Really tasty, light soup. I used a 12 oz. package of frozen green beans instead of canned Italian green beans--you know . . . for that pop of color. Sprinkle with Italian-Style Cheese (which is a mix including Mozzarella). Serve with Pepperidge Farm Five Cheese Garlic Bread. Yum.  

Love, Muzzer

Olive Garden Copycat Minestrone Soup {Slow Cooker}

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 6 hours

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
• 2 cups water
• 2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes
• 1 cup diced celery (3 stalks)
• 1 cup diced carrots (2 carrots)
• 1 cup diced yellow onion (1 small)
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley (or 2 tsp dried)
• 2 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 3/4 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 1/3 cups diced zucchini (1 small)
• 1 1/3 cups shell pasta
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (15 oz) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 oz) can white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (14.5 oz) can Italian green beans, drained
• 2 cups packed chopped fresh spinach
• Finely shredded Romano cheese, for serving (Parmesan works too)

Directions

• Add vegetable stock, water, tomatoes, celery, carrots, onion, parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves and sugar to a 6 or 7-quart slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper to taste and cook on low heat 6 - 8 hours or high 3 - 4 hours.
• Add in zucchini, pasta, garlic, kidney beans and white beans and cook on high heat and additional 30 - 40 minutes until pasta is tender. Stir in spinach and Italian green beans and cook several minutes until heated through. Stir in more vegetable broth or water to thin if desired. Serve warm topped with Romano cheese.
• Recipe Source: Cooking Classy

Notes

This can also be made on the stove top - heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, add carrots, celery and onions and saute 4 minutes adding in garlic during last minute of sauting. Pour in broth, water and canned tomatoes. Add herbs, sugar and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, cover and and reduce heat slightly, allow to gently boil 10 minutes, then add zucchini and pasta, cover and gently boil 15 minutes longer, or until pasta is tender. Then add canned beans (green and legumes) and spinach and cook 2 - 3 more minutes.

CAULIFLOWER CHOWDER

Prep Time15 minutes

Cook Time30 minutes

Total Time45 minutes

Yield6 servings

A creamy, low carb, hearty and wonderfully cozy soup for those chilly nights!

INGREDIENTS

• 4 slices bacon, diced
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup 2% milk
• 1 head cauliflower, roughly chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Make Hidden Valley® Ranch Buffalo Wings.

 

INSTRUCTIONS

• 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.
• Melt butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in cauliflower and bay leaf. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
• Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in chicken broth and milk, and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 3-4 minutes.
• Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until cauliflower are tender, about 12-15 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. If the chowder is too thick, add more milk as needed until desired consistency is reached.
• Serve immediately, garnished with bacon and parsley, if desired.

-From the Damn Delicious website. No, really. That's the name.

Cranberry Orange Relish

12 oz. bag of cranberries
1 peeled orange
3/4-1 cup sugar

Grind the cranberries and orange in a food processor. Stir in the sugar. Refrigerate.

Orange Fluff Jello Salad Recipe

From Six Sisters

Ingredients

1 large package Cook and Serve vanilla pudding (4.6 ounces)
1 large package orange jell-o (6 ounces)
2 cups water
1 16 oz Cool-Whip (lite or fat-free is fine)
1/2 bag mini marshmallows

20 ounce can pineapple tidbits (drained)

22 ounces mandarin oranges (drained)

2 to 3  bananas, sliced (Optional, put in before serving so they don’t turn brown in the fridge)

Directions
Mix together pudding, Jell-o, and water over medium heat until it boils. Remove from heat and pour into a large mixing bowl. Refrigerate until mixture has thickened (about an hour). Beat until creamy. Fold in Cool Whip, marshmallows, and fruit. Chill about an hour before serving.

I folded in 8 oz. of Cool Whip when it first calls for it, then folded in the last 8 oz. right before serving. That made it light and fluff--eee. I didn't use bananas but I think they would be good with this,

Mushroom Turkey Stuffing

1 cup butter
Two 4-oz. cans mushrooms
1/2 c. finely chopped onions
1 c.  finely diced celery
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1-1/2 tsps. poultry seasoning

Melt 1/2 cup butter in deep kettle. Drain mushrooms; reserve liquid. Add mushrooms and onion to melted butter; cook until onion is tender but not brown. Add bread cubes, celery, and seasonings. Add mushroom liquid. Mix lightly. Spread in pan. Drizzle with another 1/2 cup melted butter.

I'm not sure how long I cooked it. Maybe 10 minutes at 325 degrees. Then I cooked it for 5 minutes at 425 degrees--so it gets brown and crunchy on top.