks, by the way} offered a week of crock pot cooking ideas for us to help us out. I tried them and found some amazing keepers for us among them. This one, in particular, is my favorite. I wanted to share it with you, because this little gem is proof that you can actually COOK on a clean eating plan and those dishes can actually TASTE DELICIOUS.

I'm a big fan of lasagna, and this recipe did not, in any way, make me feel like I was missing out on "real" lasagna. It's incredibly filling and even surpassing the taste was the ease of cooking. You don't have to pre-cook the noodles {YAY! - I've burned myself on hot lasagna noodles too often} and it just cooks itself in the crock pot all day while you do other things. Win, win!

 Crock Pot Lasagna

* 3 whole wheat lasagna noodles {no need to pre-cook}
* 1 pound ground turkey, browned and drained
* 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
* 1 1/2 cups fresh spinach
* 1 jar {28 ounces Spaghetti sauce}
* 1/4 cup water
* 16 ounces low-fat cottage cheese
* 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated

Line your slow cooker with a liner and break each lasagna noodle in half. Place three noodles on the bottom of the liner. Stir the Italian seasoning in with the cooked turkey and spread half the meat over the noodles. Spoon half the sauce over that, followed by half the water, half the spinach, half the cottage cheese, and half the  mozzarella. Repeat the layers in order and cook on low for four hours. Serve with salad or garlic bread if you desire.

A Few Tips:

* The recipe Sarah gave me called for six noodles broken in half, but the first time I made it, I messed up and only used three. We felt like that was still plenty, so I just adjusted the recipe to save a carb here and there.

* I add the Italian seasoning while I'm browning the meat, because it's easy to stir in then. You can add it then or after it's browned - either way.

* If you want, you could add some onion to your meat.

* Sarah also gave us a recipe to make our own spaghetti sauce, and the last couple of times I've made this, I used between 2-3 cups of that in place of a jar of store-bought sauce.

* I keep a big bag of organic mixed spring greens on hand for my salads. It has spinach in it, but other greens as well. I used that in this and it worked fine. They all wilt down anyway.

* Sometimes I add more veggies than the recipe calls for, mostly because anytime I can sneak in more veggies, I will!!

* A serving of this fills me up, but I always make garlic bread on the side for Ryan.

* If you're skeptical about the taste, let me assure you Ryan really likes this one!

Broccoli Stuffed Chicken

One of the reasons I chose to do the 21 Day Fix was because it seemed like the kind of plan I could find a way to continue as a lifestyle change. When I've reached a good weight for me, and I move to more of a maintenance phase, I wanted to take what I'd been learning all these many weeks and continue it.

And I love cooking, so I didn't want any plan that kept me out of the kitchen and dependent on pre-packaged meals or shakes. And now that I'm several weeks into this change, I've begun to collect some favorite recipes that I wanted to preserve for our official recipe box! This is the first one I'm sharing with you!

I used to think it would be so much harder to cook for a clean eating diet, so I avoided trying. I will say that at least for me, it's definitely been an adjustment. I had to learn to mentally switch the "staples" of my kitchen, but once I got used to it, cooking this way is just as easy as how I cooked before.

This recipe, which I based off one found here, has found itself featured more than once on our menu plan, so I decided to call it a keeper! I like it because it is extremely flavorful {another myth I once had of clean eating is that it surely must be bland}, it sneaks in some veggies, and it's easy to modify for anyone in your household who might not be eating as strictly as you are!

Broccoli Stuffed Chicken

4 thawed chicken tenders 
Sprinkle of seasoned salt
Sprinkle of onion powder
Sprinkle of garlic powder
Sprinkle of paprika
1 cup frozen broccoli
1/4 cup low fat cheese 

Pound chicken tenders with meat mallet until thin and even. Sprinkle seasoned salt, onion powder, garlic powder and paprika over meat. {Go light on the salt.} Divide the broccoli pieces evenly over the chicken. Top with the cheese evenly divided. Roll up the tenders as much as possible and secure with a toothpick. Place in oven safe baking dish and bake at 350 for 35 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. 

