"French" Onion Soup

It took a couple of tries, but I finally got this soup tasting the way I want it to.  The key is to really give the onions a head start and let them cook down and caramelize.  Traditional onion soup is topped with Gruyere cheese.  I topped mine with asiago cheese.  I love asiago cheese.

This soup makes 6-8 servings.

2 Tbsps Unsalted Butter
2 Tbsps Olive Oil
4 Medium Onions, thinly sliced (I used yellow onions)
2 Bay Leaves
1 Tsp Dried Thyme
1/2 Cup Water
4 Cups Beef Broth
1/3 Cup Sherry Vinegar
Asiago Cheese, shredded

Place butter in slow cooker set to low and let it start to melt while you slice the onions.  Add 1 tbsp of olive oil and the onions.  Pour the second tbsp of oil over top of the onions.  Add the bay leaves, thyme and water.  Let the onions cook for a good 3 hours until browned.  Remove the bay leaves and add the beef broth.  Stir to blend and let the soup continue cooking another 2 hours.  Add the sherry vinegar, stir and let finish cooking about 30-60 minutes.

Top each serving with a sprinkle or a handful of asiago cheese and enjoy.

Homemade Applesauce

I love apples.  One of the best things about the fall is that apples are everywhere and delicious!  This applesauce is so easy to put together and is delicious warm straight from the slow cooker or chilled the next day.

This makes about 8 servings.

7-8 Medium Apples, peeled and cored
1 Cup Water
1/3 Cup Light Brown Sugar
1/4 Tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/4 Tsp Cinnamon

Place the apples and water in a slow cooker and cook on low for about 4 hours.

Mash up the apples with a potato masher.  Add the sugar, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon and mix well.

Let cool slightly or completely before serving.

Meatloaf

My husband loves meatloaf.  I make mine right in a gallon size bag so I do not get my hands full of raw meat and, if needed, I can freeze it right in the bag.  I alternate between ground turkey and ground beef so either works in this recipe.

This meatloaf serves 6 easily.

2lbs Ground Meat (beef or turkey)
1 Envelope of Lipton Beefy Onion Soup Mix
1/3 Cup Water
1 Egg
1/4 Cup Breadcrumbs
1 Tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tbsp Tastefully Simple Merlot Sauce
1/3 Cup Ketchup

Place all the ingredients in a bowl or ziplock bag and combine well.

For best results let mixture rest together before cooking (or freeze).

To cook place in a 2 quart casserole dish and bake in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes to an hour or place in a slow cooker on low for 6 hours.  It is especially delicious with some red wine poured over top and used as sort of a marinade.

PB & Marshmallow Cookies

These no-bake cookies are quick and easy.  The gooey marshmallow on top is an extra treat!

This makes about 20 cookies

1 Sleeve of Cinnamon Graham Crackers, crushed into crumbs
1/2 Cup Creamy Natural Peanut Butter
1/4 Cup Pancake Syrup
1/4 Cup Sugar
1 Tsp Vanilla
10 Jumbo Marshmallows, cut in half

In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients, except marshmallows, until well blended.  Using your hands, roll the mixture into approximately 20 balls (about 1-1 1/2 in).  Place in a microwave safe plate.  Using a fork, flatten each one and top each with a marshmallow.  Microwave the cookies for about 25 seconds to partially melt the marshmallow.  Enjoy, especially warm and gooey!

Corn Muffins

I admit that corn muffins are a favorite of mine.  I also admit I rarely make them from scratch!  This trick to make the muffins extra moist was passed to my mom from a stranger and she passed it to me and I am now passing it on too!

This makes 6 muffins.

1 Package of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
1/4 Cup Milk
1 Egg
1/2 of a 14oz Can of Creamed Corn

Combine all ingredients until just combined.  Let batter sit for 5 minutes.  Stir one more time and then pour batter evenly into muffin pan.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 17-19 minutes until just golden brown.

Italian Chicken Soup

 

I love soup and I am so glad the weather has cooled down enough to enjoy soup for dinner.  Tonight I needed an easy soup that I could throw in the slow cooker.  Sadly I just threw some traditional chicken soup ingredients and tomatoes in the crock pot and truly enjoyed the result!

This soup serves 6 easily.

2 Cups Water
1 14oz Can of Petite Diced Tomatoes
4 Cups Chicken Broth or Stock
2-3 Carrots, peeled and sliced
2-3 Stalks of Celery, sliced
2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 Tsp Dried Thyme
2 Tbsps Tomato Paste
1/2 lb Pasta, any kind (I love Filini)
Grated Parmesan Locatelli Cheese, for topping (optional)

Place all ingredients except tomato paste and pasta in the slow cooker on low for 6 hours.  With about an hour remaining, stir in the tomato paste and shred the chicken with forks.  Cook the pasta to al dente, drain and add to the pasta just before serving.  Serve with salt and pepper and cheese to taste.

Ricotta Dumplings

This is not a super quick recipe.  It requires a little bit of time, which is why this was our Sunday night dinner.  The dumplings are surprisingly light, but the meal is hearty.  I served mine with some wonderful crusty Italian bread to soak up all the extra gravy (or sauce to non-Italians).  I also added mushrooms to mine because I have daughter who is a true mushroom lover.

This recipe serves about 4 or 5 people.

10oz Box of Frozen Chopped Spinach, thawed and drained
1 3/4 Cups of Part-Skim Ricotta Cheese
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese
1/3 Cup Flour (plus additional flour for coating)
2 Eggs
Black Pepper
Pasta Gravy (recipe to follow)

Bring a pot of salted water to boil, while preparing the dumplings.

Combine all ingredients except for the gravy in a mixing bowl using a fork.  Make sure the mixture is well blended.  Place some flour on a plate (about 1/4 cup).  Drop heaping teaspoons of the mixture on the plate and gently roll in the flour to coat.  Move coated dumpling to another plate.  After rolling the entire mixture you should have about 20-25 dumplings.

Very gently drop the dumplings into the boiling water.  Do not stir.  Let the dumplings cook for about 5 minutes and they will float to the top when they are done.  Using a slotted spoon, gently remove the dumplings from the water (as they finish) and place directly into the pasta gravy.

Pasta Gravy

In slow cooker, combine all the following:

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
Pinch Crushed Red Pepper
1 Small Onion, diced
1 28oz Can of Diced Tomatoes
1 6oz Can Tomato Paste
Fresh Basil

Cook on low for 3-4 hours, stir once and awhile.