Loaded Seafood Chowder

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. flour
1 diced onion

2 celery stalks, diced

1 bell pepper, diced
1 can minced clams

1 cup cooked, deveined shrimp (small salad shrimp is great, but you can cut up larger ones as well)

1 cup lump crab meat, rough chop for smaller pieces
3 potatoes, cooked and diced
4-5 c. milk (to desired thickness)

1-2 t. Old Bay seasoning (can be more or less to taste)
salt & pepper to taste
1 can corn (optional)

Melt butter. Sauté veggies in butter. Add flour and cook briefly. Add milk and stir until smooth. Add boiled and diced potatoes. Add seasonings a bit at a time so you can taste along the way.  Add seafood and juice from can of clams. Simmer and eat!  (I use a crock pot just so it stays warm as long as I want it to).  It could also be done in an Instant Pot by cooking veggies in saute mode, and then the slow cooker option to warm the rest of the ingredients through.

I adapted this recipe from my Mom's basic clam chowder.

Creamed Corn Cornbread Muffins

Ingredients

for the homemade cornbread mix
• 3 cups flour
• 3 cups corn meal
• 3 tablespoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ½ cup sugar

for the Creamed Corn Cornbread Muffins
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups homemade cornbread mix
• ½ stick (¼ cup) melted butter
• 1 (14.75 oz) can creamed corn or cream style corn

Instructions

for the homemade cornbread mix
1. Add all ingredients for cornbread mix to a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
2. Transfer mixture to a 2-quart airtight container and secure the lid. You will need 2 cups of the cornbread mix to make the Creamed Corn Cornbread Muffins. Store the remaining cornbread mix for later use, see Notes.

for the Creamed Corn Cornbread Muffins
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin pan.
2. Beat eggs in a medium sized mixing bowl.
3. Add 2 cups of cornbread mix, melted butter and creamed corn to mixing bowl and stir to combine.
4. Transfer mixture into prepared muffin pan, filling each cup evenly, about 2/3rd of the way full each.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 12-13 minutes or until cooked through (a toothpick inserted in a muffin should come out clean).

Recipe from Joy Love Food.

Taco Chicken Queso Soup

Ingredients

• 1/2 stick butter
• 1/4 c. flour
• 1 large onion chopped
• 1 can Rotel tomatoes & peppers
• 8 oz Velveeta, cut into chunks for easier melting
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can corn, drained
• 2 cups cooked chicken (omit for veggie version)
• 4-6 cups milk, depending on desired thickness
• cilantro (for garnish)
• shredded Mexican-blend cheese (garnish)

Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or soup pot, over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes until the onion is soft.
2. Add the flour and mix to create a  roux.
3. Pour in the desired amount of milk (it will thicken slowly, so start thicker than desired as you can always add more milk later to thin it out).
4. Add the Velveeta chunks and stir until melted throughout.  This is where you'll want to add more milk if you'd like it to be thinner.
5. Add the Rotel, black beans, and corn.
6. Finally, add the cooked chicken. Stir and cook until the soup is hot and ingredients are incorporated. 
7. Remove from heat and top with cilantro and shredded cheese.

This one's mine!

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 slices bacon, diced (omit for veggie version)
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 1/2 cups milk, or more, as needed
• 3 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; set aside.
2. Melt butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk, and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in potatoes and green onions.
3. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes. Stir in cheese, sour cream, salt and pepper, to taste. If the soup is too thick, add more milk as needed until desired consistency is reached.
4. Serve immediately, garnished with green onion, cheese and bacon, if desired.

Recipe from DamnDelicious Blog

Italian Sausage & Roasted Veggies Sheetpan Meal

INGREDIENTS:

• one 12-ounce precooked sausage (pork, beef, chicken--whatever you like), sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
• 1 medium/large yellow summer squash, trimmed and sliced into bite-sized pieces
• 1-2 heads broccoli florets
• 1 sweet potato, sliced into bite-sized pieces
• 3/4 to 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes
• about 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• garlic salt & pepper to taste
• grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400F*. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easier cleanup, and add the sausage and veggies, then evenly drizzle with olive oil.
2. Sprinkle with oregano, garlic salt, pepper and ensure pieces are in a single layer.
3. Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until vegetables are tender and have as much color as desired; toss halfway through baking to ensure even cooking. 
4. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve immediately.  Can be served over rice, or on its own.

