Category: Cooking

Homemade Peanut Butter

Do you ever think to yourself, “I know I could easily buy this for much cheaper, BUT can I make it from scratch? I mean, just because I can?” I function in that world quite often; It has rubbed off on my children. Case in point, last night. I rarely eat the Oreos my husband buys, but last night, I thought, “Oooo…a crumbled Oreo on ice cream sounds so good.”

I went to grab an Oreo, and of course my husband and children had JUST finished them hours ago. When I pointed out to my family that of course I decided I wanted one right after they finished them, my 5-year-old daughter quickly responded, “Maybe you can find a recipe to make them homemade?!” I have apparently created monsters (Or not, because how cool is it that both of my children get excited about making things from scratch?! #momwin)

The “what can I make from scratch” itch has been stronger since we started being “safer at home.” My kids’ go to lunch is peanut butter and jelly on a tortilla shell. I like it on sourdough. Because we have a substantial garden and I love canning, we also have enough homemade jelly and jam to feed a small army.

So let’s see, I have a fresh loaf of sourdough bread. I have homegrown and canned black raspberry jam open in the fridge. Wouldn’t it be awesome if I made homemade peanut butter so the whole sandwich was produced by me? (This is another passion of mine…having the whole meal be from scratch and the protein harvested by my husband through hunting. So fun!). I gave it a try and the results were delicious. When my 10-year-old son (the go-to taste tester) gave it a try, he just closed his eyes and smiled. He makes it special.

This process was so much easier than I expected and your kids will be tickled pink to know they took peanuts from the pantry and made peanut butter from them! Give it a try!

Your ingredients

  • 1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts
  • 1 – 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil (or other oil, I went olive)
  • 1/2 – 1 teaspoon honey (to taste)

(Feel free to double or triple this recipe. I wanted to start small in case we didn’t love it. It was such an easy process that making it in small, fresh batches is a great idea too!)

Your Steps to Homemade Peanut Butter

Place the peanuts in a small food processor and pulse on high. This will take a few minutes. Be patient. As I watched the peanut go from whole to chopped to a large sand texture, I thought there was no way they were going to turn to butter. Keep going.

Once you have obtained a very fine sand texture, drizzle oil into the mixture, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, blending it in as you go. Again, be patient and suddenly you’ll think, “Holy cow! I made peanut butter!” The initial plan was not to put honey in mine, but I gave it a try and thought it would be good to have it be a touch sweeter. I added 1/2 teaspoon, blended it in, and then gave it to my son. He gave it two thumbs up so I stopped there. If you have a sweeter tooth than we do, you may want to add a little more.

What I love about this peanut butter is that you can control the consistency. I like a little texture so I opt for crunchy on my PB and Js. While I didn’t get crunchy per say, I did have texture which was good. I haven’t tried it yet, but you could totally mix in some additional chopped peanuts for true crunchy peanut butter. I hope you enjoy it as much we did at our house. Although I have a hard time sharing…I mean, they get all the Oreos right?

Let me know what you think! —Jess

PS…Ready for a game changer? Put a thin layer of homemade peanut butter on BOTH sides of the bread then put the jelly/jam on one side. My PB and J game has been forever changed because of this small hint!

Get ready for magic, right before your eyes.
After a few minutes of blending.
My mealtime goals: Everything from scratch.

TOOLS OF THE TRADE

I do love my little food processor for creating small batches. Sometimes bigger isn’t always better, right?

Looking for homemade jam or jelly to pair with your peanut butter? Check out my canning and preserving page to get a recipe! Click the button below! Or click any of the pictures below for the direct link!

Canning

Homemade Peanut Butter

From scratch food is almost always better, but sometimes it isn't easy. Not the case with this homemade peanut butter! You are truly five minutes away!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Servings 4

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts
  • 1 – 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil or other oil, I went olive
  • 1/2 – 1 teaspoon honey to taste
  • dash of salt optional

Instructions
 

  • Place the peanuts in a small food processor and pulse on high. This will take a few minutes. Be patient.
  • Once you have obtained a very fine sand texture, drizzle oil into the mixture, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, blending it in as you go.
  • Drizzle in honey and sprinkle in salt. Blend once more.
Keyword peanut butter, peanuts, sandwiches
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

JessLeave a comment

So Simple Tomato Soup

I’ve always enjoyed a grilled cheese and some tomato soup. It wasn’t on my top list of favorites, but it definitely provides a source of comfort. Then I started baking sourdough bread and let me tell you, homemade sourdough quite possibly makes the best grilled cheese you’ll ever have. It’s been my “easy lunch” on the weekend countless times because it makes me so happy. Wait, you don’t bake sourdough…yet? What are you waiting for? Check it out here!

Okay, I digress. Sourdough grilled cheese is incredible, but tomato soup makes it so much better. And alas, we don’t generally have it on hand anymore since I make my own soups from scratch (I have an entire Pinterest board dedicated to soup…it’s a bit of an obsession). But recently it was chilly out and I just needed tomato soup. I looked around my fridge and pantry and put this together in flash…along with a grilled cheese of course.

A few notes from me: Most tomato soups (and creamy soups in general) call for heavy cream. I never have that on hand, and I like to make soups with things that I have on hand. I find that milk works just fine and makes for a slightly lighter soup without compromising too much. If you dig a creamier soup, feel free to use heavy cream rather than milk. If you haven’t noticed yet, I like to sneak all the veggies I can into a meal. It’s how I roll. This soup isn’t any different. Finally, this soup makes use of an immersion blender/stick blender (click here to see which one I have). If you don’t have one, it’s a pretty sweet kitchen gadget that has tons of uses and doesn’t take up too much space. I recommend it 🙂

Okay, let’s get cooking!

