Chicken Gnocchi Soup - Easy Version

We LOVE gnocchi soup! It is definitely a favorite around here. But the recipe I originally used takes forever to make so we didn't eat it nearly as often as we would have liked. This version of the recipe is a game changer - it literally takes at least 30 minutes off the prep time - and is every bit as good! You really can't go wrong either way, but this one is my current go-to. Yum! (Originally found here.)

2-3 chicken breasts grilled using Perfect Chicken recipe*, diced

1 stalk celery, chopped

1/2 white onion, diced (yellow or red onion is fine, too)

2 tsp minced garlic

1/2 cup shredded carrots

1 Tbsp olive oil

4 cups chicken broth (4 bouillon cubes + 4 c. water works fine)

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp thyme

1/4 cup flour

16 oz. potato gnocchi (I literally buy this at Dollar Tree)

2 cups half and half

1 cup fresh spinach, roughly chopped

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add celery, onions, garlic, and carrots. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until onions are translucent.

Add salt, pepper, thyme and flour. Stir to coat veggies. Add chicken broth and stir well. Add chicken. Bring to a boil, then gently stir in gnocchi. Boil for 3-4 minutes more, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes** to finish cooking gnocchi. (**Or cook the gnocchi in a separate pan according to package directions before adding to other ingredients. Then you can skip the last 10 minutes of cooking time.) 

Stir in half and half and spinach and cook another 1-2 minutes until spinach is tender. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed. Serve alone or with homemade bread, breadsticks or rolls.

*You can substitute a 12.5 oz. can of chicken breast if you don't have time to make Perfect Chicken. Or make it without the chicken. I did that once on accident and no one noticed! Or just cook the chicken however you like!

Cafe Rio Style Sweet Pork

We love Cafe Rio. There are a few restaurants we try to fit in every time we travel out west and Cafe Rio is definitely on that list. Their sweet pork tacos are especially delish when you add their yummy green sauce and some cilantro lime rice. I know it looks like a lot of work, but it's really not hard and we almost always have plenty of leftovers so I can freeze some for later or just enjoy sweet pork tacos for lunch the rest of the week. I found this recipe on a blog called The Recipe Society and it's a keeper for sure!

Put a 3-6 lb. pork roast in the crock pot and cover halfway up with water. Cook it overnight*. Discard water. Shred.

When the pork is shredded, combine:

12 ounces of salsa
1 can caffeine-free coke
2 cups brown sugar

Pour over the shredded pork in the crock pot and continue to cook for another 3-4 hours. 

Eat on a tortilla with cilantro lime rice (or just plain rice), black beans, cheese, lettuce, yummy green sauce, and/or whatever you like on your tacos. 

*The problem with cooking this overnight is that the pork is ready pretty early in the day. So sometimes I start the pork at 6 or 7am and cook it initially for 6-8 hours. Add on the extra 3-4 hours with the additional ingredients and you should be able to eat dinner by 6pm. 

White Chili

Hands down, this is the recipe I've had the most requests for over the years. I got the recipe years ago when Jeff and I were the judges for a Chili Cook-off at church. The flavor was so unique and amazingly delicious that it was our #1 choice. The "chef" was kind enough to give out copies of the recipe to anyone who wanted it. The original recipe is from a restaurant in St. Louis called Lewis and Clark's. I've tweaked and simplified it over the years to the version below. This can easily be doubled or tripled and it makes great leftovers!

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 med. onion, chopped (or a handful of dried minced onion)

4 garlic cloves, minced

one 4 oz. can chopped mild green chilies

2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. oregano

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp. ground cloves (don't leave this out. Super yummy!)