This was inspired by some sheet pan meals I found on Pinterest.

Yummiest Stuffing in all the Land (NOT EVEN JOKING)

1/2 c. Butter
1 Diced Onion
2 c. Diced Celery
2 Cans Turkey/Chicken Broth (veggie would work too)
1 pkg. Sliced Mushrooms (Crimini, button, shiitake, portobello, porcini or a combo)
1 lb. Cooked, Drained Sausage (I prefer the country-style over the Italian for this)
5-7 (heaping) cups Cubed, Crusty Bread (sourdough, multi-grain, ciabatta, Artisan, a mix--whichever you like)

Sage
Thyme
Poultry Seasoning
Salt & Pepper
Olive Oil
Fresh chopped parsley

DIRECTIONS
Bread needs to be dried into croutons first.  Place cubes on a cookie sheet and leave out over night.  You can also bake them in the oven at a low temperature until the bread has dried out.

Drizzle croutons with olive oil and sprinkle with sage, thyme, poultry seasoning, salt, & pepper.

Brown and drain sausage.

Brown onions, celery, and mushrooms (you can use the same pan with the sausage remnant to add extra flavor).  Add butter if necessary.

Add broth and drained sausage to the veggie mixture.

Mix croutons in a 9x13 baking dish and pour the broth and veggies over the top.  Stir and fold until just combined and all ingredients are evenly incorporated.

Bake @ 375* for 30 minutes.

Top with the chopped parsley to make it pretty.

Recipe adapted from Kneader's To-Die-For Stuffing (I used to use their prepared 12-Grain Hazelnut & Asiago Sourdough prepared croutons)

Mashed Cauliflower

1 head cauliflower, chopped
2 T. butter
1/2 c. cheese
3-6 slices bacon, cooked and chopped (easily left out for a veggie version)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Boil cauliflower in lightly salted water until it becomes fork-tender.  Break up the pieces and "mash" them with a whisk.  Add the butter and cheese; mix until the butter and cheese have melted.  Add the bacon pieces.  Stir together and serve.

I came up with this one!

White Bean Chicken Chili

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (or 3 cans of Costco canned chicken)

1 lb. cooked bacon/crumbled sausage (a mix is lovely)

1 large onion, chopped (1/2 red, 1/2 sweet yellow, if possible though)

Diced sweet peppers (I tend to do a bag, but measure with your heart)

2 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced (or garlic powder)

1 tablespoon oil

4 cans (15 1/2 ounces each) Great Northern (white) Beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth

2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies (if you like less kick, add just one can)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup whipping cream

Fresh cilantro, shredded cheese, crema, for garnish (optional)

In a large saucepan, saute chicken until no longer pink, then add onion, fresh peppers, and garlic. Add cooked bacon/sausage, beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream and cream. Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired. Serve immediately. This is especially good served with tortilla chips.

Slow Cooker Option: In a medium round slow cooker, place 1 pound chicken breasts (fresh or frozen) without cubing them. Add the chopped veggies, cooked bacon/sausage, garlic, beans, green chiles and all of the spices. Do not add the sour cream or whipping cream yet! Reduce the chicken broth to 12 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) and pour in over the other ingredients. Stir the mixture around a bit to incorporate the dry spices. Cook on low for 5-7 hours (if using frozen chicken you’ll cook on the longer end of that spectrum, fresh chicken will cook in less time). Remove the chicken to a cutting board and shred in bite-size pieces. Stir back into the slow cooker. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the sour cream and whipping cream  until smooth. Whisk the cream mixture into the crockpot with the other ingredients. Let the soup cook until heated through. Serve.

Recipe adapted from my MIL, Marie.

Bacon Feta Salad

1 pkg. Spring Greens (or your favorite greens mixture)
1 carrot, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
1/2 seedless cucumber, sliced
1/4 red onion, sliced
handful of cherry/small heirloom tomatoes (you could dice a large tomato as well)
1/4 c. Craisins (dried cranberries)
chopped pecans/walnuts
4 oz. crumbled feta cheese (I use the basil tomato feta)
6 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled (omit for veggie version)
croutons

Toss it all together and serve fresh!  I like to use a blueberry pomegranate or balsamic dressing, but just about any type of dressing would be delicious.

