Cheeseburger Soup

I was chatting on the phone with my mom today debating on what I was going to make for dinner tonight and she told me about this soup. She said that she and several of her friends have made it recently and that they all really enjoyed it. I jotted down the few things I needed and ran to the store. It was kind of rainy and a little cool here today, so this sounded great. Now, a couple things:
1. Not sure why it's called cheeseburger soup. Besides the fact that it has cheese and hamburger in it. But it also has potatoes, carrots, green chilies and bell peppers, which are not ingredients I think of when I think "cheeseburger". Regardless, it was awesome, so maybe I need to rethink my cheeseburger toppings.

2. I am trying to cook things that are healthy and usually milk based soups aren't high on any health food lists. But, I cut corners where I could and I think that overall, this probably wasn't too high in fat. I used 1% milk instead of whole milk so that cuts a ton of fat and calories right there and it was still nice and rich tasting.

I served it with Jiffy Corn Bread muffins and all 3 of my girls scarfed it right up. This will stay on my menu rotation for sure. Thanks, mom!

Cheeseburger Soup

1/2 pound lean ground beef, browned and drained
1 1/2 cups water
2 cups diced potatoes (I used canned potatoes)
1 cup diced carrots (I used sliced canned carrots)
1/2 cup diced onions
1/4 cup diced green peppers
4 oz can chopped green chilies
2 beef bouillion cubes
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 1/2 cups milk, divided
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup cubed american cheese
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I omitted this)

In a large saucepan, combine browned hamburger, water, potatoes, carrots, onion, pepper, chilies, garlic powder, and bouillion. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 15 minutes or until carrots are tender.

Stir in 2 cups milk. Mix 1/2 cup milk and flour; gradually stir into
soup. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir 2 minutes or until thick and bubbly. Reduce heat, stir
in cheese and cayenne. Let simmer until ready to serve. Yield 6-8 servings

Baked Tilapia

Let me start by saying that I am NOT a fish person. Basically the only seafood/fish I really eat is shrimp. But, in an effort to start eating healthier and get in shape, and because eating chicken day in and day out is getting old, I decided to try out this fish recipe that my sister sent me a long time ago. She promised that tilapia was a very mild, flaky fish and that this was really good. I thought I'd just get over it and give the recipe a try. Much to my surprise, I really, really liked it! It didn't taste too "fishy" and served over Rice-a-Roni Chicken Flavored rice was just a great combination. All of us enjoyed this meal (Macie and Maddie ate it, it wasn't their favorite, but they didn't complain). I'm looking forward to cooking with tilapia again. I know it's so good for us and it's a nice change from chicken all the time. Plus, it cooks SO fast! Like in 10 minutes fast. That I can handle!

Baked Tilapia

3/4 Cup Italian Bread Crumbs
1/3 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 tsp. Garlic Salt
1 tsp. Dried Oregano
4 Tilapia Filets (thawed or fresh - about 4 oz. each)

Preheat oven to 425.
On a plate, blend first 4 ingredients. Dredge tilapia filets in mixture and place on greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until fish flakes apart easily with a fork.

Chicken Taco Soup

It's the perfect time of year for a bowl of soup and this one is great because it's made with chicken, so it's healthier than the recipes made with beef, but it's still very hearty and filling. My mother-in-law gave me this recipe - she made a huge pot of it for us over Thanksgiving weekend and we all thought it was great! You add egg noodles to it as well, which makes it a little different than the other taco soups that you might normally have. You could throw everything together and put it in your crock pot, too, if you have a busy day planned and need dinner ready when you walk in the door. Or, cook it for a couple hours on your stove top - either way would work just fine.

Chicken Taco Soup

5-6 cans chicken broth (14 oz. size)
3 chicken bouillon cubes
5-6 Cups cooked chicken (you can cook your own chicken or use the packaged pre-cooked kind, or even get a rotisserie chicken and shred up the meat)
2 cans chili beans
1-2 packages taco seasoning (depending on taste)
1 can green chillies
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 package egg noodles

Add all ingredients to pot (or crock pot) except noodles. Heat through and then turn to low. Add noodles to pot and cook on low 30 minutes before serving or until done. (If you are doing this in a crock pot, add noodles the last hour of cooking time.)

Serve with Fritos and top with cheese and sour cream.

Here's the kind of chili beans you need (flavored - mild or hot, depending on how spicy you want this)

City Chicken

The name of this one can fool you - it's called City Chicken, but it's not chicken at all. This recipe is made with a pork tenderloin and it's really good. My mom gave me this recipe a while back and I made it last night and knew I needed to post it after my whole family ate every last bite! It's very easy to put together and is perfect served over mashed potatoes. Since Mike and I are trying to eat healthier than our norm, I served the girls mashed potatoes and served ours over brown rice. Great both ways - so whichever you like better is just fine. Enjoy!