1-2 c. cooked and cubed chicken (or one 12.5 oz. can cooked chicken breast)

3 cans Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed

4 c. chicken broth

8 oz. cream cheese - see suggestion below*

Sour cream (optional)

     Heat oil over medium heat. If using fresh onion, add onions and stir until translucent. Stir in garlic, chilies, cumin, oregano, cayenne and cloves. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Add chicken, beans, and broth. Stir in cream cheese. (*To eliminate lumps when adding the cream cheese, warm the cream cheese to soften, stir it up until creamy smooth and add some hot broth a little at a time - stirring well after each addition - until it's runny, then stir it into the soup as the final ingredient.)

     Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Ladle into large bowls. Top with sour cream and serve with tortilla chips, if desired. 

5-hour Stew

When Jeff and I were first married, we sometimes drove the four hours to his grandparents house in Idaho. His grandma, Helen Stowell, would always have this stew in the oven, ready whenever we were. Served with rolls or homemade bread, it's the perfect comfort food on a cold day. The amounts are not specific so put in as much as you like. If I'm making a large batch, I'll sometimes add 2 cans of tomato soup instead of one.

Stew meat – trim the fat and cut into large bite-sized pieces

potatoes, cut into large bite-sized chunks

carrots, cut into large bite-sized chunks

1/2 of an onion, chopped (can also use a small handful of dried minced onion)

Tomato soup + 1/2 can water

Salt and pepper, to taste

     Combine all in oven safe container and bake at 300° for 5+ hours or until ready to eat. Can also be cooked in a crock pot on low for 5-6 hours. Serve with homemade bread or rolls.

 

Chicken Gnocchi Soup

This is our current favorite soup. The only problem is that it takes FOREVER to prep so make sure you double the recipe to make it worth your time. If you don't, you won't have any leftovers and then you'll be sad. I could eat this for lunch every day! (Update: check out this easier version! Still delish and takes way less time to make :)

¼ c. olive oil

1 c. onion, finely chopped

1 ½ c. matchstick carrots (or baby carrots cut into bite-sized pieces)

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 c. celery, chopped

1-3 c. fresh broccoli, finely cut

4 green onions, chopped

¼ c. flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

½ tsp. marjoram

½ tsp. basil

4 c. chicken broth

1 package potato gnocchi (I cut each piece in half or thirds)

4 chicken breasts cooked with the perfect chicken recipe, cut in small pieces

1 c. fresh spinach, coarsely chopped

2 c. half and half

     Prep all vegetables before starting. You’ll be glad you did. Saute the onions, carrots, and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat for three minutes. Add the celery, broccoli and green onions and continue cooking until the onions are translucent and the carrots are tender. Combine the flour and spices. Add to veggies and stir to coat. Let the mixture cook for about a minute before adding a cup or two of the chicken broth. Stir until smooth and add the rest of the broth. Cook until the mixture thickens. Meanwhile, cook the gnocchi according to package directions. Add the cooked gnocchi, chicken and spinach to the soup. Stir in half and half. Cook until the spinach is soft.

      (Gnocchi can usually be found near the pasta section of larger stores.)

Perfect Chicken

This is the yummiest chicken ever. We always make more than we need (we at least double the recipe every time) and then cut it up and use it in different recipes. Our whole family loves this!

2-4 boneless chicken breasts, with or without rib meat
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. onion powder
1/2 t. paprika
2-3 T. olive oil

Method 1 (recipe as it was given to me):
Mix spices in a small bowl. Rub the seasoning into the chicken breasts. Pour olive oil into the bottom of a Dutch oven and heat to medium high. When nice and hot, add chicken to the pan (in batches if necessary). Cook 2-3 minutes per side. Add all chicken back to the dutch oven and place, uncovered, in a 350º oven for 25 minutes or until juices run clear. Let sit on a plate 5-10 minutes before cutting, shredding or eating.

Method 2 (What we do):
Mix spices and olive oil in a gallon ziplock bag. Cut fat off chicken and use a meat tenderizer to hammer it flat. Cut each breast in half, if desired. (Chicken tenderloins work great, too!) Place chicken in the prepared ziplock and coat with the spices. Grill on medium low about 8-10 minutes each side or until no longer pink in the middle. YUM!!!! Cut leftovers into chunks and use in chicken divan, chicken gnocchi soup, white chili, etc. 