I came of with this one on my own!

Chicken in a Buscuit

1 8 oz. pkg. plain cream cheese
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 c. butter or margarine
1/8 t. pepper
1 chicken breast, cooked and diced into small cubes
a small handful of chopped mushrooms
2 cans of crescent rolls

Cream the first four ingredients together.  Fold in the chopped chicken and the mushrooms.  Make a pocket using two of the crescent roll pieces and fill with the chicken mixture.  Seal the edges and place on a baking sheet (I used parchment paper to save on clean-up and easy removal).  Bake at 350* for 20 minutes.  Serve with thinned cream of chicken/cream of mushroom soup over top.


Recipe from me, but I'm sure everyone has their own variation of this!

Olive Garden's Zuppa Tuscana

Ingredients

• 1  lb Italian sausage
• 3 large russet baking potatoes, cut into chunks (I used baby reds because it's what I had)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 pouch Oscar Meyer real bacon pieces (or a few pieces of cooked, chopped bacon)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups kale, chopped (or spinach works too)
• 2 quarts water
• 4 tsp chicken granules 
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt

Directions

1. Cook sausage.
2. Drain sausages on paper towels. Saute onions and garlic. Place potatoes, chicken granules, and water in pot and cook on medium heat until potatoes are done.
3. Add sausage and bacon pieces.
4. Salt and pepper to taste.
5. Simmer for another 10 minutes.
6. Turn to low heat.
7. Add kale (or spinach) and cream.
8. Heat through and serve.

Recipe from Darrin's cousin, Amber

Cranberry Salsa

1 Can (28-32oz) stewed tomatoes, drain excess liquid 

1 Can jellied cranberry sauce 

5 Sticks celery 

1/2 bag shredded carrots (or you can shred a few carrots on your own) 

1 Large Anaheim Pepper 

1 Jalapeno Pepper (or more if you want it hot) 

2 12 oz. bags fresh cranberries 

1 Red onion 

1/2 bunch cilantro 

3 Tbsp. brown sugar 

4 Tbsp. white vinegar 

 Pulse tomatoes, cranberry sauce, and fresh cranberries  in a blender or food processor. Finely chop celery, carrots, peppers, cranberries, onion, and cilantro and add to the cranberry mixture. Dissolve the brown sugar in the vinegar and pour over the salsa. Stir well, and chill. **The celery and carrots are easily left out if you like, and you can sub in a bell pepper for the Anaheim or chili if you're not great with heat.

To make it even more festive, you can buy the spinach tortillas and either cut them into triangles or use a tree cookie cutter (or any other cookie cutter for that matter) and then bake or fry the pieces into chips. There are also guacamole chips that are green which you can just buy at the store. Either way, this stuff is so good, I promise.

Recipe adapted from my very favorite roommate ever, Jen Johnson.

Taco Soup

2 cooked chicken breasts, diced OR 1/2 lb. cooked ground beef (omit for veggie version)

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1/2 c. salsa

14.5 oz. can stewed tomatoes

1 can black beans, drained

1 can corn, drained (or two cobs, with the corn cut off)

1 15 oz. can tomato sauce

2 Anaheim chili peppers, chopped

1/2 t. chili powder

1 t. cumin

salt, pepper, & hot sauce to taste

Dump all the ingredients in a crock pot and simmer as long as you can stand it. :) Then, garnish with shredded cheese, sour cream, and cilantro.

I made this recipe up myself, but there are lots which are very similar.

Squatternut Bash Soup

**Note: Unless you're an avid F*R*I*E*N*D*S fan (like myself), the title of this recipe makes absolutely no sense**

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

• 2-3 lb butternut squash, halved and seeded
• 1 onion peeled and quartered
• 2 shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and wiped clean - I used 4 crimini (baby bellas) since I didn’t have and shiitake handy
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 4 cups vegetable stock (or you could use chicken stock if that's what you had on hand)

Preheat oven to 450*. Cut squash into 2 inch pieces. The recipe had me peel them after roasting which was fine but I guess you could do it before hand if you wanted. Combine squash, onion, mushrooms, and garlic in a big bowl and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss until everything is coated then spread it all out in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet.

