Soup in a Bread Bowl

Isn't this so cute? I picked up these pumpkin looking bread bowls at the grocery store and made a quick potato corn chowder for a festive fall dinner.

I used scissors to cut the tops off the bread bowls, then hollowed out the delicious bread inside and set it aside to be shared and dunked at the dinner table, then filled the hollowed out bowls with delicious soup!!

I made the soup in less than 30 minutes - and with these fun bowls - this is a meal the family will remember!

The soup isn't really a recipe - it's just Bear Creek potato soup (dry mix) and then anything you have around. I fried up some southern style hash browns in it's own pan, then in the soup pot, sautéed some onions, followed the directions on the package then added the cooked hash browns, corn, ham and cheese that was left over from a party tray the night before and voila!

My husband isn't really a soup enthusiast and he was the first one done! The kids thought it was so fun that you could eat the bowl… I'll definitely be doing this again.

Green Chili Frittata

This could also be named "Kitchen Sink Frittata" because you can use any leftover ingredients you have in your kitchen. The main components in this dish are the eggs and the milk - add whatever else you have on hand and WAHOO!! No wasted food!

I made Green Chili Enchiladas the other day and had leftovers of what went inside the enchiladas - minus the chicken - basically a bunch of veg… so I turned it into this!

Green Chili Frittata
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
6 eggs
1 c heavy cream or milk
1 c frozen corn
1 c diced tomatoes
1 c black beans (drained)
Roasted green chilis!!!!*
Cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Add the eggs and the milk together and whisk until incorporated.

If you are starting from scratch - and not with leftovers: sautee onions until translucent. Add all other ingredients except cheese - bring to a simmer.

Add the chili mixture to the egg mixture, add shredded cheese - stir until incorporated.

Butter an oven safe skillet (I use a 10" cast iron skillet) - pour mixture in - add extra cheese on top if you are totally crazy for cheese like I am and bake it at 375 for 40-45 minutes. You want the edges to be nice and brown. Let it sit for 5 - 10 minutes before serving.

* HUGE TIP ALERT!! I lived in New Mexico for 7 years - yes - the home of the Hatch Green Chili. When I don't have freshly roasted Hatch Green Chili (or freshly roasted and flash frozen by yours truly) I either buy the Hatch brand OR a brand called "505 Southwestern" which is roasted green chili peppers with lime juice - oh. so. delicioso. We moved out of New Mexico state a few months ago and the ONE THING my husband insisted on was that I would buy a new (large bottle 2 pack) of 505 every time I went to Costco before we moved. We moved out of state 3 1/2 months ago and we are on our last of 10 bottles!!!! I actually did a post on our tradition of picking up a 25 lb box of chili's, having them roasted, peeling them and dividing them into serving sized baggies and also into homemade green chili sauce - but it was on my family blog that has been outdated forever.

Sausage & Bow Tie Pasta with Vodka Sauce

Sausage & Bow Tie Pasta with Vodka Sauce
1 - 1 1/2 lbs sausage
3/4 - 1 lb pasta (I use bow ties a lot but anything will do)
1 c heavy cream
1 c tomato sauce (I've even used pre made marinara in it's place)
1 T EVOO
1 T Butter
2 cloves garlic
1/2 - 3/4 c chicken stock
Parsley, basil, salt & pepper to taste* Fresh Parsley and basil are the best - use it if you can.

In a deep pan (like my large Creuset) crumble and brown the sausage until it is no longer pink. When you are finished - set the sausage on a separate plate covered with a paper towel to soak up some of the grease.

Using the same large pot you used for the sausage, fill with water and set to boil for the pasta.

Meanwhile, dice your onion, garlic, parsley & basil.

Sautee your onion and garlic in butter and EVOO. When the onion is nice and translucent, add the chicken stock. Now, it's probably time to add your pasta to the boiling water - do that.

Then add tomato sauce and slowly add the heavy cream. When it is all incorporated add the cooked sausage to the sauce and incorporate that. The pasta should be ready to drain. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water just in case the sauce is too thick for your preference.

After the pasta is drained, add the sauce (now including the sausage) into the large stock pot with the noodles. Add parsley, basil, salt and pepper. Serve!

*I hope this recipe makes sense - I make it all the time so it might seem all over the place - and sorry about the picture! I grabbed my sons lunch bowl with some leftovers the next day for the pic.

Game Nights II

These are REAL cheats - which are easier to get away with when my husband is out of town…

How does this sound for dinner tonight?
Rotisserie chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy and rolls? DELICIOUS right? Ready in under 10 minutes? Yep. Store bought chicken, Costco mashed potatoes, gravy from a jar and rolls in a bag. That doesn't sound as appealing - but it's GAME NIGHT!!!

Once again - I should be compensated by Costco for this but...

Have you ever tried Costco's Main Street Bistro Mashed Potatoes? A friend of mine told me about them a few years ago - they are great in a pinch!! Mashed potatoes ready in 7 minutes? Um yeah.

I LOVE the chicken sausage they have in their refrigerated section. I will get the brand name ASAP. We've tried several flavors - artichoke and mozzarella ranks up there as one of our faves - the ones picture are our current favorite - pineapple and bacon!! Slice them up and pan fry them - dinner in less than 5 minutes!!

Tonight we are having Cafe Rio Chicken - it's in the crock pot already! Going to serve it up with tortillas, cheese, sour cream, pico and creamy tomatillo dressing - EASY!