Meatloaf with BBQ Sauce

This one is from my mother-in-law. The BBQ sauce isn't from a jar, but rather a combination of ingredients that give the meatloaf a yummy and tangy taste.

1 lb. ground beef
3/4 c. rolled oats
3/4 c. milk
3 Tbsp. chopped onion
1 tsp. salt
pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and shape into a loaf. Bake about 10 minutes at 425º. Pour sauce (below) over and cook an additional 35 minutes at 350º.

Sauce:
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tbsp. vinegar
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 c. ketchup
1/2 c. water
6 Tbsp. chopped onion

Combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Pour over loaf. Score loaf so that sauce will penetrate during cooking.

Easy Chicken Divan

Mmmm. I LOVE this one! As written, this makes a 9x13 pan full. When there are just a few of us at home, I half the recipe and put it in an 8x8 pan. It'll easily feed 4-5 of us, but then there are no leftovers. :( This comes together easily and has such a yummy flavor!

Two 10-oz. packages frozen broccoli or 2 bunches fresh broccoli
2 c. sliced cooked chicken (or one 12 oz. can of cooked chicken)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 c. mayonnaise
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. curry powder (I usually add just a little extra...)
1/2 c. shredded sharp cheddar (or medium. or mild.)

Cook broccoli. Arrange in a 9x13 baking dish. Put sliced chicken on top. Combine cream of chicken soup, mayonnaise, lemon juice and curry. Pour and spread over top of chicken. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes. Serve over rice or pasta or quinoa. 

Beef Pasta with Easy White Sauce

In my recipe collection, this is called "Vermicelli with White Sauce," but as you'll see, "White Sauce" is a stretch. A can of evaporated milk makes up the sauce which means it's super easy but surprisingly tasty. And I never use Vermicelli, usually opting for Angel Hair or whatever shaped pasta I have on hand.

1 can evaporated milk, 12 oz.

One jar Hormel dried beef, chopped

1/2 c. fancy shredded parmesan

pepper to taste

1 lb. pasta (vermicelli or any shape), cooked and drained

Pour evaporated milk over drained pasta in pan. Heat. Stir in beef and parmesan. Season with pepper. Top with more parmesan, if desired.

Spinach Stuffed Shells

This recipe makes a LOT - almost 2 full 9x13 pans. Half the recipe should still fill a 9x13 pan.

12 oz. jumbo pasta shells 
32 oz. spaghetti sauce (Prego traditional is a good choice)

Two 9 oz. boxes frozen creamed spinach

15 oz. ricotta cheese
1 pint sour cream
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Cook shells according to package directions. Spread a layer of sauce on bottom of pan. Cook the spinach and drain. Mix the rest of the ingredients together (minus sauce and 1/2 of mozzarella) then add cooked spinach to the mixture. Stuff the shells. Pour the rest of the sauce over the shells in the pan. Sprinkle top with remaining mozzarella. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes. 

Cheese Enchiladas

Honestly, I shy away from these enchiladas because they take a while to make, but they are really yummy so if you have the time, go for it! My friend, Jennifer, taught me how to make these. I opt for flour tortillas instead of corn, but both are great!

Six 8 oz. cans of tomato sauce

½ cube margarine

3 Tbsp. chili powder

Combine and simmer.

Filling:

2 lb. grated cheddar cheese

2 small cans sliced olives, drained

1 bunch green onions, chopped

Combine in a large bowl and toss.

In a skillet of hot oil, soften 24 corn tortillas one at a time. Dip each tortilla in sauce, covering both sides. Be careful not to burn fingers on hot sauce. Lay tortilla down flat on a cookie sheet and fill with cheese mixture then roll shut. Repeat with all 24 tortillas. Pour remaining sauce over all. Sprinkle with remainder of cheese mixture. Bake at 350º for 15-20 minutes. Serve with a side of refried beans, if desired. (Missy’s note: I like them with flour tortillas. I don’t get the sauce too hot or soften the tortillas beforehand. Seems to work fine. 