A Few Tips:

* The original post called for chicken breasts instead of tenders, but we only buy chicken tenders because I find them easier to work with. So depending on the size of the chicken, you might even be able to eat two of these and count it as one serving!

* Meat mallets are fun for frustrating days. Purposeful venting, right?

* Once I've flattened the chicken, I sprinkle the spices right over the tenders. You won't need much! And if you are a big onion fan, you can skip the onion powder and used finely chop onion or green onion pieces! 

* It's kind of nice to not thaw and cook the broccoli before you add it to the chicken! Saves a step and makes this much faster. Because the pieces are frozen, though, the chicken will be a little harder to roll up. I don't worry about this because for me, taste trumps presentation. :)

* The original post called for cayenne pepper, too, but I'm not a big fan of that, so I left it out. If you like it, add it!

* I used a blended cheese in this one - but whatever one strikes your fancy will be just fine!

* Since Ryan is not following this as hard-core as I am, I added extra cheese to his. It was an easy modification to give him a little bit extra treat!

* I served this with California blend veggies on the side. It would pair up nicely with many things, though!

* This does reheat well, so I make enough for our lunches the next day when I make it.

* This is also easy to multiply if you're feeding a crowd!!

* Don't forget to take the toothpick out before you eat the chicken!

* ALSO!!!!!! If you hate the whole mess of flattening and touching raw meat and messing with the toothpick and such, just throw the chicken tenders in a 9x13 dish {or smaller if you're not doing very many}, sprinkle on the seasonings, spread frozen broccoli over the top, add the cheese, and bake that way. Truth? This is the way I do this now. So. Much. Easier.

Slow Cooker Meat & Potatoes

I grew up on  meat and potatoes. It was my Dad's favorite thing. Of course, his favorite version was much more along the lines of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and gravy, but still. This was before we learned how awful fried foods and starches are for long term health, but like most people in his generation, you're not about to convince him to give it up now.

Dad still loves his traditional meat and potato dinners, but I've largely given up that style of eating over the last few years. My taste buds have changed, and the ever-present battle with the scale require a different menu.

But you know what? Now and then you just need a good comfort meal. And you need one that can be thrown in the slow cooker before work and gobbled up immediately upon returning home. And this is one of our favorites. It's not the healthiest thing we eat, but it is one of the most comforting, and certainly one of the easiest.

In the list of Ryan's many wonderful virtues...he's a really good cook. And this dish is one of his. Whenever we have it, it's because he assembles it, and I really appreciate that. I love to cook for us and do most of it, but now and then, I get busy or just need a break, and he hops in without complaining to make a delicious dinner.

So we share this with you...one of Ryan's contributions to our recipe box. {Hey non-cooking guys? You can do this one!!}

Slow Cooker Meat & Potatoes

* 1 pound package of smoked sausage
* 2 cans of green beans, undrained
* 1 envelope onion soup mix
* Roughly 2 pounds of potatoes
* Roughly 2 cups of water
* Seasoned salt {or salt and pepper} to taste

Slice smoked sausage into 1/2 inch rounds. Cut potatoes into small pieces. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker and add enough water to barely cover the ingredients. Cook on low for 7 hours or until potatoes are tender. Serve warm.

A Few Tips:

* We always buy the turkey sausage, because it's one thing we can do to attempt to make this a little bit healthier. We like it just as much as regular smoked sausage, and it doesn't have nearly the grease to contend with, which we also love.

* We normally buy the tiny gold potatoes, because they're already small, and we can just quarter them. If you buy regular sized potatoes, you'll want to cut the pieces fairly small, or the cooking time will be longer, and that delays your eating. You could also use red potatoes in this if you want.

* We buy the cut green beans, but if you prefer a different style, you can pick whatever you like.

* Sometimes we add additional onion to this, beyond what's in the soup mix. We don't do it every time - just depends on what we have on hand and how quickly we need to throw the meal together.

* Add or subtract the amount of potatoes I suggested depending on how much you like them or how strict your diet is. You could still make this and cut way down on the potatoes if you're not supposed to have that much.

* The leftovers warm up very well, and we enjoy taking this one in our lunch after we make it.

