Lasagna Soup

A while back I went to a friend's house for dinner.  She made lasagna soup. Now I had never heard of this dish, but by the end of the meal....make that the end of our first bite, everyone at the table was asking for the recipe! It's one she actually found on Pinterest, so she was more than happy to share :)

 You actually assemble the soup as you serve it, and she was SO sweet to make GF pasta for me so that I could eat it!  I know from the picture it looks like just your average bowl of pasta with meat sauce...but it is soooo much more!  SO fabulous!

You'll see in the recipe there is this unbelievable cheese goodness that goes in, but I didn't add this last night, as Im trying to cut back on dairy.  Even without it though...so great! Hubby, who hardly ever asks for seconds ate three bowls. :)

Here's the link to this oh so yummy recipe! Just make sure all brands are GF and to use GF Italian sausage (I use Ingles Market GF bulk sausage) and GF pasta :)

I do as she suggests, and cook the pasta separately from the sauce then assemble before serving.  I also cheated a bit and use onion powder instead of chopped onion and dried minced garlic instead of fresh...still delicious!

Here's the link to this yummy soup....
http://www.afarmgirlsdabbles.com/2011/03/24/lasagna-soup/




Linked to Full Plate Thursday at http://www.mizhelenscountrycottage.com/2015/01/full-plate-thursday-1-29-15.html

Oh so simple... Black Bean Soup

For lunch today, I just tried this incredibly easy black bean soup recipe from Carol at Simply Gluten Free....Unbelievably simple and sooooo delicious! I did not have any fresh limes so I left the lime juice out, but it was delicious even without it! After pouring it into the bowl, I crumbled some GF tortilla chips in the soup too...

Here's a link to the recipe

http://simplygluten-free.com/blog/2009/11/blender-black-bean-soup.html

Gluten Free Chili Beans

Here's my recipe for chili beans...delicious on a cold day, or any day for that matter!

1-1 & 1/2 lb ground beef or ground chuck

1/2 of a medium onion diced

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce (the reg 14 oz size)
1 can Bush's Best Kidney Beans rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons GF chili powder
salt and pepper

Brown beef with onion until meat is no longer pink.
Drain beef and return to pot.

Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans, chili powder and salt and pepper.

Cook over medium heat. Once soup starts to boil, you can turn it down just a bit to medium low, stirring occasionally. Simmer for about 40-45 minutes

Add more salt and pepper while cooking, if desired

Ladle chili into bowls and top with cheese and sour cream if you'd like, but it's totally yummy on it's own :)

Enjoy!

PS...this chili freezes wonderfully. Just ladle chili into ziplock freezer bag about 3/4 full. Seal halfway, push remaining air from bag and seal the rest of the way. Lay flat in freezer and store till ready to eat. Thaw in refrigerator, then heat and serve.

This recipe is linked to...

Gluten Free Wednesdays at http://glutenfreehomemaker.com
Full Plate Thursday at http://www.mizhelenscountrycottage.com/2015/01/full-plate-thursday-1-29-15.html

Bacon Chicken Corn Chowder from GFE....

Yesterday, Shirley at Gluten Free Easily posted her recipe for Bacon Chicken Corn Chowder. It looked delicious and simple. I actually had all the ingredients, minus the corn, already on hand, so I made it for dinner last night. It was so tasty...even without the corn. Here's the recipe http://glutenfreeeasily.com/bacon-turkey-or-chicken-corn-chowder-gluten-free-dairy-free-refined-sugar-free-and-more-free/

Shirley's directions are for the microwave, but I cooked mine on the stovetop, and she gives some tips for that too. Of course, I had to cook it longer, and as Shirley suggests, add more liquid. I'm not sure if I didn't add enough stock and milk, or if I added too much chicken. I think probably a little of both, so it turned out thicker and less soupy than I intended, but regardless, it was very good!

Potato Soup

Over the years my mother-in-law has passed down a few of my hubby's favorite recipes.  This is one she shared with me years ago.  Super simple Potato Soup!

4 potatoes peeled and chopped into small/med pieces
1/2 of an onion diced
celery salt

carrots diced (optional)
salt and pepper
1 stick butter
4 cups milk
Real Bacon Bits
Grated Cheddar cheese

Place potatoes in a large pot with onion and add water till potatoes are just covered.

Add a few dashes of celery salt and then salt and pepper to taste. Sometimes I add carrots too at this point, it's up to you, yummy either way!

Cover pot and bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat until potatoes are very soft and water has cooked away. I usually cook about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, till potatoes are mushy... Watch it carefully, if potatoes cook too long they will stick to the bottom of the pot.

Add  butter and milk and a little more salt and pepper to taste.

Cook uncovered over low. Heat till soup is warm and has thickened to your liking. I also like to add in some bacon bits at this point to give extra flavor!

Top the soup with grated cheddar right before serving.