Waikiki Meatballs

I always loved it when my sister, Chantal, made this dish. I'm a fan of sweet and sour and these meatballs, in their tangy sauce, are delicious! It's a bit time intensive, but oh, so worth it!!

1 lb. ground beef

2/3 c. cracker crumbs

1/3 c. minced onion

1 egg

1 ½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. ginger

¼ c. milk

1 Tbsp. shortening or coconut oil

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

½ c. brown sugar

1/3 c. white vinegar

one 13.5 oz. can pineapple tidbits

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

1/3 c. chopped green pepper

Thoroughly mix beef, cracker crumbs, onion, egg, salt, ginger, and milk. Shape by rounded Tablespoonfuls into balls. Brown and cook meatballs in melted shortening. Remove meatballs and drain fat. Drain pineapple tidbits and keep the juice. Combine cornstarch and sugar. Stir in pineapple juice, vinegar, and soy sauce until mixture is smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir one minute. Add meatballs, pineapple tidbits, and green pepper. Heat through and serve over rice.

Pulled Pork

It doesn't get much easier than this! Several of my kids get pretty excited when this is on the menu.

Place ~2 lb. pork roast in crock pot with a little water. Add onion, if desired. Cook all day. Remove fat. Shred with 2 forks. Pour in a jar of your favorite BBQ sauce and stir (I like the bold and spicy sauces, but original KC Masterpiece is always a good choice). Serve on buns.

Feijoada - Brazilian Black Beans and Rice

My friend Jennifer and her husband served missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in different parts of Brazil. They used to invite us over when they'd make these Brazilian black beans and rice. Topping it with the fresh onion and salted tomato slices are a must, if you ask me. If you are using canned beans, you can whip this up in a jiffy!

Beans:

1 lb. bag black beans OR 3 or 4 cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 lb. smoked sausage, cut into bite-size pieces

3 bay leaves (remove before serving)

3 cloves garlic, minced

half of white onion, finely chopped

1 ½ T. salt, or to taste

If using dry beans, put beans into a large bowl covered by 2 inches of water and let soak overnight. Pour into large pot and bring to boil. Mix all ingredients and let cook (simmer) until beans are soft and mixture has thickened, stirring occasionally, about 1 ½ to 2 hours.

If using canned beans, beans are already soft. Mix all ingredients and simmer for 15-20 minutes to heat through and meld flavors.

Serve over rice and top with thinly sliced onions and sliced salted tomatoes, if desired. 

Chinese Beef and Rice Casserole

This is my very favorite way to use up leftover roast. In fact, I think I like this dish better than the roast to begin with! I got this recipe from my friend, Troba, years ago when we lived in Columbus. It's a keeper, for sure!

2/3 c. uncooked rice

1 medium onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, sliced diagonally (optional)

2 Tbsp. salad oil

1 ½ c. diced, cooked roast (leftovers!)

1 ½ c. boiling water

1 beef bouillon cube

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 green pepper, chopped

Cook and stir rice, onion and celery in hot oil until rice is golden brown, onion tender. Stir in remaining ingredients except green pepper. Heat to boiling and then lower heat. Cover tightly and simmer 15-18 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat. Add green pepper and fluff rice lightly with fork. Cover 10 minutes. Serve with additional soy sauce, if desired.

Hashbrown Casserole

I've modified this recipe a bit since I got it from my friend, Jeanee. It's a good one! I especially love the flavor of the sausage and peppers.

1 or 2 lb. sausage – hot or mild

2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 c. sour cream

8 oz. French onion dip OR ¾ cup sour cream and ½ envelope onion soup mix

1 c. chopped onion

¼ c. each green and red bell pepper

salt and pepper to taste

1 (30 oz.) package frozen hash brown shredded potatoes (or country style), thawed. 