Your ingredients:

  • 1 cup diced carrot
  • 1/3 cup diced onion
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup diced zucchini (about 1 small)
  • 1/2 cup tomato paste
  • 2 14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes (I used one salt free and one garlic seasoned), NOT drained
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 2 cups chicken stock/broth
  • 1 cup milk (I used 1%)
  • 1/2 tablespoon honey (to taste)

Directions:

Heat oil over medium heat in a large kettle. Once hot, add carrot, onion salt, pepper, and basil. Sauté for 8-10 minutes, until soft. Add minced garlic, zucchini, cooking for an addition 5-8 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and allow to just caramelize. (If you are worried about burning it, you can skip the caramelize). Stir in diced tomatoes and chicken stock. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes, making sure your vegetables are nice and soft. Hit all your soup goodness with the immersion blender and blend until smooth (a shorter time if you want texture, a longer time if you want a more commercial tomato soup). Slowly stir in milk and honey. Leave over the heat until warm.

If you want a thicker soup, feel free to allow it to cook down a little bit. But if you’re like me at all, you’ll just be itching to get that warm goodness in your belly and you’ll eat it right away, complete with a grilled cheese. Yum!

I can’t help but take a picture of chopped vegetables. So pretty.
Soften those vegetables up.
It’s coming together!
Blend it all together.
Cook it down a little…
So Simple Tomato Soup
and serve!

So Simple Tomato Soup

A few easy, on hand ingredients combine to make a simple from scratch tomato soup everyone will love!
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe
15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup diced carrot
  • 1/3 cup diced onion
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup diced zucchini about 1 small
  • 1/2 cup tomato paste
  • 2 14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes NOT drained
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper or to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 2 cups chicken stock/broth
  • 1 cup milk I used 1%
  • 1/2 tablespoon honey to taste

Instructions
 

  • Heat oil over medium heat in a large kettle. Once hot, add carrot, onion salt, pepper, and basil. Sauté for 8-10 minutes, until soft.
  • Add minced garlic, zucchini, cooking for an addition 5-8 minutes.
  • Stir in tomato paste and allow to just caramelize. (If you are worried about burning it, you can skip the caramelize).
  • Stir in diced tomatoes and chicken stock. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes, making sure your vegetables are nice and soft.
  • Blend until smooth using an immersion blender and blend. (a shorter time if you want texture, a longer time if you want a more commercial tomato soup).
  • Slowly stir in milk and honey. Leave over the heat until warm.
  • If you want a thicker soup, feel free to allow it to cook down a little bit.
Keyword Gluten Free, soup recipe, tomato soup
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for other soup recipes?

Check out some of the recipes below!

Jess2 Comments

Sloppy Joes and Homemade Rolls

Inspiration comes from interesting places, doesn’t it? I have this lovely friend who is immensely creative and loves to create food masterpieces often. Since she is working from home part time right now, this happens regularly for her. She shared that she made homemade hamburger rolls and that her husband declared them better than store bought. Well, those lingered in my head and I was intrigued, hoping to find a reason to make them. (Wait for it…Sloppy Joes to come!)

Two days later, my son and I were flipping through my most recent cooking magazine as we are waiting for the time to start teaching and learning from home, and we see Sloppy Joes. Alas, we don’t have any rolls and with COVID-19, we have been strictly holding to one grocery trip a week, and my husband is the one to do it (he’s at work…bummer). But! The recipe of the rolls! So I quickly set to work to put my own spin on a from scratch Sloppy Joe mix with yeast rolls.

Oh my goodness, these rolls. Simple to put together. Leaves the house smelling amazing, and tastes delightful. If yeast wasn’t such a hot commodity right now, I am certain my family would have a batch of these baked up every week. My kids snack on them like crazy. And the Sloppy Joe mix? Once we ate through the first batch of rolls, my kiddos were more than happy to eat it out of the bowl or on top of a slice of sourdough. Needless to say, this was a big hit at our house and lasted for a couple dinners as well as a few lunches for my kiddos. I hope it’s a hit at your house too!

First, the Sloppy Joes

Your ingredients:

  • 2 pounds ground meat (We do home ground venison, but do what suits your family)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup diced green pepper (about 1 pepper)
  • 1/2 cup diced onion
  • 1/2 cup diced celery
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 2 1/2 cup beef broth/stock
  • 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup (Or sub in brown sugar. We just have syrup on hand and I like to use it whenever possible)
  • 2/3 cup tomato paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon mustard powder
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar

Brown ground meat in a large sauté pan. Remove and set aside in a bowl. If your protein is lean like venison is, add and heat the olive oil to the pan. Add pepper, onion, celery, and garlic. Sauté for 5-10 minutes, until soft. Stir in remaining ingredients and heat to boiling. Bring down to a simmer, stir in the browned meat, and simmer for 40 minutes over low-medium heat. And just like that, you have delicious, from scratch Sloppy Joe’s! Now for the rolls (After Sloppy Joe pictures of course 🙂 )

  • Brown it up !
  • Dice up those veggies!
  • Get the cook on!
  • Looks thin, but let it simmer!
  • So good!

