Are you tired of leftover turkey? It is time to repurpose that turkey and save precious time on a busy evening. This chunky soup is easy to prepare and has a great, spicy kick so it tastes fresh and comforting!

I love leftovers—but my family, not so much. They have eaten as many turkey sandwiches as they can stand. That means it is time to freeze the remaining roasted turkey and create a new meal another day. I cut the slices of turkey into bite-size pieces and freeze it in 2-cup portions. Be sure to pack the turkey tightly in freezer weight plastic bags, seal tightly, label, date and freeze. While I know that roasted poultry can stay frozen for up to 6 to 9 months, I plan on using it in the next few weeks for this hot soup.

This soup is one of our favorites. I use either roasted chicken or turkey in the soup—so if there isn’t a stockpile of turkey frozen, pick up a rotisserie chicken. Either way it is great. And by roasting the potatoes before adding them to the soup, it adds a chunky, stew-like texture. Best of all, it is quick and easy – so even on those busy evenings, it is simple to create a tasty, hot, home-cooked meal—and who wouldn’t like that during this busy time of year? [Read more…]

My vote has been cast and I am feeling very patriotic and nostalgic today. What better way to feed my soul than to prepare a soup that screams Americana to me!

This Tomato Basil Soup was inspired by a recipe in Ina Garten’s newest book, Barefoot Contessa Foolproof. The recipe goes together very quickly and you can have dinner on the table in no time. If your children have already drawn the line that they do not like tomato soup, I would suggest you simply rename the soup with a more enticing title. Perhaps Italian Pasta Soup would be just the rename to provoke tastes and squeals of delight from your family. [Read more…]

It’s funny how we get “hungry” for a specific food.  Why does a salad sound great one night and the next you must have a juicy burger? This week, I was hungry for Tortellini Soup. Why, I don’t know, except I hadn’t made it in several weeks. It’s easy and really is one of those soups that tastes like it simmered all day, but is done in about an hour or less. Best of all, it tastes fresh and fills the house with mouth-watering aromas.

I think I like it because the vegetables taste fresh, so it is a great transition from winter to spring. Roxanne would tell you that  I like the vegetables nearly raw. That’s probably true and this is one soup that I can cook quickly enough the vegetables keep all of their bright colors and a hint of that crisp texture I love. If you like them more done, just simmer a bit longer. The only trick is to add the tortellini during the last 7 to 9 minutes so they don’t overcook.

It is also just a bit different from our typical dinner and that makes it special. Enjoy!

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It has definitely been a winter to remember…..or not?  While we haven’t had any snowfall accumulation and for the most part the weather has been mild, it still seems bone chilling cold to me on many days.  What is the best cure for bone chilling cold? Soup, of course.

My family adores the old standbys such as chicken noodle and vegetable beef, but we enjoy soup of all kinds and it is a terrific way to “hide” vegetables from our 14 year old.  While she is not a picky eater, it is always a great day when she eats vegetables cheerfully.

Recently, my dear friend, Karen Adler (aka BBQ Queens) served Celebration Soup at a fireside dinner in her home.  It was a great change of pace and it was delicious.  This recipe comes from a wonderful book she wrote,  A Kansas City Christmas: Traditions and Recipes from the Heartland. She inspired my version of Creamy Vegetable Soup.  I hope it becomes your family favorite too.

Don’t forget to enter our contest for the 175 Best Babycakes Cake Pops Recipes giveaway.   There are only a few days left to enter, so do it now.  Follow this link back to the announcement of the book and learn how.  It will be out at stores and available on web sites soon, but enter before January 31 and you just might win a copy now.

Chili—let us count the ways. Fall is here! Football games with tailgate parties. Leaves falling. Cooler evenings. All of these are signs that it is chili season. In fact, it is National Chili Month.

For many years we have worked with a Midwestern chili seasonings company, Williams Foods, and one of the highlights of the year is the huge Chili Challenge held in Lenexa, Ks. It was just last weekend!

This year, about 200 teams competed for the honors and the air was absolutely tantalizing with the smells of simmering chilies. Take a look at this year’s fun! The weather was beautiful and the crowds were huge!

We served a lot of chili and met so many great folks.

For 17 years we judged a national chili recipe contest for Williams Foods and really believe there is no one “right”—or “wrong” way to make chili. We have seen thick ones, thin ones, hotter-than-fire ones, kid-mild ones, ones with beans or without beans, and ones with (or without) every kind of meat imaginable. There are lots of new and trendy gourmet chilies—but this time, I am sharing a comforting, old-fashioned Midwestern chili recipe.

What makes it Midwestern? Tomatoes and ground beef with red kidney beans. We laugh but we can almost always tell where people are from by the kind of chili they make. Here in the Midwest it often includes red or kidney beans. Travel down Route 66 into Oklahoma and the beans of choice are pinto beans and Texans often don’t add beans. New Mexico chili is often chunks of beef with a pot of beans cooked separately.

So here is my version—nothing trendy about it. Easy to fix, easy to freeze for another night, and easy to add a little more spice if you want to turn up the heat. Yes, it is made with Williams Chili Seasoning, but if you grew up in the Kansas City area like both Roxanne and I did, that is the way we made chili. It is pure chili seasoning, and doesn’t have the salt or fillers that many mixes do, so we use it often. But, if you live in a region that doesn’t have Williams products, follow the tips on the recipe.

We love to talk to people about chili–the chili they remember as a child, the one they ate at that diner down the road, the trendiest chili they just tasted or the next new chili recipe they are dreaming up. Let us know your chili story.

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