Bean Soup

This recipe makes the cut! It has everything I want in a food storage recipe. It is shelf stable but, if you have the means, you can spice it up with fresh vegetables and meat. It is delicious just the way it is and it is a nice hearty meal. For three days in a row I ate this soup for lunch with a buttered, rolled-up flour tortilla and I loved it. To dress up this soup with fresh veggies, dairy, and meats I think it would be great with shredded chicken, tortilla chip noodles, cheese, and avocado. Garnish with some sour cream and cilantro and you have just turned "food-storage bean soup" into "every-day tortilla soup".

Serves: 4
Start-to-Finish: 6-8 hours (slow cooker recipe)
Recipe By: Amber Brunson


Ingredients:

1/2 cup dry pinto beans
1 cup dehydrated carrots
1/2 cup dehydrated onion
1/4 cup powdered milk (can substitute 1/4 cup sour cream if you're making it fresh)

1 cup salsa or taco sauce (I used mild but next time I would probably use medium because it takes a lot of heat to give the beans any flavor at all)
1/2 cup potato flakes
1 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Rinse pinto beans and soak in water overnight.
2. Drain all the water, rinse beans thoroughly, and place in crock-pot.
3. Add dehydrated vegetables to crock-pot with beans.
4. Add fresh water enough to cover all the vegetables and beans.
5. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or until the beans are fully cooked and soft.
6. Add the powdered milk, potato flakes, salsa, and salt.
7. Puree the soup in a blender until smooth.
8. Serve with warm tortillas.

Tortilla Soup

This is a fantastic and easy tortilla soup recipe from Sandra Lee Semi Homemade. I added chicken to the recipe to make it a heartier meal but you could serve it as is. Made as is the soup is mild, but if you wanted a spicy taste consider adding Pepper Jack cheese or getting canned Mexican tomatoes with jalapenos added in. You can also substitute the Creamy Ranchero soup for something with heat like Southwest Pepper Jack soup. Be creative!

Serves: 4
Start to Finish: 20 minutes
Recipe By: Sandra Lee Semi Homemade

Ingredients:

1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
1 cup diced red onion
2 tsp minced garlic
1 (32-oz) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 can chicken
1 (10.75-oz) can creamy ranchero soup Campbell's (any creamy southwest style soup will work)
1 (10.75-oz) can Mexican-style petite diced tomatoes
1 cup loose corn (canned or frozen will work)
1/2 cup crumbled tortilla chips
Fresh cilantro
Cotija cheese (this is a crumbly, white Mexican cheese. If you cannot find it, you can substitute with Monterey Jack cheese)
1 Avocado, sliced
Whole tortilla chips

Directions:

1. In a large pot heat olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add onion and garlic to the oil and cook until onions are soft and translucent.
3. Add chicken, chicken broth, soup, tomatoes, corn, and 1/2 cup crumbled tortilla chips.
4. Bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, prepare four soup bowls by adding grated cheese and avocado slices to each bowl.
7. Ladle soup into bowls.
8. Garnish with cilantro and serve with whole tortilla chips.

Haunted Ham and Cheese with Spiderweb Soup

Haunted Ham and Cheese

A haunted twist on a grilled ham and cheese sandwich. This dinner is very simple but is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Jack-o'-lantern faces cut out from bread add flare to these ham and cheese sandwiches. Dip them into some spicy Spiderweb Soup for a well-balanced and delicious Halloween dinner (Soup recipe to follow).


Serves: 4
Start to Finish:
Recipe By: Grilled ham and cheese is as old as peanut butter and jelly, I am not sure if anyone knows who invented them.