From Scratch Dollar rolls

My inspiration came from Cooking with Curls, but I modified her recipe just a touch to suit my own taste. You can find her original post here. Here’s how I put mine together:

Your ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon instant yeast
  • 1 cup hot water (110-115 degrees Fahrenheit)
  • 2 tablespoons sugar (This has total flexibility though. I accidentally did 2 teaspoons the other day and they turned out fine. The original recipe calls for 4 tablespoons)
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2-3 tablespoons butter, divided (1 tablespoon softened and remaining melted to brush on top of the rolls prior to baking)

In a stand mixer bowl, add yeast, sugar, and hot water. Allow to proof for five minutes. Stir in egg, flour, salt, and one tablespoon softened butter. From here, allow stand mixer to mix the ingredients on a low speed for 4 minutes, until a soft dough is formed. Cover the bowl and allow to rest and rise for an hour and a half.

After the dough has risen, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Cut dough into 9-16 equal pieces, depending on your family likes their rolls. We dig smaller rolls, we we went for 16. Place on a jelly roll pan lined in parchment paper or silicone cookie sheet liners. Cover and allow them to rest an additional hour, until they double in size.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Uncover rolls and brush with melted butter (sprinkle with sesame seeds? I mean, that would be fun!). Bake for 15-18 minutes. Then take in just how good your house smells and revel in the fact that you just made homemade rolls that are SO MUCH BETTER than store bought, I promise!

  • Science class-yeast, hot water, and sugar. So cool.
  • The rest of the ingredients.
  • Time to rest.
  • I love the change after just 90 minutes.
  • Cut into your pieces (half the size you want)
  • Allow to rest for an additional hour.
  • Hot and ready rolls right out of the oven. Perhaps the best smell ever!

From Scratch Sloppy Joes

A combination of yeast rolls baked fresh and slow simmered from scratch Sloppy Joes make for a perfect meal and doubles as meal prep for later in the week
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Course dinner
Cuisine American
Servings 8 people

Ingredients
  

  • 2 pounds ground meat
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup diced green pepper about 1 pepper
  • 1/2 cup diced onion
  • 1/2 cup diced celery
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 2 1/2 cup beef broth/stock
  • 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup or brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup tomato paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon mustard powder
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar

Instructions
 

  • Heat oil in a large kettle. Add ground protein. Brown ground meat. Remove and set aside in a bowl.
  • If your protein is lean like venison is, add and heat additional tablespoon of olive oil to the pan.
  • Add pepper, onion, celery, and garlic. Sauté for 5-10 minutes, until soft.
  • Stir in remaining ingredients and heat to boiling.
  • Bring down to a simmer, stir in the browned meat, and simmer for 40 minutes over low-medium heat, until thickened.
Keyword dinner, lunch, sandwiches, sloppy joes
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Jess1 Comment

Creamy Ham and Potato Soup

I had a favorite ham and potato soup from my early days of cooking. Let me tell you, it was thickened by cheddar cheese, so it was a soup after my Wisconsin heart. Then I tried my mother in law’s new recipe. It was delish. So of course, I was inspired to reevaluate my own recipe and developed this beauty. My favorite part? The number of ingredients is low and it comes together so quickly! Give it a try on a cold dreary day when you need a steaming bowl of soup to warm your hands and soul.

Your ingredients

  • 4 cups of diced potatoes (You can peel them if you prefer. I like to leave the peels on. You do you!)
  • 2/3 cup diced celery
  • 2/3 cup diced onion
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (my favorite is kosher salt)
  • 3 cups chicken broth (I always make use Orrington Farm’s chicken broth base)
  • 2 cups milk (I used 1%)
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup diced, cooked ham

Your Steps

In a large kettle (I LOVE my cast iron dutch oven), combine the potatoes, celery, onion, garlic, pepper, salt, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and then low to a simmer for 15-20 minutes, until potatoes are soft. Remove from heat.

Carefully pour vegetables and stock into a heat safe bowl and set aside. Keeping the kettle heated over medium heat, add the butter and stir until fully melted. Stir in the flour and continue to stir/whisk until a golden brown color is created, about 3 minutes. SLOWLY (I am not good at this part…I am so impatient), stir in the milk, adding 1/3-1/2 cup at a time. Heat and stir until it thickens. Be patient if you can, it will be worth it. Once all milk has been incorporated, slowly reincorporate the chicken stock and vegetables. Add in ham and continue to cook over a medium heat until the ham is heated through. Taste test, and add additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve this ham and potato soup up with a nice side salad and a piece of crusty bread. Yum.

My husband is still in love with the cheesy potato soup, so he likes to stir in a few tablespoons of cheese (Okay, again, Wisconsin. Let’s be real, it’s more like 1/3 cup. We love our cheese.). It makes a great add in, but this soup eats great without it too! Give it a try! Cheers to your time in the kitchen–Jess

I can’t help but always share a picture of the cut up vegetables
Diced ham. Check out the color contrast!
Simmer away as my rooster keeps watch.
Create a perfect roux of flour and butter.
SLOWLY incorporate the milk.
Ham and Potato Soup
Perfection. Ready to warm my soul and my belly.

