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.

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

Chicken Zoodle Zoup

3 chicken breasts cooked and cut into chunks (I like to bake mine and season them with sage, poultry seasoning, salt, & pepper, but this isn't mandatory.  This can also be omitted for a complete veggie version.)
3 cloves chopped garlic
1 large diced onion
5 sliced carrots
4 sliced celery stalks
2 c. frozen peas
2 cartons chicken stock (or veggie)
2 bay leaves
sprigs of fresh rosemary (optional, or could use dried)
spiralized zucchini (I like to use about a pound, but you can add or take away whatever you like)

If your chicken isn't seasoned, you'll want to add the following:
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. sage
salt & pepper to taste

**Note:  ALL veggies can have more or less depending on what you have available

Soften onions and garlic in some olive oil or a small amount of butter in a large stock pot.  Add carrots and celery, stirring occasionally.  Cook until veggies are tender.  Add seasonings (if your chicken isn't seasoned heavily, or if you prefer a stronger flavor) with the exception of the bay leaves.  Stir in stock and add the bay leaves.  Soup needs to simmer for about ten minutes before adding the zoodles.  When zoodles are tender, soup can be served immediately.

For CrockPot version, put it all in the crock pot and set on low for six hours or high for three hours.  Zoodles may not be as firm, but still delicious!

This recipe is mine.

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.

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

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!

Mom's Clam Chowder

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. flour
1 diced onion
1 can minced clams
3 potatoes, cooked and diced
4-5 c. milk (to desired thickness)
salt & pepper to taste
1 can corn (optional)

Melt butter. Sauté onions in butter. Add flour and cook briefly. Add milk and stir until smooth. Add boiled and diced potatoes. Add clams and juice from can. Simmer and eat!  (I use a crock pot just so it stays warm as long as I want it to).

Recipe from my awesome mom, Carolyn!