* We put seasoned salt on pretty much everything, but if you don't care for it or don't have any, just make sure you add some salt and pepper for flavor.

Shredded Pork Loin

One of the hardest things about meshing the love of cooking with the commuting lifestyle is...timing. We come home from work pretty hungry, and if we happen to go to the gym that night...well...you can only imagine how hungry we are after that! I actually border on hangry at that point. And nobody needs that. :)

This is why I adore slow cooker meals so very much. We can put the food in to cook before we leave in the morning and it's ready when we come home. And this is one of my favorites. It's possibly the fastest prep in the world, and it is crazy tasty. And an even bigger bonus...it can be easily adjusted to make more or less without complicating a ton of ingredients.

Shredded Pork Loin

* 4 pounds pork loin
* 2 ounces Soy Sauce
* 2 ounces Liquid Smoke
* Seasoned Salt to taste

Place all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours. When it's fully cooked, shred with two forks and serve!

{Yes! It really is that easy!!}

A Few Tips: 

* Liquid smoke can be a bit of an acquired taste if you're not used to it. {We love it, but admit it can be strong!} If you find that it's overpowering, just back off a little bit of that in comparison to the Soy Sauce.

* For a bigger pork loin, just increase the amount of Soy Sauce and liquid smoke...by increasing them equally.

* If you don't have seasoned salt, you can use salt and pepper to taste. We are just HUGE seasoned salt fans.

* If you like BBQ sauce, you can add the sauce of your choice to the meat. I happen to love it plain. It's rich in flavor just like that.

* You can eat this in a sandwich or just plain. It works well with all kinds of sides - from salads to macaroni and cheese and more!

* This does freeze well, so if you find yourself with more than you meant to have, you can freeze the rest to use later.

* We are also huge fans of the slow cooker liners, because then when you're done, you can pull that out and toss it. Cleanup is much easier!

* Another nice thing about cooking this in a slow cooker is if you're having a party, you can keep it warm while your guests serve themselves!

White Chicken Chili

You remember the Polar Vortex last winter, don't you? Days and days on end of sub-sub-sub-zero temperatures? When heat wasn't enough and we began to look for ways to get warm from the inside-out?

Enter the rapid consumption of soup in the Shaffer household. Our one hour commutes turned into two hour commutes {each way} on those harrowing roads, and the last thing either of us felt like doing upon arriving at home was cooking. So we looked for things that could be thrown together quickly and provide much {warm} comfort in a short amount of time.

Enter white chicken chili.

Several years ago, I ate white chicken chili as part of a work carry-in, and I liked it, but there were far too many beans for my liking. Because as you know, I have a firm aversion to beans. Or vegetables in general. So I took a recipe I found on Pinterest and tweaked it pretty heavily to make it Bekah-friendly - and to make it healthier.

We love our white chicken chili because it does come together in a snap, it's ever so tasty, and it warms over nicely. That works out well for us since we carry our lunches.

And with fall upon us, I thought I'd share this with you in case you're looking for a new soup recipe! YUMMY YUMMY!

White Chicken Chili

* 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of cooked and shredded chicken
* 1 chopped onion {choose size depending on how much you like onion!}
* 1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
* 1 15-ounce can of Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
* 1 14-ounce can of chicken broth {low sodium}
* 1 7-ounce can of chopped green chilis
* 1 teaspoon of seasoned salt
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1 cup Greek yogurt
* 1/2 cup milk

Cook and shred chicken. Cook onion and garlic powder in the vegetable oil in a large pot until onion is tender. Add chicken and all other ingredients. Cook on low for 30 minutes and serve warm.

A Few Tips:

* I buy frozen chicken in bulk when it is on sale and cook it by putting frozen chicken in water and bringing it to a boil until cooked all the way through. Then I transfer the chicken to my stand mixer and use the paddle attachment to shred it. I also add some seasoned salt to the chicken as it shreds, just to mix in some good seasoned flavor.

* We are meatatarians more than vegetarians, so I actually cut down the amount of beans from the original recipe from 2 cans to 1, and I increased the amount of chicken. If you aren't as crazy about meat, but you love beans, you could always switch those amounts around.

