SLOW COOKER HAM AND POTATO SOUP

This one is a FAMILY favorite!

Yield: 8 servings

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 4 hours

From: dinner then dessert

INGREDIENTS

• 8 cups russet potatoes , diced
• 1 yellow onion , diced
• 2 large carrots , peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 16 ounce Cubed Ham 
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
• 1/4 cup flour
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream (you can also use milk - I used whole milk)
• ½ cup sour cream

INSTRUCTIONS

Note: click on times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer while cooking.

1. Add the potatoes, onion, carrot, celery, ham, Kosher salt, pepper chicken                broth to your slow cooker and cook on low 7-8 hours, or high 4-5 hours.
2. Using a potato masher, mash about 1/3 of the potatoes (don't worry the ham          won't really mash that much)
3. Add the flour, heavy cream/milk and sour cream and stir everything together.
4. Cover and cook on high for an additional 15 minutes.

Tortellini Soup

by Ardis Bird

1 pkg 3 Cheese tortellini
3 14 oz cans of chicken broth or 3 1/4 cup chicken broth
1 container of Alfredo sauce
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1/2 cup oil packed sun dried tomatoes diced
1 cup fresh baby spinach (I have substituted frozen and it works well too.)

Boil tortellini as directed. In a different pot combine broth, Alfredo, chicken and tomatoes. Simmer 5 minutes. Add spinach and tortellini and simmer until spinach is tender. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Summer's Fabulous Chili

In a 4 quart sauce pan:

1 large onion diced

1 1/2 lbs hamburger

Brown hamburger and add:

2 cans chili pinto beans

1 can kidney beans

1 can stewed tomatoes

1 can tomato soup

1 cup water

3-5 Tbsp. chili powder

1 1/2 tsp sugar 

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 chopped green pepper

Simmer for 1 hour. Best served the next day. Great with cornbread!

Creamy Vegetable Soup

Serves 8; prep time 30 minutes.

1 onion diced
3 stalks of celery sliced
4 medium potatoes diced
3-4 carrots sliced
5-6 tsp chicken bullion
Place in 4-6 quart pan and cover with water. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Add:
1 head of broccoli sliced
Simmer for until 10 minutes.
In another bowl melt 1 cube of butter and mix with 3/4 cup flour. Add 1 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1 tsp of parsley and thyme. Cook just until thick. Add up to 1 quart of milk or half and half.  Cool and serve.

Cheesy Vegetable Soup

By Heather Parry

4-5 Potatoes    

2C Carrots    (I really like the veggies in this soup so I double all of them except the potatoes and then make the recipe the same as directed, I've also used cauliflower when I was low on broccoli and still great)

2C Celery

1C Onion         

10oz Broccoli   (frozen or fresh)

1tsp Salt

½ tsp Pepper    

6 Ch.  Bullion   

½C Butter

2C Milk           

1 T Dry Mustard   

1lb. Velveeta

½ C Flour
Steam veggies until just tender. Mix flour and milk before adding to soup.  Add Velveeta and frozen broccoli last. (You can freeze this soup. One batch serves our family of 5 at least 2 dinners.)

Olive Garden Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

I got this recipe from www.copykat.com  
It is so good--A must try!
Yield: 8 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes

1 cup chicken breasts, cooked and diced (you can use a rotisserie chicken)
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 quart half and half
1 14 ounces can of chicken broth
1/2 cup celery, finely diced
2 minced garlic cloves
1 cup carrots, finely shredded
1 cup onion, finely diced
1 cup fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoons extra virgin oil
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon parsley
Freshly grated Parmesan cheeses i optional
1 pound potato gnocchi you can buy this in the gourmet section of many supermarkets

Saute the onion, celery, and garlic in the butter and olive oil over medium heat until the onion becomes translucent. Add the flour and make a roux. Let the butter and flour mixture cook for about a minute before adding 1 quart of half and half.
Cook gnocchi according to package directions.
Into the roux, add in the carrots and chicken. Once the mixture becomes thick, add the chicken broth. Once the mixture thickens again, add the cooked gnocchi, spinach, and seasoning;, simmer until soup is heated through.
Comments about this recipe: You can add more chicken if you like. While you could use leftover cooked chicken breasts, I really think using the rotisserie chicken that are found in many grocery stores is the best way to get the optimal flavor of this soup. If you want to make the soup lower in calories, you can use milk instead of half and half. Half and Half does taste better though, and it also reheats better than milk does.

Zupas Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup

Yields: 9 cups or 8 first-course servings (or 4-5 hungry adults :)

2 tablespoons margarine or butter (1/4 stick)
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1 can (13 3/4 to 14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
1 head (2 1/2 pounds) cauliflower, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup pepper jack cheese

In 4-quart saucepan, melt margarine or butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook until golden, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in flour and salt; cook 2minutes, stirring frequently. Gradually stir in milk, chicken broth, and 1 1/2 cups water; add cauliflower and heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 10 minutes. In blender (with center part of blender cover removed to allow steam to escape), blend cauliflower mixture at low speed in small batches until very smooth. Return cauliflower mixture to saucepan; heat over medium heat until hot, stirring occasionally. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in mustard and 1 1/2 cups cheese until melted and smooth. Garnish soup with remaining cheese to serve.
recipe from Bake 'n Make

Minestrone

1/2 lb Italian Sausage, cooked and drained
1 med onion, minced
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 carrots, sliced
1 lg potato, diced
1/3 med cabbage, sliced
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 15 oz kidney beans, drained
2 qt chicken stock

Combine all ingredients and cook until vegetables are soft.

Whiti Chili

1 T Oil
2 medium onions chopped (1 c)
     Saute until onions are tender
Add:
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 cups chicken broth
2 T chopped cilantro or 1/2 tsp ground coriande4r
2 T lime juice
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1 can (11 oz) whole corn drained
1 can (15-16 oz) great northern beans, drained
1 can (15-16 oz) butter beans, drained
     Heat until boiling. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.
Add:
2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (optional)
Serve with chopped avocados, tomatoes, olives, shredded cheese, green onions, tortilla chips, and sour cream for sprinkling over chili.