Looking for more dinner recipes? Check out my cooking page below:

Cooking

Creamy Ham and Potato Soup

Ham and Potato pair nicely in this simple, hearty soup.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Course dinner, Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 6

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cups of diced potatoes
  • 2/3 cup diced celery
  • 2/3 cup diced onion
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups milk
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup diced cooked ham

Instructions
 

  • In a large kettle, combine the potatoes, celery, onion, garlic, pepper, salt, and chicken broth.
  • Bring to a boil and then low to a simmer for 15-20 minutes, until potatoes are soft. Remove from heat.
  • Carefully pour vegetables and stock into a heat safe bowl and set aside.
  • Keeping the kettle heated over medium heat, add the butter and stir until fully melted.
  • Stir in the flour and continue to stir/whisk until a golden brown color is created, about 3 minutes.
  • Slowly stir in the milk, adding 1/3-1/2 cup at a time. Heat and stir until it thickens.
  • Once all milk has been incorporated, slowly reincorporate the chicken stock and vegetables.
  • Add in ham and continue to cook over a medium heat until the ham is heated through.
  • Taste test, and add additional salt and pepper to taste.
Keyword cast iron cooking, comfort food, ham, Ham and Potato Soup, Potatoes, soups and stews
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

JessLeave a comment

Forget the Meat Italian Vegetarian Pasta Bake

I love me a good Italian dish. Then you put it in bake form and I am essentially in heaven. I hope you enjoy this Italian vegetarian pasta bake as much as my family did!

True confession: This recipe wasn’t supposed to be vegetarian. I browned this fantastic ground Italian venison that my family makes and had it all set on the table. It smelled amazing and I was excited. You see, I had this delightful combination of vegetables simmering and well…I think I got too excited. After I finished layering the vegetables, pasta, and cheese, sprinkling some last bit of mozzarella and some basil and oregano. I marveled at the layers and their beauty. Then I saw it. The bowl of browned venison! How could I forget?! Oh, I forget a lot, so I don’t know why I am so surprised 😀 I looked at my husband and he said, “I don’t need a protein with my Italian and you don’t want to take that apart!” So in the oven it went, and by golly, it was amazing, meatless and all.

It oozes with cheese and has tons of fresh vegetables. My son doesn’t love zucchini, so I knew if I did zoodles or shaved them to replace lasagna noodles, I would have a complainer on my hands. He would eat it, but it wouldn’t be a fun dinner at our house, and I am not a short order cook (no special meals for kids around these parts!). However, I thought I could sneak them in by dicing them up, and he didn’t say a word as he gobbled it up! Give it a try!

Your ingredients for your Italian Pasta Bake

  • 12 ounces tri-color rotini (or other noodle of your choice!)
  • 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
  • 1 cup chopped green zucchini
  • 1 cup chopped yellow zucchini
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1 cup chopped mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1/2 tablespoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 15 ounce cans of diced tomatoes, salt free
  • 1 15 ounce can of tomato sauce
  • 15 ounces ricotta
  • 3 cups mozzarella, divided
  • 3/4 cup shredded parmesan, divided
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Your Steps

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bring a kettle of water to boil and cook rotini to al dentè. Drain and set aside. Cook Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan (I actually just used my pasta kettle!) over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic, green pepper, and onion. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, until just tender. Add salt, red pepper flakes, basil, oregano, zucchini, and mushrooms. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Stir in diced tomatoes and tomato sauce, allowing to simmer while you mix the cheese mixture.

Speaking of the cheese mixture, is it even Italian if it doesn’t have cheese?! This recipe is creamy and cheesy in all the right ways, but if cheese doesn’t speak to your soul like it does to a Wisconsinite, feel free to cut this down just a touch. In a separate bowl, mix ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella, 1/2 cup of shredded parmesan, egg, 1 teaspoon of minced garlic and pepper.

Now to build your Italian Vegetarian Pasta bake!

Layer approximately 2 cups of the vegetable mixture on the bottom of a pyrex pan. Add approximately 1/3 of the noodles and then 1/3 of the cheese mixture. Continue layering until two more times, but end with the vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and parmesan. Add a little basil and oregano if you’re feeling fancy. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the mixture is heated through. I love my cheese browned on top, so I turn on the broiler at 500 degrees and cook for 1-3 minutes more, watching VERY closely. The broiler is AMAZING, but you can go from perfection to burned in a snap!

I loved that this bake stays saucy. Sometimes a pasta bake can become dry over a day or two as the noodles absorb the extra liquid. Serve with some crusty bread and maybe a salad because you know you need ALL the vegetables 😉 A perfect prep on the weekend to enjoy on those crazy weekday nights! Enjoy! —Jess

A small layer of vegetables on the bottom.
Ricotta and mozzarella for the win!
Later it up!
A minute or two of broiler love gets the cheese perfect!

Looking for other great bakes and dishes for dinner prep? Check out my cooking page for more ideas or click one of the links below!

Cooking

Tools of the trade

Whenever I am creating casseroles and baked dishes in my kitchen, I have a couple go to tools I need: flexible cutting boards, Pyrex dishes, and good parring knives. I don’t know if I really can live without them, what can I say?

Italian Vegetarian Pasta Bake

No ground protein on hand? No problem! Throw this Italian vegetarian pasta bake together for dinner tonight! Bonus leftovers for smaller families!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 12 ounces tri-color rotini or other noodle of your choice!
  • 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
  • 1 cup chopped green zucchini
  • 1 cup chopped yellow zucchini
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1 cup chopped mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1/2 tablespoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bring a kettle of water to boil and cook rotini to al dentè. Drain and set aside.
  • Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat.
  • Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic, green pepper, and onion. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, until just tender.
  • Add salt, red pepper flakes, basil, oregano, zucchini, and mushrooms. Cook for an additional 5 minutes.
  • Stir in diced tomatoes and tomato sauce, allowing to simmer while you mix the cheese mixture.
  • In a separate bowl, mix ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella, 1/2 cup of shredded parmesan, egg, 1 teaspoon of minced garlic and pepper.
  • Layer approximately 2 cups of the vegetable mixture on the bottom of a pyrex pan.
  • Add approximately 1/3 of the noodles and then 1/3 of the cheese mixture.
  • Continue layering until two more times, but end with the vegetable mixture.
  • Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and parmesan. Add a little basil and oregano if you’re feeling fancy.
  • Bake for 30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the mixture is heated through. If you loved browned cheese, urn on the broiler at 500 degrees and cook for 1-3 minutes more, watching VERY closely.
Keyword pasta, pasta bake, vegetarian
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for other great dinner ideas?

