Easy Potato Soup

Rinse 4 cans of diced potatoes and put on the stove in a pot. Cover with 1 1/2 cans of chicken broth and boil for at least 10 minutes.


Meanwhile, in a crock pot, heat the following ingredients until blended together:
1 can cheddar soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup

Add potatoes and chicken broth mixture to the soup mixture in the crock pot. Add 1 pint of half and half and stir together. Keep on low heat. Stir occasionally so that the soup does not stick.

Serve with bacon bits and cheddar cheese.

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

I'm a big fan of Chicken Noodle Soup...especially during the fall and winter months.  I'm an even bigger fan of homemade soup.  And easy homemade just makes me jump for joy.

So when I came across this recipe that my MIL shared, I was thrilled.  It's Sandra Lee's Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup. It's easy and it's delicious.

1 store-bought roasted chicken (I usually select the "Herb" flavor)
1 cup diced onions (I don't use frozen for this)
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrot
4 (14-ounce) cans low-sodium chicken broth
2 (10.75-ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup with roasted garlic (I can rarely find the "with garlic", but plain cream of mushroom works fine...I use the "healthier" version)
2 teaspoon fines herbs*
Salt and pepper
2 cups egg noodles, cooked (I used wheat)

Remove the skin from the chicken and shred the meat from the bone. Put the chicken into a slow cooker along with the onions, celery, and carrots. Stir in broth, mushroom soup, and fines herbs and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on high setting for 3 to 4 hours or low for 8 to 9 hours.

When soup is finished, stir in cooked egg noodles. Adjust seasonings and serve.

Don't put the noodles in too early or they will overcook and disintegrate over time.  I have found that it freezes ok...noodles get mushy.  ENJOY!

*Sandra Lee's Note: Fines herbs are a classic blend of herbs that usually consists of chervil, chives, parsley, and tarragon. Fines Herbs can be found pre-blended in the spice section of the grocery store.

Taco Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb. Lean ground beef
½ onion, chopped
1 small can green chilis, undrained
1 can each of pinto, kidney and black beans, undrained
1 can chopped stewed tomatoes, undrained, (you may have to chop them yourself)
1 can Rotel, undrained
1 can kernel corn, undrained
1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix (dry)
1 pkg. Taco seasoning mix
1 ½ cups water

Brown 1 lb. of the lean ground beef. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for at least 20 minutes. Optional - serve with some shredded cheese and oyster crackers.

Makes about 12 cups. Great to freeze and reheat!

3 points per cup (Weight Watchers)