Gramps's Chili

My gramps, Robert Morris, was famous for his chili.  This is his secret recipe.  So, shhhh, don't tell anyone!  This picture of him is from his younger days serving in the Navy in WWII.

Ingredients:

1 can red enchilada sauce
1 can green enchilada sauce
2 lbs. hanburger
1 can crushed tomatoes
2-3 cans tomato sauce
cooked pinto beans (1 lb. dry)
garlic salt
chili powder

Directions:

Brown hamburger and mix with enough flour to soak up the grease.  Add everything together in a slow cooker.  Add garlic salt and chili powder to taste.  Let slow cook for several hours.  Serve alone or with sour cream and cheese.

Stone Soup

I grew up reading the story of "Stone Soup" by Marcia Brown.  It always made me so sad that no one would share any food with hungry soldiers.  And then I love the ingenuity of the soldiers to finally teach the town's people to share.  Here's the "recipe" of what goes into stone soup from this book.  Just add as much as you like of the ingredients.  Ours always turns out great!

Stone Soup

Ingredients:

water
stones
salt & pepper
carrots
cabbage
beef
potatoes
barley
milk

Directions:

Put everything in but the milk and cook until the barley and veggies are tender.  Add milk, warm though and serve.

Clam Chowder

Ingredients:
3 (6.5 ounce) cans minced clams
1 cup minced onion
1 cup diced celery
2 cups cubed potatoes
1 cup diced carrots
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 quart half-and-half cream
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
ground black pepper to taste
1/4 c. crumbled bacon (optional)


Directions:
1.     Drain juice from clams into a large skillet over the onions, celery, potatoes and carrots. Add water to cover, and cook over medium heat until tender.
2.     Meanwhile, in a large, heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Whisk in cream and stir constantly until thick and smooth. Stir in vegetables and clam juice. Heat through, but do not boil.
3.     Stir in clams just before serving. If they cook too much they get tough. When clams are heated through, stir in optional crumbled bacon, and season with salt and pepper.

Chicken Gnocchi Soup (a la Olive Garden)

1/3 c. olive oil or butter
2 cloves minced garlic
1 lb. chicken, cubed
1/3 c. flour
1/2 carrot shredded
1 stick celery, chopped
1/2 c. chopped fresh spinach
2 1/2 c. whole milk
1 1/2. cream
3 chicken bullion cubes
cracked pepper
1 pkg. Gnocchi (around 17 oz.)

Melt over medium heat in a soup pot. Add garlic and saute.  Add chicken and cook through.  Add flour and mix well until flour is cooked into the chicken.  Next add milk and cream.  Then add veggies.  Add three bullion cubes.  Add Gnocchi last.  It takes 3-4 minutes to cook through.  Mix well until soup thickens.  Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

*Notes from the friend I got this recipe from (Sallie H.): This is one of those, friend of a friend recipes.  I've never tasted Olive Garden's version, so I don't know how it compares, but I think this is yummy.  It comes out really thick.  I've messed with it and thinned it out with chicken broth.  Still yummy, but the flavor isn't as strong.  I've subbed whatever milk I have for whole milk.  I've even replaced the cream with regular milk or chicken stock and it's still yummy.  I like to add more carrot and spinach, and more garlic too.  I tried it using frozen spinach this evening and it was fine.  It makes just enough to feed our family for 1 meal, so you may want to double it with your boys : )  If you've never bought gnocchi before, you find it in the pasta aisle of any grocery store.  There's usually not a big selection, one, maybe two brands, so it kind of hides.  If I were doubling the recipe, I probably wouldn't double the gnocchi.  There's a lot of them in the single recipe.  Enjoy!

Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup

This is a copy-cat recipe for Zupa's Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup:

2 Tbsp. butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups milk or cream (I used half-n-half)
1 can (13 oz.) chicken broth
1 head (2 1/2 lbs.) cauliflower, cut into 1" pieces
1 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 cup Pepper Jack Cheese ( I doubled this, cuz we love it)

In a 4-qt. saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion & cook til golden, about 10 min. stirring occasionally. Stir in flour & salt; cook 2 min. stirring frequently. Gradually stir in milk or cream, chicken broth, and 1 1/2 cups of water. Add cauliflower & heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce to low; cover & simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 10 min. Use an immersion blender to blend till very smooth. (Can use normal blender, too, just do in small batches.) Remove saucepan from heat; stir in cheese. (It is not necessary to blend, it tastes just as good if you don't.) Garnish with extra cheese & a sprinkle of parsley.

