This Bowl of Soup Will Really  Warm You Up!

I love being able to toss a handful of ingredients in a slow cooker and know that in 5 hours we will have an amazing soup ready to eat. This is the kind of meal I love putting together during the week when it feels like you are running out of time and the last thing you want to do is make a meal and clean up a mess! I mean, sure you will have to deal with the empty cans but I can totally handle that!

Ree Drummond always pulls together the easiest meals that are bursting with flavor! And this is one soup that does not disappoint! Ree knows that having a family dinner together is important and being able to take the frazzled mess out of meal planning is a huge benefit.

I love that this recipe can be made while you are out and about, but in a pinch, you can always make this on the stove top in a Dutch oven and let it simmer for a while. Since this recipe makes 12 servings you can count on having leftovers to take for lunch, or enjoy another meal!

This is what Ree says about her recipe.

“It’s my favorite kind of slow cooker recipe in that it requires no pre-cooking or sauteing or browning. You literally throw everything in, turn it on, then go live your life until it’s done.”

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Quick Tip: Make some cheese quesadillas to serve with this soup.

Image and recipe courtesy of Ree Drummond at The Pioneer Woman

The post One Taste and My Mother-In-Law Asked for the Recipe appeared first on Urban Retro Recipes.

Bring On The Chili Weather!  Pun Intended

What is a busy mom to do when dinner time rolls around and EVERYONE is hungry? Well, try this dish and watch your family eat it up. I love a hearty meal that you can create in a hurry and with simple, yet hardy ingredients. Really, it comes down to just taking a few moments to sauté the onions and fresh garlic before adding in the carrots, browning the beef and adding the pinto beans. Really, this is the perfect comfort dish that reminds me of my husband’s favorite food. Chili beans and cornbread. Seriously, he could eat it every week if I made it for him. The fact that this cornbread is baked right on top means no more dry cornbread for my family!  I love the fact that this is cooked in one dish, which means the clean-up is fairly minimal.  So, whether you are looking to take something to a cabin or just want a hearty Game Day Dinner, this Cornbread Chili Pie is a perfect dish.

And for more of a Southwest flavor go ahead and add in some diced fire roasted hatch chilis and a can of corn.  That really helps to stretch this dish out and if you are lucky, you might even have some for left overs.

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Quick Tip: Want to make this for a crowd? Go ahead and divide into individual ramekins with a dollop of sour cream and sprig of cilantro on top.

Recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart

Image courtesy of Jonathan Lovekin

The post The Dish That Made Martha Famous appeared first on Urban Retro Recipes.

The Taste Of a Classic, Only In A Soup

I love making and eating soups. I think that on a brisk day nothing beats a big bowl with some fresh breadstick to just warm you up from the inside out. We lived in MN for nine years and believe me, there were lots and lots of soup days.

When we moved back to Northern California we lived in the Sierra Mountains. It was a wonderful feeling to have a big pot of soup or stew on the stove when snowflakes started to fall.  The perfect meal after a day of sledding or shoveling the walkway!

Then we made the move to San Diego area. I have to admit I miss the seasons. Not only is it hard to think of fall or winter when you are still wearing flip flops and short sleeves, we don’t eat soup very often. At least not as often as I would like, but thankfully I hear temperatures are going to be dropping soon. We might even have a few mornings where you will be able to see your breath when you walk outside. If there is a dusting of frost, well down in SoCal they refer to that as a weather event.

This is what Jen of Yummy Healthy Easy has to say about her recipe.

“If you’re like me and struggling to find new meals to make during the week, you MUST try this lasagna soup! My boys absolutely loved it and it’s now a new soup on the menu rotation.”

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Quick Tip: You can substitute chicken sausage for ground beef if you prefer. I LOVE a chicken sausage I just tried with basil. Yummo. It would be great in this and good for those watching their calories as well.

Recipe and Image courtesy of Jen and Yummy Healthy Easy

The post Take The Chill Off With A Bowl Of This Hearty Dish appeared first on Urban Retro Recipes.

Make This Dinner Just Like An Italian Chef. Bon Apetite!

When I saw that Ree Drummond posted this recipe I had to check it out. I love all her recipes. I think I started following her when she was just getting started and there was just something personal about her life with Marlboro Man and her kids. It made me want to move out to a ranch! Ree started out talking about taking caer of her family and that is exactly what I was doing as well. Her simple yet delicious recipes really helped me add some fabulous meals to our monthly menu.

I love that this recipe calls for tiny little meatballs, so there are plenty throughout this zesty dish. However if you find that is a bit more time consuming than you had anticipated, go ahead and make them a bit bigger, but I will warn you right now, you might as well make a double batch because the meatballs they are going to be such a hit that your family will be diving into the middle of the pasta to find the last one.

This is what Ree has to say about her recipe.

“It’s got miniature meatballs, carbalicious pasta, and big chunks of mozzarella all throughout, and after you bake it in the oven the heavens open up. It’s delicious!”

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Quick Tip: You can use whatever kind of sausage is your favorite. I happen to LOVE a Feta/Spinach chicken sausage.

Recipe and image courtesy of Ree Drummond of Prairie Woman

The post The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond, Delivers On This Dish appeared first on Urban Retro Recipes.

If You Love Tomato Soup, You Are Going To Flip Out When You Taste This

I never knew how much I loved tomato soup until several years ago. My mom used to use the canned soup in recipes but she never made it to serve as a soup. I hadn’t really tried it until I was an adult. I just remember the first time I tried it at my favorite restaurant. It was the Soup of The Day so I figured it couldn’t hurt. But, after only one spoonful I knew I loved it. Seriously! On a chilly day there is nothing like that creamy soup that just warms you up from the inside out. I love adding in a few spoonfuls of my favorite salsa to heat things up a bit more and a small dollop of sour cream on the top to stir in.

I guess I had never thought to make this from scratch, which is hilarious since I make everything from scratch, including marshmallows!  Ree Drummond takes this recipe up a notch by making adorable croutons to float on top. They remind me of a smaller version of what I make for French Onion Soup.  Ree goes the extra mile in so many of the things she does. I hope one day I will have the opportunity to visit her Mercantile Store, because if it is anything like she is I am sure it is down home, practical and very personable.

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Quick Tip: If you are having a huge crop of tomatoes and are not sure what to do with them, consider lightly rubbing with oil, cutting them in half and placing them cut upside side down on a baking tray to place under broiler until blistered. It is a great roasted tomato taste.

Recipe and Image courtesy of Ree Drummond and Food Network

The post This Easy TO Create Recipe Takes Just Like The Soup At My Favorite Restaurant appeared first on Urban Retro Recipes.