Check out the recipes below or head right to my Cooking page!

JessLeave a comment

Stick to Your Ribs Venison and Barley Stew

Living in Wisconsin, it is chilly from mid-October through April. But don’t get me wrong, I love everything about Wisconsin, even the chilly season. I embrace and enjoy it all, from the -30 windchills to the humidity and mosquitoes. Perhaps I love the winter months because it gives me five solid months where it is 100% acceptable to eat soup every week. It’s my go to meal prep option and this venison and barley stew is a great one! Reasons why soup is the best (in no particular order):

  1. It’s comforting, they way it just warms your belly and soul.
  2. It makes fantastic left overs and reheats in no time.
  3. You can get all the color and vegetables you could ask for.
  4. I get to chop all those said vegetables, which is one of my favorite parts of cooking.
  5. Soup making is SO versatile. You don’t like a certain veggie? Cut it. You have extra of something else? Throw it in the pot.

We are just beginning the crazy life of kids having after school activities and sitting down together for meals is a big priority for my husband and me. I want to know about my kids and their days and I want them to know about ours too. Because of this, I try to put together a kettle of soup to feed an army every other week or so. (okay, not an army, but maybe enough for 2-3 meals for our little family) I also like to make food with what I have on hand. Yes, I keep a stocked pantry, but there aren’t any crazy “one time use” ingredients here, I promise. This is filling and wonderful and does everything a good soup should do: warm your heart and belly, leaving you feeling full and satisfied. Give it a try!

Your ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic, divided
  • 2 cups chopped carrots
  • 2 cups celery
  • 1 cup diced onion, divided
  • 1 pound ground venison (We grind our own and do not mix anything with it. Feel free to use any version of ground meat that your family loves)
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 1/2-1 teaspoon each: salt, pepper, ground sage (to taste)
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons flour (If you are gluten free or like a soup rather than a stew, you can totally leave out the butter and flour)
  • 9-10 cups low sodium beef stock (I always make my own base using Orrington Farms base. You can easily control how much sodium you add this way)
  • 1 cup pearled barley, uncooked

Your Steps to Venison and Barley Stew

Heat a large dutch oven on the stove. Add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Once hot, add 1/2 cup diced onion and 1/2 tablespoon garlic. Sauté over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add ground venison. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Brown meat, breaking into larger pieces, taking about 7 minutes or so. Remove from the kettle, but keep it warm. Add remaining olive oil. Once hot, add remaining onion, carrots, and celery. Add garlic, salt, pepper, and sage. Sauté for approximately 10 minutes, until just tender, stirring often.

Remove the vegetables from pan. Put the meat and onions back into the pan with the butter. Once the butter has fully melted, stir in the flour. Cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. The SLOWLY stir in the beef stock, 1/2 cup-1 cup at a time, allowing to thicken as you go. (I suck at this game. I am not patient when it comes to maintaining a rue, but when you are able to, it’s magic, so try your best. You can always grow here, right?! Or maybe I just need to…maybe you rock. Go you!).

Stir the vegetables back in, along with the peas and corn. Bring up to a low boil and stir in the barley. Allow to simmer for 40-50 minutes, until the barley is cooked through. This stew becomes so creamy over the next few days as you allow the barley to settle in. Sometimes soup and stew need another side to make a meal, but believe me, this wonderful venison and barley stew is a meal in and of itself. Yum!

Note: You can watch the stock and allow the thickness to suit your needs. It will thicken over time, so you may want to hold onto a cup or two of stock and add it later if you are serving this over a few days like I like to do.

Seasoned and sautéed
Slowly stirring in the beef broth…patience is key!
Finished product!
And thickened after a few days, get it just the way you want it!

Looking for other recipe inspiration?

Check out my cooking or my baking pages or click the links below!

Stick to Your Ribs Venison and Barley Stew

Ground venison and barley combine for a comforting soup perfect for those cool winter nights.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings 8 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic divided
  • 2 cups chopped carrots
  • 2 cups celery
  • 1 cup diced onion divided
  • 1 pound ground venison
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 1/2-1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2-1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2-1 teaspoon ground sage
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 9-10 cups low sodium beef stock
  • 1 cup pearled barley uncooked

Instructions
 

  • Heat a large dutch oven on the stove. Add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Once hot, add 1/2 cup diced onion and 1/2 tablespoon garlic. Sauté over medium heat for 3 minutes.
  • Add ground venison. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Brown meat, breaking into larger pieces, taking about 7 minutes or so.
  • Remove from the kettle, but keep it warm. Add remaining olive oil. Once hot, add remaining onion, carrots, and celery. Add garlic, salt, pepper, and sage. Sauté for approximately 10 minutes, until just tender, stirring often.
  • Remove the vegetables from pan. Put the meat and onions back into the pan with the butter.
  • Once the butter has fully melted, stir in the flour. Cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes.
  • The SLOWLY stir in the beef stock, 1/2 cup-1 cup at a time, allowing to thicken as you go.
  • Stir the vegetables back in, along with the peas and corn.
  • Bring up to a low boil and stir in the barley. Allow to simmer for 40-50 minutes, until the barley is cooked through. This stew becomes so creamy over the next few days as you allow the barley to settle in.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

JessLeave a comment

Venison Chili: Wisconsin’s Cold Weather Companion

True confession: I use to hate chili with a capital H. Well, I don’t know if I so much hated the chili or if it was all the kidney beans my mom wouldn’t let me pick out because I actually hated those. But I have grown wiser in my old age and have developed a deep love for venison chili in the cold Wisconsin winter months. If I am feeling ambitious it is accompanied with some honey corn bread. Not so ambitious? A side of homemade sourdough is almost as awesome.

