My Favourite Recipes

Since it is almost fall (hooray!), I thought I'd post some of my favourite recipes, which, of course include soups. I love soup. End of discussion. Enjoy :) 

(and next time I make any of the recipes, I will add pictures so you can see what they look like. Better yet, try them!)

Homemade Beef Vegetable Soup
Delicious on a fall day! I made this one up as I went along....

Ingredients:
1lb ground beef, cooked and drained
1 can of beef broth
1 can of tomato juice
Cut up carrots and celery (I used three of each)
Tomato soup mix (I use the California tomato soup mix from the Dutch store)
Spaghetti noodles, broken into small pieces (maybe 1/4 of the pkg.)

Directions:
1.Cut up carrots and celery
2.Cook ground beef until done, and drain. Set aside.
3.Bring to almost a boil the beef broth and tomato juice
4.Add the tomato soup mix in
5.Toss in the carrots and celery, and cook until almost tender
6.Add ground beef to soup pot
7.Then let simmer for a bit and then add in your broken spaghetti noodle pieces
8.Again, let simmer until noodles are done, and eat! (can you tell I like to simmer things?? Locks in the flavour!)


Simple Shepherds Pie

Ingredients:
2lbs Lean Ground Beef
1 packet of Clubhouse Shepherds Pie Seasoning
3/4c. Water
1 can of Corn
1 can of Peas and Carrots
(you can also add in a can of green beans if you desire)
Mashed Potatoes (you can either use instant potatoes or peeled potatoes) Make enough for 8 servings

Directions:
Cook the ground beef. Drain the fat. Put beef back in the frying pan.
Sprinkle seasoning over beef. Add 3/4c. water. Stir and simmer for 2 minutes.
Dump in the corn and peas and carrots. Stir. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Pour into a 9x13" pan. Put mashed potatoes on top. Cover with foil.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, and if you'd like, sprinkle grated cheddar cheese on for the last 10 mins (take foil off).

Serve with caesar salad and Garlic bread. Delish!

Crock Pot Chicken 

Ingredients:
4-6 Boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 bottle BBQ sauce
1/4c. vinegar
1tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4c. brown sugar
1/2-1tsp. garlic powder

Directions:
Mix BBQ sauce and ingredients. Pour over chicken and cook on low 4-6hrs. Done.


Italian Chicken Bake

Ingredients:
4-6 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast (can be frozen)
New Potatoes, cut up
Green beans (can be canned or fresh)
1/2c. butter, melted
Italian seasoning (I use Clubhouse shaker kind-it is not a packet)

Arrange chicken, potatoes and green beans in a 9x13 dish. I put the green beans on the left, chicken in the middle, and potatoes on the right. Drizzle melted butter over top, and sprinkle Italian seasoning. Bake at 350 for 1 hr. So delicious.

KRAFT Chicken, Potato and Veggie bake

Ingredients:
4-6 Boneless, skinless chicken breast
3 Potatoes, chopped
3 Carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3/4c. KRAFT Italian salad dressing
Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Place chicken, potatoes, carrots and onion into a large baking dish. Drizzle with Italian dressing. Bake, covered with aluminum foil @ 400 degrees F. for 1 hour. Remove foil during last 10 mins of baking. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.


Eva's Noodle Dish (courtesy of Jennifer Kroesbergen)

Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
1/2c. chopped celery
1 lb. Ground bef
1 can of creamed corn
1 can cream of mushroom soup
Cooked noodles (we use egg noodles)

Directions:
Saute onion and celery. Push to side of pan and brown ground beef. Add corn and mushroom soup; mix together well. Add cooked noodles and stir. Pour into greased casserole dish. Bake @ 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. Serve with bread and butter pickles.


Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Chicken

Ingredients:

1 packet of Clubhouse SLOW COOKER Sweet & Sour chicken seasoning
1/3c. ketchup
1/3c. white vinegar
1/3c. sugar
1 can (398mL) pineapple tidbits with juice
1 1/2c. each chopped onion, bell pepper, and celery
1 can (398mL) baby corn, drained
3-4 Boneless skinless chicken breast (or chicken thighs)

Directions:
In a bowl, whish together ketchup, vinegar, sugar and seasoning mix until smooth. Stir in pineapple with juice. Set aside.
Combine vegetables in bottom of slow cooker. Arrange chicken on top.
Pour seasoning mixture all over chicken and vegetables. Cover.
Cook 8hrs on low, or 4 hours on high. For best results, do not remove cover during cooking.
Serve over cooked rice, if desired.
Makes 4 servings.

Ham & Potato Soup

Ingredients:

3 1/2c. peeled and diced potatoes

1/3c. diced celery

1/3c. finely chopped onion (to be honest, I've never put onion in anything I've cooked)

3/4c. diced cooked ham

3 1/2c. water (or you can just use chicken broth)

2 tbsp. chicken boullion granules (optional if you use the chicken broth)

1/2tsp. salt

pepper to taste

5tbsp. butter

5tbsp. all purpose flour

2c. milk

Directions:

Combine potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender (approx. 15-20mins). Stir in boullion, salt and pepper. In a separate saucepan, melt butter over med-lo heat. Whisk in flour with a whisk, stirring constantly until thick(about 1min). I also use a spatula to get into the corners of the pan. Slowly sir in the milk, continue stirring over med-lo heat, until thick (about 4-5mins). Stir the milk mixture into the potato pot and cook soup until heated through.

Prep: 20mins

Cook: 25mins

Serves: 8

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

Ingredients & Directions:

1/2c. butter or margarine (I use butter, and softened)

1c. white sugar

2 eggs

1c. mashed bananas (about 2 bananas)

MIX.

Add 2c. flour

1tsp. baking soda

1c. chocolate chips

MIX.

Mush down any lumps. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full.

Bake at 350F (325 convection) for 15-20mins.

Remove from pans and cool on a cooling rack.

Chocolate Chip Cookies 

Makes a ton of cookies! (around 72, I believe)

Ingredients:

4 1/2 cup flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 cups butter (softened)

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

2 pkgs. instant vanilla pudding mix

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350. Sift together flour and baking soda (unless you buy the pre-sifted flour, then just gently mix them). Cream together butter, brown sugar, and white sugar (I use a mixer). Beat in pudding mix. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Blend in flour mixture, then chocolate chips. Bake for approx. 9-11mins. Edges should be golden brown.

Makes about 72 cookies. You can freeze the extras if you want (otherwise you might start looking like a cookie! J/K!)

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

2c. all purpose flour

1/2tsp. baking soda

1/4tsp. salt

1 1/2c. rolled oats

1c. unsalted butter, softened

1 1/3c. packed dark brown sugar

2 eggs

2tsp. vanilla

2c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 300F. Of if you are using convection, 275F. Stir together the flour, baking soda, salt and oats. Set aside. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Mix the dry ingredients until well blended (I do half at a time), before adding the chocolate chips. Add chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoonfulls at least 3 inches apart onto cookie sheet. Flatten cookies. Bake for about 15 mins and allow cookies to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet. Then remove, and cool completely on a wire rack.

Yield: approx 40 cookies.

Sticky Bun breakfast ring (I actually haven't made this yet, but it sounds yummy!)

Ingredients:
2 small tubes refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
3tbsp. butter, melted
1/2c. pancake syrup
1/3c. light brown sugar, packed
1/2tsp. cinnamon
1/4c. pecans (optional)
1/4c. almonds (optional)

Directions:
Spray a fluted pan with non-stick spray. Combine the melted butter & syrup in a small bowl and set aside. In another bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon and nuts (optional). Place about 1/2 the syrup mixture in the bottom of the pan. Then sprinkle 1/2 the brown sugar mixture on top. Lay the biscuits on the bottom of the pan, over lapping (to form a ring). Top with remaining syrup and sugar mixture. Bake @ 375 for 20-25mins or until golden brown. Cool for 1 min in pan, then Enjoy! :)