TUESDAY

Drunken Corn Chowder

KK-Raleigh NC

Bottle of white wine

7 slices of bacon chopped

1 small onion-diced

1 large baking potato cut into small bite size pieced

2T butter

2 Cans of Creamed Corn

2 cans of Kernel Corn

½ pint Half and Half

Milk

¼ cup stove top stuffing.

Uncork wine and pour yourself a glass. In large pot add chopped bacon and diced onions. Cook through. Add potatoes & butter cook until nice and golden brown. Then add corn, half and half and enough milk to make a nice creamy semi thick consistency about 1 ½ cup. Pour your self another glass. Cover and cook on low for 20-30 minutes stirring often. Add stuffing and stir well. If the soup seems too think all a little more milk and continue to cook to for about 15 more minutes. Pour another glass of wine. You should be good and tipsy and the soup should be just right. Add a splash of wine to chowder (that is probably all you have left at this point)stir one last time and serve. Makes 8 servings

If you don't have a food saver I highly recommend one. This makes a good bit and you could food saver and freeze the rest. For a quick meal take a frozen pouch of chowder out and add to boiling water for about 10 minutes.

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It's like

super easy chili in a casserole dish

Enjoy.

Ingredients:
12 oz. Boca crumbles (you can use ground beef if you prefer)
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced red or green pepper
1 8 oz. package crescent rolls (you can use the reduced fat ones too)
1 can pinto beans with or without jalapenos, drained
1 packet taco seasoning
2 - 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
1 cup cheddar cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375.

Sauté boca, onion and pepper in pan

Spray 9" X 13" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Unroll crescent rolls (they will fit right inside pan). Pinch together to make crust. Bake for 6-8 minutes.

Add tomato sauce, beans and taco seasoning to boca; mix thoroughly. Top crust with "meat" mixture and bake an additional 10 minutes. Top with cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes.

Alison

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Pumpkin Soup Recipe

Easy, good, filling, and semi-healthy too! Don't worry, it doesn't taste anything like pumpkin pie.

1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon onion powder (or 1/2 a chopped onion*)
2 cups canned pumpkin
3 cups canned chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste
1/4 cup milk, half & half, or cream

Melt the butter in a sauce pan.
Add the onion powder (or chopped onion) to the butter and mix well. (If you're using real onion, use more butter and saute the onion until it's soft.)

Take the pan off the heat and the pumpkin. Mix well.
Add the chicken broth a little at a time and mix well each time before adding more broth (to avoid lumps).
Put the pan back on the heat.
Add sugar, salt, and black pepper and let it simmer for a little while so the flavors can mix and mingle.
Take the soup off the heat and stir in the milk, half & half or cream last. Don't let the soup boil after you add the dairy product.

Takes about 15 minutes. Serves 4ish

*If you use a real onion, you'll end up with little chunks of onion in an otherwise completely smooth soup. I thought it was gross, so I stick with the onion powder now.

Jill

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Guinness Cheese Soup

Easy to make, and downright tasty!! Great with a good crusty bread. Perfect for celebrating St. Paddy's day!

INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon butter
½ cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 can Guinness Stout (no bottles, can is best)
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth (home made is best or organic if possible)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups half-and-half
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (better the cheese, the better the soup)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Melt the butter or margarine in a 4 ½ quart soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and Worcestershire sauce and stir well. Add the beer and raise the heat to high and boil for 3 minutes to evaporate the alcohol. Add the chicken broth and bring the soup back to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer.
2. Combine the cornstarch with 3 tablespoons water and stir until smooth. Set aside.
3. Add the half-and-half and shredded cheese to the soup. Stir constantly until the cheese melts. Then stir in the cornstarch mixture. Stir constantly until the soup is thick, about 2 minutes. Serve garnished with bacon bits.
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