Soups & Salads

• 1 lb. hamburger
• 1 bag frozen stew vegetables
• 1 cup corn
• 3-4 potatoes, peeled and cut in cubes
• 1 cup carrots, chopped (and peeled if necessary)
• 1 large can whole tomatoes
• Salt
• Pepper
• Season Salt

Brown hamburger in skillet; drain and pour into crock pot. Add the rest of the ingredients; stir to combine. Cook on high for 4 hours.

Yield: 6-8 servings

• 1 ½ cups water
• 2 cups frozen loose-pack diced hash brown potatoes
• 2 medium carrots
• 1 stalk celery
• 1 10 ¾-oz can condensed cheddar cheese or broccoli cheese soup
• 1 15oz can cream-style corn
• 1 ½ cups milk
• 1 ½ cups diced cooked ham
• ¼ tsp black pepper

Put the water and frozen potatoes in a large saucepan. Peel carrots, cut the carrots and celery into small pieces. Add to saucepan and stir. Cook on medium-high, bring to a boil. Turn burner down to low. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add soup and corn, stir well. Add milk, ham and pepper, stir. Cook on low until chowder is hot, but don’t let boil.

Yields: 8 servings

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 4 chicken breasts, chunked
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 1 cup carrots, sliced
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 4 cups water
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 2 cups egg noodles

Sautee in heavy gauge pan the oil, chicken, and onion. Stir and turn until all sides are slightly browned. Add the celery, carrots, chicken broth, and water. Boil until vegetables are tender. Stir in the 2 cans of soup. Simmer for at least 30 minutes. Cook noodles in separate pan and boil for 8 minutes. Drain and add to soup mixture. Continue to simmer gently.

Yield: 6-8 servings

From the kitchen of Natalija Brady

• ½-1 can kidney beans, drained
• 1 ½ lb ground beef
• 1 cup chopped onions
• ½ to 1 cup chopped green pepper (optional)
• 2 cloves minced garlic (or 2 tsp. garlic powder)
• 2 cans (16 oz) diced tomatoes
• 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
• 1- 1 ½ cups corn (optional)
• 2-3 tsp chili powder
• ½ - 1 tsp dried basil
• ¼ tsp each salt & pepper (or to taste)

Cook ground beef, add onion, peppers, and garlic to soften. (Add some salt and pepper to meat, to taste.) Drain fat. Stir in the rest of ingredients. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.

(Crock-Pot instructions) Same as above, through draining fat. Pour hamburger mixture into crock-pot; add rest of ingredients to crock-pot. Cook on high for 4 hrs or low for 8 hrs.

Yield: 6-8 servings

• 1 lb. Boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into ½ inch cubes
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp pepper
• 1 TBL Vegetable Oil
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 cans (15 ½ oz each) great northern beans, rinsed and drained (white or pinto)
• 1 cup (8 oz) sour cream
• ½ cup whipping cream
• 1 can (14 ½ oz) chicken broth
• 1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies

In a large saucepan, sauté chicken, onion, and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies, and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; summer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream and whipping cream. Serve immediately.

Yield: 6-8 servings

• 2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 head romaine lettuce
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 hard-boiled eggs
• ½ tsp pepper
• ¼ cup shredded pepper
• ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup croutons

Dressing:

• 2 cloves garlic
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 TBL Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ tsp dry mustard
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 TBL lemon juice

1. Preheat broiler. For dressing, process garlic, oil Parmesan, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and salt in a blender for 15 seconds. Add lemon juice; process until smooth.
2. Broil chicken until juices run clear when meat is pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes. Cut chicken into bit-size pieces; set aside
3. Rinse lettuce leaves and pat dry. Tear lettuce into large pieces; place in a large salad bowl. Squeeze lemon juice over top; toss lightly
4. Peel and chop eggs. Add eggs, chicken, pepper and dressing to salad bowl; toss lightly. Sprinkle shredded Parmesan and croutons over salad.

Yield: 6-8 servings

• 3 medium red potatoes
• 2 cups water
• 1 small onion
• 3 TBL butter
• 3 TBL all-purpose flour
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• Ground black pepper
• 3 cups milk
• ½ tsp sugar
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 cup cubed cooked ham

1. Peel potatoes and cut into 1-in cubes.
2. Bring water to a boil in large saucepan. Add potatoes and cook until tender. Drain reserving liquid. Set aside potatoes. Measure 1 cup cooking liquid, adding water, if necessary; set aside.
3. Peel and finely chop onion. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion to saucepan; cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent and tender, but not brown.
4. Add flour to saucepan; season with pepper flakes and black pepper to taste. Cook 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Gradually add potatoes, reserved 1 cup cooking liquid, milk and sugar to onion mixture in saucepan; stir well. Add cheese and ham. Simmer over low heat 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Store leftovers, covered, in refrigerator.

Serves: 12

• ½ lb Cooked ground beef
• ½ small onion, chopped
• Pepper
• Salt
• 1 Head of Lettuce
• Tortilla Chips, slightly crushed
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• Tomatoes (optional)
• Cucumbers (optional)
• Italian Salad Dressing

Brown ground beef, add chopped onion and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook thoroughly. Drain and set aside. Rinse and chop head of lettuce. Toss lettuce, chips, cheese, tomatoes, and cucumbers together. Add ground beef and desired amount of dressing. Toss again. Serve immediately.

Yields: 6 servings

• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1.5 lbs. ground turkey (or hamburger)
• 2 cans kidney beans
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 can tomato paste
• 1 TBL. chili powder (add more for stronger flavor)
• salt & pepper to taste
• garlic salt to taste
• add water if needed

Brown ground turkey, add onion and garlic and cook until onions are transparent. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer on low for 30 minutes.

(We sometimes use leftovers by putting chili in a flour tortilla with a little cheese. You can either microwave it for a minute or cook it in a pan with a little cooking spray.) From Sonia Callahan

Yield: 6-8 servings

• 1 Head of Lettuce
• ¼ lb Cooked, cubed ham
• ¼ lb Cheddar cheese, cubed
• Thousand Island or Ranch Dressing

In large bowl, toss all ingredients together. Serve immediately. Add desired amount of dressing to taste.

Yield: 4 servings