Roast 30 minutes or until the squash is tender and toss veggies halfway through. Let the veggies cool (I didn’t cuz I’m too impatient) then remove the skins (if you haven’t already).

The recipe has you put everything in a pan and puree it with an immersion blender. I don’t have an immersion blender so here’s my way:

Toss about half the cooked veggies in a blender along with half the stock. Blend it all up really well. Pour the puree into a pan. Do the same with the other half and add it to the pan. Tada! Bring soup to a simmer. Remove from heat, add salt and pepper to taste, and serve with your favorite bread. I usually "float" a large biscuit on the top. YUM!

Recipe from cousin Annie

Creamy Vegetable Soup

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. flour

1 onion, diced

4 c. milk

1 head cauliflower, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 c. peas

1 c. corn

1 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled (omit for veggie version)

8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded

salt & pepper to taste

Boil cauliflower and carrots in water (or chicken/vegetable stock) until fork tender; drain them when they reach your desired "doneness." Sauté onions in melted butter in a large pot. Add the flour to make a roux; cook briefly. Slowly stir in the milk until the mixture is smooth. Incorporate all veggies, bacon, and shredded cheese. Stir constantly until cheese has melted through. Add salt and pepper to taste.  This can also become an easy crock pot soup.  Even though this recipe was done with onions, cauliflower, carrots, peas, and corn, other veggies could be added or taken for a similar dish (broccoli, potatoes, etc.).

Recipe from my own little head!

Pizza Pasta Salad

16 oz. cooked pasta

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved (or three large tomatoes, diced)

8 oz. pepperoni, quartered

2 green bell peppers, diced

1/2 large red onion, diced

8 oz. mushrooms, diced

8 oz. Mozzarella balls, quartered (or 8 oz. shredded Mozzarella)

1 small can sliced olives

Italian dressing

shredded Parmesan cheese

Combine chilled pasta with Italian dressing (just enough to coat the noodles). Add the rest of the ingredients, toss, and serve chilled.

This recipe's mine, but it's pretty similar to MANY out there!

Strawberry Salad

**ignore my crappy phone picture**

SALAD:
Mixed Greens
Spinach
red pepper, sliced into strips
1/4 red onion, sliced into strips
1 c. sugared, slivered almonds
1 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
2 c. strawberries, sliced

DRESSING:
1/2 c. red wine vinegar
1/2 t. dry mustard
1 t. salt
1/3 c. sugar
1/2 c. strawberry jam
3/4 c. vegetable oil

Toss salad ingredients. Mix dressing and pour over salad. Toss and serve.

Recipe from Janelle Warby.

Cold Salad Stuffed Peppers

2 cans tuna/chicken, drained
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 c. grapes, halved
1/2 c. shredded cheddar
1/3 c. Mayo
salt & pepper to taste
2 bell peppers, seeded & halved

Combine meat, celery, grapes, cheese, and Mayo in bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Divide evenly into the halved peppers.

Recipe from Incredibly Easy Weeknight Meals.

7-Layer Dip

1 can refried beans
16 oz. sour cream mixed with 1 pkg. Taco Seasoning
Shredded cheese

8 oz. guacamole
sliced olives
diced tomatoes
chopped green onions

Put layers in an 8x8 dish. Serve with chips.

Recipe from Aunt Susan Waldvogel.

Super Stuffed Potatoes w/ the Works!

4 slices cooked bacon, chopped
2 potatoes
1/2 c. sour cream
2 green onions, chopped
salt & pepper to taste
1 c. shredded cheese

Use a fork to poke holes in the potatoes and microwave on high for 12 minutes. Bacon can be cooking during this time. Preheat broiler. Split the potatoes and scoop out the insides into a small bowl. Combine with sour cream, green onions, salt, pepper, and cheese. Spoon back into the skins and place under broiler to brown the tops.

Recipe from Rachel Ray's Top 30-Minute Meals: Kid Food Edition.