If you have read many of my posts, you know I am all about getting all the veggies in my main meals. Does the recipe originally call for 1/2 cup of green pepper? You can bet I’ll up that to a full cup. Veggies make my heart happy (I am fairly certain I have a Pinterest board by that name…no joke. I mean, who does that?!) So this venison chili recipe has lots of chunky veggies because I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Few things before you get started:

  • I try to buy low sodium or no salt added tomato products if at all possible. I like to be able to control the salt I add to my cooking. If you use regular tomatoes, you may want to decrease the added salt. Just taste it first 😀
  • I started using 4 cups of the tomato juice (saving a couple cups for my husband because he loves it), but my kids thought the chili powder left it a little spicy so I poured the rest of the container of juice in. If you like a spicy chili that is super chunky, leave it at 4 cups instead of 46 ounces. Or just be like me and try it first. If you want to cut the kick or you like a not so thick chili, add the remaining 14 ounces.

Your ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound ground beef (We do our home ground venison, so your favorite ground protein would work great here whether it be turkey, beef, bear, you name it)
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped green pepper (about 1 large)
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium)
  • 1 cup chopped celery (about 3 stalks)
  • 2 15 ounce cans diced tomatoes (no salt added)
  • 1 15 ounce can of tomato sauce
  • 1 15.5 ounce can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed.
  • 46 ounce container low sodium tomato juice (see the note above for how much you decide to actually use)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon white sugar

Your Steps

Heat a Dutch oven or soup kettle over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Once warm, add 1 teaspoon of garlic. Sauté for 20 to 30 seconds. Add ground protein. Season lightly with salt and pepper from your shakers. Cook until browned and remove. Drain if necessary. In the same pan, add remaining olive oil and garlic. Then add pepper, onion, and celery. Sauté over medium heat for 7-10 minutes, until they are just becoming soft. Stir in remaining ingredients, including the browned protein. Allow to simmer on low as long as you can wait, up to an 90 minutes, to allow the flavors to mingle 🙂

Serve this venison chili alone or with all the toppings: oyster crackers, cheese, chopped onion, sour cream. Even better if you have some fresh baked bread! My son gave it two thumbs up, so I hope you enjoy it as much as he did! —Jess

Sauté those veggies.
All the spices look beautiful
Crisp, but tender.
Stir in the rest of the ingredients.
Simmer it up!
Wisconsin Chili
And serve!

Tools of the Trade

I adore my Dutch ovens. They are something that I use for nearly all my soup and stew making! Also a big fan of my wooden spoons and seriously, flexible cutting mats are all the rage.

Looking for other dinner inspirations? Check out my page below or maybe some recipes below this recipe!

Cooking

Wisconsin Cold Weather Chili

As the snow begins to fly in Wisconsin, venison chili is a sure fire way to keep your heart happy and your belly full! No venison? Beef works too!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound ground venison or beef
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped green pepper about 1 large
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1 cup chopped onion about 1 medium
  • 1 cup chopped celery about 3 stalks
  • 2 15 ounce cans diced tomatoes no salt added
  • 1 15 ounce can of tomato sauce
  • 1 15.5 ounce can of kidney beans drained and rinsed
  • 46 ounce container low sodium tomato juice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon white sugar

Instructions
 

  • Heat a Dutch oven or soup kettle over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil.
  • Once warm, add 1 teaspoon of garlic. Sauté for 20 to 30 seconds.
  • Add ground protein. Season lightly with salt and pepper from your shakers. Cook until browned and remove. Drain if necessary.
  • In the same pan, add remaining olive oil and garlic.
  • Then add pepper, onion, and celery.
  • Sauté over medium heat for 7-10 minutes, until they are just becoming soft.
  • Stir in remaining ingredients, including the browned protein. Allow to simmer on low as long as you can wait, up to an 90 minutes.
Keyword chili, dinner, venison, venison recipe
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Some of my favorite soups and stews

Kale and White Bean Sausage Soup

JessLeave a comment

Pork Burrito Bowl

Our family is entering the life of crazy evenings due to kiddo commitments. I am not ready for that season of life, but it’s coming whether I like it or not. Sitting down to a family dinner that is healthy and wholesome is important to my family and me. We plan on holding tight onto those meals around the table as long as we possibly can and is just the reason I put together this Mexican Pork Burrito Bowl.

So enter this week where we have engagement after engagement after school. We have some go to “quick” meals, but I wanted to switch it up. After an early morning wake up, I starting researching pork loin Mexican-inspired recipes, and couldn’t find anything I loved so I developed this little guy that has tons of flexibility! Love a stew? Maybe add a little more broth and top with some fun tortilla chips. Need more substance? Make a few cups of rice or couscous, put a 1/2 cup in a bowl and top with the pork. And what makes it even better? It all goes in a slow cooker so you’ll walk into a house that just smells marvelous and dinner will be totally ready in 10 minutes flat! Doesn’t get much better than that!