Ingredients:

8 slices of bread
4 slice of cheddar cheese
4 slices of ham
Butter
Garlic salt

Directions:

1. Butter one side of each piece of bread.
2. Using a sharp knife or cookie cutter, cut jack-o-lantern faces into four slices of bread.
3. Flip the bread over so it is butter side down.
4. Top the bread with ham and cheese.
5. Cover with the other four slices of bread to form a sandwich.
6. Sprinkle garlic salt over the sandwiches.
7. Place on skillet and cook until golden brown.
8. Flip sandwich and cook second side until golden brown
9. Serve with Spiderweb Soup








Spiderweb Soup

This Carrot-Ginger Soup has an incredible flavor that will warm you up on a cold October night. The flavor is strong and ginger can be spicy; so if you are worried your children won't eat it, you can always use a can of Campbell's Tomato Soup. Just make sure to add the spiderweb design for the full effect.


Serves: 6
Start to Finish: 2 hours
Recipe By: Janet Brunson (This recipe was given to me by my mother-in-law; she is an excellent cook. I would recommend trying any recipes I post that are from her. You won't be disappointed in the results.)

Ingredients:

4 TBSP butter or margarine
1 medium onion, chopped (approx. 1 cup)
2 TBSP fresh ginger, finely minced
6 cups chicken broth
8 large carrots, peeled and finely chopped (approx. 2 lbs)
salt to taste
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup sour cream

Spiderweb Garnish:
3 TBSP sour cream
1 TBSP milk

Directions:

1. In a stock pot, melt butter.
2. Chop onion and carrots; mince ginger.
3. Saute onion and ginger over medium heat until soft.
4. Stir in chicken broth and carrots.
5. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until the vegetables are very soft, about 1 hour.
6. Cool slightly and puree in batches in a blender or food processor.
(At this point the soup can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen. Sour cream will be added in the steps that follow, which can be neither frozen nor boiled without curdling. Note: the more time the flavors have to meld together, the stronger the ginger spice becomes.)
7. Add the pureed soup back to the pot and bring the soup to a simmer.
8. Season to taste with salt, pepper, nutmeg, and sugar.
9. Stir in sour cream.
10. Heat the soup gently but DO NOT ALLOW TO BOIL!
11. Ladle into soup bowls and add the spiderweb garnish.

For Spiderweb Garnish:
12. Mix together sour cream and milk in a Ziploc baggie (It should be thick).
13. Seal Ziploc baggie and snip a small hole in one bottom corner.
14. Using the Ziploc baggie like an icing bag, draw a swirl design onto the top of the soup.
15. Use a toothpick to drag the design from the center of the swirl out to create a spiderweb effect.

Red Pepper Soup

This soup has a bit of a kick to it and great depth in the flavor. It is a perfect fall soup to put you in the mood for brisk air, fires, and the leaves changing colors. The bacon adds a nice smoky flavor that will warm you right up inside. I make lots of soups in the fall (you will definitely see more as the season draws near) and I am always looking for another fool-proof recipe to add to the mix. This soup is not too spicy but if you don't like hot at all just eliminate the cayenne pepper and it should be just right for you.

Serves: 2
Start to Finish:
Recipe by: Bessie Hulett

Ingredients:

2 bacon strips
1 large sweet red pepper, chopped
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 TBSP tomato paste
1/8 tsp paprika
pinch cayenne pepper the more you add the hotter it gets, you can eliminate it all together
1 cup chicken broth, divided
1 TBSP butter
1 TBSP flour
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 tsp salt
chives and additional chopped red pepper optional garnish

Directions:

1. In a deep skillet, cook bacon until crisp
2. Remove bacon to a paper towel to drain
3. To the pan drippings, add red pepper, garlic, and onion. Saute until tender, about 4 min
4. Stir in the tomato paste, paprika, and cayenne pepper until well blended
5. Add 1/4 cup of chicken broth, reduce heat and simmer for 5 min
6. Remove from heat and cool for 10 min
7. Puree mixture in a blender and set aside
8. In your skillet melt butter over medium heat
9. Stir in flour, cook and stir for 2 min
10. Gradually add remaining 3/4 cup of chicken broth and bring to a boil over medium heat
11. Cook and stir for 2 min
12. Reduce heat to low and gradually stir in whipping cream and salt
13. Add puree and heat through
14. Crumble bacon over the top of the soup
15. Optional: Garnish with chives and red pepper if desired