City Chicken

2 lbs. boneless pork loin, cut into cubes
1/2 Cup Flour
1/2 tsp. Garlic Salt
1/4 tsp. Pepper
1/4 Cup Butter or Margarine
3 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil
1 Pkg. Dry Onion Soup Mix
1 Can (14 oz.) Chicken Broth (I used low sodium/fat free)
1 Cup Water

Combine flour, garlic salt and pepper on a plate and roll pork loin cubes in mixture until coated. In a large skillet, heat butter and oil over medium heat. Brown pork, turning frequently. Drain off excess oil/juices. Sprinkle with soup mix and add broth and water. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour. If desired, thicken pan juices with corn starch. Serve over hot mashed potatoes or rice. 4 Servings.

Browning away in the skillet

Simmering in sauce

The girls plate - with yummy mashed potatoes and green beans

Salted Caramel Pretzel Bark

I found this recipe the other day on a blog that I like to read and she claimed it was a must try, so I took her advice and tried it. She was right - if you like things that are that perfect sweet/salty combo, then this is the perfect thing. It's simple to make and oh so good. Perfect for those last minute Christmas/New Year's parties you are going to and need to take a little treat with you!

Salted Caramel Pretzel Bark

1 Cup Butter (2 Sticks)
1 Cup Light Brown Sugar
Mini Pretzel Twists (about 1/2 bag)
12 oz. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Sea Salt

Preheat oven to 400 and line a baking sheet with foil. Spread pretzels in an even layer all over baking sheet. In a sauce pan, melt butter. Once melted, stir in brown sugar until combined. Cook on low for 3 minutes and then pour evenly over pretzels. Bake for 5-7 minutes.
Remove from oven and spread chocolate chips evenly over pretzels and allow it to melt for 1 minute. Take a spatula and spread chocolate chips out and then sprinkle with sea salt. Refrigerate for an hour or so and then break bark into chunks and serve.

Caramel mixture poured over pretzels - ready for the oven

Chocolate chips are on - it's looking good!

Here's the Sea Salt that I used - this adds a great flavor!!

Ready to go - so yummy!!

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites

I bet you can't guess where I found this recipe! :)

Made these for dinner tonight and my family thought I was absolutely amazing. I mean, I pretty much am, but chicken wrapped in bacon just pushed me right over the edge. HA! (Just in case you are reading this and don't actually know me - I'm TOTALLY Kidding!)

I didn't even get to snap a picture of the finished product, because they were gone so fast. These would be good as a meal (I served them with baked potatoes and corn), or as a Holiday appetizer or Superbowl App! They are a little sweet and a little spicy and so good. Plus, just 4 ingredients and you're done. EASY!

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites

3-4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 lb. Bacon
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1 TBSP. Chili Powder

Preheat oven to 350.
Slice chicken into 1" bite size pieces and set aside. Take strips of bacon and cut into thirds, wrap a piece of the bacon around each piece of chicken and secure with a toothpick. Mix the brown sugar and chili powder together in a shallow dish and dredge bacon wrapped chicken in that mixture. Set on a broiler pan with a rack that has been greased well with cooking spray - (this allows the bacon fat/chicken drippings to drip down into the pan below). Bake 30 minutes or until bacon is crisp. May need a few minutes under the broiler at the end of baking time to crisp it well! Remove toothpicks and enjoy!

Creamy Grilled Chicken Picata

Here are 3 words that if they are used to describe any recipe, I'm pretty much willing to eat it: 1. Creamy 2. Pasta 3. Chicken

All three of those words describe this recipe that I made tonight and it was AWESOME! (Imagine me singing the word "awesome" in a semi-opera style voice cause that's what was going on in my head as I typed it.) :)

Here's the recipe and just a bit of info: It calls for grilling the chicken and since I didn't have the time (nor the desire) to grill outside, I used my Foreman Grill and it worked great.

Creamy Grilled Chicken Picata

Chicken Marinade
Juice of 1 lemon (3Tbsp)
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp basil or oregano
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Pasta and Sauce
1 lb. box Penne Pasta (I used about 3/4ths of the box)
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
Juice of 2 lemons
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 cup half and half
1-2 tsp dried basil
2 Tbps capers (optional-I left these out)
1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Combine first 6 ingredients and mix well. Place chicken in a ziplock bag and pour marinade over chicken. Marinate at least 2 hours minimum and up to 24 hours max in the refrigerator. When ready, grill until done. Allow chicken to rest for a few minutes and then slice into strips to serve over pasta.

While chicken is grilling, cook pasta according to directions (10-12 minutes). Reserve 1/2-1 cup of pasta water and drain. In skillet, melt butter and olive oil over medium heat. Whisk in garlic and lemon juice. Pour in half and half and whisk until hot. Add some salt and pepper to taste. Add the parmesan cheese, basil and capers, and heat until cheese is melted. Check the consistency of the sauce and add some of the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce if necessary. Toss in pasta. (Add more pasta water if noodles soak up too much of the sauce.)

Slice chicken and stir into sauce. Sprinkle with more parmesan if desired.