Your ingredients

1 pound pork loin
1/2 teaspoon each: salt, pepper, dried minced garlic, and cumin to season pork
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes (I used unsalted)
1 15 oz can tomato sauce (this had added salt)
16 oz (2 cups) chicken stock, low sodium
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup diced onion, diced (about 1 small)
1 jalapeño, diced (I am not a lover of spicy food, and this was perfect. Don’t let the whole jalapeño scare you)
1 cup diced pepper (I used yellow)
1 cup frozen corn
2 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons dried minced garlic (feel free to do fresh!)

Optional toppings: cheese, sour cream, cilantro, tortilla strips, it’s endless!

Optional sides: brown rice or couscous. Awesome to serve under or mix in as a stew.

Your Steps to Pork Burrito Bowl

Spray a slow cooker with cooking spray. Then mix the 1/2 teaspoons of salt, pepper, cumin, and dried minced garlic in a small bowl. Massage seasoning into the pork loin and place into the slow cooker.

Stir in the remaining ingredients into the crockpot. Set on low and cook for 8-10 hours (I did 10, and the pork just fell apart). Remove the pork loin from the slow cooker and shred. Stir back into crockpot. You’re ready to serve!

I made some quick brown rice to serve underneath the pork burrito stew and we topped it with cheese, but I wished for some cilantro and tortilla strips. A few days later, I found some left over couscous in the fridge and it needed to get used up. I put some pork burrito stew on top of it and brought it for lunch. I actually think the couscous was better than the rice. Either way, they make it hearty enough to be a solid meal while still being healthy and wholesome.

  • Massage that pork loin.
  • Chopping makes me happy.
  • Almost set to turn it on.
  • It’s falling apart after 10 hours.
  • Shredding is a snap!
  • Mix it all back in.
  • Mmmmmm. Serve alone or over rice!

Pork Burrito Bowl

Craving some Mexican-inspired food? This Pork Burrito Bowl comes preps together quickly and goes right in the crockpot for an easy meal!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 6

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound pork loin
  • 1/2 teaspoon each: salt pepper, dried minced garlic, and cumin to season pork
  • 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes unsalted
  • 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
  • 16 oz 2 cups chicken stock, low sodium
  • 1 15 oz can black beans drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 cup diced onion diced (about 1 small)
  • 1 jalapeño diced
  • 1 cup diced pepper yellow or orange
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons dried minced garlic

Instructions
 

  • Spray a slow cooker with cooking spray. Then mix the 1/2 teaspoons of salt, pepper, cumin, and dried minced garlic in a small bowl. Massage seasoning into the pork loin and place into the slow cooker.
  • Stir in the remaining ingredients into the crockpot. Set on low and cook for 8-10 hours (I did 10, and the pork just fell apart). Remove the pork loin from the slow cooker and shred. Stir back into crockpot. You’re ready to serve!

Notes

Optional toppings: cheese, sour cream, cilantro, tortilla strips
Optional sides: brown rice or couscous. Awesome to serve under or mix in as a stew.
Keyword crockpot, pork, slow cooker
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

JessLeave a comment

Honey and Soy Garlic Chicken

I love chicken. But we are a hunting family, so our primary protein source is venison. And chicken can be expensive. But when we have it, I am all about seasoning it with a little olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and minced onion, and sticking it under the broiler with some veggies. It’s the perfect, no-nonsense meal that I could eat multiple times a week. My kids, on the other hand, get sick of the quick and easy meal. So when I said I wanted chicken for dinner the other night, they moaned and groaned. I am not a mom who is a short order cook. We all eat the same thing at our house unless it’s leftover night. Thus, this delicious and simple honey and soy garlic chicken was born.

So, because I am a good mom, I switched up my normal routine and put together some Asian-inspired chicken in the crockpot and then got to making other creations in the kitchen. (Once I am in the kitchen cooking, I’m hard pressed to leave!). Now to get cooking!

Your ingredients (for 5-6 servings):

  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more, if you are the spicy sorta person!)
  • 2 tablespoons minced onion
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon cold water
  • steamed broccoli (I am all about the heads and the stems. Use it all!)
  • cooked brown rice

Your Steps to Honey and Soy Garlic Chicken

Spray a crockpot with olive oil cooking spray. Layer the bottom with the chicken. Mix honey, soy sauce, 1/4 cup water, garlic, ginger, oil, pepper flakes, and onion. Pour over chicken . Cook on high for 2 1/2 hours. I flipped it halfway so it got coated on all sides. After 2 1/2 hours, remove chicken and cut into bite size pieces. It isn’t shred worthy yet, so slicing is the way to go (but it is so moist!) If you wanted to cook the chicken longer, you could get it to shred worthy temperature!

Any who…pour the sauce from the crockpot into a small saucepan. Bring it to a boil. While you are waiting for it to boil, whisk the cold water and cornstarch together in a small mug or bowl. Once the sauce is boiling, slowly add the cornstarch and water mixture. Continue whisking sauce until thickened, about 2 minutes. Pour over the chicken. (I combined them back in the crockpot). Serve over rice with steamed broccoli. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top if you them for a little texture!

I do hear you…”You only cooked it for 2 1/2 hours? Who has the right timing for a dinner that cooks 2 1/2 hours?” I did get home from work earlier than normal, so this dinner was a cinch to throw together and get to other things. You could totally cook this on low for 4-6 six hours and have a shreddable chicken. You do you and make it work for you and your family. Here’s to a dinner together that everyone enjoys!

  • Lie flat and ready!
  • The science teacher in me LOVES the layers of density.
  • Minced onion (isn’t this a cute 1/8 cup?)
  • All set to bathe the chicken in goodness!
  • Turn up the heat!
  • Thicken up the sauce
  • Allow the flavors to mingle a little more…
  • Dinner is served!