        In a skillet, cook the sausage until browned. Drain well. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cheese, chicken soup, sour cream, French onion dip, chopped onion, bell peppers, salt and pepper. Fold in thawed hash brown potatoes. Mix well. Spread ½ of the hash brown mixture over bottom of a 9x13 greased baking dish. Spread ½ of the browned sausage over hash browns. Repeat with second half of hash browns then sausage. (Or place all of the hash brown mixture in the baking dish and top with sausage.) Bake at 350º for about one hour or until casserole is golden brown.

Hawaiian Haystacks

These are always a favorite! They are not hard to throw together and they please even the picky eaters because they can top with whatever they like.

Chicken Sauce:

6 Tbsp. butter

6 Tbsp. flour

2 cans chicken broth (3 cups)

1 c. heavy whipping cream

Melt butter, remove from heat. Add flour and broth. Stir in whipping cream. Stir constantly over medium heat until it thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add some cooked chicken.

Serve over rice and top with your choice of toppings.

Topping suggestions:

grated cheese, pineapple chunks, sliced olives, sliced mushrooms (fresh or canned), sweetened flaked coconut, green onions, chopped fresh tomatoes, chow mein noodles, green peppers, hard boiled eggs, and slivered almonds.

(The sauce is definitely worth the effort, but if you don’t have time to make it, you can warm up a can of cream of chicken soup thinned with a little milk.)

Zucchini Casserole

I love zucchini season! This recipe always makes it into our summer line-up when the garden vegetables are in full swing. From my friend Greta, this is one we keep around!

Saute:

½ cup chopped onion

6 Tbsp. butter

¾ cup sliced carrots

Combine with:

2 ¼ cup herb or chicken stuffing mix

2 cans cream of chicken soup

½ c. sour cream

4 medium zucchini in ½” slices then cut in half (half-moon shaped)

Place in 9x13 baking dish and top with a little more stuffing. Bake at 350º for 40 minutes.

Parmesan Chicken

If there was ever a recipe that's made the rounds, this is it. My entire extended family loves this. Funny enough, I got the recipe when a guy I dated (Craig) made this for me many years ago. The relationship didn't work out, but I got a great recipe out of it! Ha! :) The chicken is so tender and the flavor is delicious. I usually serve it with mashed potatoes and corn.

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or strips

Small carton plain yogurt (can substitute sour cream in a pinch)

1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed

2-3 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese

1 tsp. garlic salt

1 tsp. season salt

Combine crushed crackers, parmesan, garlic salt and season salt. Dip chicken in yogurt then roll in cracker mixture. Place in a foil lined pan. Before baking, drizzle melted butter or margarine over the top – about 1 cube for 6+ chicken breasts or 12+ strips. Bake at 325º for 45 minutes.

Red and White Pasta Delight

Another winning recipe from my sister, Amy. This is so easy to make. It's always a hit and it's the perfect choice when someone needs a meal brought in - I just make two, one for us and one to give away. You can make it ahead when you know dinnertime is going to be crazy and keep it refrigerated until time to bake.

Noodles and Red Sauce:

1 box mostaccioli or penne noodles

1 jar of favorite spaghetti sauce

1 cup or more of mozzarella cheese

        Cook noodles according to box. Put spaghetti sauce in the bottom of 9x13 pan then put noodles on top and mix together. Pour alfredo sauce (see below) over noodles, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and bake, covered, at 350º for 30 minutes until bubbly and cheese is melted.

Alfredo Sauce:

½ cup butter

2 Tbsp. cream cheese

½ pint heavy cream (can use half and half or milk in a pinch)

½ cup parmesan cheese

1 tsp. garlic salt

        Melt ingredients together over medium heat. Stir often until sauce thickens a bit. Cook longer if you want it thicker. Double the recipe if you want extra sauce for dipping breadsticks.