* If you want to add more of a kick, you could always get hot chilis, but I prefer the mild ones. The whole soup is very mild, but it has fantastic flavor.

* The original recipe called for heavy cream and sour cream, but I have replaced those with low-fat or fat-free milk and Greek yogurt, and we think it tastes delicious.

* You could cook this in a crock pot instead of stove top - as long as you have your chicken done ahead of time. I would just let it sit on low for a few hours to keep it warm and let the flavors marry.

* We like to eat ours with garlic bread, but you could pair it with anything you like with soup.

* ENJOY!!

Mama's Sloppy Joes

It seems appropriate to share this recipe with you today, because this is my mom's recipe...and today is her birthday! Happy birthday, Mama! It seems even more appropriate because her recipe became ours a year ago on this very occasion!

Ryan and I went to have dinner at Mom and Dad's house for her birthday last year...because all three of the Freelan girls went together to buy Mom a brand new set of cordless phones for her house, and Ryan and I were the setup committee. It was a night of MUCH amusement that you can read all about here if you need a good laugh. And the photo summary of our come-to-life Family Circus is as follows:

Even though it was her birthday, she wanted to do the cooking, so we agreed and sat down to a lovely meal of her sloppy joes. And after we got home, Ryan said to me: Those were really good sloppy joes!

The first time ever that he'd so loved something someone else made that he wanted me to make it too. Gulp. And so it was that I went about asking Mom for her recipe. Turns out...she doesn't have one. Yep, that's Mom. She cooks by "a pinch of this and a pinch of that." So she gave me the best recipe she had...and I've worked with it. So here it is! Mama's sloppy joes...from the circus that is our family... on this anniversary of her day of birth! 

Mama's Sloppy Joes

* 1 pound of ground beef or turkey
* 1 small onion, chopped
* 1 cup ketchup
* 1/4 cup brown sugar
* 1 Tablespoon chili powder
* 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Brown the ground beef or turkey along with the chopped onion until meat is cooked all the way through and the onion is tender. Add the ketchup, brown sugar, chili powder and lemon juice. Stir thoroughly and allow to simmer for ten minutes while flavors marry. Serve warm!

A Few Tips:

* I always use either ground turkey or ground chicken, just to make it a bit healthier, but whatever gound meat you like works well!

* You can add more sugar or cut some of the chili powder if you want the taste sweeter or tangier. What I use is the perfect blend for us.

* We use the slim buns to save a few carbs, but you can serve it on whatever kind of bun you'd like!

* This warms over very well if you save it for leftovers!

Avocado Chicken Salad

Ryan and I really do try hard to eat healthy...while still enjoying food. I was excited to find this recipe on Pinterest a while back, and I've made a few modifications to fit our tastes, and this has become a good one for us.

I love chicken salad, but I am admittedly a chicken salad snob. I like for it to be good and creamy, with onion and celery but without nuts and grapes. When I find a place that makes a good chicken salad, I try to savor it, because those places are hard to find!

I was nervous about trying this one because on the original pin, it was hailed as a healthy dish. That always scares me because I'm fearful it's sacrificed on flavor. This definitely did not. It's not as creamy as the best of the best chicken salads, but because it has an entirely different flavor than most, I'm able to overlook it. I actually find this one quite tasty and I enjoy making it for days when we need to eat on the run. Easy to pack a sandwich and go!

Avocado Chicken Salad

* 2 cups of shredded chicken
* 1 avocado
* 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
* 1/2 teaspoon of salt
* 1/2 teaspoon of pepper
* 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
* 2 teaspoons of lime juice
* 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
* Pita buns

Combine all items in a bowl at least a half hour before serving, so flavors can marry. Serve cold plain or on pita buns, crackers or chips!

A Few Tips

* I always cook my chicken breasts or tenders by putting them {fresh or frozen} in a pan of water on the stove and bringing them to a boil until they are cooked all the way through.

* I put the cooked chicken in my stand mixer and let the paddle shred it up. Another Pinterest tip I learned a while back that has served me VERY well.