Honey and Soy Garlic Chicken

A simple Asian-inspired crockpot chicken that pairs well with rice and steamed broccoli
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Course dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 5

Ingredients
  

  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 tablespoons minced onion
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon cold water
  • 5 cups cooked brown rice
  • Steamed broccoli

Instructions
 

  • Spray a crockpot with olive oil cooking spray. Layer the bottom with the chicken. Mix honey, soy sauce, 1/4 cup water, garlic, ginger, oil, pepper flakes, and onion. Pour over chicken.
  • Cook on high for 2 1/2 hours. I flipped it halfway so it got coated on all sides.
  • After 2 1/2 hours, remove chicken and cut into bite size pieces. If shredded chicken is what you enjoy, cook on low for 4-6 hours.
  • Pour the sauce from the crockpot into a small saucepan. Bring it to a boil. While you are waiting for it to boil, whisk the cold water and cornstarch together in a small mug or bowl.
  • Once the sauce is boiling, slowly add the cornstarch and water mixture. Continue whisking sauce until thickened, about 2 minutes.
  • Pour over the chicken. Serve over rice with steamed broccoli. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top if you them for a little texture!
Keyword broccoli, Brown Rice, chicken, crock pot, honey and soy, slow cooker
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

JessLeave a comment

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup. Doesn’t the name just give you warm and fuzzy feelings? It sure does for me!

The dead of winter in Wisconsin means big kettles of soup slow cooked on the stove over the weekend to be enjoyed all week long. I could eat soup, salad, and fresh sourdough bread every day of the week. I don’t tire of it. Luckily, my family shares my love. Seriously. My nine year old has requested soup for his birthday dinner the last few years. Who does that?! With wild rice on the mind and chicken in my fridge, I decided to put together a chicken and wild rice soup for us this week. When I asked my son if he wanted to give it a try, he jumped at the chance. Know that the kid LOVES chicken noodle and if I suggest rice, he gives pause. After his first try, he declared, “THE BEST SOUP YOU’VE EVER MADE.” I hope you’ll agree!

Your ingredients:

  • 1 cup brown rice, uncooked
  • 1/2 cup wild rice, uncooked
  • 7 1/2 cups low sodium chicken stock, divided
  • 2 cups diced celery (4-5 stalks)
  • 2 cups diced carrots (2 large)
  • 1 1/4 cup diced onion (2 medium)
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon sage
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups milk (I used skim and I loved the thickness. If you prefer a heartier soup, use 1 or 2%)
  • 4 cups cooked, cubed chicken (I baked 2 boneless breasts seasoned with a little black pepper at 400 degrees for 40 minutes while the rice was cooking)

Directions for Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Bring 3 1/2 cups of the chicken stock to a boil. Add long grain brown rice and wild rice. Cover, lower to a simmer, and cook for 40 minutes, stirring periodically to check that you still have water. You want your rice to just be tender.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large soup kettle (I LOVE my Lodge Cast Iron Dutch Oven…its red and just beautiful) over medium heat. Once hot (toss one piece of onion in. If it sizzles, you have the right temp. If it doesn’t, wait a little longer), add celery, carrots, onions, garlic, salt, pepper, and sage. Cook over medium-high heat for 10 minutes, until tender.

Lower the heat to medium and stir in flour and butter. Continue to stir vegetables, butter, and flour for 1-2 minutes. SLOWLY stir in the milk. I say that with all caps because I am so impatient and add it too fast all the time. But if you want it to be glorious and just a hint creamy, you need to add the milk slowly.

Stir in cooked rice and chicken. Then slowly stir in the remaining chicken stock. All to simmer for 20-30 minutes for the flavors to mingle, if you can wait that long. My son couldn’t 🙂 Hope you can warm your loved ones hearts and bellies with this soup! –Jess

  • Chopped and cooked chicken, seasoned simply with pepper
  • I just love all these veggies together.
  • Almost there…SLOWLY stirring in the milk.
  • Again, slowly add the broth.
  • Looking good!
  • Not too thick, not too thin. A happy bowl of soup!

Looking for other delicious soup recipes? Check out my cooking page!

Cooking

Tools of the Trade

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my dutch oven. It’s so beautiful!

Flexible cutting boards are the best, especially for chopping for soup!

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup: The name simply invokes all the warm and fuzzy feelings of comfort food. Give this recipe a try!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 8 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup brown rice uncooked
  • 1/2 cup wild rice uncooked
  • 7 1/2 cups low sodium chicken stock divided
  • 2 cups diced celery 4-5 stalks
  • 2 cups diced carrots 2 large
  • 1 1/4 cup diced onion 2 medium
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon sage
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups milk
  • 4 cups cooked cubed chicken

Instructions
 

  • Bring 3 1/2 cups of the chicken stock to a boil. Add long grain brown rice and wild rice. Cover, lower to a simmer, and cook for 40 minutes, stirring periodically to check that you still have water. You want your rice to just be tender.
  • Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large soup kettle over medium heat. Once ho, add celery, carrots, onions, garlic, salt, pepper, and sage. Cook over medium-high heat for 10 minutes, until tender.
  • Lower the heat to medium and stir in flour and butter. Continue to stir vegetables, butter, and flour for 1-2 minutes. SLOWLY stir in the milk, 1/2 cup at a time.
  • Stir in cooked rice and chicken. Then slowly stir in the remaining chicken stock.
  • Allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes. Serve.
Keyword chicken, chicken and wild rice soup, chicken soup, soup, soups and stews, wild rice
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Jess2 Comments