Zucchini Soup

Zucchini Soup

12 cups peeled, seeded and sliced zucchini
2 c. water
1/4 c. fresh or minced onion
2 tsp. parsley flakes
1/2 c. chicken soup base or 8 bouillon cubes
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. pepper
4 c. milk
2 c. light cream


Combine zucchini, water, onion, parsley and 1/2 the the soup base.  Cook until zucchini is tender.  Mash or puree zucchini and set aside.  In a saucepan melt butter, blend in flour and the rest of the soup base and pepper.  Add milk and cream and simmer until thickened.  Stir in pureed veggies, thin with milk, if needed.  Adjust seasonings to taste.  Makes 16-20 servings.  (*** That's about enough to feed my family and have left overs for lunch the next day.)

This is SO YUMMY!  Serve with homemade bread and you have the perfect cold weather meal.

Pantry Meals: Green Chili Beans

Green Chili Beans

In the bag:
1 pint hamburger (or 1 lb. cooked)
3 cans pinto beans, drained
1 can black beans, drained
1 can green chilies
10 cubes beef bouillon   

Directions:
Mix the bouillon cubes with 10 cups of water.  Stir to dissolve.  Add the hamburger, beans and chilies.  Bring to a boil and heat through.  You can add additional water if you like it "soupier". 
Season to taste with salt, pepper and cumin. 

In times of plenty serve topped with cheese & sour cream.

Pantry Meals: Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

In the bag:
1 pint chicken
1 can carrots, drained and chopped up
1 lb. egg noodles
1 lg. can cream of chicken soup
12 cubes chicken bouillon   

Directions:
Mix the bouillon cubes with 12 c. of water.  Stir to dissolve.  Add everything else to the pot except the noodles.  Bring to a boil and add the noodles.  Cook until the noodles are done.  About 10 minutes.

In times of plenty stir in more veggies (celery, broccoli, etc) with the carrots or a handful of fresh spinach right before serving.

Pantry Meals: Taco Soup

TACO SOUP

In the box:

2 cans pinto beans

2 cans black beans

1 can green chili's

1 can corn

1 qt. jar tomatoes

1.5 Tbsp. taco seasoning (1/2 packet)

3 Tbsp. dry Ranch seasoning (1 packet)

6 chicken bouillon cubes

Add:

1 pint canned hamburger (or 1 lb. cooked)

Unwrap the bouillon cubes.  Mix them with 6 cups of water in a pot.  Drain the beans, and corn.  Add beans, corn, chilies, tomatoes, seasonings and hamburger to the pot.  Cook on low until heated through.  Add more water as needed for the consistency that you like.

In times of plenty, serve with tortilla chips, sour cream and cheese.

I could always buy canned tomatoes, but I get so many out of my garden each year that I bottle them.  I have TONS of bottles of tomatoes in my pantry.  That is why I use them. 

Right now I don't have any bottled hamburger.  Once I get some done, I will add jars of that into each box.

Pantry Meals: Beef Barley Soup

This is one of my favorite pantry meals.  It is so simple yet tastes SO GOOD!

BEEF BARLEY SOUP

In the jar (or bag):

1 c. pearl barley

3/4 c. dry lentils

2 tsp. parsley flakes

1/2 tsp. thyme

1/4 c. minced onions

2 tsp. dried celery flakes

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. garlic salt

2 bay leaves

10 beef bouillon cubes

Add:

1 pint jar (or 1 lb. cooked) hamburger

Unwrap the bouillon cubes.  Mix the contents of the jar with 12 cups of water.  Cook for 40 minutes.  Add cooked meat and simmer 5 minutes more.
 

I put this recipe in jars this time because I ran out of zip lock bags.  I put 2 jars in each box and a label on the front of the box so that I know what is in it.

The red things in the jars are the bouillon cubes.  You could also use bouillon granules if you wanted to.