* Mom never cooked with avocados when I was growing up, so I had no idea how to tell if they were ripe. If that's you...avocados are ripe when they're soft and squishy. They are THE easiest thing to cut; just run a knife down to the core all the way around, twist it open, and scoop or chop out the insides.

* I don't cut up my cilantro super fine, and it still works well. If you prefer tiny pieces, you can really cut it up small.

* I use Fage Greek Yogurt for all my cooking. Love it!

* Ryan and I have become fans of the flat pita buns for all our sandwiches. I hate it that they're so pricey, but we splurge on that.

* This saves well for a couple of days. After that, the avocado starts to turn brown and gross.

Happy chicken salad making!

Spicy Sausage Pasta

Last week when Ryan was sick, he wanted chicken noodle soup. Confession: I don't like chicken noodle soup. Not when I'm sick and not when I'm well. But, because I love him so, I drove to the store and bought two cans of chicken noodle soup. I came home, dumped one can in a pan to warm it up on the stove {feeling that it was somehow more homemade if I skipped the microwave}.

He ate it right up and asked for more, so I offered to open the other can. He said to me, That was all that was in the can?

Tiny little sucker, wasn't it? I quipped.

I sent the other can in his lunch the next day and as I told the story to my mom that same day, she said to me, Didn't you add water to it?

I'm sorry. Say what?

What can I say? I'm not a canned soup girl. I'm more of a whip-up-some-comfort-food-from-scratch sort of girl. And this is one of our FAVORITE meals. My sister recommended it to me a few months back and I've made a few alterations to suit our tastes, and also to make it healthier than the original version. It's a bit of a sinus cleanser, but it is GOOD.

And so far I haven't messed it up. You know. Like I did the canned soup.

And, just for the record, Ryan said this is his favorite main dish that I make.


Spicy Sausage Pasta

* 1 tablespoon oil
* 1 pound turkey smoked sausage
* 1 cup chopped onion
* 1 teaspoon garlic powder
* 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
* 1 {10 ounce} can of diced tomatoes with chilies - mild
* 1/2 cup milk
* 8 ounces wheat penne pasta
* 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
* 1/2 cup chopped green onions



Pour oil in a large, deep skillet and turn burner on medium heat. Slice the turkey smoked sausage, add the chopped onion and cook in the oil until the onion softens. Add garlic powder and cook for another minute or so. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, milk and pasta, cover skillet and allow to cook until the pasta is tender - about 15 minutes. When dish is fully cooked, sprinkle cheese and green onions on top. Serve warm.

A Few Tips:

* We've adapted this to be a little bit healthier: using the turkey smoked sausage, the wheat pasta, and 1% milk - and it tastes GREAT that way. But if you prefer the regular smoked sausage, regular pasta and cream instead of milk, you can certainly switch those out.

* You can use any kind of cheese that you have on hand - and add more, if you like. We believe there's no such thing as too much cheese.

* The tomatoes give this a bit of a kick. If you love kick, you can use a medium or hotter version.

* If you don't have penne, you can use rotini or any other shape you have and like.

* This reheats well - and we like to eat it with garlic bread!

Salsa Sloppy Joes

If you're new to the blog you might not know this...but I went through a phase (and some days I'm still in it) where I didn't really like to cook anything via the "cheating" method. Cheating meant from a box. That's why my pancake recipe has stuff added to it...etc. Sloppy joes were no different.

Two summer Olympics ago, I invited Jon and Julie Crandall over to watch the opening ceremonies. I wanted to serve dinner...but not from a box. So I found the salsa sloppy joe recipe and paired it with the ranch pasta salad...and we gobbled it all right up. The thing I like about this recipe (aside from the fact that it's not entirely "cheating") is that you can switch up the taste to suit your mood that day, depending on the kind of salsa you use!

It also works well as a leftover. I've been carrying it to work the past few days along with a bag of lime tortilla chips...good little lunch!

The Recipe

1 pound ground beef
1 jar (11 ounces) of salsa
1 can (10 ounces) of undiluted tomato soup
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
8 hamburger buns

Cook beef until no longer pink...drain. Add salsa, soup, and brown sugar. Simmer for 10 minutes and scoop onto hamburger buns.

Like I said earlier, you can switch up the taste every time by getting a different kind of salsa. I always get mild, but if you like some heat in your food, you can get hot salsa. One time I got a salsa that had a really smoky flavor to it - that was good in the sloppy joe! This time I got one that had corn and peppers in it - just to give some extra flavor.
Make sure you get your beef ground up really well. I didn't do a great job of that this time. So do as I say and not as I do! :)

Dump in the salsa, soup, and brown sugar. My jar of salsa was bigger than I needed, so I saved the rest to go with the chips. :)

Turn the heat down while it's simmering so it doesn't burn on the bottom of the pan.

And there you have it! A very tasty little meal that feels like you cooked it from scratch.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Lynne Ford is many things. Among them - a fantastic cook. Several times, either when I've stayed at her house or when we've shared a whole day together in the office, she's served me a treat of her chicken tortilla soup. SO YUMMY.

My best memory of her soup was the night when I had to make a last minute decision to stay in Fort Wayne because of weather. The roads were SO slick and it took me an hour to get to her house (wayyyyyy longer than it should have). By the time I got there, I was tired, cold, shaking and scared. I put on my jammies, sat on her couch, and she brought me a fuzzy blanket. Then she brought a tray with a giant glass of iced tea, a HUGE bowl of chicken tortilla soup, and a plate of jalapeno flavored tortilla chips. She gave me the remote and told me to relax. Now THAT'S a hostess.

So I asked if she shared her recipe, and she said a hearty absolutely!!!!

The Recipe

2 cans of black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans of garbanzo beans, drained
2 cans of corn, drained
1 onion (red or yellow), diced
1 rotisserie chicken (or package of chicken breasts/tenderloins)
32 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
2 ginormous (that was Lynne's term - I think she meant 64 ounce) cans of chicken broth
1 packet each of taco seasoning and ranch dip mix

In a VERY LARGE pot or Dutch oven, cook onion until it is translucent (add salt and pepper). Add beans and corn and a little more salt and pepper. Add crushed tomatoes and chicken broth. Dice the chicken and add o the soup. Stir in 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning and ranch dip mix. Bring soup to a boil, reduce heat and simmer with lid half-on for 45 minutes or more. The longer you cook it, the better. If you have fresh parsley on hand, add 2 or 3 Tablespoons of chopped parsley to the pot before you serve it.

I could not ind a 32 ounce can of crushed tomatoes, so I bought the closest I could find, which was 28 ounces. I also had a package of chicken tenderloins in the freezer, so I chose to use those instead of buying a rotisserie chicken. And in a rare Bekah-move, I did buy a real onion rather than using the dried onion like I always do.

If you use fresh chicken, put the raw chicken in a pot of water and boil until cooked through.

While the water boiled and the chicken cooked...I chopped the onion. Many tears later, I was done.

The first time I boiled chicken, it freaked me out when it got all frothy looking on top but it turns out that's normal.

Check the chicken to make sure it is cooked ALL the way through - no pink middles! - and then pull out of the boiling water.

Put the onion in the bottom of the pot...it will look SO little down there! Trust me. You will use the rest of the pot. Keep stirring - don't let it burn!

Cook until the onion is translucent....or if you're Bekah, cook until it looks "soft enough" and proceed to the next step. I have NO patience.

The grossest part of the whole recipe for me was draining and rinsing the black beans. They are awfully syrupy. Kind of freaked me out.

It's really colorful once you add both kinds of beans and the corn to the onion!

Add the crushed tomatoes....more color!

Then add the broth. There might be a little fat on top and you can just skim that off. (Tip: onion will also float to the top and look like fat. It's not. Don't skim it all out. That makes the chopping from the previous step NULL AND VOID.)

Shred/dice the chicken in a bowl.

Add the ranch seasoning....

...and the taco seasoning.

....soup done! Oh it is good. Add a little sour cream and cheese..mmmmmmmm.

This freezes well! Just FYI!!!!!!